Martinez embarrassed by disastrous derby loss

Roberto Martinez was left with a feeling of embarrassment after a 4-0 Merseyside derby "disaster" at the hands of Liverpool.

Under-pressure Martinez saw his side thumped by a dominant Liverpool side in Wednesday's Premier League contest - in which Ramiro Funes Mori was sent off and John Stones was withdrawn due to illness.

Divock Origi - who was taken off on a stretcher as a result of the dreadful challenge Funes Mori was dismissed for - opened the scoring in the 43rd minute with a header from a cross from James Milner, who then provided the delivery for Mamadou Sakho to double the lead.

Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho added considerable gloss after Funes Mori was given his marching orders, with Stones' withdrawal between those goals leaving Martinez to lament a costly defeat ahead of Saturday's FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United.

"It was a disaster. A horrible showing that started with the best intentions but ended up with the inability to get the basics right," Martinez is quoted by BBC Sport.

"We forgot to defend the box and gave them a soft two-goal lead. We got emotional with the red card and from then on Gareth Barry was injured and John Stones was ill, it was a chain reaction. A disaster. An impossible experience.

"It is a challenge that he [Funes Mori] should avoid. He got carried away with the emotion of a derby, he got carried away. 

"Probably a red card, I can understand it or maybe a yellow. The top and bottom is that we didn't cope with the emotions of the occasion. [It's] a feeling of embarrassment.

"It is a huge game for us on Saturday in the FA Cup which is the only good thing. We will be hurting for a long, long time but we need to react quickly for the game on Saturday. We are strong enough to react but we are short at centre-back now."