Topic: The Push Square Football (Soccer) Thread

I always looked forward to Saturday afternoons watching skysports seeing the excitement of the commentators when there was a score in a match. Now as an Everton fan I have a sense of absolute dread as soon as the kick off. When we score I am just waiting to concede a goal. After another set of bad defending. Looking at the table its more luck than anything else we are not in the relegation zone. If Martinez stays I think we are serious contenders for relegation next season. All the hard work done by Moyes building a solid defence has been undone in the tenure of Martinez. The sad thing the set of players we have now is the best we have had in years and under a different manager we would have been pushing for Champions league football for next season. If we lose in the semi final Martinez should be sacked. We have nothing left to play for and are safe from relegation. The worry is that if he wins the FA Cup they will let him stay which would be a disaster for the club.

@dryrain: Martinez is deluded, everyone has cottoned onto it. When we lost 3-2 (west ham I think) after being 2-0 up and Barkley missed a penalty he was banging on about the team losing a 'feeling' from the missed penalty. If that's all it takes to break our fragile confidence there's something wrong. Also against Southampton recently Koeman came out straight and said they should have won, disappointed not to get all 3 points, missed opportunity etc etc. Martinez came out and flat out lied saying it was a good performance - it was horrific, we scraped 1 point from a home game giving up 13 shots on goal to our 3. Kone, Gibson and Mirallas would of looked out of place In a league 1 team.

@Bazza78: I wanna see Gotze in the prem. Liverpool would be great for him.
@themcnoisy: What is wrong with Evertons home form? Shocked me this season. There seems to be no desire there. They need some positive energy in that club.

@themcnoisy:
1) Who will finish 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the Prem? Leics, Spurs, Man city.
2) Who will will the FA Cup? Man utd
3) Who will win the Eufa cup? liverpool
4) Who will win the Champions League? Bayern
5) Who will win Euro 2016? France

1) Leicester, Spurs, City
2) United
3) Sevilla
4) Bayern
5) Belgium

@cloudrunner64:

Prem- Leics,spurs, man city
FA cup- Man utd- Though i hope Everton smash them( Yes i'm Liverpool fan!)
EUFA cup- Liverpool
CL- Bayern
Euro 16-Germany.
@themcnoisy: Looking forward to the derby? I am think there will be plenty of goals.....

@cloudrunner64: Martinez is a billy booolshipper. He's very positive, I give him that - but he's managed to turn a great unit into a rubbish one. We can play good on any given day but then play terribly for two games. Naismith going was an error he put pressure on Lukaku and Barkley for a place. The pressure is getting to him - dud you see the lineup on Saturday? Crazy.

@Bazza78: Its a weird derby this year, our biggest games of the season are just around the corner (semi finals for both) and the prem is lost. Maybe Liverpool can still catch the Arsenal but its unlikely. So I cant imagine a fiery derby.

yeah i agree, derbies are normally tense and tight affairs, but this one will be more open i think. Which is why i smell goals .

I think Spurs chances of winning the league has increased now, simply because their form is currently better than Leicester's. Not to mention, Vardy might get a two game suspension.

Anyways, do you guys think Leicester will challenge for the top four/title again next season? I have a strange feeling they won't make it pass the Champions League group stage.

@WanderingBullet: No offence to Leicester, but next season they'll be lucky to finish in the top 10 in the prem, great achievement this year, but when you consider Leicester almost got relegated last season. Then you realize what a freak season they've had this term. That's why they were 5000 / 1 to win the prem at start of season!

No matter how Leicester perfom next season what they have achieved and the tactics they have utilised has made them shine. Nobody adapted to their style of play and expected them to just fade away. The premiere league this season has been poor quality the top teams have not performed well. Players getting paid to much and not performing every week. If Leicester were smart they would sell Vardy at the end of the season even though fans would hate it. Some players have that freak season where they perfom and everything goes right for them. Cash in while you can on these performances.

Leicester have been helped by not competing in Europe and the Domestic trophies - certainly not in the latter stages. I very much doubt they will be as competitive next year and I certainly wouldn't be surprised if they get dumped out of the CL at the group stages - and NOT end up in the Europa!

They have been helped by the collapse of Chelsea in particular. No one expected them to be as lowly as they are and not even challenging for a European spot. City haven't exactly maintained their level either. I know people expected Leicester to drop away and, had they been competing in domestic trophies, chances are they would have. Having a full week to recover and work on tactics, training ground routines, preparation etc has certainly helped them maintain the sharpness and speed but I also think they have been a bit lucky too in a number of matches they could easily of lost - a break away goal after being under pressure for the whole match, penalties awarded to them but not too opposition (Vardy has more penalties than anyone and how Huth has got away with some I don't know). I know you need a bit of luck but that can't last 2-3 seasons...

@Bazza78 @themcnoisy Like noisy said, it's a weird derby considering it's practically meaningless - the best we can get is a Europa League place, and the best Everton can do is climb a little higher on the table. Considering the congested fixture list as well, I don't think this'll be a big match at all, though I imagine Klopp will play a relatively strong squad considering he played a team of youngsters against Bournemouth.

EDIT: If anyone hasn't seen the latest Liverpool Youtube video, you're missing out. I've got about a million gifs from it, it's hilarious.

@Anchorsam_9: lol sahko really fancies himself as a actor.

I'm a fan of Klopp. I was honestly hoping that United were going to appoint him before they got LVG.

Henderson was rubbish in that vid.

I would prefer Martinez to concentrate on the FA Cup at the weekend the result either way tonight is meaningless. I would rather he rest some of the players so they are fresh for the FA Cup. Nothing he can do at this stage of the season will redeem him.

@ApostateMage: Agreed, henderson has all the personality of a Tea-bag. He reminds me of a geordie version of Tim 'Nice but Dim' from Harry Enfield.

@iDangerMouse_:

West ham 1 Watford 1
Liverpool 4 Everton 0
Man utd 1Crystal palace 1