Richard Keys and Andy Gray: FA Cup predictions

Sport360 staff 21:35 22/04/2016
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  • This is a crucial weekend for Roberto Martinez who, on the back of a humiliating defeat to Liverpool in last week’s Merseyside derby, takes on Manchester United in an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.

    Andy Gray, a former Everton player, and Richard Keys, who front beIN Sports’ EPL coverage, discuss this and the weekend’s Premier League games.

    FA CUP

    EVERTON VS MANCHESTER UNITED

    Andy Gray: Martinez is on the brink, there is no doubt about that. He has lost most of the fans who would now like to see him go and if he doesn’t get a result against Manchester United today then his coat is going to be on a very shaky peg at the end of the season.

    The way they were beaten by Liverpool in the Merseyside derby was hugely damaging. He talks about Ramiro Funes Mori getting wrapped up in the emotion with that horrible tackle on Liverpool’s Divock Origi but I didn’t see much passion in that Everton team. They got rolled over quite easily and it was embarrassing. I know it’s easy for old Everton players like me to have a go but that was as poor a local derby performance as I can remember seeing. It was dreadful.

    Everyone keeps telling me that this is the best group of players they have had since my day in the eighties when Everton were winning things. Well, let me tell you, if that’s true and if they have got the talent – which for me they clearly have – then it’s up to the coach to bring out the best in them and get them playing in a way that brings success and he has failed to do that. They have won only four home league games this season and with this group of players that is just not good enough. I think he has lost John Stones because of the way he has treated him this season and maybe one or two other players.

    What we are seeing is what we saw when Roberto was Wigan’s manager – an entertaining coach who can’t win enough football matches. In my opinion Everton have gone backwards since last year. Martinez has admitted that he never sends his team out to keep a clean sheet. You are not going to win many games doing that. They don’t work hard enough defensively and they get turned over far too easily. They have lost more points from a winning position than any other team in the league and that’s unacceptable. I have no doubt that this team should be in the top six but they are a million miles away.

    If Everton go on to win the FA Cup, which I think is unlikely, I don’t think that should be enough to secure his job. You only need to win five games to win the Cup, so you have to look at the season as a whole and make your decision based on that. Don’t forget Martinez won the FA Cup with Wigan and they got relegated. At the end of the season the powers that be at Everton need to sit down and decide whether what Martinez has done in the last three years is progress and , for me, the answer has to be no.

    As for Saturday, this is also a big game for Louis van Gaal but at least United go into the match having won five of their last six games while Everton have one win in the last eight. Although I hate to go against Everton my head rules my heart and I think United will win this 2-1.

    Roberto Martinez.

    Roberto Martinez.

    Richard Keys: The Merseyside derby cost Brendan Rodgers his job at Liverpool and I think it is going to be the reason for Martinez getting the sack.

    Martinez was really fortunate to the get the job in the first place, on the basis of Wigan beating a very poor Man City side to win the FA Cup. I have never understood the fuss about Martinez.

    His decision not to sell Stones to Chelsea was disastrous. When a player wants to leave you must sell at the optimum point because he will never be the same again and that is exactly what  has happened.  Stones has gone backwards and they will never see an offer like Chelsea’s £40million ever again.

    Another incalculable mistake was to get Leighton Baines to apologise for being honest when he said Everton lacked chemistry. Everton is a special club and when you become an Evertonian they love you forever. Baines has joined that select  group and for Martinez to tick him off publicly was a huge error of judgement.

    There are some really good players at Everton, although some of them, like Romelu Lukaku, will leave at the end of this season, but I think they are tired of being asked to play the style of football Martinez wants with his tippy, tappy, sideways, forwards stuff.  That’s not the Everton way. Whether or not Martinez can save his job by winning the FA Cup doesn’t come into the equation because United will knock them out of the competition today. 1-0.

    CRYSTAL PALACE VS WATFORD

    AG: Difficult to separate two teams who have really hit the wall with an alarming dip in form over the past couple of months. Palace are beginning to show signs of improvement and I think they will edge it. 2-1.

    RK: I don’t understand the unrest at Watford with the suggestion that Quique Sanchez Flores might get the boot. He should be given the freedom of the town, not sacked.

    He has done a great job to keep them in the Premier League and here they are in an FA Cup semi-final.

    All this uncertainty will affect them and so Palace will win 2-1.

    PREMIER LEAGUE

    LEICESTER VS SWANSEA

    AG: No Jamie Vardy for Leicester after his red card against West Ham and although I should perhaps not bet against Claudio Ranieri’s side who are unbeaten in eight, I believe this title race isn’t over and Spurs might pip them at the post. 1-1.

    RK: The Foxes can win this without Vardy. Swansea aren’t good enough to cause them a problem. 2-0.

    TOTTENHAM VS WEST BROM

    AG: The Baggies are competitive but they are not fully focused, as we saw against Arsenal, and Spurs will be too good for them. 2-0.

    RK: Tottenham will walk this. Once they get one goal they are capable of getting a few more. 3-0.

    MAN CITY VS STOKE

    AG: City have got a Champions League semi-final looming so I don’t know what kind of side Manuel Pellegrini will put out but he cannot take a top-four place in the EPL for granted. United, West Ham and Liverpool are all on their tail so he has to take this game seriously, 2-0.

    RK: Stoke were so poor the other night against Spurs that Mark Hughes may as well hand out the flip flops now because they’re already on their holidays. 3-0.

    ASTON VILLA VS SOUTHAMPTON

    AG: Villa are talking about playing for pride now they are down; it’s a shame they didn’t do that before now. They did okay at Old Trafford but Southampton are playing well so no respite for Villa. 1-3.

    RK: I like what Eric Black has done since he took over at Aston Villa, particularly in the way he has sent Gabriel Agbonlahor to the fringes of the first team, but Southampton are far too good for Villa. 0-3.

    LIVERPOOL VS NEWCASTLE

    AG: Liverpool have a few injury problems and they have a Europa League semi-final to think about so I think Jurgen Klopp will rest a few of his big boys. However, they will still be good enough to beat Newcastle. 2-0.

    RK: I thought Newcastle played really well against Swansea but it is too little too late. Benitez will probably try and make this game all about his return to Anfield but he’ll leave empty handed. 2-1.

    SUNDERLAND VS ARSENAL

    AG: Sunderland will be up for this because if they can get a point they will go above Norwich and Arsenal are a bit hit and miss at the moment. 1-1.

    RK: Sunderland have looked much better recently and I now think they are going to survive. If they get on the front foot with some momentum from the start and beat Arsenal up a bit, they will win. 1-0.

    BOURNEMOUTH VS CHELSEA

    AG: Bournemouth beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and will want to complete the double but they didn’t look great against Liverpool last week. 1-2.

    RK: Guus Hiddink and Chelsea are both in the comfort zone and their pathetic defence of their title will continue with Bournemouth completing an unlikely double. 2-1.

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