balggy
Player Valuation: £5m
Watching Souness talking after the match about our record prompted me to do a bit of research. The reason we are so poor against Liverpool, according to Souness, is because Liverpool are better, simple as that.
Whilst its fair to accept that bar a couple of seasons, they have been better on the pitch, that doesn't really account for why we are so poor against them. We finished above them in 2012/12 and 2012/13, yet couldn't beat them in the derby.
Ironically, two of the best performances in the past 10 years, have come against arguably two of the best Liverpool teams. In 2008/9 they were genuine title contenders but we went to their place, nicked a point with a Cahill header and dumped them out of the cup in the replay at Goodison.
Again in 2013/4, they were a slip away (and Crystanbul) from winning the league. Whilst they thumped us four nil at their place, the 3-3 at Goodison was one of the best derby performances I have seen by an Everton side.
So I don't think our derby recorded can be fully explained by them being "better" than us.
Since the 2005/06 season to the present day, our record against the current top 6 in the Premier League has been as follows:
Tottenham
Won 6
Lost 9
Draw 9
Arsenal
Won 4
Lost 12
Draw 7
City
Won 11
Lost 8
Draw 5
Man Utd
Won 5
Lost 13
Draw 5
Chelsea
Won 5
Lost 10
Draw 8
Liverpool
Won 2
Lost 13
Draw 9
As the table shows, our record against the other top 6 teams, is notably better than it is against Liverpool (granted City weren't really a force until 2008).
But Chelsea, Utd and City have won Premier League titles in the past 10 years and we have over double the amount of wins against them, than we do against Liverpool.
So whilst our record against the top 6 in general isn't great (no team's is outside the top 6), our record against Liverpool is particularly shocking.
This a Liverpool, who have finished in the top four once since 2008/9 season and in two season behind us. You would expect our record against them to be second best, behind Spurs but instead it is by far the worse.
So it has to be psychological. A set of players who over the years have crumbled under the pressure of a derby match.
I can't think of one Liverpool player who let them down yesterday, not one. I can't think of one Everton player who didn't let themselves down yesterday. It has been like that for years.
So whilst they may have better players, have a higher wage bill, spent more money, the real reason why they have such a better record against us in the derby must be something else.
To say is psychological is easy, what is it psychologically that they have over us?
Whilst its fair to accept that bar a couple of seasons, they have been better on the pitch, that doesn't really account for why we are so poor against them. We finished above them in 2012/12 and 2012/13, yet couldn't beat them in the derby.
Ironically, two of the best performances in the past 10 years, have come against arguably two of the best Liverpool teams. In 2008/9 they were genuine title contenders but we went to their place, nicked a point with a Cahill header and dumped them out of the cup in the replay at Goodison.
Again in 2013/4, they were a slip away (and Crystanbul) from winning the league. Whilst they thumped us four nil at their place, the 3-3 at Goodison was one of the best derby performances I have seen by an Everton side.
So I don't think our derby recorded can be fully explained by them being "better" than us.
Since the 2005/06 season to the present day, our record against the current top 6 in the Premier League has been as follows:
Tottenham
Won 6
Lost 9
Draw 9
Arsenal
Won 4
Lost 12
Draw 7
City
Won 11
Lost 8
Draw 5
Man Utd
Won 5
Lost 13
Draw 5
Chelsea
Won 5
Lost 10
Draw 8
Liverpool
Won 2
Lost 13
Draw 9
As the table shows, our record against the other top 6 teams, is notably better than it is against Liverpool (granted City weren't really a force until 2008).
But Chelsea, Utd and City have won Premier League titles in the past 10 years and we have over double the amount of wins against them, than we do against Liverpool.
So whilst our record against the top 6 in general isn't great (no team's is outside the top 6), our record against Liverpool is particularly shocking.
This a Liverpool, who have finished in the top four once since 2008/9 season and in two season behind us. You would expect our record against them to be second best, behind Spurs but instead it is by far the worse.
So it has to be psychological. A set of players who over the years have crumbled under the pressure of a derby match.
I can't think of one Liverpool player who let them down yesterday, not one. I can't think of one Everton player who didn't let themselves down yesterday. It has been like that for years.
So whilst they may have better players, have a higher wage bill, spent more money, the real reason why they have such a better record against us in the derby must be something else.
To say is psychological is easy, what is it psychologically that they have over us?