The Derby

[Furey1878]

We usually manage to convince ourselves that it has to change some time, that we actually have a decent team, that they ain’t all that, then we get there and in too many recent seasons simply freeze when it come time to show up. Or, our management have written the game off and gone with a side looking for no more than damage limitation or we have changed formation for the first time. Or, we are missing key players. Is it Coleman hasn’t played there in five years or something like that?

Like most of us, I’m more than fed up of it, accepting the excuse of‘Everton That’, but most criminal of all, not even having a go. Aside from the Cup game in January when Lookman and a few of the younger lads showed no fear, we have never looked like winning...and that includes when we were leading after Distin and Beckford scored.

If....we are to break the current and long standing embarrassment that has become our usual Anfield fate we have to go with a different mentality. Perhaps it’s in this current team, I hope so, they’ve shown more under Silva in his short tenure than we’ve shown in many a year. Scoring first is something we haven’t done enough of in these games. Do that...and we go from there. I’ll be at the game - hoping rather than expecting - because its done me too many times in the past. I hope it’s this Sunday, it’s not like we haven’t waited long enough is it? COYB.

We haven't scored first in a derby since the 2012 SF.

 

[f.t.r.s]

Tbh i quietly fancy us for this one,
all the usual suspects have scored recently so there's no long drought to be ended against us.
Their 'fab three' are nowhere near the levels of last year.
We currently look very capable of playing on the counterattack and the defence looks sound for once.
we also happen to have a manager who managed to tactically bum klopp with hull city......

 

[efc.1878]

No matter what happens next Sunday just remember ... at least we're not them.

Absolute cretins.

Up the Toffees!

 

[LouReedwalkonthewildside]

...i’m not dreading it to the extent I normally do. I don’t expect us to win, I expect we’ll get beat but it will be a good test of where we are at this stage in time.

I’d like us to be competitive without being reckless but there’s a reason why they’ve accumulated so many points and it will be a very difficult game for us.

Jammy barstewards Eggs???!

 

[RomanReigns]

7 days lads

Let’s do em

 

[wembley84]

They're a much better side, far higher up the league and have spent far, far more. We're a vastly improved squad, but we're quite plainly still slowly learning the Silva system on the back of a car crash of a season where everything went horribly wrong, whereas this is Klopp's 4th season of Liverpool consistently investing in his ideas backing him aggressively, spending £150m on a goalkeeper and centre back.

They were ropy at first under Klopp just as we are a bit now. They lost plenty of games in his first year or two there, so there's no reason at all to be overly down if we come off second best here. I'm not saying losing derbies isn't grim, but this is about as laid back as I've ever felt about one.

Spot on this. They are unbeaten at home for ages, very rarely concede at home, and as you say, this is now klopp's team, having spent a fortune. If we lose so be it, it wont or shouldnt dampen the optimism around the club.

 

[Darth Toffeeman]

They are high energy hoof merchants.
Hopefully PSG game will drain them of some of their juice.

When they are at 100% whirling cretins mode, they are hard to contain. But they are not a great footballing side as they bypass midfield and look to capitalise on mistakes and hisitancy.

If we keep our composure, we can at least get a draw, if not better.

 

[SpongeBob brown shoes]

It's the hope that kills you, I'm not even going to try and convince myself we can get something out of it

 

[LouReedwalkonthewildside]

They're a much better side, far higher up the league and have spent far, far more. We're a vastly improved squad, but we're quite plainly still slowly learning the Silva system on the back of a car crash of a season where everything went horribly wrong, whereas this is Klopp's 4th season of Liverpool consistently investing in his ideas backing him aggressively, spending £150m on a goalkeeper and centre back.

They were ropy at first under Klopp just as we are a bit now. They lost plenty of games in his first year or two there, so there's no reason at all to be overly down if we come off second best here. I'm not saying losing derbies isn't grim, but this is about as laid back as I've ever felt about one.

Respect what you're saying but, Is their keeper better than pickford, IMO, no. Are they any better at the back than us, IMO, no. Is their midfield of Keita, Milner, Wijnaldum and Fabinho any better than ours, IMO, no. They edge it up front, but their front three are hardly scoring for fun like last season, and they will be playing us a few days after playing away to PSG where they can't afford to rest anyone.

All about opinions, but it will all come down to how Silva's and the players mentality is going into the game.

 

[Tipp blue]

Maybe we should turn up with only 7 players and forfeit the game, what's that an automatic 2-0 win to them?

 

[EverBlue92]

They are high energy hoof merchants.
Hopefully PSG game will drain them of some of their juice.

When they are at 100% whirling cretins mode, they are hard to contain. But they are not a great footballing side as they bypass midfield and look to capitalise on mistakes and hisitancy.

If we keep our composure, we can at least get a draw, if not better.

Its why I would go 3 at the back as a big part of there game is pressuring a defence into making mistakes or going out of position.

3 at the back gives us reassurance back there.

 

[Darth Toffeeman]

Its why I would go 3 at the back as a big part of there game is pressuring a defence into making mistakes or going out of position.

3 at the back gives us reassurance back there.

The biggest worry is our misfiring wing forwards.

We need Bernard and Walcott on top form.
Cardiff was an ideal chance to grab a goal and kick on, but they both had average games.

 

[welshtoffee]

We will roll over as usual and get our tummy tickled, we really have a serious complex against the rabble from across the park. Youth teams, Ladies team and the 1st team we really struggle against them even when they are playing poorly.

 

[Frang]

It's the hope that kills you..

 

[paulbefc]

Respect what you're saying but, Is their keeper better than pickford, IMO, no. Are they any better at the back than us, IMO, no. Is their midfield of Keita, Milner, Wijnaldum and Fabinho any better than ours, IMO, no. They edge it up front, but their front three are hardly scoring for fun like last season.

All about opinions, but it will all come down to how our mentality is going into the game.

Fair post and agree mentality will be a major factor.

Even if our XI could match theirs in many departments, I think it comes back to how long Silva's had to implement his ideas compared to Klopp though. I agree and think we've got great forwards, for example, but we're struggling to break poor teams down because we're playing a new system with Richarlison at a new club learning a new position. Two of Liverpool's front three have have been there for years and Salah's into his second. For their entire XI Klopp's way is pretty much second nature to them.

I think Evertonians should look at Liverpool and City as examples of why we shouldn't get too worried about the odd poor result this season. They're leading the way currently because they backed their manager through difficult starts and are both teams who play exactly as their manager dictates i.e. they're a perfect reflection of their manager's view on how football is best played. We beat Guardiola's City 4-0 with Tom Davies, Holgate, Funes Mori and Ashley Williams in the XI and yet City's XI is still shockingly similar to that day.

I expect we'll have days like that and I don't think anyone would be surprised if next Sunday was one but I like Silva's ideas so far and think Liverpool and City got it right in sticking out the difficult times, so will be pretty calm about it all whatever happens.