After the excitement/disappointment of the investment saga and the SKY-inflated hype of the last day of the transfer market, it's back to the thing which really defines football in this city, the 205th Merseyside Derby. After the debacle at Goodison Park in September (you'll have seen the DVD advertised gleefully in the city), the Reds will be looking for revenge.
The Reds are in cracking form, winning 9 of the last ten league games and haven't been beaten at Anfield in the league since October 2005. With Chelsea not playing until later in the day, three points in the early kick off would keep the pressure on. Everton sit handily in eighth after a good win at Wigan two weeks back. With Portsmouth and Bolton in runs of poor form, the Toffeemen will be looking to push into the European places.
Liverpool v Everton
Saturday 3rd February 2007
Anfield
Kick Off: 12.45pm
Referee: Alan Wiley
We've popped over to the
People's Forum to gauge their thoughts on the match and all things football in the city.
How are things in the State of Evertonia compared to how you thought the season would shape up?afkad: Not bad, points total could & should be higher if we'd converted a couple of draws into wins, but 6/7/8th is about where I hoped to be at this point. Cups have again been a big disappointment though.
electron blue: 8th is probably the exact position I thought we'd end up in but it's been such a poor League and bizarrely we really should have been even higher based on three or four games during September/October. The gap between the elite and the rest just seems to get bigger every season - I can't think why...
billysdad: We are in a better position than I expected but we are not playing as I hoped. I would rather be 10th/11th and trying to play than fooling ourselves at 7th by defending against the likes of Wigan, Fulham (FFS!) Reading etc etc. September was a very pleasant surprise though.
paulc: Slightly worse, I would have wanted to be on target for 60 points. Injuries haven't helped, and neither has the smear campaign against AJ.
tony: Pretty much as I thought, midtable with the occasional big result. Some of the football has been worse than anticipated though.
eric tampon: More or less the same. First few games Everton narrowly shade to get the 1-0 win that Davey Davey Moyes craves, then (after some injuries) the next few see Everton get found out and get twatted. Everton are now at the "levelling out" stage where they'll win some narrowly and get battered in the rest.
everton: Pretty much as I would have expected really - top half looking to push for a UEFA Cup place and improving on last seasons finishing position.
alessandro del unsworth: League position about right - however given the number of points we've thrown away, we probably should be a place of 2 higher. I thought we'd end up around 7th/8th though so we're on course for that.
zoobloo: Started off well but are cack at the moment.
Who has been your most influential player(s)?afkad: Toss up between Arteta going forward & Lescott who seems to give stability to those around him at the back.
electron blue: Lescott has been a brilliant signing and Arteta is always key to when we play well. Having a decent keeper rather than Dickie Wright has also helped.
billysdad: Early on, Cahill. Overall - Mikel Arteta.
paulc: Lescott has been superb.
tony: Would say the spine of Howard, Lescott, Arteta and Johnson.
eric tampon: Arteta, Lescott, Johnson (until he got found out) and Howard (until his Tourette's came back).
everton: Mikael Arteta - he's the one player who can make something happen and we look lost without him. Having said that Cahill and Johnson's goals have been vital this season.
alessandro del unsworth: Joleon Lescott.
zoobloo: Arteta.
And your worst?afkad: Beattie. Just hasn't done it & looks horribly short on confidence. Although in terms of most disappointing I'd add Osman simply because we know what he is capable of, whereas Beattie has arguably always been shite for us.
electron blue: Beattie, by a country mile (or by the width of his pay packet!).
billysdad: Beattie. He's my biggest disappointment since Alan Biley & Mickey Walsh!
paulc: James Beattie just hasn't performed yet.
tony: Beattie by the proverbial country mile.
eric tampon: Oooof... some much shite, so little time... despite a brief spate of hard work, Beattie still looks dreadful.
everton: James Beattie - hasnt scored from open play for nearly a year. That tells you all you need to know.
alessandro del unsworth: James Beattie.
zoobloo: Naysmith.
Tick tock tick tock time is running out .... how was the January transfer window for you?afkad: Disappointed not to bring in some help up front but looking forward to seeing Fernandes.
electron blue: We've lost players we won't miss and hopefully got in a good 'un for the rest of the season at least but I would have liked to see Beattie out and someone in to replace him. Our squad is definitely too small but it's been interesting to see how few transfers there have been at the teams in and around our level - e.g. do Newcastle really intend to stick with THAT defence for the rest of the season?
billysdad: As expected. Sad we gave Mark Hughes away though.
paulc: I think we are gambling by bringing 1 in and losing 3. Midfield is perilously weak in terms of numbers although quality is ok.
tony: Again as expected, not great! Hoped we would have got at least one more player in.
eric tampon: A bit like being a beggar with a dog on a string at a cashpoint in Knightsbridge ... looking at all this copious weatlh around you and hoping that someone will give you some out-of-date M&S custard tarts.
everton: As we expected really. Moyes rarely gambles in January and said back in December there wouldn't be much movement. Pleased to see the back of Davies, and Fernandes is a no risk signing cos if he's crap we can send him back in 6 months.
alessandro del unsworth: As expected - not too much going on either in or out.
zoobloo: Disappointed we couldn’t find a combative midfielder which we lack, otherwise I’m not a fan of the January sales anyway.
What's your favourite derby moment?afkad: Probably the Reina/Johnson incident.
electron blue: Watching Limpar and Kanchelskis combine for a classic goal from the ultra-posh seats in the Centenary Stand would take some beating.
billysdad: Andy King - my first derby win.
paulc: Has to be one I was at I suppose ... Gary Stevens in the League Cup at Anfield.
tony: Too many over the years, but the third in the last derby will remain in the memory for a long time. If only for the comedy value.
eric tampon: Hearing Alan Green whining like a c*nt if Liverpool lose.
everton: Duncan Ferguson's 1st goal for Everton. What an atmosphere at Goodison that night!
alessandro del unsworth: Having not seen a derby win in the flesh between the Grobbelaar o.g. Charity Shield in 1984, and the Carsley derby in 2004, it's got to be the AJ 3-0.
zoobloo: Sharpy’s winner at your place.
And the one you prefer to lock away in the dark recesses of your brain?afkad: Travelling an 11-hour round trip to see us get beat badly at Anfield in Nick Barmby's first derby for your lot. And getting soaked to the skin in the process.
electron blue: The McAllister free-kick, for all the number of different ways it shouldn't have been allowed to stand.
billysdad: Fairclough's at-the-death winner.
paulc: Rosenthal in the last minute at Anfield.
tony: All the losses, very large dark recess of the brain I have.
eric tampon: Hearing Alan Green masturbating if Liverpool win. I don't know why, but masturbating in a Norn Iron accent is very disconcerting.
everton: The day a certain Jewish striker scored in what seemed like the 16th minute of injury time at Anfield. God that hurt for weeks.
alessandro del unsworth: I'm just too young to remember the 5-0 in 1982 (?), so probably the McAllister freekick from about 50 yards in the 98th minute.
zoobloo: The ‘Keeley’ derby.
What's your favourite supermarket?afkad: Sainsburys.
electron blue: Waitrose - Nothing But the Best and all that...
billysdad: I'll have to ask the wife, hang on! Sainsburys, apparently, why?
paulc: M&S.
tony: Tescos.
eric tampon: Lidl. I'm on an EFC budget.
everton: Sainsburys.
alessandro del unsworth: Christ - we've only got a Morrisons near us.
zoobloo: Lidl – thought you lot would appreciate the name!
It must be good to see the shambles with DIC/Gillett on our side of the park - does it make you glow with pride knowing you have such a stable ownership structure?afkad: Not bothered about your lot, increasingly worried about our lot.
electron blue: Personally I think both clubs and the City Council missed out enormously on getting a shared stadium in place at the Kings Dock or somewhere close by. Nothing that has happened since then has changed my mind about that one.
billysdad: I'm not arsed. My only concern is the jokeshop at Goodison!
paulc: Haha. To be honest I think you are better off without the UAE lot, at least morally.
tony: Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha, stable? From the decisions that come out of our boardroom, I would rather have bi-polar monkeys in there.
eric tampon: Of course. Everton are so well run. A bit like Farepak.
everton: Yes - we might moan about lack of spending etc but Liverpool's Chairman has allowed 3 bad managers to fritter away about 200 million quid on a side that is no nearer winning the league than us.
alessandro del unsworth: *ROFL*
zoobloo: I’m surprised Liverpool have been DICked on this one. Mmm maybe we should bring along a banner on Satdee? How about ‘Come in agent Morgan, mission accomplished’ Yes I like it !
Would another manager get more out of the current squad than David Moyes?afkad: Doubt it. We don't have enough quality but thankfully what we do have seems to perform fairly consistently. He seems to have lost the knack of improving certain players though (I'm thinking abuot the improvements made by Kilbane & Carsley when they joined as opposed to the stagnation of Beattie, Davies, McFadden, possibly even Neville).
electron blue: Probably not in terms of League placing but possibly in terms of the style of football played consistently. Preston are my second team and they were always a lovely side to watch under Moyes but he has never really come close to replicating that at Everton.
billysdad: I could get more out of this squad than him! Coppell should be contacted come May!
paulc: Maybe, maybe not. Is such a man available?
tony: Probably, but could we afford him?
eric tampon: Probably, but I couldn't think of one who'd want the job. One who was a little more adventurous and didn't have a fetish for crocked left backs would be nice.
everton: No he's got us to 7th position. I know people moan about the way we play and it is awful at times but results count and we've had a few good ones this season.
alessandro del unsworth: I doubt it and hope we don't get to find out for a long while.
zoobloo: No.
Any promising youngsters coming through?afkad: Vaughan, Rodwell, Dennehy & Baxter are highly talked about but little more than kids.
electron blue: Anichebe will have a decent career and Vaughan may turn out to be better still. I don't get to see the Reserves/Youth so wouldn't know about those.
billysdad: Yeah, but we're not telling you lot! You've nicked enough Evertonians in the past!
paulc: Vaughan is my best bet.
tony: JPK seems to be talked about with reverence in some circles, not quite so in others. Don't really know to be honest.
eric tampon: Apparently Luvvie is talking one up (who's about 15) as the next big thing to all and sundry. The lad's name escapes me, but I reckon Luvvie is already tapping up potential bids. I wish he'd shut the fuck up.
everton: Victor Anichebe obviously and James Vaughan should be given more of a look in with Mcfadden being out.
alessandro del unsworth: I guess everyone knows about Vaughan and Anichebe - can't say I know about too many more.
zoobloo: I hear good reports about Vidarrson and Kissock.
What's Moyes likely starting XI for the game on Saturday?afkad: Howard, Hibbert, Valente, Yobo, Lescott, Osman, Carsley, Neville, Arteta, Cahill, Beattie.
electron blue: Howard, Neville Yobo Lescott Naysmith, Cahill Arteta Carsley Osman, Johnson (even if half-fit) Beattie
billysdad: Sadly, it will probably involve Carsley, Neville & Naysmith!
paulc: Howard, Neville, Valente, Yobo, Lescott, Carsley, Fernandes, Cahill, Arteta, Osman and Anichebe.
tony: Unchanged from Bournemouth I would imagine. God help us!
eric tampon: Howard, Valente, Lescott, Yobo, Hibbert, Neville, Arteta, Carsley, Osman, Fernandes, Johnson.
everton: Howard, Hibbert, Valente, Yobo, Lescott, Neville, Carsley, Arteta, Cahill, Osman, Anichebe. Subs: Wright, Stubbs, Naysmith, Van Der Meyde, Beattie. Despite what the Echo says Johnson won't feature on Saturday and Anichebe should really get the nod ahead of Beattie.
alessandro del unsworth: Howard, , Lescott, Yobo, Hibbert, Osman, Arteta, Carsley, Fernandes, Cahill, Anichebe.
zoobloo: Howard, Neville, Yobo, Lescot, Valente, Osman, Cahill, Carsley, Arteta, Van der Meyde, Beattie.
Is Kirkby in Liverpool?afkad: No.
electron blue: No. Moving to there would be waving the white flag of surrender and handing you guys the city completely. We might as well move to Horwich.
billysdad: It was when I lived in St Helens, but apparently not!
paulc: Apparently not. Is Salford in Manchester? ;-)
tony: More to the point, do Liverpool supporters consider it in Liverpool? If they did it would make any arguments about the stadium moot (in my opinion Kirkby is the wrong place.)
eric tampon: Is it balls.
everton: No it's in Merseyside which is where 95% of kopites DON'T live.
alessandro del unsworth: No.
zoobloo: No.
It was recently shown using video evidence that Andy Johnson dives 20% of the time, shouldn't he be looking to cut this out of his game?afkad: Yes - it needs to be much more like 40 or 50% of the time now the refs have agreed to help him.
electron blue: If this was indeed true, and if we could guarantee to get the 80% of penalties that we should be getting, then I've no problem with that. He is going to need to be cut in half to get another penalty this season.
billysdad: Nah, but if refs did their jobs properly, without prejudice, diving would not be as widespread as it is. AJ is nowhere near as bad as Rooney, Drogba and his mates. Even Gerrard resorted to it at Sheffield.
paulc: Presumably videos of him before he joined us?
tony: Think you will find it was that 20% weren't clear cut! It is something that ALL teams are guilty of, and it should be removed from the game as quickly as possible.
eric tampon: No, he needs to do it on the blind side of the ref.
everton: No more than say Luis Garcia or Xabi Alonso. I remember Gerrard clearly diving whilst playing for his country to win England a penalty but that appears to be forgotten by most. Alan Hansen said it was "clever". Using Hansen's logic Johnson is a ####ing genius.
alessandro del unsworth: Occasionally earlier in the season he may have made the most of the odd challenge here and there, but I believe any hint of diving HAS now gone.
zoobloo: He’s pure as the driven snow. Put it this way if the SG one at Sheff Utd was a penno then Johnson should never have a problem.
Where do you expect the two clubs to finish in the league?afkad: 4th & 7th.
electron blue: 3rd and 9th.
billysdad: Reds 3rd, us 10th.
paulc: 4th and 8th.
tony: You guys third, us highest 7th and potentially anywhere down to 12th.
eric tampon: Liverpool 4th, Everton 10th.
everton: Liverpool 3rd - Everton 6th if we avoid any more injuries but 9th or 10th is more realistic.
alessandro del unsworth: Liverpool 3rd, Everton 7th.
zoobloo: You 3rd, us 8th.
No one will read this anyway so you can admit it - did you smile and punch the air when your heard the Rocky theme tune and Sly Stallone walked onto the pitch?afkad: I liked it, and I loved the pictures of him in Paris with his scarf.
electron blue: Smile, Yes, punch the air, No. Positive publicity never does any harm.
billysdad: I wasn't there but it seemed to get a good reaction so I probably would have joined in.
paulc: Wasn't there. Probably would have, maybe.
tony: Will admit to involuntarily grinning like a loon. Punching the air? No. Did you enjoy it?
eric tampon: No, I was in a pub in Sydenham (SE London) at the time drinking San Miguel and feeding my baby daughter.
everton: Wasn't there as my little boy was taken to hospital the previous night. If I was there I would have clapped the man. I'd sooner have Sly as a Blue than Jimmy Tarbuck as a Red.
alessandro del unsworth: No, I was watching through my fingers!
zoobloo: Yes – it was just a bit of fun.
And finally a prediction on the score ...afkad: 1-1.
electron blue: 3 (Kuyt, Crouch, Gerrard) 1 (Cahill)
billysdad: 4-0 to you. I hate derbies me!
paulc: 1-1.
tony: Honours even over the season, so 3-0 to you.
eric tampon: 2-0 to Liverpool. Everton thus winning 3-2 on aggregate.
everton: Not confident to be quite honest. Liverpool have been excellent at home and us indifferent away. My head says 2-0 to Liverpool but my heart sees Cahill scoring the winner in injury time after a backs to the wall performance!
alessandro del unsworth: Head ruling heart - 3-1 home win.
zoobloo: RS 2 -1.
Thanks to everyone for their answers - for many, many more replies visit the
People's Forum.
© Rushian 2007