Tuesday night sees Liverpool V Everton under the Anfield floodlights and it should be a great spectacle. Liverpool home games are traditionally just better in the evenings, the atmosphere is kicked up a notch and the excitement and anticipation has had all day to build, not like the lunchtime kick offs that have generated some fairly flat occasions over the last few years. I think the Merseyside Derby is definitely the one that neutrals look out for, due in no small part to the fact that there have been more sendings off in this fixture than any other in Premier League history and let’s face it, who doesn’t feel a red card or two really spices up a game?
It’s a long time since Everton won at Anfield but we have to be honest, they’re going into Tuesday’s game in better from than us, we’ve won only one of our last eight league matches while they beat Spurs on Saturday in a hard fought encounter. On current form it will be a very difficult game and we will need our strikers to be something they haven’t really been all season – clinical in front of goal. Our chance conversion rate is worse than awful and that is in no small part responsible for our low points total so far. Derbies aren’t known for generating a huge number of goalscoring chances so if we fail to put away what does fall our way it will come back to haunt us. They say in a derby match you should always bet on a draw, and given our home results this season that’s not a bad call for tomorrow.
The game comes at a strange time with, for once, neither team really having a lot to play for. We will say we’re still chasing fourth place and Everton will say they’re after a UEFA Cup spot but neither is a particularly realistic target, we won’t catch Arsenal and Everton won’t overtake Chelsea and Newcastle. Also both teams have a realistic chance of FA Cup success this season and this fixture has been arranged for immediately before the quarter finals so avoiding injuries and suspensions (not something either side typically does in these games) will be at the back of everybody’s minds.
The spice for this particular derby is the gap between the two teams in the league, currently only two points. An Everton win would see them climb above us which is unusual for this late in the season and will provide their supporters and players with a real incentive to give everything for a victory. The opportunity to open a five point gap between the clubs should provide our lads with all the motivation they need aswell. We have a lot of players who still have plenty to prove at Liverpool and what better time to do it than against the neighbours? Also Luis Suarez has had huge amounts of support from the Liverpool fans this season and owes a big thanks to everybody, a derby winner would be a good way to start that.
Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher should both start, possibly Jay Spearing aswell so we should have a good Scouse presence in the team in addition to people like Pepe Reina, Dirk Kuyt, Craig Bellamy and Martin Kelly who are well aware of what the game means. The likes of Downing, Carroll, Adam, Enrique and Henderson will probably find it to be the noisiest atmosphere they’ve experienced in a Liverpool shirt and the support they will get from the home fans means there can be no excuses. It is a game in which to stand up and be counted and the perfect opportunity to get our season back on track and ensure there is no implosion of form in our final games. YNWA.
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