Time To End Derby Day Blues

Sunday’s Merseyside derby gives Everton Football Club the perfect opportunity to prove just how far they have progressed since this time last season.

It has been widely reported that the Toffees have made their best start to a Premier League season since they finished fourth in the 2004/05 campaign.

An opening day victory over Manchester United has been followed up by some equally impressive away results at Aston Villa and Swansea and Everton are sitting pretty in fourth place.

On the contrary, Liverpool’s form has been somewhat indifferent since the arrival of Brendan Rodgers and the Anfield outfit are currently languishing in 12^th with only two victories from their opening eight fixtures.

However, at the risk of sounding like a stat starved football pundit in desperate need of a cliché, ‘form goes out of the window when Everton and Liverpool meet.’

The FA Cup semi-final last season was the latest of a long list of clashes between the two clubs to back up that point.

The blues league form heading into the Wembley fixture was impressive to say the least. Some of the football being played was nothing short of scintillating and with their neighbours struggling for confidence and results, Everton were widely tipped as favourites.

What happened next however, has become something of a regular occurrence when the Merseyside rivals meet.

Everton choked.

Nikica Jelavic opened the scoring in the first half and there was a sense that David Moyes’ men would finish the job and have another chance to end their long wait for silverware.

It was not to be however as the Toffees simply stopped playing after that goal and some criminal defending handed victory to Liverpool.

Sunday afternoon gives the Goodison Park outfit an opportunity to put to bed any fears of a Liverpool hoodoo and prove that their impressive start can become an impressive campaign.

All biased aside, when comparing the two it is difficult to argue against Everton having the stronger side, although the creativity of suspended Steven Pienaar will be missed.

The time has now come to prove it and nothing short of a win will suffice if the blues want to be regarded as the dominant force on Merseyside.

Last season’s league position would suggest that over 38 games, Moyes’ squad were better than their Stanley Park rivals despite Dalglish’s men claiming all six points in the two league visits.

Granted, a ridiculous Rodwell dismissal at Goodison was matched by an equally ridiculous team selection for the Anfield tie which saw Everton’s second string roll over in a 3-0 drubbing.

All that aside, wouldn’t it be brilliant for Moyes to send out an eleven capable of handing out a footballing lesson to their fierce rivals and give their opponents / officials no chance to ruin it.

All will become clear on Sunday – you’d be a fool to miss it.

Gary Maiden

Comments

[Scouse78]

"when comparing the two it is difficult to argue against Everton having the stronger side"........ are you joking???

Reina, Agger,Skertel, Johnson, Gerrard, Allen and Suarez would all walk into Everton's first team. How many Everton players would get into Liverpool's first team??

Everton are playing well at moment but to suggst they are better is ridiculious!!

[Pete0]

Reina over Howard? Stats say otherwise. Johnson offers very little at the back and is more often than not at fault when Liverpool concede. Sktl would get red carded every time for Everton who don't benefit from biased referees to make average thugs stay on the pitch. Allen is a good player, but not good enough for Everton. Suarez wouldn't get near the Everton side on ethics alone, take the fact he isnt a natural goal scorer and Jelavic is there's no contest. Only player you've named who would get in our team is Agger, but he's never fit. Funny how you forget to name Liverpool's best player Lucas, must be the lack of motd highlights he gets. As for Gerrard I'm surprised he gets in the Liverpool team.

[Scouse78]

To be fair I was talking about players who would walk into Everton's team on sunday; Lucas is injured!

Re: the keepers - stats? what stats?? How many golden gloves has Howard won since he's played in the prem? Reina has won three?

As for suarez not being a 'natural goal scorer' you sound that you've been reading the red tops.... he scored 22 goals in 31 league games for Ajax.... and before you say it THIS season he's scored more than Jelavic, so that kind of blows your argument out the water

And as for Everton not wanting the England captain in their team..... I think they might to be fair!

[Pete0]

Clean sheets show how good your defence has been. Shots stopped shows how good your keeper has been, currently Reina is the worst in the league. Why do you mention his Dutch record? Suarez got 11 goals in 31 games last season in the prem, ie. not a natural goal scorer. Even Kuyt bagged a load in Holland. His 5 in 8 is skewed by his Norwich hattrick, otherwise its 2 in 7 and puts him on course for his 11 last season when he also scored a hattrick past Norwich and struggled to find the net else where.
Hahaha as if getting in the England squad means anything, when fodder like Henderson, Rose, Caulker, and Shelvey have caps. Gerrard is living off his reputation, more assists to the opposition this season.

[Scouse78]

skewed by his Norwich hattrick, otherwise its 2 in 7 and puts him on course for his 11 last season ...... why would you discount his hatrick.... does scoring against Norwich not count?!

At the end of the day you are going to lose on Sunday and Gerrard will score one and get an assist.

End of.

[Pete0]

Are you dumb? As I already stated he scored a hattrick against Norwich last season and still only managed 11 goals in total for the season.
You finish with 'end of', I'm not surprised you shortened the discussion off that sentence as you offer little reasoning in your opinions. Not that I expect as much from a kopite.

[Scouse78]

Calm your tits fella, and stop getting excited because you've had your best start since 95'....

I don't know what else to say the evidence points to the fact that we are better than you (and you know we love '''''facts'''' at Anfield) and you're trying to argue against it - you're 6 points ahead well done...... I went to the semi final last season and all the talk was about how Everton were in red hot form and we would get beaten.... and what happened...... you got battered, that's what! As you will on Sunday however, Sunday is your cup final so you might bring your A game and produce an upset.

[Pete0]

Sunday is evidently not a cup final from an Evertonian perspective, otherwise I'd be on a Liverpool FC article chatting bubbles.
What happened to "End of."?