Everton vs Liverpool

If Bournemouth can rattle them in an 11,000 capacity stadium, what will 40,000, with a comparable atmosphere to the Arsenal game do to their already frayed nerves, especially now they've had to bring in their dropped keeper.

If our manager reverts to type with 3 DM's, we would be playing into their hands, so here's hoping the adventurous koeman who picked the last side keeps his nerve. COYB

At least the manager has no underdog mentality when it come to playing theses sides, let's hope he can get it across to the players. I'd stick with McCarthy & Gueye in the middle. What bottlers we are against these bastards.

Also, let Davies have a run in the last 20 mins. when RS legs are getting tired. (If you're good enough you're old enough!)

I like Barry, surely he can start on the bench, and come on, if necessary, when the pace has dropped in the last 30 minutes.

If we play as we did in the last 70 minutes of last Tuesday's game, then Liverpool will know they have been in a match, and with the majority of the crowd roaring them on, Everton have a very good chance of another famous victory.

If only it was that simple Brian. Say it with determined certainty and it will happen.

To me, it depends how we start. Go for them and crowd will carry on from Arsenal game. Start hesitant or scared and Liverpool will be three-up by half time and the crowd will be their 12th man.

I think the team that beat Arsenal deserve their starting places.

3-1... it will happen!

I would love to make it a case of attacking their porous defence but ours is no great shakes either.

Midfield dominance is the key to this game so let's hope our lads are up for it and Mike Dean keeps his cards in his pocket (for us anyway).

O Lord we have suffered for such a long while
On us thy poor children bestow a sweet smile
Give us now the strength to go out there and fight
To play some good football and beat the Red Shite.

Amen

About time we gave the 19th Century MK Dons a good twatting as well! No better time to do it on a Monday night before Christmas at a bouncing Goodison.

But let's be positive: I have a feeling Ross Barkley and Lukaku are going to step up, it's just a matter of can our defense hold strong!!!

I wish Jags was available but we've got who we've got so Koeman will have to have a word with Funes Mori – we can't afford a repeat of last year's carry-on!

We're at home. We have an unbeaten home record this season. They're not unbeatable by any stretch of the imagination.

So 2-1 Everton, end of.

To all Everton players: If you're not prepared to leave everything you've got out on the pitch tomorrow, tell the manager now and stay away. It's time for men – not over-hyped boys.

Get in their faces and stay there, don't let them breathe.

Right now I receive your healing
I receive the same power like in '94 that saved the Blues from Division 1
I hold my nose as I receive your rubbish beer
I receive the strength from the dodgy pastie

Thank you that you are moving at speed down the left wing
May I continue to receive from you
Excitement this hour and every hour.

Continue to shine upon the first children of this Holy Land
And keep our ability steadfast,
to grin dismissively at the Norwegians for all their inability to win things without penalties
In your honour

Amen.

3 - 1 Everton... same team as last week minus Jags and plus Funes Mori.

Otherwise, same team in a 4-1-4-1.

Stekelenburg, Holgate, Williams, Funes Mori, Coleman, Gana, Davies, Barry, Baines, Deulofeu, Lukaku.

Good luck Blues.

Gerard Deulofeu insists he does not have a stamina issue.

Deulofeu has completed just one of the four league games he has started this season but is adamant he has no fitness problems.

And though the 22-year-old Everton winger says he has been forced to adjust to Ronald Koeman’s demand for high pressing, the Catalan is enjoying the manager’s tough training sessions.

“Always, I’m fit,” Deulofeu said.

“What happens when the manager takes you off after 60 minutes, the people think ‘ah this player is unfit’ but it is not this.

“If you see my training I am running and I have good statistics so this is not a problem.”

Deulofeu says Koeman expects different things of him to his former boss Roberto Martinez.

And he admits they go against how he’d usually play.

“They are different managers,” Deulofeu said.

“For example, Ronald wants me to do a lot of high pressing.

“I am not a defensive player, my best is in attack, and I don’t know but maybe I am playing better in defence than attack. This is not normal, I need to score goals, I need to make assists because if not then I am not Geri.”

He added: “The training is very good but we need to improve with the ball, we need to play better, take more risks because I prefer playing with risks than playing long balls.

For a player like me it is difficult to play with long balls.

“We have good players - Gareth Barry, Ramiro, Ashley, Seamus, Leighton.

“We need to play better and improve.”

Looks to me like Geri will be gone this window or in the summer.

As for not being a defensive player... well, all attackers should be to able to press or defend to some extent – just like Baines, Coleman & Williams can score goals!

Just a distant yet still blazing memory of that fantastic unexpected victory has been one of the few to sustain us in a long bleak period. Here's hoping for another even prouder rendition of Always Look on the Bright Side.

Stekelenburg; Holgate, Williams, Funes Mori; Coleman, McCarthy, Barkley, Gana, Baines; Lukaku, Valencia in a 3-5-2.

Tony #25, three at the back, which has worked so well in the past? Dump Macca, Barks and Valencia after they performed so well in our best effort of the season? An 18-year-old in midfield for the Derby? Again, no thanks.

For me, no changes except the one required. The guys who got the job done against the Arse get the call.

The game is on live here at 3pm so, if we can put up a show like we did v Arsenal, the old girl will be rocking. It won't be easy against a well organised and pretty skillful outfit from across the park but hope springs eternal that we can turn it on again, we deserve it.

Carragher made an interesting comment this week when he admitted that "As a Liverpool player, I always think you've got to try to control the referee at Goodison and I'm sure Everton fans won't be happy with me saying that, but I think that was your job at Goodison."

More often than not, they've managed to do exactly that and it's a sad indictment of our own stitch-lipped skippers over recent years that they've allowed such blatant, snide, badgering of officials to bear fruit without offering any opposition. In that respect, it might be a blessing that 'everybody's bud' and 'top tunnel jester' Jagielka is sitting this one out.

The crowd are going to be screaming blue murder and putting pressure on officials from the off. Whoever is handed the armband needs to be willing to do the same, not stand idly back, feeling mildly miffed while Mike Dean makes it clear Kopite cock-riding is his favourite mode of matchday transport.

Come on you Blues! No logic, no arguments, just a gut feeling.

As or Koeman, if he wants to win over the faithful after months of dross, winning his first derby will make it all instantly forgotten. with a lot of leeway gained for the rest of the season. Is Joe Royle the only Blue boss to win his first derby game?

"Lord hear us."
"Lord, graciously hear us."

It's about time!

If you're inside "The Grand Old Lady" tonight then make noise, make noise for these "bandwagon of a lifetime" gobshites to fear to their Norweigian/Japanese graves. Give the whale hunters and Jurgen Street-Porter an arctic cold spine for the rest of their miserable lives!

COYB!

Very good! Hope to see them blubber tonight.

However, after the Arsenal victory and given that it's Koeman's first derby and the "get stuck into 'em" factor, there is a strong hint of victory in the air... For us evidement!

That said, alignment does matter, and three at the back has been a ticket to catastrophe for us. Maybe someday. Not for this one.

This will make us more solid but much slower on the break and then look to change it in the second half.

Probably sensible as it's all about he result, this one.

My main concern, and has been all season, is our attacking midfield. Valencia has brought something new recently, with his hard work and aggression, so he must play.

The spotlight will be on Barkley, he needs a big performance. He has to prove he can make an impact in big games. It's crucial if he wants a new contract, and the game could hinge on it.

We got the balance just about right against Arsenal, we defended well enough to restrict their opportunities whilst getting enough bodies forward to ensure we gave them problems.

Different game, but like Arsenal, this crew don't want a street-fight. Lets give them one.

I agree with Dave A. Barry may find the pace of tonight's game a bit hot for him, but he will have a role to play at the business end of the game when the pace has dropped and experience is crucial.

I would love to really murder them but, I don't think that will happen. If he stays brave and plays two up top, I would fancy us, by the odd goal.

I would start with the same team as Arsenal and give the instruction to Barkley to run at their back four and shoot early!!

What do I know, but I think it showed me that it's down the sides where you can get at Liverpool. There fullbacks like to attack, so you will find space in behind, unless they are cautious, which will also nullify how they usually play.

One thing Liverpool do really well is run, it's turning decent players into good or even very good players. Match this and we will see they are nowhere near as good as they are being portrayed, but that's the easy bit, the players have got to go out and do it.

Deulofeu is not a winger, play him off Lukaku for the last half an hour and he's definitely got the ability to destroy teams, especially once a game has been stretched. But is he brave enough?

The red filth have duff goalies a-plenty and a defence that is non-too-reliable in general. Breathe fire down their scrawny necks early on and let's see what happens.

Paddy Power say 200/1 for the outcome mentioned previously. I say you're on.

I'd like to see our midfield absolutely kick the shit out of them early doors. Bollocks to playing them at their own game. They don't have any 'hard' players in their team anymore.

Bitter? – too fucking right. Let's do these bastards. COYB... FTRS.

When hopes are high, Everton ALWAYS let you down!

I don't think we should be 3/1 to win, I think that's a value bet.
Not that you can fancy us really strongly though, their a right handful on attack, we will probably have to score 2, 3 or 4 goals if we are to win.

Very important that we keep 11 players on the field also!

As others have stated though, I fear he will sacrifice something going forward to accommodate the three in the middle, most likely Lennon or Valencia.

They are beatable, the approach has to be right that's all.

COYB!

I think with Origi in the team, they might become a bit more direct but, as ever, we will only stand a chance if we can match their incessant work-rate. I honestly don't think the gap between the two sets of players is anywhere near as big as people are saying, but the big difference between the teams at the minute is the fact that they play as a team!

Let's hope Arsenal was the start of our own coming together?

Nowhere near the gap between the two sets of players some would have you believe.

I said before last week's game that I had a gut feeling that the Arsenal game may be a turning point; judging by the responses a lot of other posters felt the same way.

Of course, we cant claim to have turned a corner after a solitary win, but, there was a genuine will to win last week and it would be fantastic to replicate that tonight.

Despite us having a Weston and them receiving universal plaudits for their "astonishing" season under an even more astonishing manager, a win for us tonight would put us within striking distance of the twats... which kinda endorses your point.

As much as the Arsenal game has given me some hope, I would have liked to have seen that kind of effort at least two or three times to make me fancy the odds of it coming around again.

Hopefully Ron has now realised that, if you set the team up to attack the opposition, then Goodison under lights is an incredible place to be.

But from his comments it sounds like Barry will come back in and we'll go defensive with that massive gap between midfield and attack. Do that and it's not going to be pretty.

I fucking hate derbies. Come on you blues!

An unfancied player to score the winner... Lennon on as sub, cuts in from the right, exchanges passes with Rom and guides it into the net... YEEEEESSSSSS 1-0!!!!

COYMB

Liverpool scored 3 away to Boro and 3 away to Bournemouth in their last 2 away games so we need to make sure we don't concede that many as we're not scoring many ourselves.

It would be a great night for Valencia to get on the scoresheet but I am expecting a big performance from Rom for a change as he knows what it means to the fans. I watched a bit of Wimbledon's win over them in the FA Cup Final last night and Vinnie Jones's first tackle on McMahon set the scene.

2-1 win methinks, just gotta feeling we'll nick it.

COYB

Not much of a confidence booster if you play in a great win and then get dropped! Also, please DON'T play Barry, he's not going to have the legs to handle Liverpool's midfield and will mean Gana having to cover for him.

Tackles galore

We all know how the RS play, fast and furious, so the boys need to stay composed. The tackling needs to be good and we don't need any garbage officiating but it will be there anyway.

We have to start with the same team as last week but with the same intensity from the off. We can't afford to fuck around for 20 minutes feeling sorry for ourselves.

COYB's

Home win @ 3-1.

Can we borrow Naismith for the game? Loved what a proper nark he was for us.

One thing is for sure Liverpool will score tonight, its whether we can match them and even just pinch the extra goal. It's not going to be easy, its not going to be 2-0, 3-1, we will all be biting our nails praying for that final whistle having just been awarded a Mike Dean penalty which Baines converts. There defence is as bad as ours, their attack is twice as good as ours (see the facts) but at least its at Goodison, under lights, with 35,000 Evertonians, screaming at Dean to blow his whistle, with the scores at 1-1 or hopefully 2-1 to Everton.

If you do this, whatever happens, we'll be proud.

Come on, blue boys!

One for Eugene – GGRRRRHHH

First hurdle is with the manager. He must not start Barry. Ideally he'd go with Robles in goal too as I don't think Stek will have the bottle for tonight.

A line-up to help the nerves would be:

Robles, Coleman, Williams, Funes Mori, Baines, Lennon, Gueye, McCarthy, Mirallas, Valencia, Lukaku.

Head says draw. Heart says 4-0 Everton.

Just beat them. Any way you can. Just beat them.

I'm sick and tired of losing or drawing to that shower. I suppose the neutrals Carra, Redknapp and Souness will be the pundits tonight. You know, Sky's fair and balanced coverage. Fucking hate all of them. Come on Everton, twat 'em!!!

I've got a feeling that Koeman will pick Barry for Lennon, when personally I'd like to go 4-4-2 and have a real good go against a shite defence, but I've got more chance of winning the lottery than that happen.

That's what he's promised to do anyway.

COYB's.

Sometimes Everton have overcome that differential by shear heart and workrate such as the victory when we had Timmie. That wealth situation may be changing gradually if Moshiri continues his benevolence.

Coincidentally both teams have lost to Burnley and Bournemouth but the difference was that Everton were poor in both games. We all hope that the Arsenal game is the turning point to the season and that good things continue today but it goes without saying that they have to be focused from the off and have to sustain the intensity level for 90 minutes because we all know the RS have been scoring for fun this season.

Valencia starts:

First box ticked.

Currently in Dublin so off to find a blue pub (The Mercantile? Murrays? Can't stand watching it when there are RS around).

Saw that Firmino interview in The Red Echo (free at John Lennon airport as I won't buy it).

Let's stick it to these scumbags. Come on you Mighty Blues.