No question for Allardyce over derby penalty but Klopp fumes

"I don't understand why the ref is doing that [give the penalty]. I didn't use one swear word. Only one team is trying over 95 minutes to win it. The other team are not in our box and didn't have a shot on target bar the penalty."

After a minute of arguing with Sky's interviewer over whether it was a penalty, which included the interviewer saying he thought it was and Klopp laughing...

"Lovren doesn't make a challenge. Calvert-Lewin makes a step.The hand is on the back. If you think it is a penalty say so. Does my opinion change anything?

It’s a penalty!! End of story! Soft penalty but a penalty!

That was the kind of battling draw I often saw at Anfield in the 70s and 80s. Good to see us so solid, so quickly. We'll see in time if Sam can give us any more.

Big Sam, grinning like a Cheshire Cat "There's no such thing as a soft penalty, it's either a foul or not, and it was."

Merry Christmas. My city has been burning down all week here in California but my God that result and Klopp's pathetic interview afterward have brought a smile to my face for the first time in a week.

Oh my... isn't Klippety's post-match interview wonderful. Just petulant and all the toys thrown out the pram.

We may have been lucky but I don't care, they didn't take their chances and only had one more attempt on target than us. COYMB

Possession they were far better than us and retained it well.

Chances. They didn’t have many.

Klopp. Idiot!

Brilliant, thanks for that. What a complete and utter arrogant gobshite Klopp is.

As for Klopp, comedy gold.

I said much the same thing.

I look forward to hearing about him being found at the Pier Head dressed in nothing but a rubber chicken hat screeching about how "Ze worrrld is against uns und wir mussen ein neues Referee haben, has zis man neffer heard of ze Clattenburg orders (vich must be obeyed)???"

Sam had a pragmatic plan that succeeded. Dummy spat out of the Anfield pram.

Oh 'Carra', by the way ... You certainly won't fuck up my Xmas. I'll have a great one and a Happy New Year.

I bet they're not looking forward to the cup match as they were a few days ago... Smug bastards!

Then a few hands went up - "so only 3" he says.

Then all hands are up - brilliant. Face liked a smacked arse.

I thought the ref gave them everything throughout, there was a spell before our goal when 2 deflections off their players should have gone our way but he gives them a corner and an attacking throw that should be ours.

I was surprised when he pointed to the spot cos he could've bottled it given his performance throughout.

As an aside, I thought Allardyce messed up breaking up the Kenny - Lennon partnership, as proved second half.

And why, oh why, was Schneiderlin allowed in a blue shirt again? Vlasic should have been that sub, at least he can run with the ball and create... Schneiderlin on the same pitch as Gueye is like playing with 10 men.

Gueye or Charsley for Martina at the Barcodes please, he's a shit right back and even worse on the left!

Klopp will have steam coming out of his ears when we do a repeat then beat them at Goodison.

Definitely a penalty, even if it was a soft one. To be honest, Lovren was stupid. I really like to see them lose their cool. On the other hand, I wouldn't want to see us play like that every week.

I constantly get annoyed thinking of how Koeman wasted so much money. I just hope Allardyce still is given funds for the New Year. I have never been a fan of Allardyce but he is having a positive effect on the team.

I would still like to see Vlasic and Lookman given more opportunities. We really do need more creativity and an ability to hold on to the ball when we have it... Just booting the ball up field is not the football of Everton.

We need a trio like Harvey, Ball and Kendall Yes, I know I am living in the past but the past has often been good.

Well done, lads – onward and upward!

I was totally against Big Sam's appointment. I thought it was a small-time decision made in a panic, but credit to him, we've looked more organised in the games he's had than we have done in a long time.

He'll stabilise us this season and probably get us top half – top 8 maybe if we keep this little run going – but he needs to prove that he's more than just a firefighter if we're to push on under him.

Last week he praised the referee for giving Mignolet a yellow card against Stoke, when everyone else knew it was a stone wall red card. A total Wanker.

When they score or win he's up and down the touchline. Thing's don't go to his plan and he becomes a petulant child. Embarrassing.

I hope the Premier League take action against Lovren for his after-match antics towards the ref. If it were us, we'd get done for sure.

I just can't believe anyone can say it wasn't a penalty. We've been watching similar penalties being given for years. Top top strikers and pundits are continually telling us once they feel contact they go down, rightly or wrongly that's it.

Even our mate Carragher is supporting Calvert-Lewin, not that there's anything to support I suppose.

Real RS supporters, not the plastic ones, will be totally embarrassed by Klopp's antics tonight. Disgrace.

Twitter is awash with Reds defending him as though he was ambushed by the Sky interviewer. I see a man cracking under the pressure because we didn't roll over as expected. All-in-all fucking hilarious!!!

The current RS team is good at scoring when the other team plays open football, but is fragile defensively.

Today showed supreme tactical awareness by Allardyce. The Everton team is still a mess structurally and psychologically. There was no way a team playing the current versions of Gueye, Sigurdsson, Williams and Calvert-Lewin (to pick a few) would competence with the high scoring, fast running Liverpool team, so Sam built a defensive array which broke just once when Martin was fouled and Williams went the wrong way.

Allardyce's plan restricted a totally dominant (possession wise) Liverpool to just 3 shots.

If the ref had got all the calls right, Everton would have won 1-0.

Today was a magnificent success.

Also, well done to the board for appointing the right man for the job, it can't have been easy knowing the opposition of some on this site and in the general Everton support base. I think Sam will be a big success with us. He has made a brilliant start.

Steve (#43), what about Mane sliding in towards Pickford with his foot raised? If he'd connected with Pickford, it would have finished him, but not even a yellow for dangerous play.

Now he is in charge maybe some professionalism might prevail. We need strong leadership and a good coaching team to get us into a position to attract the best players to our club.

Three weeks ago, we were staring into the abyss. Most of us realised Unsworth was not the answer. If Sam and team can get us anywhere near the top six, it will be a good result.

A decent FA Cup run and a top 10 finish will hopefully be enough to get some agents knocking on Farhad's door to improve the roster for next season.

People said we would get battered, well we were – but only for possession– not chances. We wanted a point and got it. With a few signings in January and more coaching from Sam, we can only improve.

Over many years, I've witnessed many near hysterical reactions from football managers in post-match interviews.

Perhaps the most famous in the last 25 years or so, was Kevin Keegan's brilliant anti-Fergie rant after one Newcastle game when he exclaimed with tears in his eyes, "I'd love it if...", listen to the rest on YouTube if you're too young to remember.

However, in terms of absolute delusional obsession, our friend from across the park takes some beating in his 4-minute diatribe with the Sky Sports reporter in the aftermath of the 1-1 draw in the derby on Sunday.

For me, and the majority of punters, it was a 'stonewall' penalty, albeit a soft one at that. However, according to Herr Klopp, Calvert-Lewin deliberately ran into Lovren... really?

He then questioned the validity of the reporter's questions and also of the panel in the studio who had been watching the game live, before telling the same guy, rather sarcastically that "They must be right, and I must be wrong!"

I actually like Klopp as a manager, but in all honesty, he made an absolute tit of himself 'live' on television.

Judging by his team selection, he clearly saw this as an odds-on home banker but, sorry Jurgen, it just doesn't work like that.

He weakened his argument even further by using that old Liverpool manager 'red-herring' excuse, "Only one team was trying to win today... they never tried to play football." (I read that as he expected to beat us 6-0.)

Overall, very embarrassing, Mr Klopp.

Herr Klopp was truly rattled, he made himself look a complete idiot, someone who becomes completely unstable in the face of not getting what he wants. In contrast, Sam was the perfect example of calm and professionalism, which of course will only make Klopp and Co. go off rails even more. Wonderful stuff.

I didn't want him. We got him. And now I realise why we got him, and am already feeling much more positive about the remainder of the season.

He is a man with a plan. He works on his own team's strengths whilst trying to expose the opposition's weaknesses.

He took a plan to Anfield, and pretty though it was not, it worked where so many other teams this year have failed.

His post-match comments saying we "mastered them" were brilliant. We've rattled them lot now and it's undoubtedly started with the attitude of our manager.

We certainly won't be taking any knives to gunfights whist Mr Allardyce is in charge!

I feared he was going to turn us into a laughing stock, but in actual fact, he is already instilling a new sense of pride. Long may it continue!

Under Koeman, it was generally agreed that getting us to the next level would take a bit of time. Well, the same should apply now. At least we now have a solid platform, with what happened today giving a much-needed mental boost, which is what we've been crying out for.

I really, really like Big Sam's pressers. He just talks 100% no nonsense and it's wonderful.

I do want to see a much better "brand" of football from Everton. Sam pointed out as much as he noted how poor we were in attack.

But for today there was no option. We did what we had to and got a result.

So well done, Sam. I pray we're not seeing this 12 to 18 months from now, but you did very well today.

Klopp fuming makes it feel like we played like Barcelona. :0)

We are defo moving in the right direction! Roll on transfer window, maybe Charlie Austin as a stop gap cf. coyb

Of course you want to win in style, no matter who you play, but as I say, in derby games and Cup matches, the pain is more severe and lasts longer.

Liverpool over the years, particularly In European competitions, used to adopt ultra defensive tactics and were lauded by all and sundry, but now that Everton have played them at their own game, it becomes anti-football. Short memories don't you think?

They hate it when they know someone or somebody, doesn't give a fuck for them, and they know Sam Allardyce has always treated them with the same respect as they afford others. (Tone it down = worried?)

They make me laugh (not really) but look at Klopp tonight? Everyone is laughing at him because he's lost it, but it was the snide remark about us always making a really bad tackle, which proved something I've always felt I've known about this fella.

He's alright when he's winning, but like most Liverpudlians, he fucking hates it when he doesn't get his own way, and hopefully Allardyce can become our new Joe Royle, who,was really great at getting under their skin.

Liverpool dominated first-half yet only 2 chances they had was the goal and Mane scuffing it. Second half we were no better but for once at Anfield, we got a bit of luck and a penalty.

It's nice that we have finally got underneath the skin of a Liverpool manager. Klopp's cage was rattled big time. It's a penalty all day long. About a referee didn't bottle it at a so-called "Big six" ground for the opposition.

The second the window opens in January, a left back has to be a priority. Coz Baines is finished and Martina clearly is not a footballer. Sigurdsson was none existing and Davies just didn't know where he was playing. But listen, we all would have taken 1-1 before the game, so am happy.

It has to be said though that whereas the tactics were right for today, we need to be a little more expansive when meeting such as Newcastle etc on Wednesday when I just hope there isn't a big come down after today's result!

In the meantime, me gin tastes so good tonight, I'm Lovering it.

The part where he confronts the Evertonian in the room was particularly satisfying: “it worked!” One word sums Klopp up – bitter.

They can play all the possession football they like, but if they can get only three shots on target, then their supposed great attack counts for nothing. Plus, today, I thought that Sam Allardyce was the model of professionalism and coolness, whereas Jurgen Klopp seemed to lose the plot. A clear and very welcome mental victory for us.

Moshiri advised by Jim White, with his stupid yellow tie, by default has landed us the Manager we always needed.

In the School of Science, ugly football, will change from ugly Duckling into a Swan.

One winner tonight, and perhaps in 3 weeks time, we will see an EFC win at our old ground.

We didn't loose today.

Having had easy wins against us in his previous derbies at Anfield, it must be really hard for him to stomach a draw against a team which played without the ball.

Don’t forget the Rodders Chandelier scene; the Delboy leaning on the bar scene; any episode of Shooting Stars (hilarious after a few beers); the Bottom Christmas episode or anything involving our very own Leonard Rossiter in Rising Damp.

Klopp - comedy gold!

(I'm only on here as the Manchester-based BBC – having barely recognised the Merseyside Derby today – has put the Manc lot in first. And I'm Only watching MotD for the Klopp interview.)

Ray – we could put out a comedy Christmas DVD with all these clips. I'd buy it. We could call it “Klopp a load of this!”

Then they scored in 1st half stoppage time, and like most Evertonians I thought it signalled a washout of any comeback.

But miracles do happen and this was one of them, from being under the cosh for most of the game we suddenly started coming together a little late in the half and stole a point we hardly deserved.

This compounded a great result in that our 'adopted' team we now support here Toronto FC won the MLS Champions Cup Final 2-l.

But that interview is funny. Yes Calvert-Lewin 'takes a step'. It's called putting your body between the ball and the defender so they can't challenge. Yet Lovren still did challenge – into his back. That, my annoying friend, is the definition of a penalty due to a rash decision.

Fuck me; easily pleased. This was a disgraceful performance.

For once, Shearer (and even Murphy) called it right. Shearer is also right in stating that everyone knew how we'd play today. And we got a very decent point.

(Liam – go and watch Belgium. Their manager is really into ‘performances'...)

Why people are suddenly expecting School of Science given developments just beggars belief. Have you been watching the shite on display for most of the past 3 years? At least we're getting results now. To my knowledge, only ice skating score for artistic interpretation.

Get behind the manager who has had one of the best ever starts to a managerial career. He's been here all of 2 weeks by the way. Well done Sam!

What will the FA do about his post-match antics? Probably the same as what they will do about Chelsea Man U and Man City players diving to get a penalty – bugger all.

Nice to see Rooney has scored as many as Lukaku!

He made himself look like a petulant child. Even Murphy on MotD agreed it was a penalty (amazingly) and it clearly was.

His reaction to the Sky interviewer and at the post-match conference shows his lack of class. A mate of mine is a Palace fan and was on a train with a match official recently who said that Klopp is despised by most officials due to his behaviour.

"To my knowledge, only ice skating score for artistic interpretation."

I'll frame that one!

I'm not easily pleased but I am realistic. I want us to play good football and win (especially against the RS) but know that won't happen given what has happened this season.

I'll take being defensive and organised and getting a point when not playing well – particularly against that lot.

The Klopp thing is just something that makes me, and I suspect others, laugh.

Re Klopp. We've had a psychological issue with derbies for too long. The Klopp incident was of major significance psychologically. He has suddenly lost his arrogance, his snearing, about derbies, and instead made a fool of himself. That has already embarrassed reds (I know this), and has probably diminished the respect he had amongst his squad.

They won't be looking forward to the next encounter. They will be nervous, increasingly so if our results continue to improve. That is so important in terms of how fragile we've seen our team be in the last. Football is part mental, and today we jumped a mental hurdle.

I have changed of mind on the signing of Rooney. He was a good signing by default, as was Sam himself. It could only happen at Everton. It's the prayers of the fans that has done it.

Penalty all the way I actually thought that Lovren was trying to get a piggyback ride...

He has proved to be a useless defender and desperately wants his Boss to agree with him. Pathetic. He continues to prove that not only is he a lousy defender he is also stupid.

Pawson awarded a penalty to Everton!!!

Will they ever shut up?

I suspect that we will, in the future, look back on this result and the post match interviews as the day Everton Football Club turned the table on its Nemesis.

Formed in 1878, nil satis nisi optimum, we are the People's Club in this city! If you don't believe me, watch Klopp's meltdown on Sky!

But other than enjoying the antics of a joke manager, I was disappointed with Everton. The team's ball control is close to pathetic, 10 yards passes missed, booting the ball aimlessly upfield. No pleasure watching that even though a point gained is welcome.

Many people here say things will get better in the New Year. Hope they are right.

The media are trying to run games decide who plays for who who manages who and so on. Will these has-beens please give it a rest your commentary should be neutral and on the game not opinionated and antagonistic.

David Barks hope you and the family stay safe and unaffected by the atrocities that have ravaged California the past few months.

Maybe this will make the referees more willing to give penalty to Everton in the future, because the next day their names will appear on some headline. OMG, a bitter Klopp actually brings the ultra positive out of me.

Gomez made the worst challenge in the game and no yellow card. Good to see us show some fight in a derby game and not roll over.

Then he rests some of his key players against us for another home game this week against… West Brom? No disrespect to WBA but this is just poor team selection and very poor management.

Two points thrown away by Herr Klopp and no moaning about penalties can disguise his poor team selection. He underestimated us and has been out-thought by Big Sam and it hurts.

We’ll see who he puts on the field against us in the cup tie in January – unless they’ve already been sold.

Our man was cool and calm – he's been about and he knows what's required and handles these situations like a true professional. Shot him down like a clay pigeon.

Hes only been here a couple of weeks or more and we know more than we ever did under Bobby Brown Shoes and that arsehole Koeman and his brother who didn't give a flying fuck about us.

A morale victory and as the great Brian Labone would say "One Evertonian is worth Ten Liverpudlians".

Hold your heads up today, lads – not that we ever hide anyway!!!

The MotD commentator after Jesus went down for Man City said 'there was no contact, but it wasn't a dive'.

Niasse would have been banned for that.

I'd rather have snatched a draw than played well and lost but we seem a long way behind being able to match the top teams for actually playing footy.

I say that fully aware that we probably carried out Sam's game plan but I'm sure part of that plan wasn't to give them the ball so often.

Ha, ha, brilliant...

Klopp got what he deserved he rolled the dice and showed us no respect. The 2 points dropped by them proves he's no tactician. Anyway, I don't give a shit about them what a great point. COYB

In fact he apologizes most weeks for his bad behaviour which mysteriously goes unpunished, this time he picked on the wrong guy. Sam put him firmly in his place, and like all bullies, when challenged, he began to cry for his mummy. A pathetic excuse for a human being he is.

It's obviously difficult to assess everything from the Anfield Road end, but the guy who (continued) to impress me most was Dominic Calvert-Lewin. I thought he was our best player.

First half Niasse was played centrally then on the left wing, and he just couldn't do anything right and was rightly taken off. I thought it was odd not to play Lennon and go with the same team from Huddersfield. Niasse's pace against a tiring Liverpool team seemed the best option to me. Sorry Niasse, but I think you're much better as a sub.

Lennon also offered much more in defence and allowed Sigurdsson to give more protection to Martina and could have helped prevent their goal, though there was enough blue shirts around him. I have slated Martina as much as anyone, but goal aside he was excellent. And there is a question over whether Salah pushed him over.

Calvert-Lewin was often on his own, he was often 20/30 yards ahead of all the blue shirts. And yet he did not give up. He is going to be a dominant player in the air. That's clear to me. Maybe it's Duncan's influence, maybe it's his natural skill. He gets his head on near enough everything and we just need to support him.

There were times he won the header, flicked it on, and chased after it himself. Absolutely brilliant. Just look at what he did to win the penalty. He runs tirelessly all game. He never moans. He never stops. His link up play needs work but is improving rapidly. He's got some nice flicks.

Some on here have been overly critical of him. I would ask that you consider the Liverpool striker, Dominic Solanke. He played alongside Calvert-Lewin in the World Cup. He scored more and won the Golden Ball. The consensus was that Solanke and Tammy Abraham were both better than Calvert-Lewin.

Yet here we are 6 months later. Solanke made his second start of the season, and who would say on yesterday's performance that he is anywhere near the level of Calvert-Lewin? He needs games, but Calvert-Lewin has had games and is getting better and better.

Tammy Abrahams has had games and looks similarly like becoming a top player. However, he's 5 goals to Calvert-Lewin's 6. Abrahams also lacks the all round game of Calvert-Lewin and similarly he finds himself isolated, but is unable to win the ball in the air, knock it on, chase after it and bring others into play.

I'm not saying Calvert-Lewin will be a great striker, I'm saying that because of playing, because he's developed his all round game, because of the way he plays, he's become essential to us, and can only get better. How much better, only time will tell. Given a choice between Calvert-Lewin and Troy Deeney, I would go for Calvert-Lewin. I want us to sign a top class striker, like Aubameyang, but I want to ensure Calvert-Lewin continues to play and gets enough game time to develop.

He's also not afraid to try little flicks and tricks that seasoned professionals wouldn't dare to do. I hope he keeps doing them as to "frighten" them out of him would be a tragedy.

I was disappointed yesterday to see some of the comments about Davies on Twatter. I wish the supporters that put on these comments would realize they're picked up and repeated ad nauseam on other sites by lazy journo's.

I feel for Davies if he reads "shocking, out of his depth, rubbish" by his own supporters on sites.

Steve, you would do well to watch the game again.

Unfortunately, Twitter makes frustrated people (drunk as well?) look a fool. I wouldn't want to read back some of the things I have said at the game or in the pub during a game. I'd look even more of a tit than normal!

I would also like to have a proper look at whether or not Salah did push him over. My mate reckons he did, and I was a bit too drunk / tired last night to properly assess it myself.

Shame Lookman didn't get a run out, but hopefully he will have some patience. I expect him to get a start against the Barcodes.

Get organised stay deep, take the pace of Mane and Salah out of the game as much as you can.

Wait for the chances that Liverpool's defence will inevitably give you.

All teams have a chance to take points off Liverpool, and provide some more entertaining Klopp interviews!

I don't watch that much footy now, and have even stopped travelling away, but I couldn't do with that telly, unless it's on a foreign channel because the fella's in the studio, seem more important than the players on the pitch for too many people now.

Equally agree with Len Hawkins @107, when he states that if Koeman, was still here we would have been slaughtered yesterday, and what can people seriously expect after 10 days of Allardyce?

The people who “know anything” ha-ha will know this, but I've read a few reports from different newspapers and it's easy to spot a red nose journalist, because some are even saying that Liverpool had a game in mid-week but Everton could afford to rest their team?

These one eyed reporters, must get along great with Liverpool's one eyed manager, especially because the same people must have watched Everton at Southampton, just a fortnight before, and thought they were in for a cricket score!

I feel like Big Sam and Little Sam have made me fall back in love with Everton again, the fire is burning inside strong! I am gripped by his interviews – last manager who I paid attention to like this was Moyes, the man's ideal for us. Sammy lee is a great coach, we are lucky to have him.

I thought every player In blue the second half did well, even Martina. Davies and Niasse were poor first half when we needed someone to put their foot on the ball, they were sloppy so good move taking them off.

Onto the greatest centre-forward this land has ever produced in Wayne Rooney: they say he's finished, scored the best goal of his career last week and I can imagine that's the goal he's always wanted to score more than any yesterday!

Good times to be blue, we have a manager who is in the real world, no daft philosophy, no ego! He knows football and understands this league inside out. He understands Everton, he loves being here.

We are going in the right direction. Onward Evertonians to victory, there is no retreat and there is no surrender.

Steve,

Martina jumped out of 3 possibly 4 tackles. One down by our corner flag when it was 1-1. Rooney ripped the back off him.

He knocked an attempted clearance down onto the penalty spot. He was simply out-strengthened by Salah for the goal.

I thought he looked overawed yesterday. Btw I'm not one who thinks he is as bad as he is made out to be.

The press sets a narrative. Such as when Everton were stumbling through the start of the season, playing poorly, but just getting enough results to be mid table and making it past the weaker teams in the Europa League to the group, they didn't really go for Koeman. But once we lost a few in a row, they made an "Everton in crisis" narrative that made his sacking inevitable. They also continued to push an Unsworth "out of his depth" narrative. You see this enough, in all the media, then you start to believe it.

And not just us the fans, but surely the players will doubt him too. Not just the players who couldn't be arse (like Schneiderlin and Mirallas) but some of the others who were going to give him a chance and Everton their all. it's funny how the press can remove or add in the European results as it suits them to make their point.

The main thing is, the power of the press, and when they all have the same narrative, how can anything but that story reach it's logical conclusion? Examples of narratives being Koeman getting sacked, Unsworth being out of his depth, and Big Sam getting the job. I really do not believe that Everton ever seriously considered appointing Big Sam from the start. We appeared (yes guessing on my part by trying to read between the lines) to interview him because the press told us we needed to. We dismissed him as we the fans told the club to, and we then turned back to him, because the media told them Unsworth was out of his depth and the results were backing this up and, after the Atalanta and Southampton games, so were the performances.

I just hope that all of Allardyce's media pals stay behind him and promote us, and keep the Everton narrative positive. We've laid the foundations for them to do so. Only time will tell though.

Shows Koeman's recruitment policy really, because he's worked with him before, and although he's not the worst player I've ever seen, I would maybe question his will at times, and would have thought that managers should be only interested in signing “real winners”? Defenders who don't mind getting stuck in, and ruffling a few feathers, maybe.

I also think Unsworth was out of his depth, Koeman should have gone at least a few weeks before he did, and if Moshiri, could have got Silva, Big Sam wouldn't be in a job now?

Steve, it's when you hear people talking about football, and they think it must be right because someone on the panel said it was. It gives people so much more belief they are right because maybe Shearer or Murphy said it?

I was talking about yesterday, and thinking that if Allardyce had been in the Everton job for a few months, then yesterday's tactics, or at least our inability to string 3 passes together could have been questioned, but anyone who watched Everton just a fortnight ago at Southampton knows that how they have suddenly become a defensive unit again, in such a short space of time, is a major credit to the people they have brought in.

Allardyce conveniently had a doctor's appointment and missed the Thursday game, so he had a full week, 7 days, to train the team for the game yesterday. Only Schneiderlin got a second on the pitch from the lads who went to Cyprus and this meant he finally had time to drill them. It didn't half show.

He has limited time, and he can only focus on the essentials for now, and that's the defence. 1 goal in 4 games will give them their belief back. The confidence will be there now. They held off Liverpool, even the big guns came on and couldn't do anything. Only 1 of the back four can stake a claim to being in our first choice back four, and that's Williams, and he wouldn't make many of the fan's first choice back four!

I think we cannot judge Allardyce's progress in an attacking sense until the middle of January. But these guys are talented professionals costing massive transfer fees. It's one thing telling them where to stand to defend, how deep to be, when to hold position and when to close down; attacking is different and their ability should take over. What we will like to see though is the cohesion from running drills to attack as a team so they can run set plays and know movements of where people will go.

The case for the defence is a strong one.

With Martinez, Koeman or Unsworth, we would have lost, defo!!

Just get real and understand we'll get much more of this similar tactic thoughout the season, maybe not so severe.

As a supporter of 60+ years – in my book, I support Everton and whoever the Red Shite play!!!

COYB

Liverpool, play with such intensity, that it continually forces mistakes out of the opposition. Good players will relish this, but if you are not on top of your game, then you will be swamped.

I don't think we will improve offensively against the better teams, until we sign some real quality – not loads, just enough to make the difference!

Last season's front three of Lukaku, Mirallas, and Barkley were very good, but were probably the 7th best of all the attacks in the Premier League.

Lukaku is gone, Barkley is injured and future unknown, and Mirallas is just waiting to be sold. Bolasie is a good squad player if he fully recovers, but he's not a top 6 player, Vlasic and Lookman show potential, Calvert-Lewin (despite my glowing report above) is not a top six player (yet?).

If we want to crack the top 6 this season, we need a new front 3, a left-back and a centre-back. If we are aiming for next season, then Aubameyang and a left-back would do me, especially if we can persuade Barkley to sign a new deal. Shaw for £20m and half his current wage wouldn't be a bad deal. He wouldn't have to move house which would be a big pull for him. But loads on here don't want another Man Utd reject, and he's certainly one of them.

The reason we can't play with width is that our left side is exposed.

It's funny with all the Sky camera angles and "expert" pundits, that this was not spotted.

Just my tuppence. What I saw in the first 30 minutes of the game, and I posted on the live forum, was Calvert-Lewin strolling around without an ounce of urgency or desire to close anyone down. I like him and as has been mentioned too many times, some need patience and to acknowledge these are men just out of their teens. Mental strength is not a given, it comes with experience for most of us.

Martina too, was getting it from the commentators and most of us. I remember one of our players going over to him to reassure/encourage him as he was having a bit of a mare.

I usually don't bother with stuff not about Everton, but this one was pretty good from a Manc:

“I layeth a table down, for my enemies” – Lukaku 4:25

Haha.

I felt Sam and his team had err... "identified" Henderson as the guy to be introduced to our new attitude. Gana caught him a treat, Holgate was about a week late and Sigurdsson's challenge had Klipperty going absolutely Klopperty.

I wont be condoning any of that...Honest! ...swear down lad.

The various post-match interviews by the respective managers make a striking contrast. And our Sam plays it brilliantly!

Like Pat Kelly @ 37 I also picked up on Klopp's warped logic and sense of entitlement, claiming the ref shouldn't have awarded the penalty because the pinkies dominated throughout. Der-wot?!

Stonewall penalty, no question. It is a credit to the Liverpool (cough!) that in 80 years of Merseyside Derbies, they have played with discipline and rigid fair play (cough! cough!) to never have committed a foul in their penalty area to concede a penalty to us, other than to the 2 Wayne's Clark in 1988 and Rooney yesterday.

We robust Blues have, of course, shown much less Corinthian spirit as in the same time frame, the pinkies who won 9 penalties at Goodison.

I also liked the interview when Klopp asks for a show of hands from attending journalists – who thought it was a pen. He gloats when initially only 3 hands go up, then is taken aback when ALL hands go up! Comedy Gold, as others have mentioned.

As for those (very few) claiming those rejoicing in the result should be ashamed of themselves and the club, celebrating escaping Anfield with a draw, that's not what I'm reading in general at all.

There are plenty – including the manager himself – acknowledging our ball retention, passing and attacking threat was virtually zero. But there are also plenty, given just how porous and easy to beat we have been this season, putting the result and performance into context and delighting in the fact that the auld enemy, flying high, scoring goals for fun, did not absolutely tank us as many on this very site were predicting in the week leading up to the match. That may have been the case with Koeman or Unsworth still in charge. It is clearly evident Sam and his coaches are addressing and prioritizing our defensive frailties. The razzmatazz can wait.

It is allowed and legitimate to hold both views simultaneously.

As for Martina, he is a player I have defended more than once on TW. Even Sam spoke in praise of him yesterday. But I saw a defender already in difficulty straight from the off. Sigurdsson dropped deeper to give him more support and cover, but he was simply walked through, brushed aside by his attacker, at least 3 times. His headed and kicked clearances were not clean and brought more pressure on us. He was berated by more than one team mate on different occasions for his poor defensive play or positioning. In a close up, he was seen to shake his head after another poor play by him, seemingly acknowledging his failings.

This is not said to hang the guy out to dry. I feel a great deal of sympathy for him actually. He is being played out of position to cover for the injured Baines as a result of an unbalanced summer recruitment and loaning out players who could cover better at left back. But 'top notch' and 'excellent' as some posters have claimed he most certainly was not for me.

And those looking to claim a foul by Salah on Martina in the build up to his goal are clutching at straws for me. Martina is also pushing and shoving Salah. Salah was simply stronger and more determined. His cut inside of Gana, rather than going around him, further created problems for Everton. Hard as it is, at times you have to doff your cap to the individual determination and brilliance of the goal scorer.

I would have been well made up if an Everton player had produced the same.

It's because of pens that they've sadly won so many pots over the years, try winning any final in 90 minutes! Only Red Shite teams need extra time and penalties to win a final!!!

Onward Blues to Geordieland and 3 points.

Allardyce was forced into a corner selecting him – but hopefully not for long... please!!!

We stank. It was a mismatch.We weren't even 2nd best.

I don't want to watch any more derbies like this, we were embarrassing, an excuse of an Everton side. Liverpool were resting players too.

There's no joy in me saying any of the above, just desperation in longing to be competitive. I want this derby to be the lowest of low points and for us to build and get a competitive team together to take the game to them. I am sick to death of watching wave after wave of Liverpool attack in every derby match.

No more.

Some posters are unhappy with a gritty display at Mordor that pissed off the orcs and sent the chief orc, the one with the teeth, mental. Get real.

Klippetty was banging on all last week about knowing how we would play. I think what really pissed him off was that he thought we would set up to counter Coutinho and the three musketeers. I reckon he thought that not playing them and having Solanke to lump the ball at would screw us up. We looked set up to do as he expected but we adapted and hung on in a 4-4-2. Not 4-5-1 by the way.

Sam changed it at half time to better suit but maintained 4-4-2. As soon as they brought Coutinho and Firmino on we moved to the 4-1-4-1 that we'd probably been working on all week.

This showed intelligence, discipline and bravery. Until we are in a position to address our shortcomings, as I outlined earlier, I'll take that.

If an Everton player had done the same in that game there would have been outrage from Redshite the world over.

According to Ken Dodd, Klipperty is the name of Klopp's daughter so you can't use it to describe the deeply upset one.

Of course it was a bloody penalty. Has this man never played football?

"Liverpool were resting players, too".

Coleman, Bolasie, McCarthy, Barkley and Funes Mori have been out for so long they're now rarely mentioned as absentees. Add Baines to the list, for good measure, and we had far more missing then they did!

Yes, I too was acutely embarrassed that we only created two shots on target compared to their three. Give me a spineless 4-0 defeat, any day.

No doubt Lovren will be advising him on the Chapter entitled 'When an opposition player is running away from goal in your penalty area, whatever you do , don't make contact...'

Grow up, Jurgen, you clown!

Did you post a similar message after last seasons Goodison game when I don't think we had one shot on target. Then, when we went to Mordo,r and completely embarrassed the Club.

Tony I could go back years and make a similar post to yours.

Yes we were crap but it has to be put into context. Right now, more important than any sort of attractive football, we need points. That's exactly what we got.

I'd sooner walk around town after drawing with a shit display rather than last season having to walk around town after getting hammered with a shit display.

Of course if it's just for an anti-Allardyce agenda then that's different.

As a striker I feel he should always be at least rubbing shoulders with the defenders whenever there is a ball to be won. I think he doesn't do that enough.

I think Klopp may have felt the same. They may have been worse if those two had started in those conditions. If anything, we were slightly more comfortable when they did come on.

With regards to Calvert-Lewin, I think he's been directly involved (5 goals, 6 assists) in 11 goals so far this season. That's really not bad for a young player thrown in at the deep end in an under-performing side.

I imagine he thought Salah and Mane could do an effective job, and then put the others on to finish us off without being overly exposed to the conditions and having played midweek.

He is clearly highly regarded at Everton. Even last season under Koeman, he was frequently selected for the match day squad ahead of the likes of Mirallas and Valencia, even though he was only 19.

This season – still only 20 – he has been a virtual ever present, contributing 6 goals and 6 assists across all competitions. He has excellent movement, showing, chasing and harrying for the ball across the width of the park. He has excellent control plus the ability to shield the ball well, Sharpesque-like. He is a good header of the ball. He has shown time and again he can take on and beat a man in tight quarters, with good pace to carry him away from chasing defenders.

For someone of seemingly slight build, he handles the physical aspect of the game very well. Indeed, he displays canny game craft, as witnessed by his winning of the penalty Sunday and in seeing Kyle Walker sent off at City.

More than anything else he needs to sharpen his finishing skills, but again, he has already demonstrated a cool head and clean finishing. He needs to raise his consistency levels in this area.

By comparison, as an 18-year-old he scored 8 goals in 26 appearances on loan at Northampton. At the same age Harry Kane scored 5 in 18 on loan at Leyton Orient.

At 19 Kane scored 9 in 27 on loan at Milwall in the championship. At the same age, Calvert-Lewin was playing exclusively for Everton in the Premier League, scoring 1 in 11 (mostly as sub).

At the age Calvert-Lewin is now, Harry Kane was loaned out to both Norwich (Premier League) and Leicester (Championship) scoring 3 goals in 20 appearances all up.

Kane was a barely used squad player on his return to Spurs for a season or 2. His breakthrough year came in 2014-15 when he was 21, going on 22, scoring 25 in 38 Premier League appearances.

Internationally, Kane scored 6 in 14 for England U-19s, 1 in 3 for the U-20s, 8 in 14 for the U-21s. And he flopped at the Euro U-21s when England were eliminated at the group stage and flopped again for the seniors at the Euros last year.

Dom has 6 in 14 for the U-20s and won England the World Cup in the summer. He is currently 1 in 5 at U-21s.

We have a wonderful talent on our books. He strikes me as a serious dedicated professional, intent on going all the way.

I can't explain it. Months of frustration just released by watching that slimy git try and argue his way out of a paper bag with the Liverpundits on every station for miles throwing their dummies all around them. (John Barnes was a particular highlight.)

I can honestly say it felt like a win for that reason alone. It actually made me feel smugger because we played quite poor. Am I bitter? Possibly, but who cares.

It was a travesty that Solanke got the call-up ahead of Dominic.

Calvert-Lewin has been fantastic and a work rate second to none over the last few months. Never once shirked responsibility during that very difficult period. He is determined and single-minded, a model professional even at his young age. With these attributes he is only going to be better.

We have a potential killer attack in the making with him, Lookman and Vlasic. All have got the class to do it. It will take a bit of time, that is all.

Talking about diamonds, what about Kenny – the lad is improving by the game. At this rate, Seamus will find it hard to dislodge him.

Hope he has more support around him for the next game and can build up some partnerships.

I know it's a low-key 'attraction', but the FIFA World Club championship is being played this week. The first semi-final between Gremio of Brazil and Pachuca of Mexico has just kicked off.

For any one interested or watching the game, look out for Gremio's number 7, Luan, who plays as a central attacker. He plays for the national side, but is down the pecking order (naturally) behind the likes of Neymar, Jesus and Firmino.

Here in Brazil, he is regarded as the best player currently playing in the Brazilian league. Not sure about that myself, but he is a very tidy player. Worth a look.

Better to play bad and get a point than be awesome and lose , in this game at least. If we play like that every week then we need to question the management, again.

People seem to forget that we have changed playing styles in a relatively short time from-

Moyes = KIPTAP1 – defend, press, erh... end of tactics
Martinez = we are Barca, pass like them and don't defend or press
Koeman = The Project , not really sure what he was trying to achieve
Rhino = FFS, come on.stop leaking goals like as Sunday team
Allardyce = Well we know what to expect, but let's wait and see

Throw in shed loads of players in's and out's and now, as they say - It Is, What It Is !

I really don't care that we got lucky, as it was better than losing and if the RS want to moan. Well we can teach them a few things about unfair and unjust, Ah sorry, we are bitter,