Everton v Liverpool

Last updated : 08 September 2006 By Les Roberts
…and derby build ups just don't seem the same now we can't ask the obligatory "Do you reckon the big fella will play? He'll scare the shit out of Hyypia!"

But this is a question that has been doing the rounds since we beat Tottenham and most people appear to be of the opinion that 4-5-1 is just too negative a tactic to employ at home.

Which is true, if you pack the midfield with players like Phil Neville, Lee Carsley and Simon Davies.

But tomorrow, if Moyes does decide to go 4-5-1, we will most likely go with Mikel Arteta, Tim Cahill, Leon Osman, Lee Carsley and one other…hopefully not Naysmith!

This would mean that Andy Johnson would be supported by both Cahill and Osman to give us several options going forward and opportunities to run at their defence.

And Johnson definitely looks better when he has to run onto through balls rather than picking up knock downs from a big striker like Beattie.

Plus, if we fall into the trap of hoofing balls up to Beattie, the Liverpool back two will clear up all day, especially given the form that our six million pound man has shown since the summer (and that's six million pounds as in money, not weight!)

But the one thing Liverpool lack is pace, so if we get in amongst them, with Osman probing and Arteta supplying the through balls to Johnson, then there's no reason why we can't stick a couple past ‘Pepe'.

People are also suggesting that we start with Victor Anichebe up front with Johnson.

But, as anyone that remembers Branch at Anfield will probably agree, this is not the game in which to give him his first Everton start!

Their big question appears to revolve around who will play up front, now that Dirk Kuyt has shown that he can have a good half against West Ham.

After his display the other week, many Kopites were hailing him as ‘the new Dalgleish'…but I seem to remember them saying the exact same thing about Nigel Clough and look how that turned out!

The other news coming out of their camp (do football clubs actually set up camps anywhere?) is that Sissoko will be back in midfield.

Now they see this as a massive boost but I think we can really make this work in our favour.

Although we missed out on a good player when he chose the dark side last summer, he is a really reckless tackler, so we should be good for some free kicks around the box, which is always a good thing with Arteta on the pitch!

Historically, things have not gone too well for the Blues in recent derby macthes.

During the last ten meetings between the two clubs, we've won one, drawn three and lost six.

That 1-0 win in 2004 aside, the last time we beat them at Goodison was the 2-0 in 1997/98 season when Danny Cadermarteri scored.

And just to put in perspective how long ago that was, Michael Owen had just broken into the England team and some Blues were saying after the game that Cadermarteri would go on to score more goals for England than Owen!

Which is a bit like saying Kuyt is the new Dalgleish!

This game has also been one of the most fractious derbies in the country in recent times, as the four red cards over the two games last year showed (although I still maintain that van der Meyde's red was ludicrous!).

Since the start of the Premiership, Everton have picked up 64 yellow cards and eight reds whilst Liverpool have been shown 49 yellow cards and six reds.

That's 114 yellow cards and 14 reds in 28 matches, an average of four yellow cards every game a red card every other game!

So, especially with Graham Poll refereeing, we eagerly await to see what lies in store for us at Goodison tomorrow.

Hopefully, we'll give them a good shoeing as it's about time we put a few past them.

But it's too tough to call so I'm not even going to bother…and I always get it wrong anyway!

Come on the Blues!!!