Liverpool’s last journey to Goodison Park guarantees to be an emotional event, with Mohamed Salah an enormous risk to Everton‘s chaotic defence.
The Reds head throughout Stanley Park for the final time on Saturday lunchtime, in what is a big Premier League sport for either side.
Arne Slot‘s Liverpool males slipped up at Newcastle on Wednesday, so a response is significant at Goodison in opposition to a Blues crew who thumped Wolves 4-0 in midweek.
With the derby edging nearer, we spoke to Everton fan and author Sam Whyte (@SamWhyte) to preview a major afternoon for therefore many causes.
How blissful are you with Everton’s season up to now?
We’ve had a nightmare actually.
If nothing else, you’d anticipate a Sean Dyche crew to be defensively organised, however chaos on the again mixed with a terminal lack of objectives has made for actually grim watching.
A superb outcome in opposition to Wolves was desperately wanted, so hopefully, we are able to carry a few of that momentum ahead.
What’s your stance on Dyche’s future?
Dyche has all the time felt like a little bit of a provide instructor offering disaster cowl.
It goes to indicate how we retcon a complete season primarily based on recency bias as a result of I’m intrigued to see how he does off the again of a giant win.
The Friedkin takeover would be the acid take a look at.
Who’ve been Everton’s finest gamers? Who has struggled?
Iliman Ndiaye has been a shiny spark in an in any other case grim season.
He’s nippy, technically proficient and incisive.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s objective drought and the overall timidity of his play has been unhappy to see. I’m hoping bagging two in opposition to Wolves will rejuvenate him.
The psychological influence of a poor run on strikers is exceptional.
How do you’re feeling in regards to the transfer away from Goodison? Proper time?
Completely. A floor transfer has been mooted for at the least so long as I’ve supported Everton and Bramley Moore seems to be unimaginable.
That’s coupled with monetary stability within the long-term {that a} fancy new floor brings.
Your reminder that you just’ve solely received a couple of months left to make use of the pub quiz query “which soccer league floor is closest to the Mersey?” (Edgeley Park)
What are your ideas on Arne Slot at Liverpool up to now?
Disappointingly good.
Arne Slot appears to have offered some actual continuity and the change has regarded nearly seamless.
You typically see new managers desirous to pointedly put their stamp on a crew and I believe he’s been smart to keep away from that.
How do you assess the title race?
It’s Liverpool’s to lose.
I believe Arsenal can be your closest challengers, however Man Metropolis being caught in a rut looks like your probability to win the title in entrance of followers.
What are your finest and worst reminiscences of this fixture?
It’s laborious to prime final spring as a result of we’d been so poor going into it and managed to summon a definitive efficiency seemingly from nowhere.
With this being an early kickoff, which I don’t assume anybody notably enjoys, I believe it’ll be that one which lives lengthy within the reminiscence.
The 4-1 defeat at Goodison Park in December 2021 was a low level.
You need a derby to at the least be a contest and the one factor you need to keep away from is meekly rolling over.
Waiting for Saturday, the place will the important thing battles happen?
It’s gonna be a case of defensive organisation on our half.
Mo Salah appears to be scoring for enjoyable, so it’s actually about neutralising him if in any respect doable.
What’s your prediction?
A scrappy 0-0 would swimsuit me simply effective, however I daren’t predict how unhealthy it may get if we concede early.
I simply need us to make a sport of it.
