Silva urges Everton to embrace the challenge of playing Liverpool

Everton’s recent record at Anfield does not inspire confidence, and the bizarre manner in which they threw away the game last season at Liverpool will not have helped, but Marco Silva wants his side to be bold tomorrow.

Speaking during his pre-match press conference, the manager admitted that while conditions are not ideal for the Blues currently, he is looking for the Toffees to go and play their own game against the league leaders.

“It’s always a fantastic game to play, and a fantastic atmosphere. Of course we’d prefer to play in our stadium, but they have to enjoy. All the players in the world have to enjoy it, when you are talking about Everton vs Liverpool.”

“It will be a tough game for sure, is it will be for all clubs who visit them. Let’s go with big motivation, with big courage to play and embrace the challenge like we did last season and let’s go there to play.

“If we had all our solutions available we would be stronger for sure, but we will embrace the challenge and enjoy a football match.

“Our record there is not good enough, 20 years without a win there is a long time, but it’s a good opportunity to change that situation. For that we are working this week.

“Nothing changed in my mind, my work rate every single day, what I’m demanding from my players, nothing changed. Of course we’re not happy with the results or the position we are in.”

What would a positive result at Anfield do for this floundering season?

“A very good impact, no doubt. It would not void anything we’ve done over the last two months, but it would be a very important game for us, with points that we need as well and give us confidence.”

On what he has been told by the Board regarding the game tomorrow or his future.

“They didn’t say anything to me about tomorrow’s game because they don’t need to say anything about what they expect. They know what is my approach for all the matches, not just because this is a derby.

“They don’t need to say anything to me because they know the type of manager they have in charge here.”

The Blues have been bitten often in Silva’s tenure by late goals, and how was he planning to eliminate that?

“This is a good question that is important for us to settle. It’s not the first time it’s happened.

“Not so much the first but more so the second goal, the way we lost the ball, but just analysing and providing that feedback to the players. Letting them play and make mistakes, and we discuss these types of situations, and they will improve.

“When the players are on the pitch and making these types of mistakes, they will learn and improve.”

What is he expecting from the trip across Stanley Park tomorrow?

“It will be tough, they are top of the table, at home they are beating almost everyone they’re playing against. I can tell you one of the toughest games they had there last season was against us. It was a really really good game for both teams.

“We go there to play, the form is not important because you’re playing a derby. We have to go there with this thought in our mind to embrace the challenge.

“It [last season] was harsh for us, I saw Everton really embrace the challenge to play face-to-face with them. We were in a good moment, with a full squad. If we can repeat the same type of performance, it will be very good.

“We gave the right answer [on Sunday] after a not-good performance against Norwich, but we’ll take many positives from that game. They [Liverpool] are in a good moment, but last season we were there to win and that is what we should do tomorrow.”