Royal Blue Mersey - Everton vs Liverpool: Premier League Matchday 33It's a grand old team to supporthttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52544/royal_fav.png2018-04-08T17:00:03+01:00http://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/rss/stream/169716092018-04-08T17:00:03+01:002018-04-08T17:00:03+01:00Everton v. Liverpool: Tactical Analysis
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<img alt="Everton v Liverpool - Premier League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Ygl4ImIpyfSS-xEPOd1pN2XZWi8=/0x0:3402x2268/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59310959/942960408.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Changes in the center of midfield nearly salvaged the Merseyside Derby</p> <p id="CA1REh">If you had offered a scoreless draw to <a href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/">Everton</a> supporters for the majority of Saturday’s Merseyside Derby, many probably would have taken it.</p>
<p id="1FvfVL">Sure, getting battered for stretches at a time by a <a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool</a> B-team is embarrassing, but a draw would have been better than a loss at least. And for those stretches, it certainly looked as though Everton would never find a goal.</p>
<p id="mUHwOm">But in the last 15 minutes of the match, the Toffees turned up the pressure intensely, nearly coming away with a winning goal on more than one occasion.</p>
<p id="qiQG1J">After such an underwhelming opening 75 minutes, what happened to turn things around?</p>
<p id="KInhhY">Let’s start by looking at the Everton lineup for the match.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr"> | Team news is in for the 231st Merseyside derby!<br><br>Who could be the difference for us today? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EFCmatchday?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EFCmatchday</a> <a href="https://t.co/vssipi7POY">pic.twitter.com/vssipi7POY</a></p>— Everton (@Everton) <a href="https://twitter.com/Everton/status/982566160024645632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2018</a>
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<p id="vJRO4G">I was, first and foremost, very happy to see that <span>Sam Allardyce</span> didn’t break up the back four of <span>Seamus Coleman</span>, <span>Phil Jagielka</span>, Michael Keane, and <span>Leighton Baines</span> after last week’s beatdown at the hands of <a href="https://bitterandblue.sbnation.com/">Manchester City</a>.</p>
<p id="zSfXGK">Much like that Manchester City match, Everton’s problems in this one weren’t caused by any shortcomings on the back-line or in goal. No, the issues primarily came from the midfield, where Big Sam used a more sensible midfield than against the Citizens — but only marginally.</p>
<p id="dh2apN">On the bright side, <span>Morgan Schneiderlin</span> had maybe his best match of the season. He was solid if unspectacular in distribution (33 of 42 passes completed), did a reasonable job of shielding the back four, and perhaps most importantly maintained his composure and discipline for 90 minutes.</p>
<p id="7yO5Cg">The midfield issues came from the two players in front of him, Tom Davies and <span>Wayne Rooney</span>. </p>
<p id="zlvnTX">Watching the match, the issues with Rooney and Davies may not have been entirely evident — without a doubt, the most glaring issue is the one made painfully clear by the average position map below (courtesy of EvertonFC.com).</p>
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<p id="JAGyHp">Yannick Bolasie basically played right on top of Leighton Baines at left-back, constantly defending the right-sided Liverpool threat from <span>Danny Ings</span> and <span>Nathaniel Clyne</span>. It was this factor that kept Everton penned into the defensive third for so much of the match — but that wasn’t Bolasie’s fault.</p>
<p id="t2IPmb">Take a look at the Liverpool average position map from the match.</p>
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<p id="qAxmFY">With Ragnar Klavan, a center-back by trade, standing in at left-back, Jurgen Klopp elected to build almost exclusively down the right wing through Danny Ings and Nathaniel Clyne — in fact, 50% of Liverpool’s attacking third possession occurred in the right channel.</p>
<p id="2r2eeH">Liverpool achieved this by having Ings occupy the space between Baines and Keane. With Keane, naturally, occupied by the Liverpool central striker, someone else needed to handle Ings in the half space. </p>
<p id="7cyV6h">This brings us back to the players I mentioned in the opening, Tom Davies and Wayne Rooney. </p>
<p id="5i2WZM">Rooney, as we know, is not exactly a defensive powerhouse. He wasn’t particularly useful in defending the line of players queuing up off the ball in the left-central channel as Liverpool built down the right, forcing Morgan Schneiderlin to remain relatively central, instead of helping with Ings.</p>
<p id="TJjQnd">Tom Davies seemed the natural option to drop deep between the center-back and left-back to mark Ings, but he just...didn’t.</p>
<p id="l2jU8g">The result was a pair of seemingly jobless midfielders roaming around when Liverpool had the ball. Davies and Rooney weren’t cohesive and aggressive enough to press the Liverpool midfield into mistakes, or at least to keep them out of the dangerous areas. Yet, they weren’t defensively sound enough to track Liverpool attackers either.</p>
<p id="8BTnF0">The result was that Leighton Baines was forced to pinch toward the middle to mark Ings, leaving Bolasie as the only option to pick up Clyne’s overlapping runs. The same effect occasionally occurred on the opposite side with <span>Theo Walcott</span> as well.</p>
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<p id="wUBLHA">An intelligent manager would have brought on Idrissa Gueye for Tom Davies at half, telling the Senegalese midfielder: “Just handle Ings in the half space, and when you get the ball, set Bolasie loose down the left wing past the attacking Nathaniel Clyne.”</p>
<p id="WQ9XGd">Everton’s manager is Sam Allardyce though, so the Toffees made no changes at the break, and the team’s first sub was Gana in for Wayne Rooney on the right side of midfield — which didn’t really solve the problem.</p>
<p id="rWMgZP">Gana was certainly more able to help Schneiderlin handle the Liverpool left and central channels than Rooney was, but it didn’t really solve the problem Everton had on the Liverpool right.</p>
<p id="FgDYOj">A few minutes later, Big Sam brought on Dominic Calvert-Lewin for Yannick Bolasie on the Everton left wing — another move that was helpful, but didn’t really address the actual problem that was occurring. DCL is better defensively than Yala, and made a few important tackles on Clyne during his appearance.</p>
<p id="V2Ikkg">But, the Everton left winger was still essentially playing full-back, and the Toffees couldn’t generate any offense.</p>
<p id="fun98e">Finally, <em>mercifully</em>, Allardyce replaced Davies with Beni Baningime in the 79th minute, and Everton almost immediately starting putting pressure on Liverpool. With Gana and Beni sitting deeper alongside Schneiderlin, the Everton wingers were <em>finally</em> able to get further up the pitch and pressure Clyne and Klavan.</p>
<p id="HeOPjs">A smarter manager would have figured out much earlier that the way to beat Liverpool was to put pressure on their full-backs — one who is truly a center-back, and the other who was in his first match of the season.</p>
<p id="dPiRh3">Unfortunately, Everton <em>still</em> just has Sam Allardyce, so we only got to see 15 minutes of Everton pressure before the clock ran out. </p>
<p id="lnn0Em">It was encouraging to see all three of Everton’s holding midfielders performing well, though perhaps somewhat surprisingly all at the same time. It was encouraging to see Everton’s attacking players get a little bit of freedom to create, and grab a chance to do so firmly. It was encouraging to see Everton’s full-backs, tremendous as they are, finally get a chance in the attacking third.</p>
<p id="lFlGkV">But we only got to see those encouraging signs in the match’s final quarter of an hour — another blunder from the idiot-in-chief.</p>
https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2018/4/8/17212184/everton-tactical-analysis-liverpool-merseyside-derby-wayne-rooney-substitution-morgan-schneiderlinAdam.Braun2018-04-08T10:00:02+01:002018-04-08T10:00:02+01:00Pickford didn’t know Southgate was at Goodison
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<img alt="Everton v Liverpool - Premier League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/_JFKm6_JSq0akQZVYR1Lg5Lxay4=/916x0:3104x1459/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59308203/942971376.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Has goalie cemented his England starting spot?</p> <p id="nkKAM9"><a href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/">Everton</a> struggled to beat a weakened <a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool</a> in this season’s third Merseyside Derby clash, but will be happy that the Blues kept a clean sheet. The defence has completely fallen apart at times in 2018, but goalkeeper <span>Jordan Pickford</span> played a pivotal role in maintaining just the second clean sheet of the year and spoke to <a href="http://www.evertonfc.com/news/2018/04/07/pickford">the Everton website</a> after. </p>
<p id="8htIm5">The youngster was called into action twice before the break, first at point blank range from Dominic Solanke before he palmed away a curling shot from <span>James Milner</span> from the corner of the box. </p>
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<p id="ip4AC7">“Milner’s effort was a decent height to be fair. I’ve taken the right step and made a comfortable save. </p>
<p id="UxD7Ri">“It is hard when the shot comes from around a player but I train all week to make those kind of saves on a matchday. </p>
<p id="NoH9Pv">“We got the clean sheet, which we have been after for a while because as a group we needed that. </p>
<p id="AZOp0H">“We have then had a fair few chances and they’ve had a couple as well, and as a keeper it’s our job to keep those out and Karius has done that when he was needed.”</p>
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<aside id="Unm9DK"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"England’s number one to hail from Finch Farm","url":"https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2018/3/29/17175810/jordan-pickford-england-goalkeeper-world-cup-announced-gareth-southgate-butland-pope-hart-everton"},{"title":"Allardyce blames bad luck for Merseyside Derby draw.","url":"https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2018/4/7/17209666/everton-liverpool-0-0-match-recap-merseyside-derby-allardyce-comments-unlucky-rooney-reaction"}]}'></div></aside><p id="YId9rn">England manager Gareth Southgate was in the stands, likely to watch the man who he has apparently unofficially anointed as England’s next number one. </p>
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<p id="5LC5Gn">“I didn’t know Gareth was there. But it’s a game of football – all I do is try my best and if I keep a clean sheet I am happy. </p>
<p id="8QpgPa">”I only think about doing my job for the team – that is what I’m there to do.”</p>
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https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2018/4/8/17211484/everton-liverpool-jordan-pickford-england-number-one-starting-goalieCalvin2018-04-08T08:00:02+01:002018-04-08T08:00:02+01:00Three Thoughts from Everton vs Liverpool: Toffees come up short despite late push
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<img alt="Everton v Liverpool - Premier League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/2vhdMgq6OYv2NaxneIQd6RY6mqw=/0x0:3000x2000/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59308051/942964046.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Three Thoughts from Merseyside Derby stalemate</p> <h1 id="OcBIW5">Too conservative for too long</h1>
<p id="90CuIJ">In just about any other match, Sam Allardyce’s conservative game plan would have been the objectively smart thing to do. As <a href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/">Everton</a> try to claw their way further up the table in the closing weeks of the season, a point against the team sitting in third is not a bad result. However, it didn’t seem as though Allardyce realized this was the Merseyside Derby and his conservative tactics were simply not good enough.</p>
<p id="UjXIsl">The match started with an energy that is to be expected from a derby. Tackles were flying and both teams had their share of possession. But around the 30 minute mark, the game devolved into an absolute snooze-fest as <a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool</a> were left in control for most of the match and Allardyce was more than happy to have his team sit back and defend. In the few instances that Everton did win back possession, there was either no one up top or Cenk Tosun was left utterly alone with no options. </p>
<p id="phs64h">In the end, this match was a battle between the heart and the mind. Considering Everton’s record against the top-six, a draw is nothing to be ashamed of. But I don’t think I’m alone in wishing that Everton had put their foot on the gas a little earlier and gone for all three points. </p>
<h1 id="9U2ypt">Despite close calls, Everton come up short</h1>
<p id="1WqybM">As the supporters at Goodison and those at home were being lulled into a catatonic state by Sam Allardyce’s defensive tactics, Everton finally came alive in the last 20 minutes. Seamus Coleman’s run in with Liverpool’s <span>Danny Ings</span> appeared to be the catalyst that got the supporters and the team back in the match. </p>
<p id="PoCpY3">From that point forward, Everton were all hands on deck trying to get their first derby win in nearly eight years. As the midfield pushed forward and <span>Theo Walcott</span> finally got involved in the match, Everton missed a number of heartbreaking opportunities to put themselves ahead. </p>
<p id="Z1SCv0">I can’t help but think that Everton were operating with one hand behind their backs on account of Allardyce’s second half substitutions. Clearly the inclusion of Dominic Calvert-Lewin was a huge boost for the team, but the replacing of two attacking midfielders with defensive ones certainly doesn’t help in making an offensive push in the last few minutes. </p>
<p id="yfI5fX">We obviously cannot know for sure if this late push was part of Allardyce’s plan, but if it was, he made two boneheaded moves by bringing on defensive players when his team were in all out attack mode. </p>
<h1 id="kPZeou">Unable to beat half-strength Liverpool</h1>
<p id="SZgx9D">If Everton can’t beat the Liverpool squad that Jurgen Klopp sent out today, then I don’t know what squad they can beat. Having played a midweek <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/champions-league">Champions League</a> match and without two of their best players in the starting line up, Liverpool were anything but fully fit. </p>
<p id="cdq02L">Even if we take Mo Salah’s absence off the table, six of the players in Liverpool’s line-up against Everton had played significant minutes on Wednesday against <a href="https://bitterandblue.sbnation.com/">Manchester City</a>. And with the reverse fixture only a few days away, Klopp was clearly not playing for the full three points. Liverpool even started a 6’ 2” center back on the left side of the defense and one of the fastest players in the league in Theo Walcott couldn’t get in the match. </p>
<p id="xki1rE">Long gone are the days of <span>Brendan Rodgers</span> incompetence on the touchline at Anfield. With an actual world-class manager leading their side, Liverpool are only going to get tougher to beat. Everton are rapidly falling behind their rivals and it will take some serious changes at the club to compete with them year in and year out. </p>
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https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2018/4/8/17209868/everton-0-liverpool-0-merseyside-derby-match-recap-defensive-effort-missed-chances-weakened-redsmralbaugh2018-04-07T15:33:12+01:002018-04-07T15:33:12+01:00Allardyce says Everton unlucky, defends Rooney substitution
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<img alt="Everton v Liverpool - Premier League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/mk-wyHOjzfSriQz3Jq8rDLuFXVI=/0x0:3132x2088/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59303997/942970960.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Manager’s comments after 0-0 game that briefly entertained</p> <p id="s5FIzG">This was always the derby game that neither team really wanted to play, and with the torrential downpour drenching Goodison Park for most of the time, it was not surprising that this became the first ever Merseyside Derby in Premier League history to end without a single card being shown. </p>
<p id="Ce6tio"><a href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/">Everton</a> looked up for it in the first quarter of an hour, but quickly faded after that as <a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool</a> gained a foothold in the game for the next hour, before the Blues’ substitutes made it interesting again for the home fans for the last few minutes again. </p>
<p id="lSIAs5">After the referee blew his final whistle at 0-0, manager <span>Sam Allardyce</span> had this to say to <a href="http://www.bbc.com/sport/live/football/43343407">Sky Sports</a>. </p>
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<p id="GEr5QF">“I think that in the end when you finish the game as strongly as that and put Liverpool under pressure, you can say we’re unlucky, particularly the Tosun Cenk header and Dominic Solanke’s chance.</p>
<p id="TVLtGg">”The basis of our performance was nullifying Liverpool’s attack to create chances but when you miss those chances, it really is disappointing because if they had gone the other way, we could’ve been looking at a different game.</p>
<p id="UXXotW">”I think we got apprehensive about chasing the ball too much and then giving it away too easy. In the second half, we played much better, we took it to Liverpool and ran at them to create chance after chance.”</p>
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<aside id="HoSP7p"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Everton 0-0 Liverpool: Yawn","url":"https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2018/4/7/17209512/everton-liverpool-merseyside-derby-score-recap-result-reaction-goals-highlights"},{"title":"Everton vs Liverpool: Man of the Match and Player Grades Poll","url":"https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2018/4/7/17209508/everton-liverpool-0-0-final-score-match-recap-man-of-the-match-player-grades-poll"}]}'></div></aside><p id="titkt7"><span>Wayne Rooney</span> was the first substitute in the second half and was visibly unhappy about being taken off, reacting quite aggressively as he trudged off. </p>
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<p id="e2WKBD">“Dominating the last 15 minutes could have given us the opportunity to win it but we needed more legs. That’s the way the game goes. </p>
<p id="SzjE3E">“Wayne’s bound to be disappointed to be brought off in a Merseyside derby but I make the decisions and I thought we did the right thing to make those changes to give us a better chance.”</p>
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https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2018/4/7/17209666/everton-liverpool-0-0-match-recap-merseyside-derby-allardyce-comments-unlucky-rooney-reactionCalvin2018-04-07T14:31:43+01:002018-04-07T14:31:43+01:00Everton vs Liverpool: Man of the Match and Player Grades Poll
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<img alt="Everton v Liverpool - Premier League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/XD-hJcgtTAhqJoY8nCSbJvMnj6I=/0x0:3000x2000/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59303571/942964046.jpg.1523107258.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Grade the Everton players and manager on their performance today</p> <h2 id="k6zWnV">Lineups</h2>
<h3 id="Zz6RPN"><a href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/">Everton</a></h3>
<p id="YuqXMK"><strong>Starting XI:</strong> Pickford; Baines, Keane, Jagielka, Coleman; Schneiderlin, Davies, Rooney; Bolasie, Tosun, Walcott.</p>
<p id="QJHhhE"><strong>Subs:</strong> Robles, Martina, Gueye, Funes Mori, Baningime, Calvert-Lewin, Niasse</p>
<h3 id="hYm7g5"><a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool</a></h3>
<p id="xrwVqh"><strong>Starting XI:</strong> Karius, Clyne, Lovren, Van Dijk, Klavan, Milner, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Mane, Ings, Solanke.</p>
<p id="9DUdef"><strong>Subs:</strong> Mignolet, Firmino, Moreno, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Masterson, Alexander-Arnold, Jones.</p>
<h2 id="pDzCyu">Final Verdict</h2>
<p id="5p5RXD">Everton were off to a great start in the first quarter hour or so, snapping into challenges and generally not giving Liverpool any time on the ball. However, as the half went on Blues struggled to maintain possession and kept giving the ball away allowing the visitors to dictate the tempo. </p>
<p id="aoGZL2">Both sides had chances in the first stanza but the goalies were on top of their game as it ended 0-0. </p>
<p id="ch51tu">There was a brief flicker of life from the Blues after Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on in the second half, but that soon petered out as Liverpool continued to pressure and pass the ball around. </p>
<p id="Uu6cIN">Things seemed to wake up right towards the end as the Toffees belatedly made an effort to win the game, but came close with no reward despite coming inches away from the goal multiple times. </p>
<p id="7T7sbl">It ended 0-0 with both sides feeling they could have gotten all three points. </p>
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<p id="FCS5f7">Who was your Man of the Match? Vote on the player grades here on how they did. </p>
<p id="Qm0i1Q"><em>If this poll is not showing up on your screen, please </em><a href="https://goo.gl/forms/tquo3ipnpABkL4KZ2"><em>click here</em></a><em> to go and grade the players - we apologize for the inconvenience.</em></p>
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https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2018/4/7/17209508/everton-liverpool-0-0-final-score-match-recap-man-of-the-match-player-grades-pollCalvin2018-04-07T14:28:05+01:002018-04-07T14:28:05+01:00Everton 0-0 Liverpool: Yawn
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<img alt="Everton v Liverpool - Premier League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/6kuJwkNvv1oOCPZFo2U4rwAK8kM=/0x0:3543x2362/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59303617/942960498.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.</p> <p id="CgsWtK"><a href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/">Everton</a> hosted a rotated <a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool</a> side at Goodison Park today, and for huge portions of the match decided that a derby win wasn’t worth chasing. Whether by instruction or lack of motivation, it was - yet again - embarrassing. </p>
<ul>
<li id="XvDItR">On paper, at least, Everton’s lineup made sense, especially in midfield. Credit to <span>Sam Allardyce</span> for accomplishing the most basic of tactical tasks - a #6, an 8, and a 10. As a result, <span>Morgan Schneiderlin</span> had one of his better matches of the season (yes, it’s a low bar to clear). </li>
<li id="bw8QP5">The trouble with picking the right players, though, is you still have to give them the right instructions. Having Yannick Bolasie and <span>Theo Walcott</span> track back into their own penalty area was not the right instructions. You’re at home. Don’t be a coward. </li>
<li id="FEmOw5">Jordan Pickford was good. Again. </li>
<li id="wJT4Ji">Only when <span>Wayne Rooney</span> and Yannick Bolasie were removed did the game come alive. <span>Seamus Coleman</span> got into it with <span>Danny Ings</span>, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin was excellent off the bench. </li>
<li id="eWERep">As a fan, it’s exhausting to go this long without beating your main rival. It’s even more exhausting to not even try. Sure, the last fifteen minutes of the match were one-way traffic towards <span>Loris Karius</span>, but when you leave all the effort that late you end up with what you deserve. </li>
<li id="PVLqBX">There were several chances for the Blues to win the game late, particularly through Cenk Tosun, Seamus Coleman, and Calvert-Lewin. Nobody converted. That’s how this season has gone. After 75 minutes of utter lethargy and inaction, nobody particularly deserved to convert, either. </li>
<li id="Ypwd8K">Cenk Tosun deserves better than this. Theo Walcott deserves better than this. <em>You </em>deserve better than this. These are players who know how to play attacking football, and they’re not allowed to - even in the comfort of one of England’s most hallowed grounds. </li>
<li id="uXcgEq">Three derbies this season. One loss, two draws. I’ve gotten married and had children - two - since the last time the Blues beat Liverpool. Sickening. </li>
</ul>
<p id="qW58DH">Too much respect was shown to an under-strength Liverpool side. Too much disinterest in playing progressively. It ended as it should have - 0-0. </p>
https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2018/4/7/17209512/everton-liverpool-merseyside-derby-score-recap-result-reaction-goals-highlightsevertonchris2018-04-07T13:29:31+01:002018-04-07T13:29:31+01:00Everton vs Liverpool: Merseyside Derby Gamethread
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ES3M48IrAVpXRN8WuhsX_0kVPWY=/0x58:3430x2345/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59291969/889410000.jpg.0.jpg" />
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<p>It’s been seven years since the blue side of Merseyside reigned supreme in this rivalry.</p> <p id="ACxYxl">No matter where either team sits in the standings, this fixtures remains immensely important to both clubs and their supporters. <a href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/">Everton</a>, currently in ninth place in the league, need to earn points if they are going to catch <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/burnley-fc">Burnley</a> in seventh. Liverpool, sitting in third, would like to catch second-place <a href="https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/">Manchester United</a>, but it is even more important that they don’t slip below <a href="https://cartilagefreecaptain.sbnation.com/">Tottenham Hotspur</a> into the final <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/champions-league">Champions League</a> spot.</p>
<p id="JqTtwu">The Toffees haven’t won any iteration of this match since October, 2010. In fact, they have been embarrassed by their red-clad counterparts in recent years. The two sides did draw 1-1 at Anfield back in December. However, Liverpool were the victors in their <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/fa-cup">FA Cup</a> meeting in January thanks to a late Virgil Van Dijk goal in his club debut.</p>
<div id="KD8Hxs"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1L_0frx_I4g?rel=0&" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></div>
<h1 id="t9lUce">Match Details</h1>
<p id="Tn0k5V"><strong>Date and start time:</strong> Saturday, April 7th at 4:30 a.m. PT / 7:30 a.m ET / 12:30 p.m. BST</p>
<p id="jLb1aE"><strong>Stadium:</strong> Goodison Park, <a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/fifa/teams/england">England</a></p>
<p id="sd4UgU"><strong>Capacity: </strong>39,572</p>
<p id="jWmOa0"><strong>Weather: </strong>50°F/10°C, showers, 59% chance of precipitation, 3 mph winds</p>
<h1 id="NylbZy">How to Watch/Listen</h1>
<p id="ZqDVb5"><strong>TV:</strong> NBCSN - <em>United States</em><em>; </em>Sky Sports Premier League <em>- </em> <em>United Kingdom</em></p>
<p id="mGBAfE"><strong>Radio: </strong>Everton Match Centre, TalkSport Radio World, SiriusXM FC, BBC Radio Manchester</p>
<p id="41ULCC"><strong>Live stream:</strong> NBC Sports Live, Sky Go, Universo, Telemundo, NOW TV</p>
<p id="1tPHX2"><strong>Gamethread:</strong> Comments section below starting one hour before game time</p>
<p id="eB2O1I"><a href="http://www.livesoccertv.com/match/2527467/everton-vs-liverpool/">Information from LiveSoccerTV.com</a></p>
<h1 id="k6zWnV">Lineups</h1>
<h3 id="Zz6RPN">Everton</h3>
<p id="YuqXMK"><strong>Starting XI:</strong> Pickford; Baines, Keane, Jagielka, Coleman; Schneiderlin, Davies, Rooney; Bolasie, Tosun, Walcott. </p>
<p id="QJHhhE"><strong>Subs:</strong> Robles, Martina, Gueye, Funes Mori, Baningime, Calvert-Lewin, Niasse </p>
<h3 id="hYm7g5">Liverpool</h3>
<p id="xrwVqh"><strong>Starting XI</strong><strong>:</strong> Karius, Clyne, Lovren, Van Dijk, Klavan, Milner, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Mane, Ings, Solanke.</p>
<p id="bh8V4g"><strong>Subs:</strong> Mignolet, Firmino, Moreno, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Masterson, Alexander-Arnold, Jones.</p>
https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2018/4/7/17205868/everton-liverpool-merseyside-derby-lineups-tv-info-schedule-live-stream-how-to-watch-online-2018_TyYoung2018-04-07T07:00:02+01:002018-04-07T07:00:02+01:00Allardyce will set up Everton to nullify Liverpool’s attacking options
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<img alt="Liverpool v Everton - The Emirates FA Cup Third Round" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/OH5j3uTGsxW6Y-dQe-xnUzNXb30=/84x0:3500x2277/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59300313/901143714.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This is going to be a dull, one-way game</p> <p id="Lmx3T9">After watching <a href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/">Everton</a> standing shellshocked at home shipping three first half goals in just a matter of minutes last weekend against a rampant <a href="https://bitterandblue.sbnation.com/">Manchester City</a> side, manager <span>Sam Allardyce</span> wants to ensure there will not be a repeat of that today against Merseyside Derby rivals <a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool</a>. </p>
<blockquote>
<p id="2VHSSp">“They won’t freeze (this time) by doing their job correctly. They were scared, our players, by their (City’s) talents and the fluency of their football.</p>
<p id="owcmZZ">“And because they scored the three goals, certainly the two early on, that put us in great doubt about what we were doing. It took us until half-time to go out and recover. Not that it made any difference (to the outcome).</p>
<p id="4H3jbo">“But it made a huge difference to us that we won the second half 1-0. Everyone would have been predicting we would lose by four, five or six. We knew how to put it right and we did do.</p>
<p id="jQcxul">“After the first and then when the second and third went in that’s when the fear hit the players. But after that we fought, fought and fought and tried to salvage something out of the game, in terms of showing we could cope and deal with City.</p>
<p id="XFgMT0">“What we have to do is do that over 90 minutes.”</p>
</blockquote>
<aside id="pCcOLR"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Allardyce in astonishing attack on Everton fanbase","url":"https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2018/4/6/17205748/sam-allardyce-everton-fans-journalists-non-professionals-facebook-twitter-merseyside-derby-preview"},{"title":"Everton vs. Liverpool: Projected XI","url":"https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2018/4/6/17202946/everton-lineup-merseyside-derby-liverpool-goodison-park-projected-xi-leaked"}]}'></div></aside><p id="8zQE9e">Liverpool beat City at their own game midweek, attacking relentlessly and with their high pressure rushing the Champions-elect and causing them to turn the ball over. Allardyce is not going to try the same style against Liverpool, despite saying that the Toffees would have to play like the Reds to beat them, and is confident the fans are going to be okay with it. </p>
<blockquote>
<p id="oGZDXo">“They were extremely patient when we played <a href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/">Chelsea</a> here when we struggled to get out of our own half. They were extremely patient and supportive of the players. For what was virtually being pinned back for 90 minutes.</p>
<p id="sR1nuR">”I always remember what happens when you frustrate the opposition so much you can get one really good chance. Against Chelsea it fell to Michael Keane and it could have sent us all home happier than what were with a 0-0. Michael unfortunately headed it over the bar.</p>
<p id="tMo90s">“Really, the approach has to be about nullifying their attacking options because they are exceptional.</p>
<p id="VQofoM">“When I first got here we were proud of no goals against, and I think we have lost that side of our game at the moment by trying to open up and play a little bit more, if can call it, attractive football... whatever you want to call it: open and expansive football. Creative football.</p>
<p id="cv2eMJ">“It’s much like what we did at Anfield first and then making sure we maximise possession — we were pleased to get a draw there.”</p>
</blockquote>
<div id="MxCV4n">
<iframe src="https://vplayer.nbcsports.com/p/BxmELC/nbcsports_embed/select/media/AePhnUnKXFeI?autoPlay=false" width="624" height="351" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="">Your browser does not support iframes.</iframe>
</div>
<aside id="9eXoDY"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Klopp fretting about ‘harsh challenges’ in the Merseyside Derby","url":"https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2018/4/6/17200750/everton-liverpool-match-preview-klopp-comments-salah-injury-status-camacho-jones-masterson-under-23s"},{"title":"Everton and Liverpool prepare for a Merseyside derby nobody wants to play","url":"https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2018/4/6/17205612/everton-liverpool-premier-league-preview-2018-sam-allardyce-jurgen-klopp-mohamed-salah-wayne-rooney"}]}'></div></aside><p id="nbOBFi">Fans remember both games only too well as they remain two of the dullest spectacles in a season that has had plenty of low points. It’s looking like we’re going to be in for another defensive rearguard action today, despite the knowledge that another Derby loss would lead to the embarrassing statistic that Liverpool would have won more games at Goodison in all competitions between the two than Everton. </p>
<blockquote>
<p id="BP6LkU">“Don’t tell me that! I might use that tomorrow for the lads. I don’t think they need any extra motivation, to be fair. I don’t think that is something we can let happen, if at all possible.</p>
<p id="T9Cs5O">“It’s a very interesting stat and one I would rather not have heard of. But it’s there for us all to see. And hopefully by the end of the game it’s not a factor.”</p>
</blockquote>
https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2018/4/7/17208424/everton-liverpool-match-preview-allardyce-defensive-tactics-nullify-klopp-attacking-optionsCalvin