Pre Match: Everton v Liverpool Sunday, 4 October, KO 13:30 BST

Everton v Liverpool

I'll bite:

TEAM NEWS
Everton defenders John Stones and Seamus Coleman could return from respective knee and hamstring injuries for Sunday's 225th Merseyside derby.

Muhamed Besic is unlikely to recover in time from a hamstring problem, while Kevin Mirallas is still suspended.

Liverpool striker Christian Benteke faces a late assessment on his fitness, having missed the last three matches with a hamstring injury.

Roberto Firmino, Jordan Henderson and Dejan Lovren remain sidelined.

WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY
Everton manager Roberto Martinez: "If you take the way we have started, we are showing a little bit of form and that could see us as favourites.

"But if you look at it in terms of the amount of money Liverpool spent over the last three seasons, clearly they need to be the favourites and the ones carrying expectations."

"Getting three points would allow us to make a really promising start a really exciting start, and the derby is a fixture in which we want to give our fans a real sense of satisfaction."

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers: "We will always take the favourite tag. When you are at Liverpool that is what you want.

"It shows you the level of expectancy here as opposed to another club. We are happy to live with that.

"We are only a couple of points from where we want to be in the top four. It is still very early on in the season and we are making progress as we go along and we have some outstanding players to come back into the reckoning."

MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head

•Everton have not beaten Liverpool in the last nine attempts in the league (D6, L3). They have not endured a longer winless league streak in this fixture since an 11-match run between 1979 and 1984.
•Liverpool's only defeat in the 17 most recent league meetings came at Goodison Park in October 2010 (W8, D8, L1). Five of the last six games have been drawn.
•The Merseyside derby has produced 20 red cards in the Premier League, more than any other fixture in the division. However, there has not been a sending off in the last eight derbies in league and cup since Jack Rodwell's red card in 2011 - which was later rescinded.
•Everton have not been awarded a penalty in this fixture since David Unsworth scored at Goodison Park in April 2003.
Everton

•Roberto Martinez's side are unbeaten in four matches but have not recorded back-to-back league wins since April.
•Victory over Chelsea in their last home match ended a run of one point from four games at Goodison Park.
•Everton's victory at West Brom on Monday was the first time in 21 years they have come from two goals behind to win a Premier League game.
•The Toffees have scored three goals in half of their last six league games but failed to score in the other three.
•Romelu Lukaku's only league goal at Goodison Park in 2015 was a penalty in the 3-0 victory against Newcastle on 15 March.
Liverpool

•The Reds have only won one of their last eight Premier League away games, scoring just five goals (D3, L4).
•They have conceded nine goals in their last four league games, having kept clean sheets in their opening three matches of the season.
•Daniel Sturridge has scored six goals in his last eight league and cup games against Everton.
•Sturridge has the best goals per game ratio (0.65) of any Liverpool player in Premier League history.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/34372497


Knock yourselves out, personally, as things stand, this really is just another game for me.

We win, then all is great and nothing changes.
We get beaten, it's work in progress, and nothing changes.

Well a poll was added against Villa and we somehow managed the win so let's see if it works again for this game.

Personally, I think we are going to lose this game. Everton will step their game up like against Chelsea and know this is their chance to really take advantage.

The bullshit derby ? Both managers trying to match each others verbal diaorreah. Must play on the front foot, same team as the villa match, get at them, play to our strengths (ahem), going for a 2-1 win

Would hate it if Rodgers lost his job after getting beat by the Bitters................. .... Just win.

A thought just occurred to me that we no longer have any players that Everton supporters hate with a venom, well at least not like "hated" in the past.

Just what/who will they boo? They will probably start with the Toffee lady and go on from there....

          Bogdan
Clyne Skrtel Sakho Gomez
   Can Milner Lucas
        Coutinho
     Ings Sturridge

Don't think he'll start Bogdan, but I reckon we need to move on from Migs ... though not sure Bogdan is up to it, but would give him a chance.
Gomez in for Moreno, just think he's stronger defender and we will be a bit more focused on that, than the attacking, at least from the off.
Was thinking might start Lallana, but away to these, probably not. We need to get tackles in, so go for Milner/Can/Lucas.
Then Cou, Ings and Studge.
They're in better form, they'll be going all out for the win ... so that gives us a chance on the break if we're good enough to take chances when they come. A lot will depend on Studge.
Am sure BR can't even contemplate a loss...

Would hate it if Rodgers lost his job after getting beat by the Bitters................. .... Just win.

Think it was Mick who posted 6/4 being a great price for Everton to do us in this and I can only but agree. Brendan may have said they've had a good start and we've had a disaster but yet 'only' a point behind them but we all know that doesn't begin to tell the difference in starts we've had.

I think we're set up for them to perform, we're basically on the ropes ready for a knockout punch and what more motivation will they need.

Really hope we play Danny Ings for this, I think with him we have a chance of really unsettling their defence and perhaps grabbing a goal or two, especially if Studge is on form, I just can't see us keeping a clean sheet at the other end. Maybe we squeak a 2-1 win and go on a roll because there's no denying how this game can swing confidence and momentum but if I'm brutally honest I see us losing 3-1 and the fact I'm thinking that without anger raging over me shows how not only expectations have been dumbed down but also emotion.

Many have said how apathetic they are now towards the club and how the heart has been ripped from the club, the identity of what we've all seen grow over generations now missing. This is a chance to show us that we're wrong, to light fires were smouldering ashes lie, re-ignite the passion not only in the fans but in the players and show what it means to play for Liverpool because if you fail to do it in the derby then the boos will resonate far and wide. This could be both a turning point for good or a tipping point, as jovial as Brendan may have seemed following the dismal result against Sion, I hope he realises just how big a game this is.

Mignolet
Can     Toure     Sakho
Clyne         Milner      Lucas          Moreno
Coutinho
Ings     Sturridge

We need Sakho marking Lukaku at set pieces, the only defender we have that I have confidence in when it comes to stopping Lukaku aerially.

Everton have to be favourites especially with it being at Goodison. Getting beaten by them will be very painful I dont give a sh*t about Brendan
I give a sh*t about having to be ridiculed by the blueshite for the next 6 months

A thought just occurred to me that we no longer have any players that Everton supporters hate with a venom, well at least not like "hated" in the past.

Just what/who will they boo? They will probably start with the Toffee lady and go on from there....

They'll still sing about Gerrard 

They'll still sing about Gerrard 

they always will...and there you have the bluenose.

they always will...and there you have the bluenose.

and bitter at that !! 

                                                              Mignolet
                                                 Gomez    Skrtel    Sakho
                                         Clyne        Can       Milner        Moreno
                                                           Coutinho
                                                      Ings     Sturridge

Pessimistic lot you.

I say we will beat the bitters 2-1 and Brendan will be safe until end of season.

Benteke to score the 2 goals.

Brendan will be safe until end of season

Who's being pessimistic now !



I think we will go 4 at the back for this game.

                                 Mignolet

Clyne              Skrtel             Sakho       Moreno 

                                Lucas
                       Milner         Can
                         
                            Coutinho

                      Sturridge   Ings


3 - 2  win

Pessimistic lot you.

I say we will beat the bitters 2-1 and Brendan will be safe until end of season.

Benteke to score the 2 goals.

brendan will be gone next week and Benteke is still injured

16 posts so far on the local derby sums up the apathy that people  have towards the club at the moment.

I can't recall it being this bad during the reign of the Hodge!

Blue onslaught over Red.

My poo poo valve is open and constantly discharging at the thought of this fixture.

2-1 reds

A win against Everton and we're back in the hunt. Let's hope the first team perform a bit more than most of the second string showed in midweek. I'd prefer to see us go with a 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 (narrow diamond) and put the extra number in midfield but no doubt we'll go with a back 3/5 and continuously lose possession in the middle like we have done for the past few games.

Mignolet

Can Skrtel Sakho

Clyne                           Moreno

Lucas Milner

Coutinho

Sturridge Ings

I expect to see that line up

It hurts as a LIVERPOOL fan, to see fellow reds that will be happy to lose the derby ,
JUST to see the back of Rodgers
 No officiality that   Rodgers will be sacked if he loses the derby ,  although its being proposed by the media
don't think Brendan's future at the club depends  on this one game
if he is to be sacked , the decision is already taken , win or lose the derby
SO  I voted YES ,a red win ,in the poll, not because I want a   Rodgers stay
BUT because I want to be positive and want my team to win every-game especially derbies
YNWA

Think it was Mick who posted 6/4 being a great price for Everton to do us in this and I can only but agree. Brendan may have said they've had a good start and we've had a disaster but yet 'only' a point behind them but we all know that doesn't begin to tell the difference in starts we've had.

I think we're set up for them to perform, we're basically on the ropes ready for a knockout punch and what more motivation will they need.

Really hope we play Danny Ings for this, I think with him we have a chance of really unsettling their defence and perhaps grabbing a goal or two, especially if Studge is on form, I just can't see us keeping a clean sheet at the other end. Maybe we squeak a 2-1 win and go on a roll because there's no denying how this game can swing confidence and momentum but if I'm brutally honest I see us losing 3-1 and the fact I'm thinking that without anger raging over me shows how not only expectations have been dumbed down but also emotion.

Many have said how apathetic they are now towards the club and how the heart has been ripped from the club, the identity of what we've all seen grow over generations now missing. This is a chance to show us that we're wrong, to light fires were smouldering ashes lie, re-ignite the passion not only in the fans but in the players and show what it means to play for Liverpool because if you fail to do it in the derby then the boos will resonate far and wide. This could be both a turning point for good or a tipping point, as jovial as Brendan may have seemed following the dismal result against Sion, I hope he realises just how big a game this is.

Great Post Luke,

Wish I had the same positivity but I really cannot see us getting much if anything out of Blueshite,
While they are firing we've yet to ignite the kindling,

I'm not so sure BR realises just how pivotal this match is if I'm honest,  he doesn't come across as a manager who has the confidence his players will have that will to win,  that fighting spirit you need, the extra 10% that will be needed to beat them,

As usual it's all soundbites and bullshit,  we're only a win away from top 4, yes maybe, but we're only one loss away from the bottom of the mountain,  the one that's higher than last season's,

My fear is they could turn us over big style,  they are playing as a unit, are familiar with one another's positioning,  have a established way of playing,  are organised and full of confidence, 
Can't say that about us can we?

Unlike me to be negative but I can't help how I feel,  my heart says we will scrape a win, but my brain is flashing a massive red warning sign.


YNWA