Arne Slot lays out the most important details in overcoming a hostile derby atmosphere ahead of Liverpool's final trip to Goodison Park on Wednesday night.
This is it. What could well be the pivotal game of the season. The chance to effectively go ten points clear. That's a massive psychological blow if we can deal it.
I don't want to hear "a draw in the Derby is an OK result." Everton are a terrible terrible team.
"Cool heads" must mean no Darwin Núñez anywhere near the field of play.
"No cool legs" must mean no Trent Alexander-Arnold anywhere near the field of play.
Bradley absolutely has to play right back. Luis Diaz as a roving central attacker who drops in and drags Everton defenders all over the shop. Jota to be kept back for when Everton tire out.
The rest of the side picks itself. Kostas was finally starting to look like a Liverpool player from pre-season until the injury but hasn't come back at that level and was woeful at Home Park.
I agree that we should just go at it from the first whistle. Our best games this season have been those in which we've played more Klopp-style football than Slot's slow build-up stuff. Well, certainly our best away performances anyway. Perhaps not at Anfield?
Bradley in the side gives added dynamism. Trent spends a lot of the game walking around like he's playing golf. Just having an extra player prepared to make off-the-ball runs suddenly opens up spaces and pulls the opposition players out of their comfort zone. If the game is end to end, which is likely to an extent, having the likes of Bradley and Szoboszlai and Lucho and Ryan and Robbo willing to do the up and back up and back stuff is crucial.
Doucouré is perhaps the Everton player to try to keep quiet. He's got a lot of energy and I don't want to see him running at us from midfield. Job for Ryan Gravenberch, who is my player of the season so far and he'll need to play like it tomorrow night. Absolute Rolls Royce.
Your assessment of Nunez doesn't take into account his very cool head in the Spurs game while Richarlison was busy losing his. If he can do that again - and yes, he can - then there’s no reason for him to be left out. Judging on the current form of Luis Diaz I would be starting Nunez ahead of him. He hasn't actually been that good at dragging defenders out of position - they just pass him on to the midfielders. Agree on the idea of Jota introduced late on. As for Trent, I think people are taking him at his worst and assuming that he's like that all the time. If that were the case he wouldn't have lasted as long as he has. I think our best away performances have been Spurs and West Ham, and despite the goals, there was plenty of deliberate build-up play before then striking at the right moments. Everton will not be a progressive as either of those two teams, so patience will be necessary. Doucoure has energy but he's limited on the ball. Having seen Everton in the flesh a couple of times lately, the players to be wary of are Ndiaye and Garner. I back our midfield to keep them quiet, and then the hope is that our in-form forwards Salah and Gakpo get the chances and take them.
This is it. What could well be the pivotal game of the season. The chance to effectively go ten points clear. That's a massive psychological blow if we can deal it.
I don't want to hear "a draw in the Derby is an OK result." Everton are a terrible terrible team.
"Cool heads" must mean no Darwin Núñez anywhere near the field of play.
"No cool legs" must mean no Trent Alexander-Arnold anywhere near the field of play.
Bradley absolutely has to play right back. Luis Diaz as a roving central attacker who drops in and drags Everton defenders all over the shop. Jota to be kept back for when Everton tire out.
The rest of the side picks itself. Kostas was finally starting to look like a Liverpool player from pre-season until the injury but hasn't come back at that level and was woeful at Home Park.
I agree that we should just go at it from the first whistle. Our best games this season have been those in which we've played more Klopp-style football than Slot's slow build-up stuff. Well, certainly our best away performances anyway. Perhaps not at Anfield?
Bradley in the side gives added dynamism. Trent spends a lot of the game walking around like he's playing golf. Just having an extra player prepared to make off-the-ball runs suddenly opens up spaces and pulls the opposition players out of their comfort zone. If the game is end to end, which is likely to an extent, having the likes of Bradley and Szoboszlai and Lucho and Ryan and Robbo willing to do the up and back up and back stuff is crucial.
Doucouré is perhaps the Everton player to try to keep quiet. He's got a lot of energy and I don't want to see him running at us from midfield. Job for Ryan Gravenberch, who is my player of the season so far and he'll need to play like it tomorrow night. Absolute Rolls Royce.
Your assessment of Nunez doesn't take into account his very cool head in the Spurs game while Richarlison was busy losing his. If he can do that again - and yes, he can - then there’s no reason for him to be left out. Judging on the current form of Luis Diaz I would be starting Nunez ahead of him. He hasn't actually been that good at dragging defenders out of position - they just pass him on to the midfielders. Agree on the idea of Jota introduced late on. As for Trent, I think people are taking him at his worst and assuming that he's like that all the time. If that were the case he wouldn't have lasted as long as he has. I think our best away performances have been Spurs and West Ham, and despite the goals, there was plenty of deliberate build-up play before then striking at the right moments. Everton will not be a progressive as either of those two teams, so patience will be necessary. Doucoure has energy but he's limited on the ball. Having seen Everton in the flesh a couple of times lately, the players to be wary of are Ndiaye and Garner. I back our midfield to keep them quiet, and then the hope is that our in-form forwards Salah and Gakpo get the chances and take them.