derby day countdown

[Darkon]

I am looking forward to the game today, and I really think we are in with a good chance of winning. We are starting to play better by the game (even if we dident score against stoke), and Everton are not any stronger than last season.

3-1 us, and I will walk home happy - and drunk

[SB]

Liverpool will give late fitness tests to midfield duo Javier Mascherano and Yossi Benayoun ahead of this weekend's Merseyside derby at Goodison.
Mascherano is trying to shake off a calf injury while Benayoun has an ankle knock.

Brazilian defender Fabio Aurelio is back to full fitness and is available for selection.

"We have a couple of knocks for Javier and Yossi but we need to speak to the doctor and see how they are in training today," said Benitez.

"Clearly it will be a late decision on whether they can be involved this weekend."


Don't know if this is mind games or what. 2 doubtful, one back to fitness when all the papers are saying he's injured. We'll just have to wait and see.

[SB]

Send out our strongest squad, Rafa!
By Peter McCleery on Sep 27, 08 09:55 AM in Fans

EVERTON can only boast two derby victories in the past five seasons.

The 3-0 win in 2006 when Rafa left a number of big players on the bench and the 1-0 defeat in 2004 when Rafa had one of his epiphanies and decided to play Salif Diao ahead of Xabi Alonso...that's right, it wasn't a figment of your imagination he really did pick Diao ahead of Alonso!

However, the significant point to note is that both Everton victories were at Goodison and in both games Rafa made some strange selection decisions which he is more liable to do away from Anfield.

My one and only concern with Rafa is that he has a tendency to over analyse lesser opposition, and by lesser I am referring to the level of quality within their team.

It may sound like I am being a 'whinging red' by making such a comment, but there are games where he needs to have more faith in the fact that we simply have better players than the opposition, and this alone will win us the game.

I appreciate it isn't as black and white as this, but other than games against the rest of the 'big four' we should be letting teams worry about our quality and not the other way round.

I am not referring to games such as last week; drawing against Stoke was not an example of this, instead it was the result of a bit of bad luck, coupled with poor finishing and a lack of form in our forward line.

However, I am referring to the derby defeats in 2004 and 2006, and more recently last season's away game at Reading, when Rafa abandoned the 4-4-2 that had seen us score 21 goals in the five previous games.

Today Rafa should get back to the shape that served us so well in the latter part of last season, Torres up front alone, Gerrard as second striker free to cause destruction with Alonso and Mascherano behind him forming a solid base in midfield.

Then Let Everton worry about dealing with that!