Liverpool vs Everton; 8pm K.O. on BT Sport

[Fredo]

Allen can sit, if he's fit to play, and leave Stevie and Henderson further forward. Think Allen's movement and positioning should allow us to control the midfield. Playing Stevie there will be a mistake IMO.

Why was Allen not playing on Saturday - any news on that front?

[BigChief]

Can't start with Coutinho in this match, have to risk Allen's fitness. Middle 5 have to be Sterling, Hendo, Gerrard, Allen and Flanno. No room for Couties.

Baines is our only danger of overlapping, as Hibbert is on the other side. And if Baines goes forward then Sturridge will lurk in the space he leaves which will be suicidal from Everton.

[Fredo]

Can't start with Coutinho in this match, have to risk Allen's fitness. Middle 5 have to be Sterling, Hendo, Gerrard, Allen and Flanno. No room for Couties.

Baines is our only danger of overlapping, as Hibbert is on the other side. And if Baines goes forward then Sturridge will lurk in the space he leaves which will be suicidal from Everton.

3 in defense? No way.

[BigChief]

3 in defense? No way.

The alternative is 4-4-2 (or 4-4-1-1) because we can't play Sturridge on the right-mid. Might as well give Everton the three points and not play at all, thus saving key players from risk of injury.

[SB]

Because I'm too nice a guy.

Nah, the story is my girlfriend's mate asked if I could get her and her fiancée tickets to a match as she wanted to do that for a Christmas or birthday present. I told her I probably could although at that stage (November) all the 3 O'clock fixtures on a Saturday after Christmas were likely to change, so there was no guarantee the match would be on. The only fixtures that weren't likely to change were the Everton game as it was already midweek and the Newcastle game at the end of the season which I was already going to. So she chose the Everton game on my advice and my gf said she's pay for us to go too.

I didn't realise you needed credits on your fan card though to go to the Derby, which is why I couldn't get tickets. We'd accepted that we're not going to the match and were happy to watch it in a bar, but returned season tickets were made available yesterday and I was able to get 1. Normally I would have no problems just going on my own, but not sure how well it would go down when the whole point of the trip was for this other fella to get to the match as he hasn't been since 2005. So factoring in the guilt associated with that, coupled with the fact I'm going to Swansea match 3 weeks later anyway, I'm not so sure if I should just go on my own.

It's pretty sad really, I should be going at all costs, but the fact that it's an evening kick off is also a bit off putting, making my way to Anfield and back on my own.

Aww bless. just man up & get yourself down there man.

[PTP]

i hate derby day - it's monday, and i'm already getting a horrible little sick feeling in my stomach thinking about it.

tomorrow night is absolutely huge - in fact tomorrow and the rest of the week is massive for how we will fair this season....

win and get a couple players in before the weekend and we will be buzzing...

lose and sign no one and there will be uproar.

[Pablo]

Every game seems huge at the moment , this one really is though. I think it will define the rest of our season. Win this and it puts us firmly in the driving seat for top 4 and IMO virtually ends Everton's challenge. Lose and it will be a huge knock to our confidence.

I do think we'll win this one though. I think we'll show our class and win 2-0.

[Norbs]

Not watching this one as am out for dinner with Italian rellies. I've got Virgin tv anywhere on my phone but I think I'll take the hint and just dip out of watching. It's going to be gruelling

[PTP]

it really is that big - i get the feeling from everton, certainly from their fans, that their whole season has been building up to this point and if everton get beat i think that will see them off so to speak, heads will drop and they'll hopefully slip away and concentrate on the FA cup which given the draw, they look like they have a great chance to get to the final providing they can avoid the winners of us/arse and chelsea/city

but the same can be said of us - lose to everton, squad getting smaller by the day - we could easily slip down out of the top 4 which imo would be scandalous given our first half of the season

it's why this window was so important. - god knows what actually happens behind the scenes but it will be a huge blow to us to have had such a great first half of the season and not be able to see it through to a champions league place.

[chadrtc]

I sit next to a blue at work - he's as worried about it as I am. Says their squad is ravaged with injuries and Lukaku has gone right off the boil.

[Pablo]

Yeah, when you look at the facts then they are the ones who have most to fear. It's at Anfield. Their recent record in Merseyside derbies is pretty poor. They've also not been in great form and have as many injury worries as we do and a smaller squad. Really we should win this.

The nerves of course don't take the facts into account, they born out of emotion rather than reason

[PTP]

an everton mate reckons this will be their team...

--------------------howard---------------------

hibbert-------heitinga-----stones----------baines

----------------barry-------mccarthy-----------

miralles-------------osman/naismith---------mcgeady

----------------------lukaku------------------------

[PTP]

for us - anyone know where we are with allen and sakho?? they are key for me at the moment....i suspect we'd start..

------------------------mignolet------------------------

kelly/flanno-----------skrtel-------toure/sakho---------cissokho/flanno

-----------------Allen?----gerrard------henderson-------------

sterling---------------------suarez-------------------sturridge

[Pablo]

an everton mate reckons this will be their team...

--------------------howard---------------------

hibbert-------heitinga-----stones----------baines

----------------barry-------mccarthy-----------

miralles-------------osman/naismith---------mcgeady

----------------------lukaku------------------------

Not too much to fear in that team really. We should win this.

[Shaggy]

Their potential back four will in all likelihood be as bad as the one we put out.