Everton face Liverpool on Saturday in the last Merseyside derby at Goodison Park
Reds boss Arne Slot has been leaning on former Everton star Johnny Heitinga
LISTEN NOW to It's All Kicking Off!: Why can't Chelsea win the league? They made seven changes and still scored five. Do you think Liverpool could do that?
By LEWIS STEELE
Published: 17:30 EST, 6 December 2024 | Updated: 17:30 EST, 6 December 2024
Arne Slot has been turning to a former Everton hero for advice on how to beat the Toffees – and the Liverpool head coach knows he might have to alter his tactics ahead of the last Merseyside Derby at Goodison Park.
Sean Dyche’s Everton bullied Liverpool in a 2-0 win in this fixture last season. And with winds of up to 60mph forecast in Merseyside on Saturday afternoon, Slot knows his team will have to get over a bombardment and weather Storm Darragh – or as some may say, Storm Dyche.
Slot has enlisted the help of first-team coach Johnny Heitinga, who played 140 games for the Toffees, to advise on what to expect from the ferocious fixture, raucous atmosphere and how to deal with Everton’s bomb squad.
‘What they do, which is a bit similar to Brentford, for example, is if they have a free-kick or a throw-in somewhere around the goal, they tend to bring it in (to the box),’ said Slot. ‘You also see this at Arsenal. One of their strengths is their set pieces and they use it a lot.
‘I think Sean Dyche has certain things that other managers also have in the league. I don’t think that he is on his own for a certain style of play. That is not how I saw it when I watched the game back.
Arne Slot has been turning to a former Everton hero for advice on how to beat the Toffees
Slot has been picking the brains of assistant coach and ex-Everton star Johnny Heitinga (centre)
Slot also insisted it would be 'special' to be part of the last Merseyside derby at Goodison Park
‘I wouldn’t say (they play with a) lot of long balls, but a lot of set plays and these are mostly played through the air. Maybe they (play long) a bit more than us so that if we have time to play we will.
‘But the way to play against them is in an ideal world to press them so well that we have the ball a lot. And if we have the ball then we have to try and play our own game which we were able to do in the second half against Newcastle and only in parts of the first half.’
On Heitinga, Slot added: ‘It is not as if we have a conversation like, “Now tell me everything you know about that game” but if you are sitting down together he talks how he felt about that game, like some others in this building.
‘Everybody is of course talking at the moment about the special game that is coming up. In the last half year I knew this was a big game. If you sit down for a while and don’t think about tactics, people do talk to you about the importance of this game.’
Slot has never been to Goodison Park – as a manager, player or punter – but understands the history of the fixture and says he is looking forward to taking part in the ‘special’ atmosphere.
‘It is going to be special for everyone,’ he added. ‘For all the fans involved, for all the players and the managers, to be part (of it) is already special and to be part of the last one is even more special. But it is only a nice experience if the result goes your way!’
Goalkeeper Alisson is closing in on a return but it will not be available tomorrow. Diogo Jota and Federico Chiesa, who played 60 minutes and scored for the Under 21s on Wednesday, are also nearing fitness but Kostas Tsimikas, Ibrahima Konate and Conor Bradley are still longer-term blows.