Michael Ball tackles the big issues at Hill Dickinson Stadium following Everton's goalless draw with Aston Villa
Michael Ball
Michael Ball
Playing Liverpool is one of the first games I always look for when the fixtures come out and it’s finally here. It’s Merseyside Derby week now.
I think in terms of our performances and what we’re up against, we’ve done really well in the recent meetings. Everton need to show our quality in key moments though, like James Garner did with his shot from outside the box to score against Brighton & Hove Albion, where he kept it low.
There were loads of opportunities like that against Aston Villa but Idrissa Gueye, Tim Iroegbunam and Merlin Rohl all let fly from distance and were way off target. You need to try and show a bit more composure.
I prefer shots from outside the box to be low because goalkeepers don’t like it and can spill the ball or it can take a deflection, allowing you to get to the rebound and tap it in. When you hit them high and wild, you’re letting teams off the hook.
We’re playing against our arch rivals. So far this season, their performances probably haven’t been as high as they have been in the past, but they’re still getting results and winning games late on.
They’re tiring opponents out, forcing mistakes and then punishing them. Therefore, we’ve got to keep absolutely focused throughout the game from start to finish and not let our heads drop if something goes against us.
They’ve got a big Champions League game in midweek, so we should be the fresher team and try to take advantage of that. We know they’re a top side with match-winners, so it’s imperative that we keep calm, even if we don’t get the referee’s decisions because they’ve been poor against us in these games far too often.
We can’t let that get to us. We’ve got to remain competitive and can’t be sitting back and giving him time and space to dictate what they want, you have to be in their faces.
It’s the fixture with the most red cards in Premier League history so don’t overstep the mark with over-zealous challenges that you might have been able to get away with back in my day. There’s an extra buzz and determination to do well in a derby game, but it’s a balancing act of remaining composed without backing off.
There’s a selection dilemma up front as, despite his frustrations against Aston Villa, Beto has caused Liverpool a lot of problems in previous derby matches. He hustles and bustles their centre-halves and chases down lost causes.
Last time at Anfield, he had his chance when he was one v one, and hopefully he will have the confidence to take the chance if it comes his way this time around.