David Moyes said of the 2-2 derby draw that ended with four red cards after full time: ‘So many people enjoyed that game in many ways.’Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/Action Images/Reuters
David Moyes has said the entertainment provided by the most recent Merseyside derby is a prime example of why authorities must be careful not to “sanitise” Premier League football.
Everton and Liverpool meet again on Wednesday, 49 days after their tumultuous 2-2 draw in the final derby staged at Goodison Park. Four red cards were shown after the final whistle – to Curtis Jones, Abdoulaye Doucouré, Arne Slot and Slot’s assistant Sipke Hulshoff – after James Tarkowski’s 98th-minute equaliser sparked wild scenes at the end of a competitive and controversial game. The match itself, Moyes insists, is what many football fans want to see.
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The Everton manager said: “There were so many people who enjoyed that game in many ways. Liverpool supporters might have not enjoyed the end but I think generally there was a real competitiveness to it. We’ve got to watch that we don’t sanitise the game too much and everything’s stopping and starting and we’re not getting any flow to the game.
“It was good to see that type of game. We probably needed to make it tough for Liverpool, and now we’ll get another chance to do it again. Anfield is a different version of it. It’s always been difficult for any team to go there and put that type of game on Liverpool. We’ll need to be clever and do the right things.”
Moyes has never won in 21 visits to Anfield as a manager with Everton, Manchester United, Sunderland and West Ham and is desperate to shed the unwanted record. “I want to win and make sure I get rid of it if I can, that’s for sure. Every time we go there it’s another chance.”
On Monday Moyes met Everton’s executive chairman, Marc Watts, and Brian Walker, the vice-president of strategy for The Friedkin Group, to explore plans for next season. Moyes believes Everton’s next five games, against each of the current top five teams in the Premier League, will be a gauge of the squad’s level before a summer of upheaval.
“Our form’s been good, we’ve had to show consistency, but now we have to see if we can keep it going against the bigger teams and that will give me an idea for next year as well; where we are and can the players we have here compete against some of the top sides? They’ve certainly shown that they’re capable against a lot of the teams we have played up to now.”
Watts told club staff on Tuesday that TFG were looking into the possibility of Goodison Park becoming the new home for Everton Women. In an address at the club’s Royal Liver Building headquarters to mark 100 days since the American company became Everton owners, the executive chairman said TFG were determined to deliver the best possible stadium for the women’s team. It is understood TFG have commissioned a feasibility study into the viability of Goodison serving that purpose.
Everton Women currently play at Walton Hall Park, which has a capacity of 2,000 but will soon fall short of WSL requirements. Under the club’s previous ownership, Everton committed to the Goodison Legacy Project as part of their relocation to Bramley-Moore dock. That involves the historic stadium being demolished and redeveloped into various community projects. However TFG, who have invested heavily in Roma Women, another part of their football portfolio, have started exploring the possibility of keeping Goodison as the new home for Everton Women.