Merseyside Derby post match report & review

Article by Ivory Clark @ivorypunkture

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Anfield is not a nice place for any side to visit. From the irrational and constant opportunistic demands on the match officials for home side advantage from the fans, the players and coaching staff alike to the quasi-religious pantomime performed inside the stadium with the flags, banners, props and day-tripping egotists, there is always an atmosphere of mania that the sponge like Liverpool players are primed to soak up to raise their intensity to the same level as the glazed-eyed and desperately single-minded hopes of the Liverpool fanatics.

The desire to win at all costs that is so evident in their supporters seemingly constantly pained and furious faces and, in most recent times, the entire club’s support of controversial strikers could to some people seem attractive. The veil of self-righteousness has fallen though and revealed an aggressive and desperate desire to be adored, acknowledged, praised and bowed to that thankfully is not as attractive to the masses as their fans presume it should be.

Now their best player and talisman Luis Suarez has moved up into the ‘big league’ of European football at Barcelona, club legend Steven Gerrard has given his personal backing to Brendan Rodgers latest roll of the dice, Mario Balotelli, saying ‘let them call Balotelli a nutter if they want, he is one of us at Liverpool now.’ Given Balotelli’s chequered disciplinary record and volatile temperament, being at a club that will defend a match winner’s dubious on and off-field conduct in the face of simple common sense could be the perfect place for him to enjoy his life unchecked by real world concerns and maybe form a close bond with the willing fans.

This all depends on whether he is a match winner and at the end of Saturday’s Derby encounter he was not. In fact, although having more shots than the entire Everton side on the day, he failed to score and ultimately win the game for Liverpool. Luckily for Balotelli, he’s one of them, for now.

As much as Evertonians look forward to an intense and fiercely contested game against their city rivals, the desire to ‘win at ALL costs’ does not appear to be part of Everton’s on-field DNA.

Whether Everton’s longest or most patient supporters wish it to be or not, play hard, play fair and play well, let the referee handle the rest seems to be the message the Everton players take out onto the pitch with them in derbies. Unfortunately rarely do decisions appear to go Everton’s way playing like this either at home or away in these encounters. And this was apparent yet again on Saturday with the early wrong decision not to award Romelu Lukaku a penalty after being grappled and tugged down on the run in the box by Alberto Moreno. The wait to add to the one solitary penalty awarded to Everton at Anfield since World War 2 continues.

Liverpool’s defence has been almost as haphazard as Everton’s so far this season and a confidence boosting early goal for the away side’s record signing could and should have been the first step on the road to redressing the balance of right and wrong in these fixtures.

With only Glen Johnson and Daniel Sturridge of the first team missing, Brendan Rodgers’ team selection was predictable. Opting for £20 million signing Lazar Markovic ahead of Phillipe Coutinho amongst their £100 million plus-costing starting line-up could hardly be considered a selection crisis.

Roberto Martinez however had a more difficult job picking his side with last term’s stand out performers Seamus Coleman, Sylvain Distin and Ross Barkley all missing from the starting line-up. Steven Pienaar was absent as well and Kevin Mirallas, who started the game, will now be joining him on the physio’s table after pulling a hamstring early on.

Mirallas was a big loss to the Everton threat going forward and was clearly integral to Martinez’s pre-match preparation after being rested for the two previous fixtures. The Belgian seems to enjoy the big occasions and, already without the rampaging Barkley in Everton’s top half, playing without Mirallas’ fast and direct style left Liverpool with a lot less to think about as they threw themselves forward at Everton’s defence.

An interesting and somewhat risky starting spot was given to Tony Hibbert at right-back. Coleman’s boots have become hard to fill and even harder for Hibbert now he is well into his 34th year. Although not able to offer the same threat going forward as Coleman does, Hibbert did as good a job as he possibly could of scuppering Raheem Sterling and Adam Lallana’s interchanging threat on the left.

His Evertonian credentials never in doubt, Hibbert is a good example of a contrast between the two sides’ Merseyside natives and the attitude they take on in these derby affairs. His tackles hard but always fair, Hibbert is never seen rushing to a referee waving an imaginary card when he’s been on the receiving end of a similar challenge. Does Hibbert not want to win the derby? Of course he does. At all costs a la Steven Gerrard? It appears not.

Muhamed Besic also unpredictably started for Everton. Memories of the young Serb’s flamboyant but naive backpass that embarrassingly played in Diego Costa to score when Chelsea visited Goodison at the end of August can hopefully begin to be erased after this first Premiership start. He was strong in the tackle and the occasion did not seem to phase him. His technique is definitely not in question and early link-ups with Leighton Baines on the left were some of Everton’s most positive and attractive moments.

Steven Gerrard’s well-placed free kick that put Liverpool ahead on 65 minutes, celebrating by cupping his ear to mock the away support, left Evertonians feeling a sense of stomach churning déjà vu.

Liverpool, pestered on by the crowing home fans, predictably attacked and attacked, while Everton’s ability to put together any real threatening fluid passes waned almost entirely by the 75 minute mark.

The so far this season leaking Everton backline continued to battle and block, and entering injury time only a blockbusting wonder strike could grab another Merseyside derby draw from Liverpool’s already celebratory clutches.

The 223rd Merseyside Derby ended 1-1. Phil Jagielka equalised in the 92nd minute with a sweetly struck half volley that absolutely flew into the top right corner of Liverpool’s goal. Mignolet could do nothing but flap at it as it rocketed past him. Jagielka’s celebration did not involve any ear cupping, he didn’t raise a finger to his lips, and he didn’t dive in front of Brendan Rodgers’ technical area.

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