EFC FAN'S DERBY VIEW: A clash for more than local pride

Mar 28 2008 Liverpool Daily Post

DERBY games are always important but this is one of those unfortunately rare encounters that actually has more than just local pride riding on them.

The sad truth is that in the last couple of decades there have been too few occasions when we could hope for anything more from a local clash than a morale boost and the opportunity to perhaps help show Liverpool’s fantastical title hopes in a more realistic light.

This time though, despite the recent slips by both teams, the winner will have a firmer grip on that all-important fourth Champions League spot. It’s the one that Liverpool believe belongs to them by rights, in a similar manner of course in which they used to view their league trophy. In fairness, with a two-point advantage, a superior goal difference and home advantage at the weekend they are clearly favourites to claim it as well. Everton won’t go down without a fight though – after all, should they fail to finish fourth there is still the question of securing UEFA Cup football again for next season.

It’s going to be tough though, on Sunday and during the rest of the run-in. Rafael Benitez’s huge outlay on squad players looks like it will pay dividends to some extent at this stage of the season as the Liverpool manager has experienced internationals to call upon to cover for injuries and suspensions. David Moyes doesn’t have the same resources, so when he loses two players like Andrew Johnson and Tim Cahill his options seem extremely limited.

We don’t go into the game in the rudest of health then, but then when has that ever mattered in the past? And this is an Everton team, remember, that has shown plenty of times already this season that you take them lightly at your peril.