- 28/11/2023
Liverpool & Everton: Reds on title charge? Whilst Blues scrambling for safety
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00:00 Will Liverpool manage a 1-1 draw against champions Manchester City at the Etihad at the weekend?
00:06 It was a Trent Alexander-Arnold equaliser in that game.
00:09 Certainly Liverpool were able to stop the free-flowing Man City that we're used to
00:14 and have been used to this season as well.
00:17 Does that show in any way, shape or form that Liverpool could actually be seen as challengers for the title this year?
00:23 Yeah, I mean, City were the best team to be quite frank, as they're the Etihad.
00:29 Yeah, they had the agility of the play, but Liverpool struggled to create a lot of chances,
00:35 the one in the first half and then, as you say, the Alexander-Arnold goal.
00:38 But Manchester City didn't create an awful lot of gilts-edge chances either.
00:42 They had the one from Golden, that Alisson gave away.
00:45 They had, obviously, the goal, the Haaland chance in the second half and the Leeds-Haaland opportunity.
00:50 But apart from that, City, again, they struggled to break Liverpool down.
00:54 As I say, they've been so free-flowing and they just couldn't get that sort of control against Liverpool.
01:00 I think if maybe that game was at Anfield, you'd be looking and thinking,
01:05 'What's going to happen when Liverpool go to the Etihad here?'
01:07 And what happens if they go to Arsenal and they play like that?
01:11 They might go and get turned over.
01:13 But because it was at the Etihad, I think it showed the resolve that Liverpool have got.
01:18 I don't think anyone around the squad at the minute, or Jürgen Klopp himself,
01:24 would be getting carried away because it's still a fair league.
01:26 Getting back into the top four, look how tight it's going to be this season.
01:30 A lot of Billa getting results against Tottenham and Newcastle are building momentum
01:34 after a bit of a stuttering start now, aren't they?
01:36 So it's going to be a difficult one to even finish in the top four.
01:39 Never mind the challenge for the title.
01:41 I think no-one can get carried away just yet.
01:44 It was a good sign.
01:45 To be honest with you, it was more of a sign of where this Liverpool team is going
01:48 than can they challenge for the title.
01:50 It's just a sign that this Liverpool team can compete.
01:53 They've obviously gone to Chelsea and drew, beat Newcastle in a bizarre game,
01:58 a game against Spurs, they finished with nine men.
02:00 So they've had some difficult away days already.
02:03 I think it's a good sign for Liverpool, but if you're looking at the title now,
02:08 I don't think you can get carried away just yet.
02:10 You mentioned there that Liverpool are progressing as a team.
02:14 Do you think Jurgen Klopp actually knows what his best XI is?
02:18 You mentioned a lot of tricky games there and he has chopped and changed,
02:21 especially in forward places as well.
02:23 So does he know who is the best team or is he still trying to figure that out?
02:28 Yeah, I think he knows his best back five, obviously, when Andy Robertson's fit.
02:33 Actually, in fact, I beg your pardon, I don't actually think that now
02:36 because I think in his head he's thought Ibrahimovic and I think he's going to be
02:40 a very advantageous centre-back partner. But Joe Matam has been superb.
02:44 The past couple of games he's started and he had a spell on the team
02:47 after the first international break and Canarsie can get back in as well.
02:51 Canarsie seems to just be prone to picking up niggling injuries.
02:55 The midfield is the one where it's still such a conundrum.
03:00 You don't know what midfields...
03:03 If Liverpool were to play a cup final tomorrow, you wouldn't know what midfield to put out.
03:09 Obviously, Alexis McAllister has played in that number six role a lot and he did
03:12 really well against City, but is he the long-term solution with Taro Endo still acclimatising?
03:18 Curtis Jones came back from injury against Man City and didn't have his best performance as a sport.
03:24 He's got a lot of credit on the back, to be fair.
03:27 Brian Gravenberge come on, though, and made an impact.
03:29 I think the only real one that you would know who would start a game is Dominic Subotlian.
03:34 As you say, the goal positions, the left flank, I think he may be forced.
03:41 I'll bring in Luis Diaz to make an impact off the bench, but Darwin Nunes, again, a little bit wasteful.
03:49 People are still saying he's raw, he's got to polish himself eventually.
03:55 He's got to clean up. He's still looking raw, but he's got to start putting some of these chances away.
04:03 Just start looking like a more complete forward.
04:08 With Cody Gaffel there, Cody Gaffel is something else.
04:12 Joel Jota looks like he might be out for the spell now, but even he plays a striker.
04:17 It's a difficult one for Klopp, he's still finding that.
04:20 I suppose given the change that's happened over the past 12 months in the squad,
04:26 it's not a massive surprise, but it will certainly be something that Klopp will want to find.
04:33 And finally for Liverpool, at the weekend they face Fulham.
04:37 Fulham, of course, got a win in the Premier League against Wolves at home last night.
04:42 It's a game Liverpool would probably go into expecting to get something out of.
04:47 Fulham haven't exactly been as good as they were last season.
04:50 But once again, though, it's a game that, as much as they expect to win,
04:54 it's a game that they have to win because you need to be picking up points in these games that are teams below you.
05:00 Yes, absolutely. I don't think Liverpool can afford to be dropping points against Fulham at home.
05:05 It would be criminal in this situation.
05:09 We've got this close Premier League season.
05:12 Liverpool are in the middle of a massive run of games, a really tough run of games.
05:18 A hectic run of fixtures, really.
05:20 Obviously in the Europa League, then they go up to Fulham, then Sheffield United.
05:24 And then they play again on the Saturday against Crystal Palace.
05:27 And then the Europa League. It's going to be difficult for Liverpool.
05:30 And it might not be about performances this run from now until maybe after Christmas.
05:36 It might just be purely about picking up results, grinding results out.
05:41 But as you say, Fulham, one of the most impressive sides in the league last season.
05:45 Marko Silva getting rave reviews, but they just haven't quite got back to those levels yet, have they?
05:51 Losing Mitrovic was obviously a massive blow.
05:55 But they've still got a little bit of quality in Jürgen Klopp and Ola.
05:58 And he knows that they can't be taken for granted.
06:02 Everton lost 3-0 at home to Manchester United at the weekend.
06:06 Well, it was a game in which Everton supporters certainly showed their emotions
06:10 in terms of their feelings towards the Premier League with that display before the kick-off.
06:15 It was touted that it was going to be quite the atmosphere.
06:18 But of course, that Gautengarn at show really quieted things down quite early on.
06:24 Will Everton be disappointed with that performance, given the atmosphere and the build-up to it?
06:30 I think they'll take some positives.
06:34 As you say, that Gautengarn at show just kills any early momentum you can build, really.
06:39 The atmosphere was bubbling. It was for vents, really.
06:45 It was superb. Raucous, all the words you want to say.
06:48 But yeah, I mean, cross comes into the box. You think that's going to go out for a throw in.
06:52 No-one's getting to get that. And then all of a sudden, they just pulled out this...
06:56 If you see a better goal from that this season, then hats off to whoever scores it.
07:01 Yeah, and then Everton just took time to get back into the game.
07:04 They just lacked that little bit of intensity.
07:06 They just impressed Man United enough for me.
07:09 And when they started putting a bit of pressure on, that's when they started getting openings.
07:13 And they had the chances. Calvert-Lewin has a couple.
07:16 And they had the one saves. And McNeil gets blocked from the line.
07:21 De Corey sticks one wide when he's going to score a goal.
07:24 And he keeps Rooster to his spot. And Garner-Gaples one wide.
07:27 Calvert-Lewin puts a header over a bar. So that's enough chances to win a game.
07:31 Never mind going to a level.
07:33 And then obviously the penalty was a massive talking point.
07:37 It was this clear and obvious error, which it's supposed to be.
07:42 Well, it was because the referee was adamant that not only was it not a foul,
07:47 but Andy Martial had gone to grounds looking for a penalty himself.
07:52 And it was a dive. And it was a yellow card.
07:54 He gets sent over to the monitor. And obviously Bradford sticks it home.
07:58 And Everton just never built any momentum after that.
08:01 And that's happened a couple of times this season now in second halves where they've just ran out of ideas,
08:07 to be quite honest with you.
08:09 Vitaly Mikhalenko with the bar. But that wasn't from a real good pattern of play.
08:14 It was sort of the ball falling to him on the edge of the box and him having a go.
08:18 Yeah, apart from that, they struggled to build up a head of steam.
08:22 It's just one winner. I think it's one home win so far this season.
08:27 The performances have come to some par, given the situation now.
08:32 Especially if it doesn't get adjusted to points deduction, then they need to really be picking up results at home.
08:38 Of course, the offender for that penalty was Ashley Young.
08:43 Now, Ashley Young is certainly an experienced Premier League player.
08:47 He's been around the block an awful lot, played for a lot of clubs,
08:50 played for England in a World Cup semi-final as well.
08:53 Although he was sent off in the Merseyside derby, he gave away that penalty.
08:57 Is there something just missing a little bit with Ashley Young at the moment?
09:01 And his experiences perhaps not serving him as well as Everton supporters would like?
09:05 I just think he's playing too many games for his age. He's 38 now.
09:09 I think he was brought in to be an auxiliary player, capable of filling many positions.
09:15 Right back, left back and then the two wide positions as well.
09:20 He must have started nearly every Premier League game this season.
09:26 He's on the side of 38-year-olds to fill that remit of playing every single game.
09:31 I know there's just been international break etc.
09:35 It's difficult for someone who is quite obviously well past the peaks of his playing week in, week out.
09:43 Now there's a debate as to if there's a change-up right back for the game against Nottingham Forest.
09:49 Does Nathan Paterson come in?
09:52 It just seems a little bit reserved to give Paterson a real sustained run in the team.
09:59 He plays in that 1-0 win at West Ham a couple of weeks ago, perhaps a month ago maybe,
10:06 when Young was suspended.
10:08 Then Young comes back into the team for the Carabao Cup win against Burnley and Young keeps his spot.
10:14 So does Jones not quite trust Nathan Paterson defensively?
10:21 Now you've got Seamus Coleman coming back as well from injury, played 90 minutes for the U21s.
10:28 Jones said that's normally the final test after a long injury when you get 90 minutes under your belt.
10:34 Then you're ready for action and he was on the bench against Man Utd.
10:39 Does Sean Dyche look like it's time for him to come back in?
10:43 He's had a long injury so you don't know how long he's going to take to get back into the swing of things as well.
10:51 He's got options there, Sean Dyche, but right back it's certainly a debatable position now,
10:59 who you put in there for the trip to Forest.
11:02 And finally, if we just look at the Premier League as a whole,
11:05 of course Everton, we've talked at length about their points deduction this season.
11:09 And Luton picking up a win at home to Crystal Palace at the weekend, they're now five points clear.
11:16 Now a lot of people have said if Everton had taken this deduction in the last couple of seasons it would have hurt them more.
11:21 But is this season still going to be tricky to get out of the situation that they're in,
11:25 should no airy prize be given to their points deduction?
11:30 Because of course Luton have started to pick up points, yes you've got Burnley and Sheffield United who are still quite down below,
11:36 but other teams above that are starting to pull away a bit as well.
11:40 So Everton really need to get going, especially at home.
11:44 Yeah, I mean you're spot on. I think Sean Dyche says it at press conference as well.
11:49 You take ten points off another team and see how they like it and how they get on.
11:54 I think Everton went from being 14th, they were eight points clear at the time of the relegations on when the points deduction came in.
12:05 As you say they're five points behind Luton now and Luton building that little bit of momentum behind them.
12:12 I've seen Everton form a good some passing force with this team in trouble,
12:19 they're starting to pick up now obviously when they've got a big name manager in.
12:25 Maybe they've just taken a little bit of time to get used to what he wants and it's really starting to click now.
12:32 Look Sheffield United, Burnley, yeah they're struggling and Everton will be open to pull clear.
12:38 But if one of them was to make a managerial change and brought someone in,
12:43 how often do we see a managerial bounce of a team,
12:46 when you think of a great runner you think of Devin Berry and all of a sudden a Satan Sounds.
12:51 So yeah I think the message from Jerome Dyche would be we're in a scrap lads, make no bones about it.
12:57 We shouldn't be but we are and we have to take the situation.
13:00 Forget that we might get an appeal successfully, there might be three points slashed off it or however many ever,
13:09 forget all that, we're preparing for the worst and we are in a scrap and we've got to have the siege mentality.
13:14 And as you say if it was last season then Everton would be dead and buried but the quality maybe of the opposition this season isn't as strong.
13:23 But ten points, I mean if you're looking at that 35 point sort of, I think that's even gone up now,
13:30 I think maybe normally 40 points to be safe aren't you, to be absolutely sure then Everton have got a massive task on their hands.
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