When faced the conundrum of previewing the derby, one has to ask themselves what can be written about it that hasn’t already? The answer, inevitably, is nothing, but when a player who has dominated this fixture for the past ten years is set to make his final appearance, it’s at least a bit easier to find a focus.
Heading into his 33rd — and supposedly final — appearance in the Merseyside Derby, Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard will finally get to wave goodbye to Goodison Park before leaving the Reds in the summer for a stint with Major League Soccer side LA Galaxy. There’s been more highs than there have lows during the Whiston born and bred midfielder’s short trips across Stanley Park and he’ll be hoping there’s no change in that narrative come Saturday. This, at the end of the day, is just another match.
That it brings more than an extra bit of edge and a disproportionately high amount of venom is inconsequential when the points are tallied up in May; in his pre-match interview, Reds boss Brendan Rodgers said that at the end of the day his skipper will want to win this match like any other and nothing could be closer to the truth — should he bow out by putting one over on their closest rivals on their own patch of grass will only make the points that much sweeter.
And, of course, it’ll extend a league unbeaten run that stretches back to the tail end of December that’s been built on a new-found defensively solidity. The back three of Emre Can, Martin Skrtel and Mamadou Sakho have rarely put a foot wrong with Simon Mignolet, who has looked a different player in his own right, reaping the benefits. That the Reds have conceded only three goals in their last seven games comes as a bit of a surprise considering the comic defending we saw earlier in the season, but composure and clean-sheets are slowing starting to become the norm for the Anfield outfit once again.
That it could all come crumbling down in the span of 90-minutes won’t be lost on any keen observer though with the well worn cliché of a certain form book flying out of a window being just as apt as it is common. Liverpool looked to be heading for a narrow victory in the reverse fixture only to have a once in a lifetime strike from Everton skipper Phil Jagielka spoil the Kop’s party. While it’s next to impossible to account for the improbable, the return to form of Romelu Lukaku, James McCarthy’s availability after a long injury lay-off and a likely cameo appearance for sour-faced Spurs loanee Aaron Lennon will give Rodgers enough to worry about without having to account for the slim chance of lightening striking twice.
Much like his Liverpool counterpart, Blues boss Roberto Martinez will have problems to ponder with hints that Daniel Sturridge could be fit to make the starting eleven for the first time since the end of August a major quandary in itself. That ‘keeper Tim Howard is back to full training after his own recent injury problems will come as little relief — for this weekend at least — with the Spanish manager revealing that he won’t risk the veteran shot-stopper on Saturday, so Joel Robles, who has looked uncertain at times since stepping in for the American, will once again be given the nod.
Whether or not that will make a difference remains to be seen in light of Liverpool’s recent problems in front of the net, but with a rookie between the sticks there’s no question that Gerrard — and just about everyone else in a Red shirt — will have no qualms making him work for his pay-packet; that’s just as certain as the edge to the match and the venom raining down from the Street End. There’s never a lack of that, is there?
–Steven
