DECEMBER 13
Passion
missing in heat of battle
By Larry Moran - Daily Post
The 200th Merseyside derby? The Clash of the Titans?
Do me a favour.
Both teams conspired to create the football equivalent
of watching paint dry.
When Everton lost Rooney before the start of the season
Moyes obviously looked at the players at his disposal
and came up with the tactics Everton now employ.
However, it seems the supposed flowing equations of the
School of Science have been reduced to one sentence.
Keep a clean sheet and hope we nick one.
The team talks obviously don't take long.
It says something for how poor the Premiership is
outside of Chelsea and Arsenal that Everton are second.
Liverpool were not much better.
The first half was even but boring with one good scoring
chance each.
After a good start in a Red shirt, Josemi looks woeful.
Booked again and his distribution is very poor. The
interplay between himself, Diao and Pongolle in the
first half was awful.
In the second half, it seemed Everton dropped back even
further if that were possible and Liverpool had much
more of the possession.
Taking Hamann off seemed a bad move to me. Nunez has
done nothing to impress so far and within minutes of
Hamann leaving the field we were one down as Carsley ran
from a mid-field position where Hamann would have been
covering to put the ball past Kirkland.
Unsighted? Blindfolded maybe, as once again Kirkland was
rooted to the spot.
There seemed little passion in Liverpool's play. Where
was the fire in the belly that we have seen recently?
Even Gerrard drifted in and out of the game. It says a
lot that Liverpool were awful and Evertonians greeted
the victory like VE Day.
Liverpool's away form is awful and needs fixing. Fast.
DECEMBER 11
Rafa: Missed
chances cost us
By Paul Eaton - LFC Official Website
Rafael Benitez was left to rue his side's missed
chances as his first experience of the Merseyside derby
ended in a disappointing defeat.
Lee Carsley's second half strike settled the contest but
Benitez believes his players should have made more use
of the opportunities which came their way.
Neil Mellor missed a golden chance to break the deadlock
with a close range header in the first half while Steven
Gerrard went close on a couple of occasions late on.
He said: "In football the team that scores the goals
wins games. If you have chances but don't score then you
can't win.
"In the first half we had two or three chances and we
needed to score. If we'd scored then the second half
would have been different.
"I thought we controlled the game in the first half even
though it was a very difficult game. Everton are very
aggressive and made it hard for us, but I thought we
were controlling things.
"Then when they scored we had to change things to try
and get an equaliser, but it didn't happen."
On his decision to start with Salif Diao in midfield in
preference to Xabi Alonso, Benitez said: "We decided to
go with the players who had fresh legs. Didi and Salif
hadn't played this week and so we used them today.
"You can ask questions about the team but in my opinion,
as I said, we controlled the match in the first half. We
just needed to score.
"It's a disappointing end to what had been a good week
for us. Now we have to make sure that next week is
another good one."
DECEMBER 11
Moyes
joy at derby win
By Mark Buckingham - Planet Football/Sky Sports
David Moyes was delighted with his players'
dedication after Everton edged a tawdry derby with
Liverpool.
A second half goal from Lee Carsley was sufficient to
separate the sides at Goodison Park after a turgid
contest.
The victory keeps The Toffees in the UEFA Champions
League places and temporarily lifts them above Arsenal
into second spot.
Moyes was understandably in jubilant mood after the
success and praised the desire of his troops to keep
Liverpool out.
"It's great for us," Moyes told Prem Plus.
"That's the first time in seven years we've won against
Liverpool at Goodison, so we've waited a long time for
that.
"It's not just the three points today; it's the 33 we
got before today that are also important.
"The team defended so well when they had to. They keep
putting themselves on the line and keep picking up wins.
"We didn't get many chances to celebrate victories last
season and we are enjoying the wins we get and the goals
we score.
"It says we are moving on when a lot of people didn't
think we could do so.
"We have an honest bunch of lads; we've got great
self-belief - we don't quite have the quality some other
clubs have got but we are bridging that gap with every
ounce of effort we've got.
"Our job is just to keep playing. Tonight will be as
enjoyable as the other 10 wins we've had this season and
I think the blue half of Merseyside will have a very
good night."
DECEMBER 11
Carsley and Blues sink Reds
BBC Sport Online
Lee Carsley's second-half winner settled the 200th
Merseyside derby.
Carsley scored from 20 yards past a motionless Liverpool
goalkeeper Chris Kirkland after he was set up by the
impressive Leon Osman after 68 minutes.
In a tense encounter, both sides had glorious
opportunities before Carsley struck to move Everton up
to second place in the Premiership.
Tim Cahill missed a headed chance, while Everton's Nigel
Martyn saved well from Neil Mellor and Steven Gerrard.
It was Everton's first win over Liverpool for five years
and put them 12 points clear of their arch-rivals.
Liverpool dropped Steve Finnan and Xabi Alonso to the
bench, bringing in Josemi and Dietmar Hamann.
The opening exchanges were predictably fierce, but
Everton created and wasted the first clear opportunity
after 21 minutes.
Thomas Gravesen released Bent, and his perfect cross was
met by Cahill, who somehow headed wide from only six
yards.
Salif Diao was acting as Liverpool's midfield enforcer,
and it was no surprise when he was booked for the latest
in a succession of fouls, this time on Cahill.
Liverpool had an opportunity that was just as inviting
as Cahill's after 32 minutes, but they also wasted the
chance.
Gerrard's free-kick found Mellor inside the six-yard
box, but his point-blank header was brilliantly blocked
by Martyn and Alan Stubbs scrambled clear.
Osman was dangerous on Everton's right-flank, and it
took a desperate interception from John Arne Riise to
stop him forcing an opening for Bent as the interval
approached.
Diao had an early opportunity after the break,
half-volleying narrowly over after Everton failed to
clear another Gerrard free-kick.
Liverpool started the second-half in control, but Riise
was booked by referee Steve Bennett for a foul on the
busy Cahill.
Josemi had suffered an uncomfortable afternoon, and he
picked up an inevitable caution for a foul on Kevin
Kilbane.
Everton broke the deadlock after 68 minutes through
Carsley.
Osman set up the Republic of Ireland midfield man, and
his shot from 20 yards beat Kirkland, with questions
sure to be asked about the goalkeeper's positioning.
And seconds later Riise had to kick off the line from
Cahill as Everton went for the kill.
Gerrard, who scored the wonder goal that beat Olympiakos
in the Champions League, missed a glorious chance to put
Liverpool level with 15 minutes left.
The ball fell perfectly for the Liverpool captain on the
edge of the area, and he fired inches wide with Martyn
well beaten.
Both sides made substitutions immediately, with Duncan
Ferguson replacing the tireless Bent and Djimi Traore
coming on for Florent Sinama Pongolle.
Gerrard was driving Liverpool forward, and it needed a
fine save from Martyn to deny him again after 78
minutes.
Liverpool mounted a belated rally, and Cahill needed to
scramble off the line in the dying seconds as Traore
pressurised Martyn.
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