SAM: NO FEAR
Yet when the teams line up tomorrow beneath Bill Shankly’s famous sign, there will be no trace of trepidation on the fiercely-set features of the man leading out the Blues, only belief and defiance.
That is the message from Goodison boss Sam Allardyce, who laughed off suggestions his men will be too scared to compete.
He said: “We’ve got Wayne Rooney haven’t we? Wayne has seen and done it all before so has a big part to play in that if we’re going down the tunnel against Liverpool. “I would think he’d be able to handle that. It’s Everton v Liverpool, but there have been lots of games called Manchester United v Liverpool that he’s been involved in and he has to use that.
“It’s very similar. As an Evertonian he is desperate to do well, as he was when he was at Manchester United and was desperate to beat them then.
“They have a rivalry and while he was there Manchester United were better than Liverpool for the vast majority of the time.” Allardyce knows his new team are up tomorrow, they will equal an all-time record of 15 derbies without defeat, which was set in their golden era between 1972-78.
Everton have not won in 18 visits to Anfield – the longest winless run in their history – and they have won just one of their last 21 league derby encounters. But Allardyce, the last visiting boss to win at Liverpool when his Palace side recorded a 2-1 victory in April, says his team must be fearless.
“If you show any fear then Liverpool will take advantage of that,” he said.
“If you show a good, positive attitude, they then know they are in for a difficult game.” against it, trying to contain a strike force he concedes is currently the most deadly in the Premier League. He has had just a week to prepare a side whose confidence is fragile and with an ability to self-destruct if they go behind.
Yet he believes Rooney offers precisely the sort of outlet and threat needed to stick to a game plan of playing deep and breaking swiftly, which brought him victory at Anfield with Crystal Palace last season – the last time Liverpool lost at home.
“Everton is his club and he can use all that experience to deliver the kind of performance he gave against West Ham.. and that would please me an awful lot,” added Allardyce.
“It would mean it would give us a chance to create and score with that type of performance.”
He believes Rooney’s temperament is key.
The former England skipper has always shown passion and desire, but also a down-toearth quality that drives his hunger for success.
“He’s lasted as long as he has and is still as good as he is because he’s the same guy he’s always been,” said Allardyce. “He doesn’t have any edge about him. He’s not arrogant.
“He loves his football. He doesn’t like being left out even though he’s 32. It’s always, ‘I want to play’ and that attitude is music to your ears. For all the fame he’s achieved, and you do change over the years, he is still quite modest.”
It is not just the Everton boss who believes Rooney has the quality to burst Liverpool’s bubble, even after the Reds’ incredible scoring exploits of recent weeks. For Anfield chief Jurgen Klopp, the threat is obvious.
“Since I’ve been here, he didn’t have the best time at Man United but he still scored the winner against us,” said the German. “He’s still a fantastic player and he’s shown that.
“I’m not sure if it’s allowed but I like Wayne Rooney as a person. I’ve always liked him as a player. I’d be silly not to worry about him – I have all the respect you need for playing against this football team.”