NO FANS WILL HELP TOFFEES

IN TERMS of the quality of both teams, I think this is as close a Merseyside derby as we’ve seen in recent years. Without fans it won’t be as frenetic or passionate but that probably works in Everton’s favour. It will settle them down and when you play against Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool the best way is not to take them on head-to-head — you attack, they attack and it’s like basketball. It’s better to sit back, defend in numbers and try to catch them on the break. When the Everton fans are there, they urge them to attack and they’ve been caught out. Last season, when there were no fans, Everton were the better side and this time it’ll be similar because Everton now have more quality, their balance is much better. People are talking about James Rodriguez but that has a lot to do with Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure — two hard-working midfielders who allow him to show his quality. Carlo Ancelotti’s side will do what they’ve done all season — give Rodriguez the ball to turn in areas and be special, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin being a nuisance in the six-yard box. As for Liverpool, I don’t read too much into the 7-2 defeat by Aston Villa. But they have never really had to come back from anything like this for two years — they’ve lost matches but they haven’t put in such an inept performance. Klopp will make it known that they have to do more. If they needed a reminder, there it was. So I think Liverpool will be their old selves — energetic, closing down, working hard. They’ll have the bit between their teeth and run out victors.