SAM URGES EVERTON TO BE UP FOR THE CUP
ALLARDYCE PLEDGES TO FIELD STRONGEST TEAM FOR CUP VISIT TO BIG RIVALS LIVERPOOL
Everton have been told to give everything in tonight’s FA Cup third round derby against Liverpool at Anfield.
Boss Sam Allardyce, unbeaten in his first seven games in charge of the Toffees, endured successive defeats to Bournemouth and Manchester United either side of New Year.
But tonight’s cup clash is a huge one for former Sunderland boss Allardyce, who has vowed to field a strong side.
“You can’t not put out your strongest team at Anfield,” said the 63-year-old.
“We have had a few days’ rest and are all recuperated. Now we will get ready to give it our all and see where we go after that.
“We want to put out our best team and for them to give it their best shot.
“I can’t tell you what my best team is yet, sometimes it looks like it and sometimes it doesn’t.
“There have been some glitches I did not expect in the past few games and I have got to iron those out after we had achieved so much in a short period of time.
“But we will pick the strongest side from the players available and go and give it our best shot.”
Liverpool’s free-scoring attack was restricted to just one goal in last month’s 1-1 Premier League draw with Everton, but Allardyce has warned his men to expect a challenging evening, despite the absence of Reds stars Mo Salah and Philippe Coutinho. Allardyce said: “First and foremost, we cannot allow them to get their noses in front, or for their attacking play to lift the whole of the stadium, because the players excite the fans and the atmosphere gets electric.
“You have to cope with that and frustrate them.
“Then, it is what you do when you get the chance to create and score a goal, which is part of our plan: to see the weaknesses in Liverpool’s defence.
“It is how often you can get at their defence, and how often you can expose them to try to get the opportunity to score.
“I was delighted we got a point in the last game, but I was not happy with the amount of times we wasted our possession, so the players have to better deal with the possession they get (tonight) to get more chances and to beat Liverpool.”
Liverpool could give £75million signing Virgil van Dijk his debut. Loris Karius will start in goal with Simon Mignolet given the weekend off as third-choice Danny Ward will be on the bench.
“Danny is a young, very skilled goalkeeper with a lot of potential,” said Anfield boss Jurgen Klopp.