Gueye wants Senegal bragging rights against Mane
EVERYTHING stops for the Merseyside derby, including the friendship between the Senegal team-mates Sadio Mane and Idrissa Gueye.
The pair travel thousands of miles together to play for their country but there have been no affectionate calls or texts between them in the build-up to today’s clash at Anfield.
‘We’re good friends, we’ll sometimes meet up for a chat. But one week before the derby, we stop talking. We don’t send messages and we don’t call,’ reveals Gueye, the heartbeat of Everton’s midfield.
‘We can start talking again after the game. If we win, I’ll call him straight away! He scored the winning goal at Goodison in 2016 and came to me afterwards. Hopefully it will be my turn to do that.’
Leading African players are under enormous pressure back home and Mane was driven to tears by criticism from Senegal fans after he had missed chances in last month’s Cup of Nations qualifier against Equatorial Guinea.
‘I tried to talk to him after the game but he just wanted to be by himself,’ said Gueye. ‘He is a big player and one of Senegal’s best so people are expecting a lot from him.
‘They see him doing very good things for Liverpool so they want him to do the same for the national team. People in Senegal will be watching this game. The last derby, I tackled Sadio hard and received a lot of messages from home saying, “Don’t injure him”.’
Gueye, 29, is on his fourth manager in just over two years at Goodison but the Marco Silva era looks promising as they try to beat last season’s eighth place under Sam Allardyce.
They nicked a 1-1 draw at Anfield last season with 21 per cent possession. They have been more positive under Silva, so Gueye’s defensive game is even more important given the number of forward-looking players in the team. He regularly tops the Premier League stats for tackles.
‘I’ve never beaten Liverpool so hopefully this weekend,’ he says. ‘We’re getting better each week. Our record at Anfield is not good but it doesn’t add any pressure.’
Gueye has formed a formidable midfield axis with the skilful Portuguese Andre Gomes, building the play for Richarlison and the front men to capitalise on.
‘We know what we each have to do. I usually play deep because Andre is a more forward player than me. Sometimes I have to control the game and see
when it’s good to go forward or to stay. It’s a good balance with Andre.
‘My job is not just about tackling. It’s about winning the ball but also giving it to a team-mate. If we don’t win the ball, it’s not a good tackle.’
With the handbrake off since Allardyce’s departure, the diplomatic Gueye (right) adds: ‘We have to enjoy our football.’
Gueye’s first season in England ended in relegation at Aston Villa while N’Golo Kante, a player he is often compared with, won the league at Leicester. The pair made more tackles that season than anyone else.
Kante got a move to Chelsea and won another title. Gueye has had to be patient but is now enjoying his own success. He will hope to tell Mane all about it after today’s game.
Everton in the Community have launched The People’s Place campaign to promote positive mental health regardless of age, gender, football team or location. www.peoplesplace.net