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An Everton team for the Merseyside derby

By Matt Townsend

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - JANUARY 05: Roberto Firmino of Liverpool holds off James McCarthy of Everton during the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between Liverpool and Everton at Anfield on January 5, 2018 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - JANUARY 05: Roberto Firmino of Liverpool holds off James McCarthy of Everton during the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between Liverpool and Everton at Anfield on January 5, 2018 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) /
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As Everton prepare to take on Liverpool this Saturday lunchtime here’s a Blues starting eleven I would like to see manager Sam Allardyce pick.

The game against Liverpool represents an opportunity for Everton to try to salvage something from this season’s wreckage and restore local pride, something that is long overdue.

Let’s hope the Blues can deliver a performance at last to make Evertonians feel a bit better about this campaign.

Goalkeeper: Jordan Pickford

Pickford has been a little up and down in his form recently but he is still making some fine saves and is obviously first choice between the sticks.

Centre Backs: Phil Jagielka, Michael Keane

I would have liked to go with three centre backs just as I would have wished against Manchester City. I feel that provides the necessary additional protection, pace and width in defence. It also means Everton would match up with the Reds front three.

Holgate offers that pace and is very comfortable on the ball too. He also has a feisty attitude as he showed against Roberto Firminio in the last derby game between the teams. The fact he can also play right back makes him well-suited to playing in a back three. But as he’s injured that option doesn’t exist!

Although Jagielka is still a solid defender he is now lacking pace and looks vulnerable at times. He needs the assistance that would be offered by having both Holgate and Keane either side of him.

Keane himself has looked more at ease and confident and although he’s perhaps not as quick as Holgate he is actually quite comfortable playing in a back three as he has shown in the past, especially with England.

Full Backs: Seamus Coleman, Leighton Baines

These two pick themselves of course. Although Coleman had a very subdued match against City last Saturday and Baines was exposed a few times on the other flank.

It’s possible that Coleman is continuing to feel the effects of his long lay-off and so he’s still not quite match fit yet. Let’s hope he can find some of that energy and forcefulness that makes him such a talisman of a player.

As for Baines he is a class act and still possesses a great left foot going forward. But he is getting on now, and a replacement at left back is I think a priority for the Blues come the summer.

Midfield: Tom Davies, Idrissa Gueye, Wayne Rooney

In midfield I’m going with three and including Idrissa Gueye in the hope he will be fit. If he’s not then Morgan Schniederlin will take his place.

Tom Davies comes into the team offering his energy and workrate as well as supporting Everton’s attacks when those chances come.

Davies has had a typical second season in many ways finding that things don’t come quite as easily once Premier League players and managers have had an off-season to look at your game.

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Alongside him I’m hoping that ideally Idrissa Gueye will be available for tomorrow but whoever it is they need to produce a disciplined performance and effectively help protect and shield Everton’s backline.

As for Rooney I feel he often tries too hard in derbies, he’s always very keen to produce his best for Everton against the Reds.

But we need a thoughtful and composed display from him whether he plays in an orthodox midfield three or pushes forward and takes up a ‘number ten’ position.

Forwards: Theo Walcott, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Yannick Bolasie 

After a lot of thinking I’ve decided to put Dominic Calvert-Lewin up front from the start.

Obviously Tosun has been playing quite well recently and scoring goals but I think it’s important that whoever plays upfront can provide some more legs as well as physical presence and for me that means DCL plays alongside Theo Walcott and Yannick Bolasie.

He’s actually done that well when he’s played as a target-man. And given the fact that Everton are likely to play quite a lot of long forward balls his work-rate and willingness to chase those balls will be helpful.

DCL playing through the middle would perhaps be an unexpected decision, his pace and movement would cause Liverpool’s defence a different problem from Tosun.

Next: How will the Blues beat Liverpool?

Of course there’s always the option to bring on Tosun to give Everton some additional goal threat.

Anyway that’s my team – what do you think of it?

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