Rivals ramp up pressure on ref
Clashes between the Reds and their local rivals Everton have often been feisty affairs in recent times, with several red cards being produced.
Rodgers has expressed his unhappiness this season with the way his team have been treated by officials, and with that and the likely intensity of this weekend’s Premier League encounter in mind, the manager is keen to see that referee Andre Marriner ensures “everything is in control” on the day.
Rodgers said: “I have seen it over the years — the real firecrackers of games, full of intensity and passion, which they should be because that is what derbies are about.
“But it is also important to stay calm, and I think the referee has a big part to play in it as well because I have also seen some of the challenges. I think the history of this game shows there have been a lot of red cards.
“I would hope this weekend that we might get a decision that goes our way for once.”
He added: “The Merseyside derby is a terrific game full of passion and quality, and I just hope the referee in Andre can really ensure that everything is in control and that the football is what is talked about.”
Like Rodgers, Moyes hopes his side’s chances of victory will not be unduly affected by refereeing decisions.
The Toffees boss was furious after last season’s defeat by their city rivals at Goodison Park when Jack Rodwell was sent off for a tackle on Luis Suarez, a decision that was later rescinded.
Everton have already been dealt a blow with the absence of key midfielder Steven Pienaar, who was shown a red card in last weekend’s 1-1 draw at QPR and serves a one-match ban.
The South African’s second yellow card for a foul on Jose Bosingwa also earned Moyes’ wrath, and he feels Everton have been on the wrong end of a number of decisions so far this season.
The Scot said: “It was a ludicrous decision, it really was. The boy kicked Steven Pienaar and Steven Pienaar got punished for it. And not even to get a phone call to say sorry, you find that hard as well. But it’s happened and we move on.
“We could have had a couple of goals against Newcastle, the first goal at Wigan was offside and then the decision last weekend. And you go back to last year’s derby where it was a terrible decision to send Jack Rodwell off.
“We’ve still not had an apology from the referee or the head of the referees’ authority regarding that incident but there you go. That one’s well gone and I shouldn’t even be talking about it.”
Moyes believes officials need to be stronger when confronted with players who go to ground easily.
He said: “We’ve got to be careful. People are going to turn away from football if they continue to go to watch people who throw themselves on the ground when they’re not touched.
“I think it’s important you do get someone who’s strong enough to identify what are the right challenges and the wrong ones, and in last year’s game we got really badly done by a terrible refereeing decision.”
The loss of Pienaar could be alleviated by the return of midfielder Marouane Fellaini, who missed last weekend’s game after picking up a knee injury. The Belgian has returned to light training, while long-serving full-back Tony Hibbert could also feature after more than a month out with a calf injury.
Moyes said of Fellaini: “He’s doing a bit of light training so we’ll see how he is. He’s not a definite but I think he’s got a good chance. Tony Hibbert’s the same. We’re not 100% sure but we’ll monitor him.”
Everton are currently fourth in the league after an impressive start and there has been talk about their chances of sustaining their form for the rest of the campaign to secure a Champions League berth.
The Toffees are six points ahead of 12th-placed Liverpool, who are still finding their feet under their new manager following Rodgers’ appointment in the summer.
The Reds, for whom Jose Reina is a doubt, head into tomorrow’s game with some momentum, though, having beaten Reading last Saturday 1-0 and then Anzhi Makhachkala by the same score in the Europa League on Thursday night.
Those results made it three consecutive clean sheets including the 0-0 league draw with Stoke, and Rodgers has emphasised that his team are full of confidence right now.
“Everton have started well and there is obviously talk of them being in the top four,” Rodgers said. “They obviously feel they have the quality and experience to do that.
“For us, it is really about taking it game by game and looking to improve. The players have a real strong mentality. We have three clean sheets in three games, we have got some victories and confidence is really high.”
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
