Irish Toffees to savour

Alan Hansen suggested this week that tonight’s Merseyside derby at Anfield is the biggest in the league in almost 30 years.

Not since 1986, he went on, when Liverpool and Everton were contesting first the title and then the FA Cup – with the Reds eventually coming out on top in both – has a clash of the old rivals from across Stanley Park carried such significance.

You probably wouldn’t find many who would disagree although I expect there’d be more than a few greybeards still inclined to bemoan the changed face of a game which means that the race for a fourth place finish now warrants almost the same amount of feverish anticipation as ye olde championship six-pointer.