The eighties phenomenon of throwing things on the pitch has experienced a huge revival this season, and last night’s Merseyside Derby fell victim to this idiotic fad. Coins and plastic bottles were directed at the pitch, but the most bizarre missiles of the season turned up in the second half, when Liverpool fans started hurling socks onto the pitch.
Was it a safer version of the George Bush shoe throwing protest? Was it a surreal attempt to further destabilise Rafa Benitez’s diminishing sanity?
Alas, no. After searching some Liverpool message boards, The Spoiler discovered it was a taunt intended at Everton “sock robbers”. These are Kirkby residents who steal socks from clothes lines to keep their fingerprints off of the cars they steal. Kirkby, of course, is the proposed location of Everton’s new stadium.
Apparently, the concept of gloves and the idea that stealing is bad has yet to reach Kirkby.
Nineteen-year-old midfielder Dan Gosling will always have the memory of steering in a 118th minute winner that saw Everton progress to the fifth round of the FA Cup ahead of Liverpool. Unfortunately, most ITV viewers will not have this memory, thanks to Tic Tacs.
Aware that the Merseyside Derby was dreadfully boring, someone at ITV decided the nation would be much better off with a set of adverts instead. Unfortunately, the timing wasn’t great, as ITV were forced to cut back to Everton players celebrating their last gasp winner.
Aside from Lucas Leiva’s dismissal and some socks on the pitch, nothing else happened. If you must, check out the highlights after the jump…
Aside from a few chants concerning Steven Gerrard’s impending court case, fans from both sides generally held back on the vitriol during last night’s Merseyside Derby.
The aforementioned Liverpool captain put the Reds ahead with a superb long-range strike, but just as they looked to climb back to the top of the Premier League, Tim Cahill rained on the Anfield parade.
Can we expect ill feeling and naughty words at Anfield tonight?
Back in the days before Sky Sports, £1,000 season tickets and barmy Spanish managers, the Liverpool/ Everton derby was a gentle affair that earned itself the moniker ‘The Friendly Derby’. As so many families consisted of supporters of both teams, segregation was not deemed necessary, and none of the vitriol present between, say, Arsenal and Tottenham could be detected.
These days, however, there is a helluva more tension between the sides: Rafa Benitez caused a big kerfuffle by calling The Toffees a ’small side’ in 2007, and the vile chants directed at Steven Gerrard, Phil Neville and their respective families in recent matches should not be wished upon anybody.
So, when did the tide turn on the Merseyside derby? Was it Evertonian bitterness over the Heysel disaster that kept English clubs in the European wilderness, or is it simply a change in the climate of the game that has created the animosity between all teams? Recent chants at Sol Campbell and Cristiano Ronaldo would certainly support the latter theory, but if you have any thoughts please let them be known below…
2009 marks the ten year anniversary of Everton’s last win at Anfield, and they have two opportunities this week to ensure end their lean streak. Liverpool are unbeaten at home this season, but they have been held to a draw on more than a few occasions. Here are eight reasons why our boys at chickendinner expects them to drop points tonight:
1. Everton’s form away from Goodison Park is so impressive that they have won more on their travels than Liverpool have at home this season. Only Chelsea have a better away point average this season than the Toffees.
2. David Moyes’ side know how to perform a smash and grab. They have recorded the second most 1-0 wins in the league this season and four of those have come away.
3. Everton have won four straight games and are unbeaten in six despite the lack
A city comes together united under one banner… well, two
Oh, everything’s been going wonderfully well at Anfield - The Reds finally beat Manchester United, and got their Champions League and Carling Cup campaigns off to a winning start. Just don’t mention Stoke, nobody needs to mention Stoke. What was that? The Stoke game? Ahh, you just had to say it didn’t you! What is WRONG with you people? Anyway, who gives one, we’ll all have forgotten about the lurching awkwardness of the Stoke game once Everton win the Merseyside derby and claim their throne as the Capital of Culture’s number one team. Here’s why Everton will definitely win:
1. Over the last five years the two teams have taken it in turns to win this fixture. Liverpool won 2-1 last year meaning that now it’s Everton’s turn.
2. Everton have only lost four Premier League home games in each of the last two seasons so having lost two already, their home form surely won’t last much longer.
3. Liverpool have triumphed in just sixteen of their last forty Premier League away games.
Premier League, Sunday 30 March, 4pm, Sky Sports 1, bet here
Interesting Fact 1: Everton used to play at Anfield. Interesting Fact 2: The Liverpool/Everton rivalry isn’t a Protestant/Catholic thing, both clubs were founded by Methodists. Interesting Fact 3: The best way to check if an egg is boiled is to place it on a spoon and observe how quickly the shell dries.
As enriched as you may now feel, the real issue at hand is the Merseyside derby on Sunday, which could ultimately go towards deciding fourth place in the Premiership. Despite a decent away record this year, Everton have not won at Anfield since 1999, and have failed to win every away game with the Big Four in the past five seasons. So it looks like the bookies have it spot in in placing the home side as 4/5 favourites.
The statistics
* Manchester United just beat Liverpool at Old Trafford - on each of the last seven occasions this has happened, Liverpool have won their next fixture.
If Aston Villa manage a victory at Old Trafford, something they have not done since 1983, it will not only make the title race a lot more exciting but it will be highly lucrative. Bet365 are offering an incredible 11/1 on Villa taking all three points - the kind of odds you have to take advantage of in a two horse race.
Not convinced? Let the devilishly handsome chaps at chickendinner persuade you:
» chickendinner Da Vinci Code insight: Manchester United have been recently beaten in their 32nd league game by teams they were supposed to beat - last season 2-1 away at Portsmouth, and in 2005 they lost 2-0 against Norwich.
» Aston Villa have taken points off all the other ‘big four’ clubs already this season - beating Chelsea 2-0 at home and drawing 4-4 at Stamford Bridge, drawing 2-2 at Anfield, and a 1-1 draw at the Emirates.
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