Derby just the tonic for Dalglish
Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish believes the Merseyside derby could be just what his side need to shake themselves from their current run. Defeat at Sunderland at the weekend was the first time since 2003 the Reds had lost three successive league matches. Performances have varied wildly from the dominant display against Arsenal on their last appearance at Anfield to the disappointing show at the Stadium of Light. But Dalglish knows there is nothing like a derby, with the added atmosphere of being played under floodlights, to give people the necessary lift. "It is a massive game, like any derby is for any club involved in one," said the Scot. "We know how much enjoyment the people get out of winning the game but the players get a lot out of enjoyment out of it also. "The winners get to enjoy it. You get the bragging rights for the city but both clubs come straight out of that into two FA Cup quarter-final ties so you don't get much time to rest on your laurels - and you wouldn't want to either." Captain Steven Gerrard is set to return to the starting line-up. The midfielder came off the bench in the weekend's defeat at Sunderland after recovering from a hamstring problem. Right-back Glen Johnson has missed the last two matches with a niggle but will be assessed again on Tuesday, while fellow defender Daniel Agger is still missing with a cracked rib.
Everton manager David Moyes would like nothing better than to wake up on Wednesday morning - the day of his 10th anniversary at the club - having won the derby. But while that may give him short-term gratification, and that has been in short supply for him in clashes against their near-neighbours, what he really craves is success on a bigger scale. The red half of the city may have ended their six-year trophy drought with a Carling Cup triumph last month, but Moyes is still waiting for his first piece of silverware after a decade at Goodison Park. These things are relative, of course, with the Scot operating under tighter financial pressures than the clubs who have dominated the honours boards in the last 10 years, but that does not mean he is content to settle for second-best. "I'm the first person to say I've not won anything so I don't need other people to tell me," said Moyes, whose side are one match away from a Wembley FA Cup semi-final. "I am ambitious and still driven to try to succeed and as long as I have got that I will try to do it. "I don't think anyone will have a greater ambition than me. I am desperate to win trophies and cups but I'd like that to be at Everton and my focus and loyalty is to make sure I succeed. "I am really lucky that I am in this job and what I want to do is get the supporters to Wembley and touching silverware as much as I can." Steven Pienaar is available once again. The South African winger, who is on loan from Tottenham, returns to the Toffees matchday squad after being ineligible for the 1-0 win over his parent club on Saturday. Midfielder Jack Rodwell and defender Phil Jagielka made their first-team comebacks from injury as substitutes in that game and could be in line for recalls to the starting XI.
Liverpool V Everton - view commentary, squad, and statictics of the game live.
Source: PA
