No friends on derby day - Moyes

A few days ago David Moyes was enjoying a drink in Belgium with Roy Hodgson, but their friendship will most definitely be put on hold Sunday. Everton boss Moyes and his Liverpool counterpart Hodgson bumped into each other as they watched the same Euro 2012 qualifier in Brussels this week and took the opportunity to catch up.But there will be no room for cordiality at Goodison Park on Sunday as their two teams clash in the 214th Merseyside derby.Tensions have rarely been higher ahead of a meeting of the two great rivals with both teams struggling at the lower end of the Barclays Premier League.Liverpool are in the bottom three while Everton, above them only on goal difference, needed seven games to register a win.Hodgson, who took over at Anfield in the summer, has previously said his friendship with Moyes will be tested on derby days and his opposite number agrees."I wouldn't want to be his friend either," Moyes said. "He was my friend this week, we met going over to Belgium."We travelled together on the plane and travelled back together. We watched the game and had a drink together and I enjoyed his company."We have seen a lot of each other this week but there are no friends on derby day are there? Even family members in this city sometimes fall out with each other."It's just about being professional, but he is a very well respected coach."When I was learning and preparing myself for a chance to get into coaching and management, Roy was one of the coaches that we would often see on the circuit, putting sessions on. He was very good."The build-up to the game has been completely overshadowed by the Liverpool takeover saga.But Moyes does not feel that will detract from what is one of the most eagerly-anticipated fixtures in the calendar.The Scot said: "Anyone who has played or managed in a derby will tell you to win them is a great thing, especially big city derbies. If you can do that it means an awful lot to supporters and players."I certainly recognise the importance of it and we will do everything to try to win it."Moyes deals with the intensity of these occasions by trying to treat them the same as any other Premier League game.He added: "It is a great thing to be involved in, it is a great thrill."I probably won't understand it fully until I am away from it. Maybe in years to come I will look back and think about it."When you are in it you are concentrating on players and the job. Everything that goes with it doesn't matter to me. What it means is my job."I want to try to win and that is what we focus on."Everton are without Marouane Fellaini after the Belgium midfielder suffered a hamstring injury in the match Moyes watched against Austria.The 22-year-old could be out for up to six weeks and Moyes feels he was asked to play with the injury for too long before being substituted.England defender Phil Jagielka has made a quicker than expected recovery from his hamstring injury but is unlikely to face Liverpool. Steven Pienaar and Louis Saha are also still out.Moyes anticipates a tough test from Liverpool and Hodgson despite all their recent problems.He does not believe the players will have been affected by the off-field issues and thoroughly expects Hodgson to turn results around."I don't know if it is even worth answering the question because Roy Hodgson is a terrific manager," Moyes said."I don't see the point in talking about it. He is a really good manager and a very good coach."I don't think it [the takeover] has a great deal of impact on the pitch."You get on with your job. You do what you do, you are a professional footballer, you are paid to play on the pitch."Moyes has been happy with his side's performances throughout the season so far but now needs to turn them into results.He said: "We played quite well at Birmingham, got a result, but I thought in the other games the players had done everything right."We just hadn't been able to score at the final end of the pitch and we made the odd mistake here or there which cost us a goal."We have got a good team and they know we are a good side."

Source: Team_Talk