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Mark Lawrenson smells Merseyside Derby danger for Liverpool

Wednesday night's Merseyside Derby finds Liverpool and Everton in very different predicaments. Th...
Raf Diallo
Raf Diallo

14.26 4 Dec 2019


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Mark Lawrenson smells Merseyside Derby danger for Liverpool


Raf Diallo
Raf Diallo

14.26 4 Dec 2019


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Wednesday night's Merseyside Derby finds Liverpool and Everton in very different predicaments.

The red half of the city are hoping to maintain a sizable lead at the top of the Premier League. Meanwhile, the blue side is feeling a little bit... blue.

Under-pressure manager Marco Silva has his side sitting just two points above the relegation zone.

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However, a derby is always unpredictable as the cliché goes and the Merseyside Derby is no different.

Ex-Ireland and Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson joined us on Off The Ball to share his memories of the Merseyside rivalry of the '80s when both clubs enjoyed peaks at the same time, whilst maintaining mostly friendly relations between the two sets of players.

But he also gave his view on how hazardous the game will be for his former club.

"Last year, Everton were better than Liverpool at Anfield," he said.

Much Better

"They came with a plan and the plan almost worked. They had better chances early on but they just couldn't quite convert them.

"And that's why I say it's dangerous because forget about losing in the last minute against Leicester at the weekend, [Everton's] performance was actually much better than in recent times.

"They will play at least 20% above themselves but they haven't really got a goalscorer. But in Calvert-Lewin, they've got an absolute total nuisance who is quick and strong.

"I think they'll get the ball up early. They can cause you lots and lots of problems because the pace of the game is much higher than normal.

"And people tend to make mistakes. They tend to make rash judgments. I look at it and think if Liverpool win 1-0, 2-0 at the most, I would absolutely and totally take that now. Because in derby games, strange things can happen."

You can watch the full Merseyside Derby chat with Mark Lawrenson above via our YouTube channel.


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