Everton boss David Moyes said the Merseyside Derby with Liverpool has always been an incredibly difficult game for him as a manager and updated on the fitness of Jarrad Branthwaite and Vitaly Mykolenko Finch Farm, Liverpool, UK
00:00Good morning everyone, welcome to our pre-match press conference to preview our game against Liverpool, we'll start off with the new close guy.
00:10David, first of all, check on squad news, I'm guessing no new issues, but Branthwaite, Michalenko, any chance this weekend?
00:17Look, they're making progress and we'll see, we've got a couple of other knocks within the camp, but we'll see how they are.
00:24Whenever Gerard Branthwaite is ready to come back, I'm guessing that Michael Keane has given you a bit of a decision to make a centre-half anyway, given the way that he started the season.
00:32Well, that's the job, isn't it? We have a squad of players and you hope that the players who give the opportunity, you know, they can hang on to the jersey.
00:39I thought Michael's done great for us in the games he's played, so long may that continue.
00:43When you look at the chain of players that you've had through the summer, are you ahead of schedule in terms of getting everyone to gel?
00:49Well, I think we've started well enough, you know, but I always hoped that we'd got off to a good start and hoped that we could, you know, not be round the bottom end of the league.
00:58I'd hoped we'd always be closer to the top end of the league.
01:01So it gives us something to hang on to, something to fight for and try and be up round the top end.
01:07Look, we didn't get all the players we'd wanted in the window, but most managers would probably say that.
01:11But I have to say that we've got a fair amount and we get quite a bit of work done in the summer, so hopefully we're moving in the right direction.
01:18What confidence has that foundation that you've created this season or given to the lads to move forward from there?
01:23Well, I've told the players that we certainly want to go away from the position we've been in over the last few years.
01:28It's been difficult for the managers, it's been difficult for the club and the players, especially over the last few years.
01:35We want to enjoy it, we want to try and play better, we want to try and win more often.
01:40We're trying desperately to challenge all the big teams and we'll try and do that throughout the season.
01:47So what's the build-up been like to a Merseyside derby? Has it changed over the years, given your involvement in it?
01:53Well, football's changed a lot of ways for coaches and managers. There's much more games now in football, there's more opportunities to watch games live than maybe there was years and years ago.
02:04But I have to say, we have another game, we prepare for it, we want to keep our good form going and we look forward to going to Anfield and seeing how we perform.
02:14For the fans, it's obviously always an occasion. How would you describe the Merseyside derby?
02:19Well, I think any big derbies in any big cities are always really important.
02:24This has always been an incredibly difficult game for me personally because we've always come up against a really good Liverpool team, whatever it's been.
02:31Teams who've had some great players over the years and made it really hard for us.
02:39But we've always been competitive, it will not change. We'll always do everything we can to try and get a victory.
02:45Has it meant more the longer you've been associated with it?
02:47I think that the gap between the two clubs in my first stint was as close as it had ever been.
02:56We had other times where we finished above them a couple of times.
03:00But I've got to say, it's been hard because there have been such a successful football club winning trophies.
03:05We've had to live with that and got on with our own problems, which we've had probably more recently.
03:13But I think certainly now we're in a much better place and we look as if we're heading towards a much better place as well.
03:19And when you look at the challenge that you'll face against them, what difference do you see in Liverpool this season compared to last?
03:25Well, obviously they've bought in a lot of really good players.
03:30Over recent years, Jurgen Klopp's teams have been fantastic.
03:34I think Arnie Slott's come in and done a brilliant job for his club in the one year he's been here.
03:40They've gone out and bought some real top players, which has strengthened them again.
03:44So they've looked to improve again.
03:47But I think we've improved as well.
03:49And I think from my point of view, I have to look at us and what we are doing.
03:52And I want us to keep improving and getting better if we can.
03:56Does it impact your thinking at all when you don't necessarily know how long a player like Isak is going to play for?
04:03Arnie Slott's made it clear that he's not quite up to much speed just yet.
04:06So does it impact your thinking at all your preparation?
04:08No, you don't just focus on one.
04:10No, well, I can't focus on the Liverpool players.
04:12I've got to focus on getting my own players ready and fit for the game and performing well.
04:17But undoubtedly, you have to consider that they've got some really talented footballers.
04:21And Isak's another one of them.
04:24Thanks, Vinny.
04:25We'll go to John's here at Premier League Productions.
04:27Morning, David.
04:28How you doing?
04:28You talk about your own personal experience there of Merseyside derbies.
04:32Do you notice it in the players, though, in the build-up to what is undoubtedly a game with such scrutiny,
04:37such attention, such a buzz around the city?
04:39Do they feel it as well?
04:41Well, if you've played in derbies or you've been involved in it,
04:43you'll know that it's always hugely important to win it if you can.
04:47And that's the job.
04:49So I think everybody's fully aware of it.
04:52I don't think MD's led.
04:54It's led by the media, obviously, and the supporters.
04:58Such a big game.
04:59It's come quite early in the season, this one.
05:02So it'll give us a chance to see where we are against certainly one of the top teams.
05:07From your personal experiences, do you have a favourite derby moment, a favourite derby game?
05:13Off the top of my head, I probably couldn't reel one off.
05:17We'll take that, then.
05:18When you talk about Liverpool this season, it seems, although they dominate the moments of the game,
05:24it almost seems that there are moments and pockets for opposition to play themselves into.
05:29How are you instructing your team to manage this game correctly and try and take advantage of those moments?
05:37Well, I certainly wouldn't tell you if I was going to do that because that would be giving it away.
05:41But your question is a good one in as much as that it is.
05:45I think Liverpool have shown at different times where they've been very, very good,
05:49and then there's been other times where they've shown some vulnerability with their conceded goals.
05:53Because we'll have to try and take advantage of those moments as well.
05:58We played them last year at Anfield and lost to an offside goal.
06:04And we want to try and run them close again.
06:08We want to go work hard.
06:09Maybe this time it will fall in our favour.
06:12And no doubt you'll need to be prepared for the full 90-plus, however long they're leaving it late quite often this season.
06:18Yeah, they are.
06:18They've got a strength, which a lot of the clubs are having.
06:22And I heard Mikel calling them finishers the other day.
06:24So I think it's a big part of the game now that you should be able to bring people off the bench
06:30and maybe help them change the game and they can have an impact.
06:35Teams are using it.
06:36Certainly the teams at the top of the league who've got so many games and play a lot of games
06:41are needing the extra players.
06:44We have as well.
06:45We think we've got people as well who we think are not always the starters
06:49who we think can come on and finish the games as well.
06:51Thank you, David.
06:52Best of luck.
06:53Thanks, John T.
06:53We'll go to Julia at Radio Merseyside.
06:56Morning, David.
06:56Morning.
06:57Do you enjoy your derby as a manager?
07:02I think I'd be lying if I said yes.
07:04I think it's much easier if you're probably the team who probably got the strongest squad.
07:10I think, no, we're up against it.
07:14So we have to go there and fight for everything we can.
07:17We've got to go there and be competitive and make sure that we play.
07:21We're showing signs of improving and hopefully we can show that in the game.
07:26Those signs of improving.
07:27The Villa stats, 20 shots but only two on target and the XG was 2.17.
07:33Are you concerned you didn't get a goal in that game?
07:36Do you use those stats at all?
07:37Are you massively bothered?
07:39I like to sort of 20 shots because that's telling us what you're getting.
07:42I mean, if you actually look into it and you say, what does it mean?
07:45We've got a few shots blocked by very good defending from Aston Villa.
07:49So there's parts of that you've got to look at it and see what you take out of it.
07:54So I hope we continue.
07:56I hope we get 20 shots on target at Anfield when we go there tomorrow.
07:59You've just been saying there about Liverpool's late goals.
08:02I think every one of the...
08:05Let me start that again.
08:08They're winning after 83 minutes and beyond and in additional time.
08:11When you're coaching your players this week, how do you stay switched on when tiredness is kicking in in those latter stages?
08:18Well, the better sides tend to sort of wear you down a little bit and start to knowing that things might change.
08:27Concentration changes with defenders or things.
08:30I mean, in the main, we've shown resilience as a side defensively as well.
08:35So we hope we can maintain that.
08:38Very difficult to coach it except for letting people be aware.
08:41And obviously we're all aware.
08:42It was the same when it was Fergie.
08:44Fergie used to get Fergie time, used to be looking at his watch and telling the referees he wants more extra time.
08:50He used to get goals late on because his team kept preparing themselves to score.
08:56We're always very attacking.
08:57I see that the same with Liverpool.
08:59Last week I asked you about James Garner and just like put another good performance in as well against Villa.
09:06Given he's playing in a position at left back or has been having to cover,
09:09how do you coach that to teach him and has Leighton Baines had a role in that?
09:16Well, Leighton Baines has a role in everything because we're all involved in trying to prepare the players
09:21and get them ready for the games.
09:23I think Jimmy's playing as well as any player at the moment.
09:27I think he's probably playing as well as any English midfield player in the country at the moment as well.
09:32He's had to play a few games at left back and I have to say he's done a really good job there as well.
09:38So he's showed his versatility for us and we know that then if we have to use him we can do that.
09:44But ultimately I think his form as a midfield player this season has been really, really good.
09:48Do you do anything different for a 12.30 kick-off and a derby being at 12.30?
09:53Well, it does, it changes things, you know, your pre-match meal, your wake-up times much earlier,
10:01you have less sort of prep time maybe in the morning or meeting time, etc.
10:07So that changes for the managers regarding a sort of nearly 12.30 kick-off.
10:12But it's where we've been put now with football.
10:1512.30 is better than some of the other times we're going to get this season, that's for sure.
10:18Thank you, Bill.
10:20Thanks, Julia. We'll go on to Carl from the Cross.
10:24Hi, David.
10:24Hi, Carl.
10:25When you see Team Liverpool spending as much money as they did in the summer,
10:29how do you feel? Are you a little bit envious of that?
10:33Well, you have to earn the right to, first of all, you have to win and you have to be in the big competitions,
10:37which makes the money.
10:39I found at West Ham, you know, three years in Europe allowed us to spend money,
10:42allowed us to bring money in, up to spending.
10:45So from that point of view, I think Liverpool have been entitled to do it.
10:50I heard Arnie sort of defending himself about that he's brought in a lot of money as well,
10:56which he rightly has done.
10:58But I still think they've spent more in one player than we've spent in the whole squad.
11:02Does that sort of indicate the task that faces you?
11:06I don't think that's the biggest issue.
11:11I think it's just having a realism about where the games are and maybe where the clubs are.
11:15And that's why I'm saying is I need to try and shorten the gulf between the two clubs.
11:20At the moment, Liverpool are champions, probably favourites, if not second favourites for the Champions League.
11:28And, you know, we're not.
11:31We're Everton at the moment who have just come out of three or four difficult seasons
11:34and we're just beginning to rebuild.
11:36So trying to sort of bridge that gap at the moment is quite difficult to do.
11:42Thanks, Carl.
11:43Any further questions in the open section before we move on?
Be the first to comment