Things could really spiral for Liverpool if they get Dyche-d in the derby. It’s also a biggie for Nathan Jones if he ever hopes to show his version of Saints…
Game to watch – Liverpool v Everton
Everton will justifiably fancy themselves in Monday night’s Merseyside derby. Which was utterly inconceivable only a few weeks ago.
It certainly was before Frank Lampard was shown the door and Sean Dyche strode through it, bringing with him his bleep test tape and all the long socks Sports Direct had in stock.
In the short time since, the new manager has re-instilled some of the values lost under Lampard, the principles that ought to be the minimum expectation for any functioning football club, and the semblance of a game plan. It was enough for the worst run club in the country to pack the leaders back off to north London with their second defeat of the season.
Dyche will simply ask his players for the same again in the derby against a Liverpool side who, in normal circumstances, would be perfectly well equipped to deal with an Everton frenzy. But these are not normal circumstances at Anfield. Not since 2014 have Liverpool faced their neighbours in such a lowly position. They are 10th now and could slip into the bottom half by the time kick-off comes around.
They kicked off three times inside the opening 12 minutes at Wolves last week, which was just one of Jurgen Klopp’s gripes after witnessing the latest of three three-goal defeats in 2023. Slow starts; wretched defending; impotent attacking; and a hole where his midfield once was – those things and more have sparked the biggest crisis of Klopp’s reign.
Klopp and the supporters have been waiting for the players to offer a response but all they have given this year are new nadirs. And Dyche could yet drag them to rock bottom by winning for the first time at Anfield in front of fans since 1999.
Read more: Is Jurgen Klopp still Liverpool’s best option to get out of this funk?
Manager to watch – Nathan Jones
The fact he’s still in position to manage Southampton against Wolves on Saturday is a win for Jones. We, and many Saints fans, expected that he would be gone after he took aim at his employer, his players and the supporters last week following another wretched performance at Brentford.
“I’ve allowed certain things to happen and gone away from what’s made me successful in the past,” he said after a 3-0 defeat left Saints bottom and four points adrift of safety. “I’ve…
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