The view from Everton: 'Winning your battles is key to derby victory'

Osman was part of the last Everton team to beat the Reds, back in October 2010.

So, in his opinion, what is the key to winning these fixtures, are the derby clichés true and which Liverpool player do the Blues fear the most?

Over to you, Leon...

What have you made of Everton’s season so far?

A very good start with the way we came out of the blocks under Ronald Koeman. Everything was fantastic four or five games in and then the wheels fell off, really, for a time over a number of games. It’s always going to be difficult when a new manager comes in and players really fight for the position to start with and that new manager effect. It takes a while for the manager to get across his way of playing and his views on the game. It has been a longer period than any Evertonian would have wanted but after the last game against Arsenal things finally seem to have found their place.

How much confidence will the team take from that 2-1 win over Arsenal?

A lot of confidence. We are talking about an Arsenal side who are going for the title this year. Arsenal were expected to come to Goodison Park and beat Everton on the night. Everton, for an hour of the game, bossed it really with their style of play and stepping up the tempo and thoroughly deserved to beat Arsenal on the night. We will take a lot of confidence from that game.

Phil Jagielka is suspended, so how do you expect Everton to line up?

I would suspect it will be a straight swap in that department with Ramiro Funes Mori coming in for Jags. I know Seamus Coleman had to come off against Arsenal and I don’t know his fitness at this point, but hopefully he will play. I think Koeman will keep it as close to the team that he played against Arsenal.

What is the key to winning a Merseyside derby?

Winning the battles. There’s 11 players out there and 11 individual battles to be won, and if your team wins them then you usually win the derby.

As someone who played in quite a few of these encounters, are all the derby clichés true? Does the first tackle matter, for example?

Yes it does, especially if you are the home team. If your home player wins a really tough tackle or a crucial tackle in the first five minutes of the game that gets the crowd off their feet, it gets everyone going and it inspires the players around you. I can remember tackles at both grounds that home players have made that have started the ball rolling for winning the derby.

Who is the one player Liverpool will need to watch tonight?

The most threatening player at the minute is obviously Romelu Lukaku. If he turns up, if he decides to play to his full potential with the goals he can score and his physical threat, he will be a handful for anyone, especially with Liverpool’s frailties you would say at the moment with their defence and goalkeeping areas. That will be something he will look to exploit, so from that point of view I think he is the main man for Everton.

And which Reds player will pose the biggest threat to the Blues?

You’d have to say Adam Lallana at the minute. He’s always been a top player. He gets in the holes and pockets on the pitch; this season he’s added tempo, he’s added bite and he’s charging round the pitch. People always said he didn’t score enough goals but you can’t label that at him over the last few weeks because he’s been finding the net regularly.

What have you made of Liverpool this season?

They have been good, to be honest. I don’t think anybody expected them to be title challengers at the start of the season. I’m not going to say on the official Liverpool FC website that you will challenge for the title but you are certainly at the top end of the table. You have had a few results I don’t think you would have expected because you would have expected to beat Burnley and Bournemouth. But I think you are having a positive season under Jürgen Klopp.

Score prediction?

Being at home, being at Goodison Park under the lights, which always seems to inspire a bit more, I think it will be an Everton victory, 2-1.