KOP News # 1105

Liverpool FC captain Steven Gerrard says Wembley semi-final clash with Everton FC will be the biggest derby of his career

• by Ian Doyle, The Liverpool Post
• Apr 13 2012

Steven Gerrard

WITH one hat-trick, eight goals, two red cards and 26 appearances in the fixture under his belt, few understand the significance of the Merseyside derby better than Steven Gerrard.

But even the Liverpool skipper admits that such vast experience cannot quite prepare for the prospect of leading his team out at Wembley against Everton on Saturday.

"For a local lad like myself, every derby is big," says Gerrard. "But if I had to pick one that would be the biggest, I'd have to say it is this one, simply because of the occasion, where it is being played, and what is at stake.

"The derby is the first game I look for when the fixtures come out. I love playing in them, and have enjoyed every single one I've played in.

"As a team, we are really looking forward to it. It's going to be a fantastic game, a real occasion for the city."

Gerrard hadn't even left junior school the last time the Mersey rivals did battle at Wembley some 23 years ago.

During the 1980s, such fixtures became a regular occurrence as Liverpool and Everton scrapped not just local bragging rights, but also the crown of being England's best team.

This, though, is the first time the pair have met at the national stadium without a trophy at stake. And Gerrard believes that could lessen the inevitable fear factor of failure.

"This is a special occasion, two local rivals at Wembley," says the Liverpool skipper. "I don't have to go into detail, everyone knows what it means.

"I watched the 1989 FA Cup final on television, and as a fan it was extra special to have a derby win at Wembley.

"Probably for both clubs it would be better to meet in the semi-finals in the final, because defeat then would hurt a lot, lot more."

Liverpool are aiming for a derby hat-trick this season having already won the two Premier League meetings between the teams.

They were aided by Jack Rodwell's red card to triumph 2-0 at Goodison in October before last month capitalising on an understrength Everton with Gerrard's memorable treble ensuring Liverpool their biggest Anfield win over the neighbours in almost 30 years.

And while the latter triumph came against expectations given the respective form of both sides, Gerrard subscribes to the theory that the unique nature of the derby makes such trends redundant.

"I know it's the old cliché, but the form book does go out of the window when you are playing Everton," says the 31-year-old. "It doesn't matter if you've won 10 games in a row going into it or haven't won in 10 games, the derby is its own game.

"There is nothing like it. The tempo is higher, the game is much more hectic, you have to make quicker decisions when on the ball and there is a real fight."

Much has been made of Everton having leapfrogged Liverpool in the Premier League table, leading to the Goodison outfit becoming favourites in the eyes of many neutrals.

But Gerrard adds: "The league table is irrelevant. It doesn't matter where the teams are no matter when the derby is.

"There is not one player who walks out on that pitch on Saturday who come the first whistle will be thinking about where they are in the league.

"It is a one-off, a cup tie, derby. We won't be thinking about the league table, every player will have their mind entirely focused on winning a game to get to an FA Cup final

"The experience of winning the Carling Cup can only help us at Wembley. The pitch is big, the game is big and experience of occasions like that can only help."

Gerrard knows from his own experience the pitfalls of allowing hearts to rule heads in a derby having been sent off in 1999 and 2006.

And the Liverpool skipper expects another close encounter in true derby tradition.

"It's important to keep your head in derbies," he says. "That is one thing I have learned. You need to keep control and keep your players on the pitch. You don't want any silly red cards.

"The game will be tight and tense, and I can't see either team running away with it. It's going to be a close game in which, for me, the small details will make all the difference.

"That small detail could be a bit of class, a bit of genius. That's what will win this game."

The cup competitions have proven a refuge for Liverpool from their poor league form since the turn of the year, with progress to the FA Cup semi-final following their Carling Cup final victory over Cardiff City in February.

At least Liverpool head for Wembley bolstered by their dramatic and much-needed victory on Tuesday night, with Andy Carroll's last-gasp header earning a 3-2 triumph at Blackburn Rovers.

 "We've got to take confidence from beating Blackburn and the way we did it," says Gerrard.

"The plan was to get a positive result to lift the team and give ourselves a bit of belief, because we know the run we have been on hasn't been great.

"Andy Carroll can only take confidence from his goal. It was a much-needed goal and will have done him the world of good.

"I thought Jordan Henderson was brilliant stepping in at right-back, and it was good to see both Jonno (Glen Johnson) and Agger get that bit nearer to fitness."

Liverpool won despite playing more than an hour with 10 men after stand-in goalkeeper Alexander Doni was dismissed.

And match-winner Carroll says: "It shows the fight that we've got here. Coming off a few defeats and a draw, coming here and winning will lift all the lads to go to Wembley and try to get to the final from there.

"I think we're all confident. "We've just been a little bit unlucky in a few games and I think the luck will come on our side, sooner rather than later hopefully.

"But I think it was a good performance from all the lads (at Blackburn) and we deserved the win.

"We all believed that we were going to get the winning goal at the end and as Kenny said we kept attacking all the way through and then it (the winner) came right at the end."