DERBY DAY

By Luke Traynor on Mar 28, 08 10:16 AM in Pre Match

LIVERPOOL and Everton approach this weekend's Merseyside Derby with their tails somewhat between their legs.
Some chastening draws or defeats have taken the wind out of the sails of barnstorming runs embarked on by both teams.
But that shouldn't hide the fact that this is one of the most important Red/Blue fixtures for years.

With just two points separating us, the game will go a long way to deciding who grabs that crucial fourth spot and its guarantee of Champions League football.
I'm feeling quite deflated after the Old Trafford experience. It was only last week I was looking at the Prem table and noticing how close we'd got to the Mancs, Arse and Chelski after our recent spurt of wins.
A dose of reality over Easter and we're now eight points adrift, and back to a dogfight with the Blues.
It's a crucial game nonetheless, and as ever it will be a closely fought contest.

Mascherano is a big miss for us, but then I'm sure they're cursing Cahill's injury so that evens things up.
It was these kind of games that Sissoko often revelled in, commiting 30+ fouls, but always escaping a red ;-), but that was before he forgot how to trap a football.
Lucas will probably get a start, and while the blood and thunder of the Derby isn't really his forte, he was impressive coming on for the last 25 minutes at Goodison earlier this season.
I'd play Crouch up front with Torres on Sunday. Kuyt is still not doing it, and the beanpole should always play at Anfield.
His chronic lack of pace is always shown up away from home, when home defences play a higher line and some semblance of acceleration is needed to get away from centre backs.
But at home, when we are often penning the opposition back in their half, his penalty box presence is vital.
All is best stuff for us is done at Anfield. His brilliant Arsenal hat-trick a case in point.

Babel needs to be in from the start, he's still raw and frustrating, but the suspicion is that he's got a lot to offer and the more games he gets, the better he will get.
With Masch missing, Alonso is pretty certain to get a start and for many Reds it's time for him to pull his finger out.
We want the Xabi who was a lionheart on Juve's own turf in the 2005 Euro run, who puts his foot in, who doesn't pass the buck to Gerrard, who curtails his sideways crab-like balls and who stops trotting back to his centrehalfs to retrieve the ball and fire out long range passes like some sort of wannabe quarter back
Stopping Arteta is the big task for us, but my Everton colleagues tell me he's been pretty flat of late, so let's hope that continues.
And I'm sure our boys at the back are more than aware of Lescott's ability in the opposition penalty area, particularly after the notorious tangle with Carra last time.
Joleon's strike record, for a defender, is nothing short of amazing. If only our supposed goalscoring defenders, Aurelio and Riise, could achieve something similar it would give defences something more to think of other than Torres and Gerrard.
I suspect Everton will come playing for a point and won't get too adventurous, so we should go for the throat.
After last week's woeful display at Old Trafford, even accounting for Masch's red card, the players are surely desperate to put those ugly demons to bed.

To get the Blues perspective on Sunday, visit the ECHO's Blues blogger Greg O'Keeffe at http://gwladtidings.merseyblogs.co.uk/2008/03/the_fourth_place_derby.html

Have a go at Danny Kay's Derby Sports quiz at http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/efc