Carragher shares the unorthodox tactics Liverpool will need to employ against Everton
By Emma Sanders
Jamie Carragher has claimed Liverpool players need to employ the unorthodox tactic of getting the referee on board during their blockbuster clash against Everton on Monday evening.
The Sky Sports pundit revealed he always considered Goodison Park a “hostile” atmosphere where the crowd “hounded” the referee for penalties in Merseyside derbies.
The Liverpool legend also stated Reds players felt they had to “control” the referee and that was part of their job when Carragher performed in the rival clashes.
As a childhood Everton fans, Carragher also claimed he would have loved to get one more victory at Goodison Park while representing Liverpool.
“The crowd is fantastic – really close to the pitch – and while Liverpool fans get criticised for hounding referees for penalties, I can tell you they go for the referee at Goodison,” Carragher told Sky Sports.
“As a Liverpool player, I always think you’ve got to try to control the referee at Goodison and I think that was your job. It’s a very hostile crowd. If there was one place I could go back to as a Liverpool player and win, I’d take one more win at Goodison.”
Carragher played in 30 Merseyside derbies while at Liverpool and only lost on five occasions, with the Reds’ holding an impressive record against Everton in recent years.
David Moyes failed to win at Anfield while manager of Everton and Carragher’s 16-year Anfield career rarely saw defeats against the Blues at their home ground.
The fixture at Goodison Park last season ended in a 1-1 draw, with Romelu Lukaku grabbing an equaliser just four minutes after Danny Ings had given Liverpool the lead shortly before half-time.
Liverpool thrashed Everton 4-0 their last encounter at Anfield in April though, and Jurgen Klopp’s side will go into Monday evening’s clash as favourites.
The Reds currently sit in second position in the Premier League, six points off Chelsea and Everton are struggling to find form in eighth place after despite recording a late 2-1 victory against Arsenal on Tuesday.
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