Lucas defending Henderson.

Awesome: Lucas isn't much older, but he talks with the poise and confidence of a seasoned professional. As with his actions on the field, always ready to stand up and defend the newbies. If he were local, he'd be captain already!

Not Awesome: Having already put one young player through the 'everyone hates me, the rain is my fault' hell, the supporters are now lining up a second target. Sigh.

"If we turn up the volume and scare 'em half to death, then the team will also respond."

- Quote from some Everton forum or other.


---

Luis Suarez is an angry man.

Angry because he got suspended for biting someone, and missed a large chunk of last season? Unlikely.

Angry because he got suspended for a handball against Ghana in the World Cup? Not a chance.

Angry at being substituted? Not even close.

Luis Suarez' actions after being substituted against Wolves at the weekend may once have been written off as the actions of someone discontent with life, unhappy in Liverpool, and looking for a way out. Back in the not-so-recent past, where the 'Two-Man Team' handle got banded around far more often than we would have liked, but probably only marginally more frequently than we actually deserved, this may have been the case. Our star striker, in the past, had done it on his own for too long - with the assistance of Steven Gerrard when he was fit. Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard were the ultimate dynamic partnership - they had pace, power, technique, drive, ambition, and a feeling that if things weren't going well, they could make something happen.

Luis Suarez is not Fernando Torres. He doesn't believe he can make a difference. He knows it. He doesn't just feel like the best player on the pitch - he shows it. Time and time again, he's shown it. Whether in the Netherlands, the Premier League, or at the World Cup or Copa America with Uruguay, he's come up trumps. He wins games on his own, regularly. His mentality is beyond question. He knows he will play, knows he will start, and knows he will make things happen. Enigmatic though his talents are, his mentality and drive is what makes him the player he is.

His reaction to being substituted for Steven Gerrard at the weekend was not because he didn't want to come off - although that would certainly have played a small part - it was because he knew he could still make a difference for those last fifteen-or-so minutes. A difference that could be massively, massively exaggerated had he been given the opportunity to share time on the field of play with his captain - a once-in-a-lifetime, best-of-a-generation player.

Gerrard and Suarez have scarce had the opportunity to play together.

When Gerrard clicked with Fernando Torres, they were sensational. When he clicks with Luis Suarez, they could be even better. Both players will be itching to play together. Both players will know that if they are on the field together, they will make a difference. A big, big difference.

Whilst they have shared 9 months together as part of the Club, Steven Gerrards return to fitness after long-standing injury essentially means their growth as a partnership can begin now.

And what better time to have them play together - both out to impress, both out to show off, both out to drive the team forward - than this weekend?

The big one.

The Derby.

Everton Away.

The perfect opportunity for the Gerrard - Suarez partnership to blossom.

We go into this game already one-nil up. We've got Dirk Kuyt, and Everton hate Dirk Kuyt. Their team of yarddogs, ankle-biters, and elbow-swingers (yes, Mr Fellaini, that's you) can't get to Kuyt. He keeps his cool, he presses their defenders, he tracks back against Baines, he leaves his foot in marginally too long in the challenge to let the Everton boys know that it can go both ways. He scores goals. He loves scoring goals in big games, and they don't come any bigger than the Derby.

For the first time in a while, I'm looking forward to a Derby. I'm excited like I haven't been for years. Everton are going to be filthy, horrible bastards - and we're going to relish it. Gone are the days where Luis Garcia had to play 50 minutes with an injury because they'd kicked lumps out of us so badly that we couldn't bring him off. We are no longer a soft touch. Ask any Blue which player from the past they'd want to start a Derby game, and the only answer you'd get is Duncan Ferguson.  Is it because he was a dynamic goalscorer? Or is it because he's a horrible, bitter, vile, bully of a man who epitomises everything Everton fans wish they could still be?

Everton will come out for a fight, on Saturday. Fellaini, Cahill, Drenthe... they'll all be pulling out their part-time hardman impressions. They'll try to nullify us physically, as they can't do it technically. They will kick lumps out of anything that moves. I wouldn't be surprised to see the ref slide tackled  for standing in midfield and having the audacity not to wear blue.

Everton are no longer a team capable of challenging for honours. They haven't been for 15 years, and their current financial structure suggests they won't be able to any time soon.

From the manager down, they've built up a siege mentality. From the manager through to the fans, they're small-time, bitter, twisted, jealous, and only after one thing when it comes to Liverpool - a war.

f***ing bring it.

Luis Suarez, Steven Gerrard, Dirk Kuyt, Andy Carroll, Craig Bellamy.

Fancy your chances, Everton? You haven't got a hope in hell. You can't compete technically, you can't compete tactically, and now... you can't compete in a battle either. Fellaini isn't a hard man - just a big man with pointy elbows. Cahill is a snidey shithouse and nothing more. Drenthe comes with a reputation of being a bit of a nutter. Come back when you've done anything of note, anywhere, in your career.

As things stand, we're above Everton in the League. We haven't even got into second gear yet. This Everton team recently played against Manchester City with a 4-6-0 formation. They didn't even bother fielding a striker. Tim Cahill played as the furthest man forwards, in front of another five midfielders and a compact defensive unit. Backs to the wall, us against the world.

This Saturday, they know they can't do that. This is Liverpool. The fans won't have it. Whilst some are deluded enough to think they genuinely have a better squad than us, most will ask only for one thing - that they put up a fight and maybe scrape a result.

They must know that last season's result - last season's performance - was simply a Roy Hodgson masterclass of defending deep, attacking with one player, and playing with no confidence.

Not this time.

Not a chance.

Kenny won't stand for it.

We've got the men for a battle as much as any other team in this league, but unlike most, ours have quality too.

The combination is good. As the team grows together, it will be frightening.

This is the place to start. This is the derby. This is war.

http://www.redandwhitekop.com/forum/index.php?topic=281427.0

Just wanted to ask those who play fantasy.Who i should i take out for gerrard? i have reina,enrique and suarez

this morning we witness an Istambul II by Basel. but i would never troll them like they always will do to our thread.

A wake up call..i just watched "Downfall" the movie last night

gutted we didnt add mario gomez in our ranks considering his form right now. KK was interested in him, but wasnt successful with a loan bid if memory serves me right. hopefully we can convince him to play in england if we make the champs league spot !

I dont really feel the derby cause dont much troll from evertonian in this thread..

gutted we didnt add mario gomez in our ranks considering his form right now. KK was interested in him, but wasnt successful with a loan bid if memory serves me right. hopefully we can convince him to play in england if we make the champs league spot !

why wastin our time picking mario while we already got carrol in the same mould?

Given the current Bayern Munich line up, even Andy Carroll could do a Mario Gomez over there.

I see our main weakness right now comes from midfield. All four midfielders of our current first team starter (Downing, Adam, Lucas & Henderson) have never play with each other before. It's very obvious there is a great deal of works ahead for our midfielders to hone up their understanding, passing and movement. Which is why KD is starting them every league just so they can start to gel sooner rather than later.

It's frustrating to see when we can't even hold possession at home against Wolves, but it's unavoidable since new players takes time to settle into the team. Apart from Reina, Carragher, Kelly, (Agger/Skertel) and Lucas, the rest of first starters are not even in the team 10 months ago.

im talking about next season, now there's rumours linking us to damaio the brazilian striker. if mancity can have 4 good strikers in their ranks, i dont see why we cant have 3.

im talking about next season, now there's rumours linking us to damaio the brazilian striker. if mancity can have 4 good strikers in their ranks, i dont see why we cant have 3.
well, im not bashing the team, im just merely pointing out the fact that considering we were interested in him back in january, its a waste we didnt get him on the cheap. yes true, we're building a team. as of now, we can only hope we make it to the top4. i've missed champs league night.

correct me if I'm wrong but its quite rare to have German strikers playing in PL..

Ya , even German players also very rare in Premier League 

i only remember ballack as the only high profile German player play in EPL