Such was Bill Shankly’s impact on Liverpool Football Club, the legendary Scot is never far away from the club’s thoughts. Yet one particular quote of his has become a recurring theme in the past week:
“This city has two great teams – Liverpool and Liverpool Reserves.”
Never has Shankly’s statement rung truer than on Sunday night. Liverpool, despite making nine changes and featuring an extremely youthful side, defeated a near full-strength Everton 1-0 at Anfield in the third round of the FA Cup.
Liverpool’s kids are alright on the night
The heavy workload during the Christmas period meant Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp had little choice but to overhaul his starting line-up, following victory against Sheffield United just three days before.
Only James Milner and Joe Gomez survived the cut, with a range of youngsters from Neco Williams, Harvey Elliott, Curtis Jones, Nathaniel Phillips and Pedro Chirivella all featuring, plus squad members in Adam Lallana, Divock Origi, Adrián and new signing Takumi Minamino.
Klopp has understandably prioritized the Premier League and Champions League for Liverpool, yet much-changed Liverpool sides handled themselves admirably in the League Cup, particularly in a brilliant penalty shootout victory against Arsenal. Ultimately the run came to an end in brutal fashion against Aston Villa, but that was a team completely full of youngsters because of the first-team’s commitments in Qatar for the Club World Cup.
Now back to a slightly stronger standard, combining a mix of the Reds’ second and third-choice starting eleven, Liverpool had too much for an Everton side who made just two changes, bringing in Theo Walcott and Morgan Schneiderlin.
Tale of two halves in the Merseyside Derby
Had Everton taken their chances in the first-half, the outcome and narrative of the tie would have been completely different. Mason Holgate, Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin all had great opportunities to give the blue half of Merseyside the lead but fluffed their lines, either directing their efforts straight at Adrián or not making contact with the ball at all.
Given the respective line-ups, with Liverpool’s starting eleven costing over £40m and Everton’s over £200m, Carlo Ancelotti’s side were favourites to secure a first win at Anfield since 1999. Yet once Liverpool emerged unscathed from the first-half, they never looked back.
By contrast, Everton were utterly anonymous in the second-half, devoid of creativity, drive and even effort. Liverpool controlled the game but still required a spectacular goal from Jones, whose talent is highly regarded at Anfield and his long-term place at the club is secure if he continues his progress.
The Reds saw the game out comfortably to record yet another victory in the Merseyside Derby – a victory that will hurt Everton’s fans more than arguably any other since they last triumphed at Anfield, given the circumstances involved.
Can Liverpool’s future continue to help their present?
Liverpool’s currently unprecedented league campaign has been well-documented, with the club in a great position to end their thirty-year wait for a league title. Their position in the Champions League is also strong as defending champions, despite the upcoming challenge against Atlético Madrid.
The League Cup has gone, but what about the FA Cup?
Privately, Klopp probably did not expect Liverpool to prevail on Sunday against Everton, similar to the dramatic victory against Arsenal in the League Cup. The Reds will take on either Bristol City or Shrewsbury Town away from home in the fourth round, at the end of January.
Klopp will in all likelihood play a similar team then to the one that featured against Everton, and why not? The likes of Elliott, Jones and Williams deserved their continued exposure in the first-team under less arduous pressures compared to vital games in the Premier League and Champions League.
Liverpool’s academy is bright, with the future already wrapped up in promise and potential glory, let alone the present.
Meanwhile, as Liverpool lay out plans for a possible treble, Everton are left to lick their wounds and attempt the long road back to recovering their reputation. The wait for a win at Anfield goes on, and whilst Ancelotti brings hope of a new era, with a new stadium also on the horizon, they can only think about the now, not the future.
After all, to echo Shankly’s words, Everton are just the third best team in Liverpool – behind Liverpool and Liverpool Reserves.