David Moyes previews his 24th Merseyside derby
11/02/2025
Finch Farm training centre, Liverpool, UK
Press conference audio issues due to technical fault on audio feed
11/02/2025
Finch Farm training centre, Liverpool, UK
Press conference audio issues due to technical fault on audio feed
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SportsTranscript
00:00Good afternoon everyone, welcome to our pre-match press conference to preview the Merseyside
00:14derby.
00:15We'll start off with Vinnie from Sky.
00:16David, to start with, obviously we now know that this will be the last ever Merseyside
00:17derby at Goodison Park.
00:18I just wonder what emotion that creates in yourself for Vinnie to look back on?
00:25Yeah, I've been here many years but it was a while back since I've had my last Merseyside
00:29derby.
00:30They've always been difficult games, I have to say, over my years, so Liverpool have always
00:38been a tough opponent.
00:40But at Goodison it always felt a lot easier because we had the support behind us and we
00:44had a fantastic crowd and I think this game will be no different.
00:50Strange it was a rearranged fixture which obviously I've had the chance now to come
00:55and manage.
00:56Do you have then a favourite derby memory from Goodison?
01:00I've got a couple of derby memories, I've always remembered Lee Carsley's goal which
01:03we won here and Andy Johnston, but it's always been tough, as I said, but over the years
01:10Liverpool have been a difficult opponent for us and I'm sure they will be tomorrow night
01:14as well.
01:15It's 41 Goodison victories for each side in Merseyside derbies, so is the desire to get
01:22that win, is it exaggerated somewhat because it is the last?
01:25Of course we want the win, but let's put it in perspective, the most important thing
01:30is that we get points to keep ourselves in the Premier League, that's the most important
01:34thing.
01:35So, big game, looking forward to it now, hopefully the players will be ready as well.
01:40Have you had to do much to pick the players up after Saturday?
01:43No, I don't believe I did have to do so.
01:45I thought there was lots of things on Saturday we could take some things from.
01:50We hit the inside of the post twice and it doesn't go in the way, it comes out and then
01:55we hit it again, third time from a free kick, one kicked off the line, so there was things
02:00in the game which we could take positives from.
02:02Obviously we're not that long in, but we've had a couple of good wins, but as I've said
02:08many times, it will not always be straightforward and last Saturday wasn't that straightforward,
02:15but I still thought there was a lot of good things to take from the game.
02:17What do you feel is the key, because there's going to be a lot of emotion from the fans
02:20on the night, they're going to be greeting the coach as well, I don't know whether that
02:24helps the players or do you have to remind them that they need to keep a cool head in
02:27a Merseyside derby?
02:28I've been involved in some of these Merseyside derbies and it's been incredible when it was
02:34Jamie Carricker and Steven Gerrard and it was a case of who was going to kick who first
02:38really and how it went, so I've got big memories from that.
02:45I don't think the games now are played in such a fashion where you can quite be like
02:52that, I think the refereeing is different nowadays, but it's a great derby, it's been
02:58a brilliant game over the years and there's many, many people who enjoy these games.
03:02Just that impact as well that the fans can have when they're greeting the coach, I don't
03:07really remember whether you've experienced that?
03:09I don't think I have here, I've had it in other countries, I've seen it quite a bit
03:14in Spain etc, but it's not something that our culture normally has in this country,
03:20but all we need is the support behind us, which they have been since I've come back
03:24in, I've got to say they've been absolutely brilliant.
03:27They were great again at the weekend even though we weren't at our best, but they've
03:32got to enjoy it as well, they want to see their team play well, they want to see their
03:35team win more than anything and we've all not got many games left and I know everybody
03:41in the stadium is doing their best to make it really memorable and partly for everybody
03:48who watches football as well, media as well, we want to put on a great spectacle at Goodison
03:53and hopefully a good game.
03:55Any chance of getting Michalenko back?
03:59He started some training today so hopefully he could be available, that's probably the
04:04main one.
04:06Just looking at Liverpool, do you notice much difference under Arnaud Slot compared to what
04:12they were like?
04:13They had a fantastic coach in Jurgen Klopp who made Liverpool so good over many years,
04:21you saw how often they were competing with Manchester City for titles and cups for many
04:28years, not generations, but I think most people would be amazed at how well Arnie Slot's done
04:34of him, being honest, I think coming in after Jurgen, but I have to say he's done a great
04:38job hasn't he?
04:39Hard to say when you're sitting in this seat but he's done a great job, he looks as if
04:45he's done it very smoothly and he's got the team playing well.
04:49Thanks David, good luck.
04:50Cheers.
04:51Next we'll go to Fraser at Premier League Productions.
04:53Hi there.
04:54It'll be your 23rd Liverpool derby in charge of Everton, obviously Arnaud's first, do you
05:01have any recollections of what the emotions were like for you the first time you did it?
05:06I'm trying to remember the first ones.
05:08I can remind you, it was 2004.
05:10How did we go?
05:11It was a 1-0 win.
05:12Fantastic, I'm glad you told me that, I can be positive about it.
05:17No, I think going back that far then, it was a different time and we were probably just
05:25getting ourselves back into being competitive more as a Premier League club and I think
05:32the gap between the two teams at the moment was probably as big as it's been for a long
05:36time.
05:37It's something I have to try and bridge the gap and start bringing the two clubs closer
05:41together.
05:42Well, I certainly need to bring my club closer to their club if I can.
05:47But at that time I think the derbies were a bit more competitive, Liverpool were still
05:52always difficult to overcome but I think it was only in the last couple of years where
05:58we did finish above them in the Premier League so it's something we have to try and aim to
06:03do again.
06:04The only reason I say that is because Liverpool are a really good guide because if you're
06:10finishing above Liverpool you're probably finishing really high in the league.
06:15In terms of the message you would have to the fans in terms of making sure there is
06:22that massive support because this is such a special game, what is your message to them?
06:27Is it just carry on doing what you're doing or are you looking for a little bit extra?
06:31Look, we want extra from the players, never mind the supporters.
06:35The supporters have been fantastic since I've come back certainly but I believe over the
06:40time I've been here that Goodison is always a really difficult, intimidating atmosphere,
06:46difficult place to play.
06:48I've had some great nights here as the manager, I hope I've got some more still to come before
06:53we finish here at Goodison.
06:57The supporters have always played a huge part, they really have, they've been great for us
07:02and they've had a difficult period but hopefully they can see a little bit of light at the
07:07end of the tunnel coming in the future.
07:16It sounds like the way you're talking about this and obviously everyone's excited this
07:20game did get to be under the lights, has your time away from the club increased your fondness
07:25for these types of games under the lights at Goodison?
07:29Look, it's increased my fondness as a manager and the thought of playing it but undoubtedly
07:36we've got a difficult opponent so we have to play really well.
07:41Everybody's found Liverpool a good side this year, we'll be no different but you've seen
07:48many derby games throughout the world, different places, this is a special derby for me because
07:53I've just been told I've had 23 I think before this so I'm looking forward to it greatly.
08:00One of the bright points of the weekend's game was Charlie Alcaraz coming on and I think
08:05already he's sort of become a fan's favourite very, very quickly just from the way he came
08:09on and threw himself into that game.
08:11Has he done enough to potentially start this or because it's a derby does that make you
08:16slightly more concerned about starting someone who's so new at the club?
08:19Well he's done enough by his performance to start the game, whether I do that's another thing.
08:23I think sometimes when you bring people in you never know how long it's going to take
08:28to settle, I've got to say he started and settled very well in the game.
08:32It was only one game mind you and the other thing we have to put on his side is that he's
08:36got Premier League experience so he's not completely new to this so he knows exactly
08:40what it's like.
08:42He'll be new a bit to the stadiums and whether we'll be at home or away so from that point
08:48of view that helps us but the decision will be made tomorrow whether we start him or whether
08:54we don't.
08:55Given you've said the referee is a lot stricter now maybe on this and there was the penalty
09:00given away at the weekend, I think this remains the most red carded fixture still in English
09:04football, do you have to just remind people that the emotions of the fans will be very
09:09high particularly on this one with it being the final one at Goodison and just to contain
09:14those emotions on the pitch?
09:17I think the players now are much more aware of the way the refereeing is nowadays and
09:22what they have to do.
09:24Let's be fair, it's part of why you're building the game up because you want it to be built
09:29up to be emotional, you want it to be built up to be explosive at times.
09:35That's part of Derby games and when you're a football supporter, I'm a football supporter
09:39that's what I want when I go and watch, you want to see people being competitive and you
09:42want to see action and it mattering to the team you're supporting.
09:47So we have to do that, we'll have to be aggressive, we'll have to be difficult to play against,
09:52we'll have to show the qualities which we can at the right moments.
09:58Finally for me, Seamus remains unavailable I know but he's still playing quite a big
10:02role as a captain around the club and he knows this fixture more than anyone in your squad,
10:07do you use him ahead of this to talk to everybody about it and what qualities is he bringing
10:12to you while he's not playing?
10:14Seamus' leadership and what he's had to go through over the last few years, he knows
10:19more about the club than anyone in the situation and he's somebody who is incredibly respected
10:25amongst the players, certainly hugely respected by myself and the staff because we brought
10:30him in as a young boy and seen him develop into where he is now.
10:35Unfortunately he's not available to play yet, so he's always in and around the dressing
10:40room, he's always with us, he's always acting like a good captain should do and we're grateful
10:47to have him.
10:53Hi David, you've been involved in football a long time, you've been involved in many
10:57derbies, what is it that makes this one, Everton against Liverpool or Liverpool against Everton
11:03such an appointment to view?
11:06I think it's a great footballing city, it's always had incredibly good players, at different
11:15generations there's been players who played for both teams and have come and graced Goodison
11:20over the years as well and it's always been a game which I think even when I was a young
11:26boy you were always looking forward to the derby game, it was always a huge game.
11:31So I think that from being a football supporter generally I think it was always one of the
11:37games you would be really interested in watching.
11:40When you go back into your memory bank from your first spell here, is it those games,
11:44the wins, the Epic Cup one when Gosling scored them all, right at the very forefront for
11:49you?
11:51Yeah but I've got to say and I've been on a few defeats as well so I'm not kidding myself
11:56on here but I have to say that we've always been chasing Liverpool and probably no more
12:02so than now so it was always great to get a result because it was always difficult to
12:10do it but again I always go back to my last two years that we eventually finished above
12:15Liverpool twice in the league and it took us years to prepare that and get us ready
12:19and get a good enough side to be competing against Liverpool, more regular and better
12:25and as you know probably at this moment we've got a few years to go before we're going to
12:29be ready to compete against Liverpool again.
12:32The fact that it is under lights and as you've mentioned there aren't many more games at
12:36Goodison that are going to be under lights, does it make it that extra bit special?
12:40It does yeah because I think that our memories of some of the evening games at Goodison is
12:45terrific, most clubs will say that their games under the lights are always special
12:50so Goodison with the atmosphere, the tightness to the pitch, probably the old stadium as
12:58well is something which is really important, you don't get it so much now in many of the
13:02stadiums we go to so having that sort of atmosphere and that feeling around you hopefully will
13:08drive us on.
13:09Obviously a lot of the squad have been part of the team that have beaten Liverpool fairly
13:13recently last season, is that belief there from the players that it can be repeated again?
13:18Well our belief is there, we've actually got off to a pretty good start but we're also
13:24mindful about the level of games we've got coming up and the teams we have to play so
13:29we'll go into it and we'll show everything we possibly can to get three points.
13:35Thanks Matt, we'll go to Karl at the Press Association.
13:42You spoke about wanting to close the gap to Liverpool generally but what do you do to
13:47close the gap on the pitch tomorrow night because when you look at the two respective
13:51squads in terms of the money that's been spent and the quality it's available to there's
13:56obviously a big gulf there as well.
13:58Yeah there is, there's a gulf between what's going on and everybody's aware of the situation
14:03here and the difficulty.
14:07Everton had a great result against Liverpool last year so that's the way football works
14:15and I've actually seen a bit of unpredictability in the Premier League this year with some
14:19of the results so we have to go out there and try and turn the result around and make
14:26sure that we're the winners.