Carragher: Everton expect to lose derbies

We sent Adam to Anfield last week to talk to Jamie Carragher about the derby.

Within a candid interview (Part 1 here, part 2 here) Carragher admits that Ronald Koeman’s Everton are increasingly becoming a force to be reckoned with on Merseyside and that Liverpool should be wary but he reckons Koeman has a job on to change the mentality of Everton.

Carragher: “A big thing for Koeman is he’s got to change the mentality of the club, the players and even the supporters, in terms of derby games…I think Everton go into the derby game expecting to lose – I think the players do. There’s that feeling: ‘Oh we can’t beat Liverpool because the referee will give them something…’, there’s that negative mentality.

“Just a little thing. When you shake hands before the game, I’d be like a lunatic, steam coming out of my ears, wanting to [international sign for get stuck in], and the [Everton] players would be saying hello and ‘Hiya Carra!’ I’d be thinking, the games kicking off in a minute, why are you even saying my name? Why are you even speaking to me?

“I wasn’t saying ‘Alright Ossie’ or ‘Alright Hibbo’ or ‘Alright Leighton’, I was like…I already thought we had the advantage. It’s like a boxer coming out and wanting to shake hands with other boxer, and it’s like ‘No! I wanna punch ya!”

“I never felt that they were as aggressive or as nasty as us – in the nicest possible way – about winning those games. I always felt we had the advantage mentally and physically…I always felt that was strange.”