Cahill must be kept down

Sunday's Merseyside derby didn't need Liverpool's ownership travails to give it extra spice. The fact that both teams are struggling at the wrong end of the table is more than enough to hike up the stakes, writes Alan Smith.

As a result, the pace could, if anything, be more frenetic than usual, which might prove a shock to those newcomers yet to sample this abrasive clash.

I'm thinking, in particular, about Liverpool's Christian Poulsen and Raul Meireles because they occupy an area that, in this fixture, is always very congested and will be again as both sides, with their systems, tend to flood the midfield.

So if these two are picked as Liverpool's holding midfielders, it's going to be interesting to see how they react. For certain, they'll have no time at all to dwell on the ball, what with Marouane Fellaini and Leon Osman snapping at their heels.

That's something Poulsen and Meireles will doubtless be warned of beforehand by big dressing room characters such as Jamie Carragher. More specifically, manager Roy Hodgson will have spoken to them about Tim Cahill and his ability to make runs off the back of opponents.

The Australian's movement and timing is second to none when it comes to arriving in the box on cue. Once there, his bravery, aggression and prodigious leap cause all sorts of problems for the best of defenders. Just look at the stats: 13 of Cahill's past 15 league goals have come from headers. It's an obvious danger for the visitors.

To try to counter this, Hodgson will be delighted to have left-back Paul Konchesky available again because that means Jamie Carragher can move back to central defence where his keen nose for danger and fierce determination will stand Liverpool in good stead when Everton push on.

But that doesn't mean Meireles and Poulsen can switch off. As an Everton attack builds, one of them must keep an eye on Cahill's position to be ready when he decides to make a run. Because if Leighton Baines goes on the overlap to swing in a cross, Liverpool won't want Cahill getting a free run on one of their defenders. Under those circumstances, Carragher or Martin Skrtel will be trying to compete from a standing start, which is never a good idea when you're facing someone so strong in the air.

So whatever it takes - a block, a tug or even a shove - Poulsen and Meireles must make some kind of physical contact to nip Cahill's runs in the bud, and thereby prevent Liverpool's season from getting any worse.

This story has been reproduced from today's media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.