As human beings, we like aggression. We like to see confrontation. It is an instinct of gladiators that returns to the Colosseum of Rome in the 1st century and that is why boxing, MMA and other contact sports are so popular.
It is in us. The 'good and bad' is in us. That is why I loved the Goodison derby on Wednesday night, and why millions more like me will have felt the same.
The game was a setback: arbitrated by an officer who played his role in allowing them to continue much more.
It was the type of game that has been lost more and more, due to all the Johnny-Come-Less who have changed our sport in the reduced show that is today, much of that is a very difficult watch, with passive football in Exhibition, the referee blowing his whistle for each push and the tedious simulation that continues.
Do not be misunderstood, there is a lot that I like of the modern game. The quality of modern stages. The Razzmatazz show. Those stadiums are full and there has never been more football coverage.
But whether Johnnies like it or not, people love the type of show we saw on Wednesday. During those 100 minutes or so, the diluted aspects of the modern game, which limits with a contactless sport sometimes, went out the window.
The game was a setback: arbitrated by an official who played his role in allowing them to continue much more
I loved the Goodison derby on Wednesday night, and millions more like me will feel the same
Liverpool faced a very different proposal in Goodison Park on Wednesday, one that has rarely faced this season
What we saw was a team, in Everton, that had less skill than the opposition but said: “We are not going to play a game in your terms.”
His plan was not to leave and say: “Let's make a good football game.” No. This was: 'We will enter the faces of the Liverpool players. We will not let their style players harm us. We will put some of them in their rear and we will see how they respond to that. Let's see who really believes it.
This is how it always used to be. In Liverpool, Ronnie Moran reminded us more times than I care that the opposition manager throughout the corridor was not saying to his players: 'Well, today we are in Anfield. Let's go out and take Liverpool in a football game.
It would be a proof of whether we were prepared for the fight on that particular day. We had to be two teams. The first had to win the fight. The second had to win the football game. We face that almost every week of the season.
No one has to be those 'two teams'. The modern game is weighted against the least technically talented teams.
The best sides just have to be a good football team from the first minute. People throw it, playing in their 18 -yard line, trying to pass from the first minute to the 90th minute.
They are protected against physicality and fight because the slightest challenge stops and charged. The guy who has been charged cannot be as aggressive as he would like to be for the rest of the game.
Liverpool faced a very different proposal in Goodison. One has rarely faced this season. You have to say that they did well and you would think that they should have won that game.
Everton was fantastic in what they were doing, who was on their faces
In Merseyside, if a team, in red or blue, has a good attempt, will accept you, even if you don't earn every week
Liverpool fans will have left that land thinking: “You know what, we should have won, but we had a chance”
But Everton was fantastic in what they were doing, that he was on their faces. Yes, he was a fighter. But, I repeat, human beings like 'fighter'.
There was the same passion that spilled from the stands. All followers at the end of the day, including Liverpool whose team granted a 98 -minute equalizer, will have respected that level of competitiveness.
This is how people are in Mersyside. If a team, in red or blue, has a good chance, will accept you, even if you don't earn every week.
I suspect that Liverpool fans will have left that land thinking: 'You know what, we should have won, but we had a chance. No one disappeared.
We saw Arne Slot being caught in everything, Red Colded for his comments to the referee. When you are winning as football manager, you are an open book and you are all friends.
When you are not winning, you have a red face and you are angry with everyone. That red face is also in the slot. Until now, he has not had to show any side other than the smiling and relaxed ARNE.
We saw a different one on Wednesday night, which is good to see. Red followers will be happy to see that.
I don't think Liverpool can have complaints about James Tarkowski's equalizer. For me, I would be looking at Ibrahima Konate.
We saw a different ARNE slot on Wednesday night, which is good to see. Red followers will be happy to see that
What would not give for just one day in the type of mediocampo cauldron that we witness in that game? It was what you lived for
There was the same passion that spilled from the stands in Goodison
He is a giant man and was not ordering enough. He is defending his goal and should have dealt with that particular incident.
That is why he is there, to deal with such situations. The message has to be: “You have a physical presence, so see and clean your lines.”
What would not give for just one day in the type of mediocampo cauldron that we witness in that game? It was for what you lived.
Playing against the Peter Reid or the Bryan Robsons, knowing that you can shake their cage and that they will shake the cage and in any way they will not return for more. In those games you were playing against the best, not only the best in terms of skills but in mental hardness.
That was the test. I would be awake on a Friday night, waiting for him to arrive.
You will not want to see the type of scenes we saw at the end on Wednesday. My derbies experience was that there were 90 minutes of refusing to give an inch or take a single step back, and in the end we shaken our hands.
I remember that in 1981 in Goodison, there was an outbreak at the Gwladys Street End, a little Stramysh as we call it Scots. Jimmy Case faced his goalkeeper Martin Hodge, in his box and then people joined. But in the end, we all shake hands.
Abdouye Doucoure celebrating in front of Liverpool fans is only asking for problems. Although perhaps that is a bit rich comes from me! I am the guy who planted a flag of Galatasaray in the circle of the Fenerbahce center!
What a night! For a man, no one on both sides hid in what was a game of emotion and very important for both teams. Certainly let's not forget that one in a hurry
All supporters at the end of the day, including Liverpool whose team granted a 98 -minute draw, will have respected that level of competitiveness
It was a great night for David Moyes. It has a different song from these Everton players now
Seriously, Everton has a draw, a draw with the last kick of the ball! For me, you should celebrate with your classmates.
It was a great night for David Moyes. Now he has a different song from these Everton players. He is finding an additional patio of aggression in them.
Of course, they are not playing in Liverpool every week, so the challenge is to obtain that level of intensity and controlled anger and be so again and again. At night, you must say that they played close enough the perfect game.
What a night! For a man, no one on both sides hid in what was a game of emotion and very important for both teams. Certainly let's not forget that in a hurry.
Bellingham is the finished article: it could be terribly good
After having seen Real Madrid Manchester City play in the week, I must review my judgment on them. I said last week that I could only see an English club winning the Champions League. I have to eat my words in that.
When I saw the real play at the beginning of the season, I felt that they were not good enough to win that great trophy. On Tuesday, I thought they looked fabulous and I must give Jude Bellingham a special mention.
I have said in these pages that I should keep your advice a little more, but which player looked in that game. When he plays like this, it really is the finished article, already, at the age of 21. How good it could be really scary.
The city faces a huge task in the second leg, but we know what that group is capable of and if everything clicks on one night, they could still go to Bernabéu and win.
Plymouth Slip-Up Hammers at home Lo Crucial Salah
Arne Slot chose a group of players last weekend that should have been good enough to go to Plymouth, a team snorting and swelling in the championship.
It was the FA Cup, a tournament full of teams that said goodbye when we didn't think they would be.
Arne started the game with Diogo Jota and Luis Díaz and brought Darwin Núñez, but significantly Mo Salah was absent.
I think Liverpool must realize how important it is to keep it.
Havertz injury a blessing disguised as Arteta
I'm not so sure how much Kai Havertz will be lost, who is out for the rest of the season.
I saw it in the Cábao Cup semifinal against Newcastle the other week. It remained pushed and losing possession.
Mikel Arteta makes Bukayo Saka return and only have to find different ways of scoring goals and perhaps a slightly different way of playing, while maintaining the same basic principles.
It can be a disguised blessing, if someone advances and proves to be an unexpected scorer.