Everton’s players were warned by Sean Dyche to keep their heads up against Liverpool in the final Goodison Derby.
Saturday afternoon’s Merseyside derby is set to be an emotional affair as the 120th and last-ever meeting between the city’s two clubs at Goodison Park.
Memories of last April’s 2-0 win over their local rivals at the Grand Old Lady remain fresh in the mind as Dyche sets his sights on back-to-back victories.
And Dyche insists that there will be no added motivation in the dressing room as they prepare to welcome the Premier League leaders for one final time.
He said: “They [the players] all know, I don’t have to tell them, about the depth and the feeling.
“Some of these players have been here longer than me so they surely know that part of it.
“So actually we try to stay consistent to what we believe in, and I know I talk about it a lot but I mean it for this particular game.
“The processes we go through, the way we get ready is how we do it.
“The emotion comes in just through the natural fervour of the area, the feel, the history, the depth. I shouldn’t have to tell them to be up for it, should I?
“I don’t need to. It should be there – hopefully.”
The Everton manager is also urging caution that his charges play the game rather than the occasion in what promise to be a febrile atmosphere.
“I thought we handled that side of things – the emotional feel – very well last season and stuck to the tactical side of things,” added Dyche.
“I think that served us very well, and we are going to have to do a version of that again hopefully – keep the emotions calm and play the game.
“Play the game and not the occasion they used to say and there’s a cliche, boom!”
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