Player Ratings vs. Everton

Kirch is currently underwater on the East coast somewhere, so I'll take you through the player ratings for yesterday's derby. It's quite sunny here in Chicago, in case those of you on the East would like to know.

Brad Jones - 4.5: Probably could be worse. Jones's main job was to deal with crosses and set pieces, and he made a hash of one for the first goal. His jitteriness spread to Martin Skrtel, so you could kind of indirectly blame him for Skrtel's derelict-wanderings for the second, though that's a tenuous rope to follow. Will probably get the start in midweek, and then can go back to cleaning Reina's boots.

Andre Wisdom - 5: Harsh, I know. Wisdom was stranded by Suso for the most part, Sterling for some of the first half. So having to deal with Mirallas and Baines on his own is a task experienced defenders would struggle with. Still, almost every thing good for Everton came down the Liverpool right, and that's where Wisdom was. Because of this he got pinned farther and farther back and couldn't add to the attack. Better in the second half, but still not exemplary. A learning experience, we'll call it.

Daniel Agger - 7: Hard to give any defender too much when you cough up a two-goal lead. But with Wisdom getting buried, Jones having his gloves covered in Skippy, Enrique being Enrique, and Skrtel losing his mind slowly, only Agger held it together to make sure it didn't get worse in the first half. Not to blame for either goal, and brave on other corners and free kicks that were repelled. Really gonna miss him when he heads to Barcelona to replace Puyol.

Martin Skrtel - 5: Maybe giving him the best of it. Nowhere for the equalizer, could have given a penalty away in the second half for a needless challenge, and generally skittish. Not his worst, but far from his best.

jose Enrique - 6: Caught ball-watching for the equalizer, and didn't do much else in either direction. Most of the action was on the opposite side of him, and had a hand in the first Liverpool goal. I didn't have a seizure from his play, I'll settle for that.

Joe Allen - 5.5: In matches as frantic as this, you worry about his harrying ways causing him to get pulled out of position. That didn't happen much, but it did catch up to him at times with rash fouls or mistimed tackles. Also he was completely out-sized, which isn't his fault but leads to problems when he has to battle for the ball. Maybe could have helped Wisdom out more when it was obvious he was on an island.

Steven Gerrard - 6: He wasn't his hero-emulating worst, but he didn't galvanize much either. Put out some fires, played some nice passes, had his one good chance blocked, and probably should have used his left instead of the Fairy Tale Volley at the end of the first half. Just kind of there?

Nuri Sahin - 4.5: Just hustled and muscled out of it. DIdn't look like he wanted much part of this one, which isn't the first time we've seen that. It's kind of like when Xabi Alonso first came to the club. Given time and space he can tear you apart, but it's going to take time to for him to adjust to being immediately buried in a match played at this tempo. Sadly, by the time he adjusts he'll be going back to Spain.

Suso - 6: Unlucky to be withdrawn at half, but doesn't come with the pace Rodgers wanted to use up top that Sterling does. While his tracking back and helping out a full back is going to need work, he never shrank from this in attack. Creative and inventive, helping create the first goal and other chances. Still getting used to being the front three, it's pretty obvious he'd rather be behind the strikers.

Raheem Sterling - 6: Lucky to not be sent off, a fouling machine though he was targeted. Blew a glorious chance that he has to take in matches like this. But once out of the firing line up top in the second half, was a threat and kept Everton defense occupied enough for the team to get some air.

Luis Suarez - 8: Man of the match, though that's not that hard of a call is it? Suarez led the line, was ruthless with the few chances he got, and should have been allowed the late winner. However, his stamp on Distin was distasteful, and that's not the first time his dark arts have crossed the line. Need to be done away with, that part of his game.

Subs

Sebastien Coates - 5: Some really dumb tackles along with some find aerial defending. Still has a long way to go.

Jonjo Shelvey - 6: Better than Sahin, but scuffed his one chance on a break and otherwise was kind of absent. Though in this kind of match, it was easy to worry more about defending than getting upfield.

Jordan Henderson - 6: Hendo may want to learn that if he continues to look good in sporadic appearances at right back, he may end up playing there more and get used even less where he'd prefer to be. Didn't embarrass anyone defensively and was far more a threat down the right than Wisdom was. Still cocked up one counter by not delivering an early cross, but as odd as a sub as it felt at the time it worked out.

Your man of the match in the comments...