Why Everton and Liverpool need to share grounds if they're serious about competing with the rich clubs

By Mark Lawrenson

Published 23:02 27/11/09

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I can't remember a Merseyside derby where both sides have gone into the game with so many problems and in such bad form.

It's been a bad week for both of them with Liverpool going out of the Champions League and then Everton playing so badly at Hull and seeing their plans for a new stadium rejected.

The big issue for me with Liverpool is Aquilani and why he isn't playing?

I find the whole thing quite staggering. I know Rafa Benitez can be dogmatic, but we were told two weeks ago that this guy was injury free.

Yet Benitez continues to play two holding midfielders in Lucas and Mascherano when it is crying out for Aquilani to come in and make a difference with his talent.

It just doesn't make any sense, either from a common sense point of view or from a footballing sense. If he needs conditioning, then the best way to do that is by playing games.

I just look at Liverpool without Torres and I can't see them scoring at Goodison. N'Gog's done OK, but he's still learning his trade and Benitez should have bought a second striker in the summer who could play behind Torres and fill in for him when he's injured.

With Everton we can all see how they are struggling with all their injuries. They don't have the biggest of squads and those guys injured are their key players, aren't they?

Jagielka and Neville hold the team together, while Arteta gives them something no-one else can.

Because David Moyes' options are so limited, some players know they will be playing on Sunday, regardless of how they are performing and that's when complacency can set in.

That's where players lose their edge and that extra five per cent which can be the difference between winning games like Sunday's and losing them.

Moyes looked exasperated after the Hull defeat and I can understand that because he must he thinking to himself 'how can I change this with the few players I have available?'.

On top of all that, you've got the plans to move to Kirkby being knocked back and that is a massive kick in the teeth for Moyes and Everton.

They very much needed that to happen because of the extra revenue it would generate and it would have helped Moyes in the transfer market.

He has done a great job at Everton, not just in terms of their league position and the way they play, but in getting value for money from his players.

He's improved most of the players he's bought and in some cases, sold them on for huge profits.

But if he is going to compete with Aston Villa, Tottenham and Manchester City, then he needs an injection of serious money, which the ground move would have provided.

I just wonder if this will revive the idea of a ground share with Liverpool on Stanley Park.

I know Liverpool are set against this, but if both clubs had pressed ahead with the idea when it was mooted a few years ago, then they would both be enjoying the benefits of the extra revenue now.

As it is, Liverpool are stuck in their 44,000 capacity Anfield and have not turned a sod at Stanley Park, while Everton are back to square one in their search.

I know some fans will say 'we don't want to share with that lot', but, come on, it's 2009 and this would be a sensible way forward.