10 Worst Players to Be on the Winning Side in a Merseyside Derby Match
Last January’s 4-0 success over Everton was, for many, the final indication that last season’s Liverpool side were going to be able to mount a sustained title challenge.
The Reds swarmed all over their neighbours to deliver an emphatic victory, a win that was perhaps all the more impressive because it came while fielding Aly Cissokho at left-back.
This isn’t meant to be a dig at the French defender, who tried his hardest at Liverpool and is now trying to build a career at Aston Villa—albeit while scoring calamitous own goals against Arsenal—but he certainly wasn’t the safest member of the Reds back four.
However, Cissokho wasn’t the worst player to be on the winning side in a Merseyside derby in recent years, and here are 10 examples why:
Nick Tanner
1 of 10
Winning derby: Liverpool 3-1 Everton—August 31, 1991
We want our poor players to have had an impact in Merseyside derbies to help gain inclusion on this list, and Nick Tanner did just that in the 1991/92 season.
The full-back—never remembered as one of the finest players to grace Anfield—played the full 90 minutes as the Reds beat Everton 3-1 early on in the campaign, before scoring his one and only goal for the club in a 1-1 draw at Goodison Park the following December.
Salif Diao
2 of 10
Winning derby: Everton 1-2 Liverpool—April 19, 2003
You’re about to read a statement that doesn’t really make any sense.
In April 2003, Liverpool won a Merseyside derby at Goodison Park in which they started with Igor Biscan and Djimi Traore as their centre-backs.
Eight minutes in, Biscan was forced off injured and replaced by Salif Diao, who slotted in well at right-back as Jamie Carragher moved over into the centre.
The defensive reshuffle worked, and Diao put in a solid display as Liverpool won 2-1 thanks to goals from Michael Owen and Danny Murphy.
Danny Williamson
3 of 10
Winning derby: Everton 2-0 Liverpool—October 18, 1997
It was another Danny, the forward Cadamarteri, who ran Liverpool ragged in October 1997, but Danny Williamson was a strong presence in midfield on a day when Liverpool couldn’t live with the Blues.
Neil Ruddock scored an own goal and was then embarrassed by Cadamarteri for the second, with many thinking that this would be the start of good things for Williamson at Everton after he had arrived from West Ham with a good reputation.
However, an injury picked up two months later meant that the luckless midfielder was never seen in Everton blue again.
Andriy Voronin
4 of 10
Winning derby: Everton 1-2 Liverpool—October 20, 2007
One of the more hotly disputed derbies of recent years already had a pretty controversial element right from the start, as Andriy Voronin and his blond ponytail started in place of the injured Fernando Torres.
In fairness to the Ukrainian, he worked hard for the 90 minutes as the Reds came back from conceding a first-half own goal through Sami Hyypia to win 2-1 thanks to two Dirk Kuyt penalties.
Kuyt could have been sent off in the contest, but Everton saw both Tony Hibbert and Phil Neville see red as well as being denied what appeared a stonewall penalty of their own in stoppage time. Referee Mark Clattenburg didn’t officiate the Toffees again for another five years.
Antonio Nunez
5 of 10
Winning derby: Liverpool 2-1 Everton—March 20, 2005
The fourth Champions League spot was seen as the prize going into this derby, but Liverpool were running out of players.
Injuries to Stephen Warnock, Dietmar Hamann and Fernando Morientes meant that Rafael Benitez had to use up all three of his substitutions in the first half, but it didn’t seem to be bothering the Reds as goals from Steven Gerrard and Luis Garcia put them 2-0 up.
One of those who’d come on, Spanish winger Antonio Nunez, turned in arguably one of his better displays for Liverpool—not that there was much competition—as they sought to hold on to their lead.
A red card for Milan Baros and a goal for Tim Cahill heightened the pressure on Liverpool, but with Nunez looking to keep hold of the ball, this ended up as a valuable win for the Reds, who would become European champions two months later.
Abel Xavier
6 of 10
Winning derby: Liverpool 0-1 Everton—September 27, 1999
To date, the only man to have played for different teams in a Merseyside derby in the same season (2001/02), Abel Xavier was part of the last Everton team to win a match at Anfield—this 1999 success thanks to a Kevin Campbell goal.
The Portuguese defender was heavily involved as the Blues held on to their win on a night when Francis Jeffers, Sander Westerveld and Steven Gerrard were all sent off.
Xavier later played for Everton in Liverpool’s 3-1 win at Goodison Park in September 2001, before crossing the divide and starting for the Reds in a 1-1 draw at Anfield the following February.
Gregory Vignal
7 of 10
Winning derbies: Everton 2-3 Liverpool—April 16, 2001; Everton 1-3 Liverpool—September 15, 2001
One winning derby wasn’t enough for French defender Gregory Vignal, who managed to fit in two successes over what was a brief career on Merseyside.
On as a substitute for Robbie Fowler, Vignal actually won the free-kick from which Gary McAllister so memorably settled an astonishing derby in April 2001, when the Scot curled home a stoppage-time effort from over 40 yards to seal a 3-2 win.
Five months later, Vignal played the full 90 minutes at left-back as Liverpool won 3-1 at Goodison, where the Frenchman supported an advanced John Arne Riise, who sealed the win with a fantastic third goal.
Andy van der Meyde
8 of 10
Winning derby: Everton 1-0 Liverpool (AET)—February 4, 2009
Lucas Leiva was sent off and this FA Cup fourth-round tie was settled by a goal from Dan Gosling right at the very end for Everton, but not before Dutch misfit Andy van der Meyde had entered the field in extra time.
Once a highly rated winger at Ajax and Inter, Van der Meyde struggled with fitness and form issues during his time at Goodison Park with this, one of his last appearances for the Blues, coming three years after he was sent off just five minutes after coming on as substitute in a 3-1 derby loss at Anfield.
Andrea Dossena
9 of 10
Winning derby: Everton 0-2 Liverpool—September 27, 2008
Liverpool were starting out on what would ultimately prove to be a pretty successful season in 2008/09, with new left-back Andrea Dossena playing his part as the Reds won 2-0 at Goodison.
Two goals in three minutes from Fernando Torres either side of the hour mark sealed the victory, with Everton seeing Tim Cahill sent off.
Dossena’s Liverpool career wouldn’t go as smoothly, though, and he was soon packed off to Italy after an underwhelming spell on Merseyside.
Jimmy Carter
10 of 10
Winning derby: Liverpool 3-1 Everton—February 9, 1991
Billed as a bright young hope when he signed from Millwall in 1991, Jimmy Carter would play just five matches for Liverpool.
However, one of those saw him replace Ronnie Whelan in a 3-1 win over Everton at Anfield, which also saw two goals for fleeting Liverpool forward David Speedie.
Eleven days later, Reds manager Kenny Dalglish resigned after a chaotic 4-4 draw with Everton in the FA Cup, and Carter was soon packed off to Arsenal.
