Everton’s James McCarthy is determined to beat Liverpool
Everton’s James McCarthy is determined to make amends for last season’s Merseyside mauling by Liverpool ahead of a renewal of hostilities.
The Toffees went down 4-0 at Anfield last season, with McCarthy admitting it was the lowest point of his career with Everton to date.
The two clubs meet again at Anfield on Saturday and McCarthy is determined to set matters right as Everton search for their first win at their arch rivals in the league since 1999.
Recalling the drubbing Roberto Martinez’s side suffered at the hands of their neighbours in January, McCarthy told the Daily Telegraph: “A bad, bad night. Horrible. It was horrible.
“They are our arch rivals so to go down 4-0 to them sticks with you and makes you determined to make amends. That’s what we want to happen this weekend.
“We were up there fighting (at the top end of the Premier League) at the time we played them and it was frustrating what happened. We know it was not acceptable and not good enough.
"Not to make excuses, but we did have a couple of injuries, and players like Ross [Barkley] coming back from injury, but it was a bad, bad night all round, for the players and the fans.
"We felt we let the club and each and every one of the fans down and we want to put that right.”
Despite the mauling, McCarthy insists Martinez’s side will not approach Saturday’s game in a defensive manner and they will be playing to win.
He added: “We went there to go for it and got caught out a couple of times, first from set pieces and then especially on the counter-attack.
"When you go to Anfield you want to play. You want to go there and play football the way it should be played. There is no way we would go there, sit in and play for a draw. We’ll do the same again at the weekend. We will be trying to beat them.
“It’s a big game for them as well, but we want to get back to winning and there is no better way of doing that or game to do it.
"I’m sure the manager will have his plan but it is not his way to go there and defend. We will always set up to win.”