Reina: We must beat Everton

Liverpool have to get their act together in the Merseyside derby against Everton at Goodison Park tomorrow, says the goalkeeper Jose Reina.

Liverpool have to get their act together in the Merseyside derby against Everton at Goodison Park tomorrow, said the goalkeeper Jose Reina. The Reds were being touted as contenders for the Premier League title after a 2-1 home victory over Manchester United, but they followed that with a 0-0 home draw against newly promoted Stoke. And the Spaniard Reina is pushing his side to bounce back from that disappointment. "The Stoke game was a mistake. The 0-0 was unjust but now our heads are with the Everton game. In the dressing room we are calm. We can't afford to play with nerves. The Premier League still has a long way to go but our mission is to avoid too many failures in the beginning. If we want the title it is impossible to miss points at Anfield.

"We know we have had some problems scoring goals in the Premier League in a few matches. But we have to believe in ourselves. We are in no way inferior to Arsenal, Chelsea or Manchester United in the way we play, but we have to keep doing the good things that we can." Reina believes that a victory over Everton would help in silencing their doubters. He added: "This derby means so much to me and the other players. I have been living in Liverpool for some years now and I understand how the supporters feel. But we need to win not only to beat our rivals, but also to prove that getting to the top was no accident.

"We know that Everton will give 100 per cent and will be highly motivated, especially at home. This is a big danger for us because we will need to try and control the situation from the first minute to win. "On Saturday we will need to forget it is Everton we are playing." * Agencies