Everton

Staying with Everton briefly and a quick update to let you know that David Moyes' news conference has been pushed back to 13:45 GMT.

That's an extra 15 minutes for all Evertonians to get some lunch and be back in position to find out what the boss has had to say.

All these aversions to even wearing the colours of your rivals reminds me of perhaps my favourite such story in this genre.

Back in 2016, the then Everton manager Ronald Koeman changed the red decorations on his Christmas tree after complaints from Blues.

Red decorations as the Everton boss? What was he thinking? Not sure the Dutchman ever recovered from that mistake...

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer

Steve, Bicester: Phil, what’s your take on the time spent by referees, at every set piece, apparently explaining to players what the rules are? Surely by now the players know, right? It adds a ridiculous amount of time to every match - even more than Arsenal corner routines!

Hi, Steve. The one thing I have noticed, and it’s becoming a real issue, is the time it takes for corners to be taken because referees are having to separate grappling players, which is not their job.

I’m not even sure what the rules are any more. It has become a free for all but it is very difficult for referees to police it or make decisions because there is so much going on from players of both sides.

I seem to remember mention of a crackdown on this a while back. It is time this crackdown was enforced and it made clear it is not a wrestling match when a corner is about to be taken.

Haha love it Otto.

And with that, I'm off to take my lunch break. Sam Drury is back in charge. Keep up the tomfoolery all.

I don't see it that way, Steve. I think it was more a reaction to us no longer talking about Petty Football Behaviour, which we have since U-turned on.

Anyway, it got nowhere near the dislikes from last week's post when I suggested we should completely do away with the offside rule.

Oh my that was bad, some kind of record I think. No, I ain't chatting any radical rule changes in front of you lot again...

Emma Smith
BBC Sport

England will face Portugal and world champions Spain in the opening fixtures of their 2025 Nations League campaign on 21 and 26 February.

Goalkeepers: Mary Earps, Hannah Hampton, Anna Moorhouse

Defenders: Millie Bright, Lucy Bronze, Jess Carter, Niamh Charles, Maya Le Tissier, Esme Morgan, Millie Turner, Leah Williamson, Lotte Wubben-Moy

Midfielders: Laura Blindkilde-Brown, Grace Clinton, Ruby Mace, Jess Park, Ella Toone, Keira Walsh

Forwards: Aggie Beever-Jones, Lauren James, Beth Mead, Jess Naz, Nikita Parris, Alessia Russo

Emma Smith
BBC Sport

Chloe Kelly has been left out of the England squad for their upcoming Uefa Women's Nations League matches against Portugal and Spain.

The winger moved to Arsenal from Women's Super League rivals Manchester City on transfer deadline day in January after falling out of favour at Joie Stadium.

However Kelly has not been selected by England manager Sarina Wiegman for their opening Nations League games on 21 and 26 February.

Lauren James and Ella Toone return to the squad following injury, while Nikita Parris also returns, however Georgia Stanway has been ruled out due to a knee injury.

Image source, Getty Images

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti says it is a "nightmare" preparing to face a Pep Guardiola team because the Spaniard has "ideas that make you think".

Manchester City and Real will rekindle their modern rivalry later on Tuesday with the first leg of their Champions League play-off at Etihad Stadium.

The two sides will be meeting for the fourth time in four seasons - becoming just the fourth fixture to reach that milestone.

"It seems like it's a Clasico because we have played each other a lot of times in this competition," Ancelotti said.

"It will be a difficult game, hard to predict. It will depend a lot on the attitude and confidence of the teams. It's such a high-level game you have to be your best at every aspect.

"They are one of the best teams in Europe and they have the best manager out there so I think it's the most difficult game we can face - regardless of form."

Somebody messaged in saying they left a Toffee wrapper in the Liverpool dressing room while being forced to do the Anfield stadium tour by their mates.

If that was you, I'm so sorry, I think I accidently deleted your text. But it did make me smile.

Now, shall we save the rest of our Merseyside derby chat for tomorrow? There's a HUGE game in the Champions League tonight...

BBC Football Daily

Former Liverpool midfielder Ray Houghton says the postponement of the Merseyside derby in December "has really helped Everton".

The Toffees were struggling for form under Sean Dyche but now go into the final Goodison Park derby on a run of three straight league wins under David Moyes.

"David has come in and revitalised them," Houghton told Goodison's Greatest Derbies, a special edition of BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast. "All of a sudden, there's a different way of thinking about their game.

"If they had played it when they should have, with the way Everton were playing, there would have only been one conclusion - a Liverpool victory.

"Now Evertonians are really looking forward to the game. They're going into it with a lot of optimism, belief and confidence. That's down to the past few results they have got.

"David has come in and just given them a bit more belief. It's the same group of players but they just have a different voice."

You're very welcome, Ed. Everybody's texts in have been hilarious. You Get Involvers are on top form today.

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer

Mark, Oxford: Hi Phil, hope you’re well this morning. Liverpool qualified in the top eight of the European League phase in order to avoid playing extra games, but as reaching the EFL final brought the Villa game forward and the storm cancelled the original Merseyside derby date in December, they will now be playing midweek games in what was supposed to be their ‘earned rest period’.

Slot and Liverpool won’t complain about what their own success has brought on, but isn’t this proof that the fixture schedule is now especially congested for the top six teams playing European football, and are we heading to them being less likely to prioritise the domestic cups as a result to avoid injuries and fatigue, potentially devaluing them?

Hello, Mark. More success means more games in more competitions and this is what leads to team selections like Arne Slot’s for the Plymouth FA Cup defeat.

Slot made it very obvious he was prioritising tomorrow's Merseyside derby and now, as you say, they have a midweek game at Villa next week.

There have been moves to help clubs and workloads with FA Cup replays being scrapped but lots of games comes with the package of being successful and managers and head coaches have to utilise their squads.

Where I thought Slot got it badly wrong on Sunday was stripping his bench of virtually all the big names he had not picked in the starting line-up, meaning the safety net was missing when things started to go wrong at Home Park.

Our friends at BBC North West are holding a separate live page for the funeral of former Manchester United and Scotland striker Denis Law.

You can follow that here.

The former Red Devils striker, nicknamed The King, died last month at the age 84.

The funeral cortege was set to depart Old Trafford stadium at 13:10 before making its way to Manchester Cathedral for the service.

Thanks Ady and Jeff. Conversely, do all Bristol City fans have induction hobs, what with Bristol Rovers being known as The Gas?