'One of those nights you'll remember'
Phil Thompson watched from close quarters as Ian Rush put four past Everton at Goodison Park in November 1982.
Fast forward more than 30 years and as the deadliest derby demolition since that evening unfolded at Anfield on Tuesday night, he was sat in the stands, imparting words of wisdom.
"I said to my boys, who are all Liverpool fans, 'remember where you were, and savour it,'" he told the Liverpool Echo.
"Tuesday night is one of those results you'll remember for the rest of your life. That sounds extreme but these kind of results don't come along that often.
"Derby games are the most important fixtures of the season and they mean so much to both sets of supporters.
"I remember the game at Goodison in 1982 vividly. It was a monumental day. The Kop still sing about Rushie scoring four - people don't ever forget a victory like that and they won't forget this one either."
Going into the first derby of the 1982-83 campaign, Bob Paisley's reigning champions were early pace-setters, topping the table, while Howard Kendall's Blues were 13th.
The gulf in class between the two teams was accentuated when, in the 37th minute, Glen Keeley was shown a red card for hauling Kenny Dalglish to the ground when the No.7 was clean through on goal.
Rush (below) systematically destroyed his boyhood heroes with an array of clinical finishes either side of a Mark Lawrenson strike, and an iconic scoreline was written into Liverpool folklore.
"To be fair, it wasn't one of Everton's greatest teams," admitted Thompson. "We were operating at the height of our powers.
"Once Glenn had gone off it was just a case of damage limitation for Everton. But even before the red card, we were 1-0 up and dominating the game."
Liverpool were 1-0 up after 21 minutes in the most recent derby battle and it was local lad Steven Gerrard who hammered home a header before hurtling to the fans to celebrate.
Like 1982, they dominated the game. Philippe Coutinho was crucial, showing his physical side and providing a balance between attack and defence. Martin Skrtel was solid and Raheem Sterling's pace was blistering.
Then there was Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez. The former deceived Tim Howard twice in the space of two minutes with sumptuous skill before his strike partner kept calm to complete the rout.
"What impressed me most was the energy of our play," said Thompson. "It was the way we closed Everton down right from the start and won the ball back high up the pitch.
"Everybody worked so hard and everyone was on the same wavelength. When an Everton player got the ball, there was always a Liverpool player quickly within a few yards of him.
"Barcelona have turned that kind of pressing into an art. It's the ugly side of the game but it's what you have to do.
"You expect it from the likes of Gerrard and Jordan Henderson but even Sterling and Coutinho were doing it - backing each other up."
Liverpool have subsequently moved four points clear of their Merseyside rivals and the 4-0 thrashing banished memories of points dropped to Aston Villa in the previous Barclays Premier League encounter.
Thompson is hoping momentum can be gained from a superb performance against serious top-four contenders - and has backed the Reds to go from strength to strength.
"A result like that certainly gives you a big lift," said Thompson. "Similarly, it can be very difficult to get over a heavy defeat like that.
"Back in 1982, we became stronger after that win. There was no chance of anyone getting carried away or dwelling on it.
"We had great people around us in Ronnie Moran, Joe Fagan and Bob Paisley. Within half an hour of the game finishing, the message was 'forget about it and focus on the next game'. Those words were ringing in our ears.
"It's the same for the current side. It's important you start again and show how professional you are. If you don't win your next game then it counts for nothing. It's vital the players refocus on West Brom.
"There are some crucial games coming up. Chelsea are suddenly a bit closer to us and they have Manchester City to play on Monday night.
"We've got Arsenal at home the following weekend so we could also drag them closer to us too.
"People have been talking about a four-horse race for fourth spot but that could change over the next few weeks.
"We just have to make sure we do our own job and continue to show consistency. We know we can score goals, it's just a case of ensuring we're defensively solid."
