Everton and Liverpool have kicked their final balls of 2019 - and while 2020 could be truly momentous on one side of Stanley Park and perhaps pivotal on the other - it's time to look back and reflect on the past 12 months.

That means selecting my Ever-Pool team of the Year.

I've been selecting it for 15 years now, and last year's was the most Red-tinted ever selected.

But then Jurgen Klopp's side did reach a Champions League final in 2018 and were top of the Premier League, unbeaten, on a staggering 48 points on New Year's Eve.

Think that was good? They've been even better in 2019 - actually winning the Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup, becoming world champions and collecting a truly phenomenal 82 points from the last 84 available domestically since March.

So have any Everton players performed consistently enough to dislodge the players who perform for the best team in the world? Read on.

But remember...

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This is a personal selection - based on significant statistical input plus the evidence of my own eyes - and is based on the entire calendar year.

So Alisson Becker's potentially season-changing save from Napoli striker Arkadiusz Milik didn't influence my thinking, because he made it in the dying embers of 2018.

Only contributions in 2019 count.

And feel free to get involved.

There was a time when my Ever-Pool team of the Year prompted a few letters, a phone call from an irate Anfield defender appalled that Alessandro Pistone had been picked ahead of him - and a lunge into the Anfield press box from an elderly fan who adored Sami Hyypia and saw him displaced by Alan Stubbs.

I'll settle for emails this time.

And to repeat the decision which always causes most ire, it’s Ever-Pool, not Liverton, because E comes before L in the alphabet, and the name has a pleasing four letter split.

GOALKEEPER

Jordan Pickford bounced back well from his mad March on Tyneside, keeping six clean sheets from his next seven appearances.

They were amongst 17 clean sheets the England No.1 kept in 2019, but his Anfield rival kept 19 in the Premier League alone - some of which helped him pick up the Premier League's Golden Gloves award for the 2018/19 season.

Alisson did receive an uncharacteristically sloppy red card against Brighton, suffered a calf problem which restricted him to 42 appearances in the calendar year - one less than Pickford - and benefited from playing in front of the European champions' back four.

But he was measured and consistent throughout the calendar year whilst Pickford endured some inconsistent moments.

It wasn't a procession, like some positions, but Alisson is the Ever-Pool goalkeeper for 2019.

RIGHT-BACK

Djibril Sidibe showed the quality which earned him a World Cup winner's medal in the closing stages of 2019. while Seamus Coleman continued his rehabilitation from that horrific 2017 injury, but they were competing with a Rolls Royce performer with a Maserati engine under the bonnet.

Trent Alexander-Arnold made 47 appearances in the calendar year, scored two goals, supplied 22 assists! Twenty-two! From right-back.

Oh and he delivered that corner. He's a shoo-in.

CENTRE-BACKS

Yerry Mina has had a promising year, while Kurt Zouma was very good for half of 2019. But Virgil van Dijk was just seven votes from pipping Lionel Messi for the Ballon d'Or and his most effective central defensive partner of 2019 is arguably the most underrated defender in the Premier League.

Injury restricted Joel Matip to just 29 appearances in the calendar year, and almost every one oozed understated class. He even offered up an assist in a Champions League final.

Some may prefer Joe Gomez's promise, but injury restricted him to just 24 appearances in the calendar year, only 13 of them starts and just nine at centre-back. Van Dijk and Matip were a beautifully balanced pairing in 2019 and get the nod.

Mind you, Van Dijk would make Torben Piechnik look like a solid partnership alongside him, too.

LEFT-BACK

This was the selection which caused most angst. Lucas Digne has been Everton's performer of the year. He deservedly picked up the Dixie for the Blues' player of the season, and shared the Players' Player award with Idrissa Gana Gueye. He made 40 appearances in the calendar year, supplied nine assists and scored two goals.

But so did Andy Robertson, who also weighed in with 13 assists in 51 appearances and showed a level of consistency which meant that he, alongside, van Dijk, was a virtual ever present on Jurgen Klopp's teamsheet.

He was also elevated to the captaincy of his country in 2019. This was undoubtedly the closest call in the line up, but ultimately Robertson just edges Digne into the Ever-Pool left back slot.

MIDFIELD THREE

(Image: Visionhaus/Getty Images)

Had Idrissa Gana Gueye not left to join PSG halfway through the year, had Andre Gomes showed his consummate class consistently rather than occasionally, had Gylfi Sigurdsson not gone AWOL in the second half of the year we might have had an argument.

But in truth the midfield three was just a decision between which of the Anfield contingent got the nod.

James Milner started the year as one of Klopp's chosen three in what was effectively the title decider at Manchester City, but suffered from being asked to play right-back and left back as well as in his preferred position, while Naby Keita was a slow burner who only truly ignited in the second half of the year.

Jordan Henderson was the Champions League winning skipper, Fabinho a leader who grew more and more in influence as the year progressed and Gini Wijnaldum a magnificent metronome with a knack for pivotal goals.

Together they formed a Champions League winning triumvirate which also forms the Ever-Pool midfield of 2019.

FRONT THREE

(Image: BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images)

As Bill Shankly once quipped, "Same as last year."

And the year before.

Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mo Salah's excellence is only matched by their consistency.

Mane's matchwinner against Wolves in Liverpool's final match of the year was his 31st of the year, Mo Salah managed 24 and Roberto Firmino, the dovetail joint who knits it all together, scored 15.

Together they form the Ever-Pool forward line. Again.

Everton's most prolific marksman of 2019 was Richarlison on 13 - but even he can't displace any of that phenomenal front three.

There's always 2020 ....

2019 team: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Henderson, Wijnaldum; Salah, Firmino, Mane.

EVER-POOL Teams of previous years

2018: Pickford; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Wijnaldum, Milner, Sigurdsson; Salah, Firmino, Mane.

2017: Pickford; Clyne, Matip, Jagielka, Baines; Can, Gueye; Coutinho, Mane, Salah; Firmino.

2016: Mignolet; Clyne, Lovren, Toure, Milner; Mane, Barry, Coutinho, Lallana; Firmino; Lukaku.

2015: Robles; Coleman, Stones, Jagielka, Moreno; Sterling, Henderson, Barry, Coutinho; Barkley; Lukaku.

2014: No team of the Year selected.

2013: Howard; Coleman, Jagielka, Distin, Baines; Mirallas, Gerrard, Henderson, Coutinho, Suarez, Sturridge.

2012: Howard; Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Baines; Osman, Gibson, Gerrard, Pienaar; Fellaini; Suarez.

2011: Reina; Kelly, Skrtel, Agger, Baines; Osman, Fellaini, Rodwell, Maxi Rodriguez; Suarez, Saha.

2010: No team of the Year selected.

2009: Reina; Carragher, Jagielka, Distin, Baines; Benayoun, Gerrard, Rodwell, Pienaar; Torres, Saha.

2008: Reina; Carragher, Jagielka, Skrtel, Lescott; Arteta, Gerrard, Mascherano, Pienaar; Torres, Yakubu.

2007: Reina; Arbeloa, Carragher, Yobo, Lescott; Pennant, Gerrard, Carsley, Arteta; Cahill; Torres.

2006: Martyn; Finnan, Lescott, Agger, Riise; Gerrard, Sissoko, Cahill, Arteta; Crouch. Johnson.

2005: Martyn; Finnan, Carragher, Stubbs, Warnock; Arteta, Gerrard, Alonso, Riise; Cahill; Crouch.

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2004: Martyn; Hibbert, Carragher, Weir; Pistone; Gravesen, Gerrard, Alonso, Kilbane; Baros, Bent.

2003: Kirkland; Finnan, Henchoz, Weir, Pistone; Watson, Gerrard, Gravesen, Kewell; Owen, Rooney.