CAPTAIN FANTASTIC - FOOTBALL WRITERS' ASSOCIATION FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR

Congrats to Stevie G!

A rather belated nod to our very own Captain Fantastic, who's been in superb form this season.

Sorry Giggsy, you may and should be the most respected footballer for a whole generation - but best player of the year you certainly are not....

A special thanks to FWA for picking someone who actually did play regularly this season....

It's good news to behold, and it certainly takes a little something away from what remains of this season.

Manchester United face Wigan Athletic away this evening on what may well be our last chance to get back into the chase.

I know I said Wigan might yet pull a surprise, away games being what they are (hard to predict), but now I'm not so sure, especially since they don't seem to have much to fight for.

But you never know - and it sure is a better hope rooting for the Mancs to draw their last two than to actually lose them....

Whatever happens though, never give up - Never Walk Alone.

CRUCIAL WEEK AHEAD

Robinho & Andrei Arshavin: Will either of these two be able to put a dent in Manchester United's title hopes?

For the Red Devils that is.

Three games in one week is no laughing matter.

First a Man City derby at Old Trafford today; next up Wigan midweek; and finally a resurgent Arsenal on Saturday.

Win all three matches and congratulations - GAME OVER.

We NEED them to slip up - possibly even in all three matches.

The way I see it, their final game versus Hull City is a no contest. Poor Hull, a rising star first half of the season and now - utter bollocks.

If the Mancs go into that game knowing they need a win, then they'll win it, plain and simple.

So what's the deal for this week then?

To be honest, I don't harbour much hope for Man City. Oh sure, there's Robinho. There's the soon to be coming silly money. And of course there's the rivalry.

But Man City have been too inconsistent this season, and does Robinho really understand the rivalry between these two clubs? It could all come to tears tonight....

But what I do hope for is a cracking match that will take the wind off the Devils for their Wednesday meet up with Wigan.

Yes. Away to Wigan just might throw a surprise. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

And Arsenal of course SHOULD benefit from the Devils' fatigue when they travel up to OT on Saturday. They'll still be smarting from the thrashing they received in the Champions League.

But here's a difference - Arshavin. He whacked 4 goals in Anfield. I'm hoping he does the same at OT.

But first, it all comes down to today, actually.

Manchester City. I'm off to see the match shortly. We need at least a draw realistically, but even that seems dim. I'm just hoping for the best.

YNWA.

One Down - Two To Go

So now West Ham's out of the way with a breezy 3-0 win to our lads.

Was a tougher game though, than the scoreline reflects.

There were those who said West Ham would be the toughest of our remaining games.

I thought that too - but now I'm not so sure.

You kinda expect them to roll over and play dead, but after West Brom's heroics against Wigan yesterday, well.... And guess who they're meeting next week?

I don't even know who's the unlucky one, but you can bet they'll come out fighting.

Then there's Spurs, sitting pretty at the top half of the table and the first team to beat us this season.

But never mind all that for now. First we need to hold our knuckles together and look to the heavens....

Every Match A Title Decider

Gerrard is going to need a lot of luck plus some huge favors, but he's needs to do his part, just like everyone else at Liverpool FC.

In the crucial run in to the end of the season, every match could well prove a title decider.

For the Reds that is.

Only 3 games left to catch up on a 3-point deficit, not to mention MU's game in hand. Lose just one more and we might as well kiss the title goodbye, at least for this season.

For the Mancs, just 7 more points in 4 games to equal Liverpool's mighty 18 title haul.

Worst of all is that the matter's completely out of our hands. We don't just need to win all our games, we need THEM to drop points.

You can see why we're so nervous.

Today at Upton Park, we meet West Ham who, at 7th place, are no pushovers themselves. But it doesn't matter if it were Barcelona or Real Madrid - we NEED to win.

But what happens if we actually lose, or draw?

The good news is we could know by Wednesday if it's over.

The bad news is - NO, we don't give up - not as long as there's a mathematical chance.

Frankly, that's all we already have - a mathematical chance. Could we even dare hope for Manchester United to lose 2 of their final 4, or drop points in 3 out of 4?

Well here's a question. I know it's a little late for evaluation now... but why did we lose our UCL Quaterfinal against Chelsea?

Not because we couldn't score 4 goals at Stamford Bridge.

Nor because we conceded 4 at Stamford Bridge.

But because we never chased a 1-3 deficit at Anfield.

When the Blues scored their third during the first leg - we lost the game then and there.

I could literally see our players slump. Like they knew they were chasing a lost cause. The idea of shipping 3 away goals to Chelsea must have seemed like a bridge too far to cross.

BUT IT WASN'T.

No one who saw the second leg could have any doubt what even a 2-3 defeat at Anfield could have done for our boys in the return leg at Stamford Bridge.

It's easy to see things on hindsight.

But let's not worry about HINDSIGHT and instead concentrate on having the right FORESIGHT.

So here's my message to the lads.

We HAVE TO BELIEVE, and we have to take it ONE STEP AT A TIME.

It's what Rafa and just about everyone else has been saying. But no one can say it quite enough.

It's not easy to keep 100% week in, week out. But that's just what has to be done - just ask those fellas at Old Trafford.

I'm not sure if Stevie G and Co. will ever read about this in time. But I think maybe if enough people say it enough, believe it enough - then miracles can indeed happen.

Because at Liverpool, we know that miracles do happen.

And we'll never see quite enough of those, will we?

YNWA

YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQ9eTeGAnUs

When you walk through a storm,
Hold your head up high,
And don't be afraid of the dark.

At the end of the storm,
There's a golden sky,
And the sweet silver song of a lark.

Walk on through the wind,
Walk on through the rain,
Though your dreams be tossed and blown.

Walk on, walk on,
With hope in your heart,
And you'll never walk alone...

You'll Never Walk Alone.

Walk on, walk on,
With hope in your heart,
And you'll never walk alone...

You'll Never Walk Alone.