NOT FEELING CHAMPION

SOME things just don't seem meant to be.

And as hard as it is to say, Liverpool FC Premier League Champions 2009 seems like being one of them.

We're in a great position of course, and it's still a possibility. But things just aren't falling into place are they? We're not getting that bit of luck, that helping hand from other teams.

And Man United, as badly as they have been playing, are still winning (with a little help from Howard Webb).

Not only that, did you see Arshavin's performance for Arsenal at the weekend? Whereas everything he hit at Anfield nestled in the back of Pepe Reina's net, everything from his boot flew into the stands against Boro. Typical.

He even managed an air shot. Just one of them the other night and we'd be two points better off.

But we've got to crack on. I can see the Reds going on to win all four of their remaining games and that will secure second at least.

That's no mean feat. Neither is beating the Mancs and Chelsea home and away, genuinely rattling Fergie and showing we can shake off the shackles and bury a team when they are there for the taking - even without Torres and Gerrard.

Our amazing run of goals (32 in the last 10 games!) is the biggest reason to be cheerful.

For a long time that was the big criticism of Benitez's Liverpool teams - too defensive, boring even.

Well not any more. And the result at Hull was another positive - proof that we can win in difficult conditions, while not playing our best, against a team of battlers.

Because it's that of course that has cost us this season. The draws with Wigan, Stoke and Hull earlier in the season.

Annoying, but true. But one thing's for sure, these teams will not be getting an easy ride next season.

I expect us to force the issue from day one. And who knows?

Perhaps Old Trafford will become the top four stadium where teams start fancying their chances - there's certainly evidence of that already.

And a bit of help from the ref wouldn't go amiss. Should of gone to Specsavers, Howard.

ARSE - WHAT A BUMMER

Liverpool.4
Arsenal....4

OH to be a neutral.

Because, for the neutrals, that was undoubtedly the game of the season - eight goals, world class forward play and Terry Fuckwit defending. A real nailbiter.

For Liverpool fans, it was a heart breaker. Entertaining of course, but I'd have settled for a 1-0 with the winner bouncing in off Jamie Carragher's arse.

It's disappointing not to have taken all three points but you've got to credit Arsenal, curse our luck (why did every chance they had fall to Arshavin?) and continue to hope and pray.

Oh, and look on the bright side - coming back from a losing position three times takes some doing. And we're top. Nearly forgot that bit.

I believe there'll be more twists and turns yet. But whatever happens, whether we win the thing or not, the future's bright.

I was thinking about this before the match, largely due to a conversation earlier in the day with a Man U fan.

I took great delight in pointing out that when Fergie calls it a day - anytime soon, you'd guess (hope, pray) - there is no natural successor for the bacon-faced Scot.

And whoever comes in will find it difficult to follow in his footsteps, will have his own ideas and will put United into, at best, a period of 'flux'.

Meanwhile, we looked poised to pounce. Ready to knock them off their 'fucking perch'.

Look at the squad - Insua (20), Skrtel (24), Torres (25), Agger (25), Mascherano (25), Reina (27), Alonso (27). There's plenty of years left in them yet.

And the older heads - Kuyt, Gerrard, Carragher - they're not going anywhere just yet either.

That's not a bad backbone. And, with his performances this season, Yossi Benayoun can now safely be added to that list (he's 28, in case you were wondering).

So when Fergie's reign ends, providing he's backed in the transfer market, Rafa is ready keep on doing what he's been doing - making us better.

And should we finish second in the Premier League this season - there's only one way to better it.

FERGIE: HAHAHAHAHAHA

WATCH: IT'S OFFICIAL, FERGIE'S A HYPOCRITE

JUST yesterday I blogged about Fergie's forgetfulness - now see the proof for yourself...

Yep, after accusing Benitez of showing "absolute contempt" for Sam Allardyce with a hand gesture, it appears Slur Alex has form for making the odd gesture himself.

PLEASE "SIR" CAN I HAVE SOME MORE (BULLSH*T)?

POOR old Fergie, eh?

We all knew he was cracking on (or cracking up?) but things appear to have taken a turn for the worst for the 67-year-old purple-faced watch-checker.

Yep, old whisky nose has now officially lost his marbles.

Those marbles have been clinging on for dear life in a a sea of single malt for a few weeks to be fair.

Now they've given up. So much so, that Taggart can't even remember what he said last week.

I'll refresh your memories, just in case, like Alex, you've recently been necking scotch.

Friday, April 10, 2009: Ferguson claims to think it's "fantastic" that Rafa Benitez suggested he's "scared" of Liverpool.

Grinning at the media lap dogs who he agrees to speak to these days (i.e. the ones who stock his booze cabinet) he said:

"But the interesting thing as far as Rafa Benitez is concerned is that he's got a European tie [against Chelsea] and he's talking about Alex Ferguson. Fantastic. I didn't know I was that important."

When asked whether he felt he had successfully "got under Benitez's skin", Ferguson grinned before replying: "I have no more comment to make."

Friday, April 17, 2009: Ferguson attends his press conference as he prepares for an FA Cup semi-final with Everton and decides to talk about Liverpool:

"Everton are a big club, not a small one which Benitez arrogantly said. But arrogance is one thing. You cannot forgive contempt, which is what he showed Sam Allardyce last weekend.

"When Liverpool scored their second goal he signalled as if the game was finished. I do not think Sam deserved that. Sam has worked so hard for the LMA [League Managers' Association] and he's had a weakened team. I just thought it showed contempt. In my experience no Liverpool manager has ever done that. It was beyond the pale."

Hmm, so I wonder if Benitez thinks it's "fantastic" that he is now so important just before such a big game for Manchester United?

What this is boils down to is Fergie is seriously worried - by Liverpool, by Benitez and by blowing the league to his biggest rivals.

Even more so now that we are out of the Champions League.

Our superb performance at Stamford Bridge might not have landed a semi-final spot, but the courage, skill and spirit on display ensured our ever-gathering momentum continued - and that was not good news for Ferguson's twitching arsehole.

And as Fergie's side go into battle with an Everton side that is unlikely to go down without a fight, our boys are putting their feet up and thinking about how to gun down Arsenal on Tuesday.

That's Arsenal who are also playing this weekend in a not-too-easy-looking match against Chelsea.

So an opposition team looks to have an advantage over Man United - cue the infamous "mind games".

What a load of bollocks. If Ferguson is a master of mind games, Benitez is a Frenchman.

The best Fergie could dream up this week (over a drink of course) with his old mate Big (Fat Head) Sam Allardyce was this ludicrous suggestion of a lack of respect indicated by a hand gesture.

Maybe he was drinking the same stuff when he came up with the "I was shitting myself so I had to tear-arse down the hard shoulder excuse" for breaking the law on the motorway.

So what did Rafa do to the Blackburn boss? Flick the Vs? Give him the bird? What about an Ace Ventura-style "Can you feel that Sam? Can yer? Can yer?" groin thrust?

No such luck - just a bashful half smile and, while never looking towards the Blackburn bench, a crossing of the hands.

It could feasibly mean "that's it". But that's what? Why does it mean "game over", as the Premier League's Chuckle Brothers suggest?

And why has it taken a week for Allardyce to say anything about this? And why, even more suspiciously, did Ferguson mention the incident FIRST in the press conferences yesterday? Almost like it was scripted...

Allardyce said:

"I think if everybody has a look back at his gestures you will see them as pretty dismissive to me and the Blackburn Rovers team as a whole. I was hugely disappointed by those gestures. I think they were disrespectful and quite humiliating.

"Having looked at them again this week, I think I'm right and everybody will see why I'm complaining.

"The feeling was that he had written us off. It was open arms and then a crossover of the arms as if to suggest that was it. I admit it was a hard game, a difficult game for us, and we were well beaten by an outstanding Liverpool side.

"But in terms of respect, you don't expect those sort of things to happen in a game of football. I was very, very upset by it. The game is hard enough as it is without a fellow manager doing what seemed to be an undermining gesture.

"I then waited to have a word with him after the game in his room, but as usual and unfortunately, he didn't turn up."

Well Red translation: "We were absolutely tonked by a Liverpool side that ripped us to shreds. I couldn't think of any decent excuses at the the time so I didn't make any. Midweek I was talking to my bezzy mate Alex and he was looking for a reason to have a pop at Liverpool. When he watched the tape of our game with Liverpool for the 1,000th time he spotted Benitez's gesture and we took it from there."

Judge for yourself - even Stevie Wonder can see these two had their beer goggles on when they dreamt up this one...

NINETY SIX REASONS TO TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT HILLSBOROUGH

PROUD - that's how I feel right now.

Proud to be a Red. Proud that 30,000 people took time out of their working day to pay their respects to the 96 fans that died at Hillsborough at Anfield today.

Proud that many more marked the 20th anniversary of the disaster at the stadium itself, in Nottingham and in and around Liverpool.

At the service today what struck me was just how long it took to read out 96 names - that really drove home the magnitude of the disaster.

I can't begin to imagine how the families of the dead, or the survivors, feel - and I won't attempt to put it into words.

All I can do is talk about my own experience.

What I remember is tuning in on the radio on that sunny day in 1989, sitting in my mum and dad's back garden, aged 12.

Like most people in Liverpool, I knew people who had gone to the game, lads from school. I would have done anything to be there myself - thankfully, I wasn't.

I remember running into the house to tell my mum and dad what was happening and we just ended up transfixed to the telly as the horror unfolded.

To this day it seems almost surreal, unbelievable. It's been said, and written, thousands of times - but how could it happen?

And how, 20 years on, can we have a situation where still nobody has been held to account?

It would only happen here. Look at Heysel. The head of the Belgian FA was JAILED for six months for his part in the organisation of that game.

Just after the current Liverpool FC team did us proud with a gutsy performance at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, the conversation between some friends and I turned to Hillsborough.

A good friend of 14 years standing was at that game on April 15, I knew that. What I didn't know was he was in the Leppings Lane end, along with his cousin and his dad.

And if it wasn't for his dad steering him away from the middle pen...well it doesn't bear thinking about.

What I also didn't know was he lost sight of his cousin in the ground and ended up searching amongst those who had perished before thankfully being reunited with him outside the ground.

It's our job as Liverpool fans to fight for the 96

The fact I have known him so long and yet been unaware of those facts says it all. It is shocking, horrendous - something a football fan should never have to go through - and something that it's not easy to accept, or talk about.

Now anybody who ever attends a football game has the 96 to thank for their privileged position - the knowledge that they will never go through something like that.

It should never have took what happened on that day to get to that position.

People were treated like animals back then - and now, even 20 years on, people should be held to account.

The 20-year anniversary was marked magnificently and the coverage in the newspapers, particularly in The Guardian and The Observer, in highlighting in the injustices of the tragedy has been superb.

I now believe, more than ever, that it's our job as Liverpool fans to fight for the 96, for their reputations, and for their families' peace of mind.

Because, believe or not, there's people who remain ignorant about the day, the events leading up to it - and the cover-ups ever since.

People who shrug it off, think it's time to leave it alone, and, most amazingly of all, continue to apportion some blame to Liverpool fans for the tragedy.

While that kind of viewpoint lives in the national conscience, we need to make sure the people fighting for justice don't walk alone.

So if you know someone who flippantly disregards the Hillsborough disaster or starts harping on about drunks, or hooligans - challenge them. Tell them the truth.

You owe it to the 96 - RIP, You'll Never Walk Alone.

PHONE-IN FICKLES IN SACK BENITEZ FARCE

TIT: Andy Gray laughed when Liverpool conceded against Chelsea

THERE'S no helping some people is there?

You've got one of the most highly-respected coaches in the world. The best striker in the world, the best midfielder in the world and you're in the title race with seven games to go.

Throw in an unbeaten home record in the Premier League and most goals scored - all on a budget which doesn't stand up to your main rivals, who, by the way, are among the top five clubs in the world.

So you're happy right? And if you lost ONE game inside 90 minutes you wouldn't turn on your manager and demand he is sacked would you?

Well that's what some small-minded fools did last night.

Minutes after an expensively assembled Chelsea side led by a world-class manager had won 3-1 at Anfield with an almost faultless display, these morons were dialling Talk Sport and Sky Sports to call for the head of Benitez.

Ridiculous.

Yes, Liverpool were below par but there's times when you just have to hold your hands up, say well done and move on.

And that time was last night. Chelsea were on fire. One of their fans confirmed as much to me earlier today, describing the performance as their best in the last two years.

It's just not possible to win all the time, on demand. Ask Alex Ferguson.

To suggest anything different is like suggesting Andy Gray is slim, impartial and entertaining.

Now it's important to move on - fast. We need to ram "Big" Sam Allardyce's mocking about "whinging and moaning" back down his throat with a win against Blackburn to put the pressure back on United in the league.

Playing our very own Big Sam(i) is a must as the man with the biggest head in football is certain to resort to his trademark tactics - lump it to the big man up front, likely to be 6ft 5ins Chris Samba (yes, the defender).

I don't care how we win that one, it can be uglier than Iain Dowie, we just have to win and then pray for another wobble from not-so-invincible United.

As for the second leg of the Champions League quarter final with Chelsea, of course I'd love it (love it) if we beat them. But by three clear goals? Just can't see it.

The eternal optimists who live in forum world are already trotting out the predictable mentions of Istanbul, tripping themselves up to type "believe" first.

Sorry, I don't. It's (if you'll excuse the pun) a Bridge too far.

HEAVEN KNOWS I'M NOT MISERABLE NOW

SO what exactly is there to feel down about?

Every media outlet is telling me I should be slitting my wrists while gloating glory-hunters mock away on the internet.

But why?

It's as you were in the Premier League, we need the Mancs to slip up. It's Chelsea again in the Champions League quarter finals on Wednesday.

We are in good form, top scorers in the league and in the stage of the season when we are traditionally at our strongest under Rafa Benitez.

Most importantly, with seven games left, we're in with a chance of the title.

If you'd offered me that at the start of the season I'd have snapped your hand off.

Forget what's gone on since, at the start of the season the task for Benitez was to get closer to winning the league. To see in the New Year with number 19 still a possibility. And to start getting results against our Big Four rivals.

So in that respect, it's job done.

No Red with an ounce of football knowledge seriously expected us to win the league at the start of the campaign.

Of course, now we are so close, things are different.

But the fact remains it's the Mancs' title to lose. Of course, they nearly slipped up for a third game in a row today.

They struggled against a team we swept aside 5-0 and were a scuffed Ronaldo shot and a dream debut goal away from getting beat.

So there's still reasons to be cheerful.

I still believe there's been a shift in the sands since we blew Fergie's boys away at Old Trafford - look at how Villa started today.

Teams are finally going to Stretford believing they can win, and not just rolling over for a tickle.

United still have the added distraction of the FA Cup, a semi-final which is looking more difficult by the day against Everton.

And as Fulham proved, games that people write off as an easy win for United don't always prove that way.

Look at the fixtures, there's plenty of potential for slips ups - for both clubs.

So unlike limp-wristed Lawro, I'm not throwing in the towel. And neither, I'd guess, will Gerrard, Carragher, Mascherano and the rest.

So let the glories gloat - bite your tongue, be gracious, and just think: How sweet would be it be if they throw it all away?

YOSSI'S LATE SHOW IS TV HELL FOR FERGUSON

IT'S a good job Manchester United are playing today.

If they didn't have a four o'clock fixture with Aston Villa, what would Fergie do this afternoon? It's not like he'd be able to watch telly is it?

The telly surely got it when a swing of Yossi Benayoun's right boot sunk Fulham in the 92nd minute and piled the pressure on his Manchester United side.

And what a shame that for once we were not 'treated' to a close up of Ferguson's reaction to a goal. That I would have paid for.

Even better was the manner of the win. You could imagine the United manager, feet up, sipping his vintage wine, chuckling every time Liverpool struck the bar or the post.

Thankfully, the Reds had the last laugh - winning at the death for the EIGHTH time this season.

It's a win that puts us top and will get under the skin of United fans, players and, of course, the manager.

Good, because too often the boot's been on the other foot and it's been us enduring their stoppage-time winners.

And what a mad week for Yossi. Injured on international duty after playing for Israel against the club's wishes, the enigmatic trickster popped up with the most vital of goals yesterday afternoon, his fifth of the season.

Good job too, because serial matchwinners Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard were cutting increasingly frustrated figures - with Stevie later admitting he didn't think it would be our day after the woodwork denied us four times.

So, now all eyes turn to the telly-smashing Ribena berry that is Alex Ferguson.

An out-of-sorts Aston Villa stand between him and the top of the league - and a win's a formality, we are led to believe.

Even the usually twitchy bookies remain confident, quoting Liverpool at 5-2 for the title with United at 2-5.

But with Rooney, Vidic, Scholes and Berbatov missing, who knows?

If you fancy Villa, you can get 7-1 for them to pull off a shock win that would threaten the safety of thousands of tellys on Merseyside - and have Liverpool landlords rubbing their hands together at a Sunday night takings boost.

I'm not counting my chickens though, and I'll say it again: Manchester United should win the league.

But people who should win, don't always win do they? Ask Tony McCoy...