"If only van Persie hadn't been injured, the table could've looked a lot different." say the gooners and the gooners in the media.

Of course, Man United and Chelsea never suffered at all with injuries, did they? Man United didn't have to play without most of their first choice back 4. Chelsea didn't have to make do without Essien, Ashley Cole, Bosingwa, Ivanovic etc.

The simple fact is that Arsenal are a mile away from Chelsea and Man United. Only the relatively poor performances from Chelsea and MU have allowed them to con themselves into thinking they are close. Next season, when their Scouse-esque ability to get opponents sent off leaves them like it left LFC this year, they'll be miles behind again.

-----------------------------------------------

With the way everything's gone for us since we drew with Blackburn, I expect Citeh to give United a beating on Saturday lunchtime.

Season is over in terms of the title. The only outcome to be decided is 4th.

But I don't see how you can write Arsenal out of contention when they are so close to the other two? Arsenal have had a crippling injury list, not just Van Persie. United did too but that was more than well publicised. If anything it's United that are behind Arsenal as they are a complete and utter one man team. Without Rooney they would struggle to win most games and would draw more than they won.

The real shame this season though is Everton. Moyes has them playing so well that 4th would have been a formality this season had we not spent the majority of the season without our best players. Jagielka, Arteta and Felaini have probably missed 100 games this season between them.

I don't accept the season is over in terms of the title. Man Utd beat Citeh on Saturday, Chelsea lose to Spurs and the gap is back to 1 point. With Chelsea still having to go to Anfield the title is still there for United to play for.



Man Utd have lost Ronaldo and Tevez, with no one brought in to replace them. Chelsea have been going through a bedding-in period with a new manager, a manager adjusting to a new language and a new country.

Arsenal, on the other hand, are in the 5th season of their mythical rebuilding programme.

Chelsea and MU have clearly gone down a level from where they've been in the last few years. And yet Arsenal were still way behind for a lot of the season. It is an achievement for them to have been so close at this stage, but IMO most of that has been as a result of them being playing against 10 men week after week, and benefiting from ridiculous gifts from the opposition. It is an obvious ability of top teams to take points when the performance doesn't merit it, but I don't think that the genuine top teams make a habit of it in the way the Arsenal have this season, and Liverpool last season.

Still sticking with my prediction that Liverpool will finish 7th this season.

Squad I'd take

Green
Hart
James

Johnson
Brown
Ferdinand
Terry
Jagielka
Baines
Cole

Gerrard
Lampard
Barry
Lennon
Walcott
J Cole
A Johnson
Milner
Hargreaves if at all possible, anyone other than Carrick for that last holding midfield berth. Carrick will go though.

Crouch
Rooney
Defoe
Bent

I wouldn't mind seeing Young, Agbonlahor, Wright Phillips, Upson, Rodwell, Dawson or Lescott go if they get the nod.

My starting XI would be

Hart

Johnson
Ferdinand
Terry
Cole

Barry (preferably Hargreaves)

Lennon
Gerrard
Lampard
Cole

Rooney

His name was Alonso. You could have saved all that typing.

JFT 96

Never forgotten.

Indeed. Memorial service at Anfield this afternoon?

justice for the 96, 21 years and still no one has been brought to book for the disaster.

Yup.

JFT for the 96!

YNWA

Just read something that I never really thought about as I just kind of thought all the fans that died that day 21 years ago were Liverpool fans, at least one wasn't he was a Spurs fan didn't even support us just happened to get a ticket for the match Gary Mabbut the then Spurs captain went to his funeral after a Liverpool player told them about it.

RIP

Barcelona where simply sensational last night against Deportivo. Although they only went in at half time 1 nil up their football was absolutely top draw and could've and should've been more. Finished 3 v 0

Pedro's goal was a cracker, wasn't it? Thought Xavi and Bojan were particularly good.

Wasn't it just. The whole team work ethic, along with the flair and simplicity of their game is just a joy to watch. Xavi was superb yes.

www.sportinglife.com/football/ne ... R_PFA.html [iPFA Players' Player of the Year nominees[/i Carlos Tevez Cesc Fabregas Didier Drogba Wayne Rooney [iPFA Young Player of the Year nominees[/i Cesc Fabregas James Milner Joe Hart Wayne Rooney

www.sportinglife.com/football/ne ... R_PFA.html [iPFA Players' Player of the Year nominees[/i Carlos Tevez Cesc Fabregas Didier Drogba Wayne Rooney [iPFA Young Player of the Year nominees[/i Cesc Fabregas James Milner Joe Hart Wayne Rooney

Wazza Rooney in the young player's award category? How does that work? He looks 35 and must be 25 by now surely?

24 Same as Milner they both seem to have been around forever

Can the same person win both??

If so they're both Shreks

I think Ronaldo won both in 06-07 ?!?

[url=http://www.redandwhitekop.com/forum/index.php?topic=256486.0Read the first post on that.[/url

Read that this morning the part where he could hear his mum screaming in the background really got to me.

Tottenham's win keeps the race for 4th going, the 5th May should be a cracker if they're within catching distance of one another.

Arsenal out of title race now and if Chelsea win on Saturday and Utd fail too, the title is Chelsea's.

We missed a big chance for 7th last night, feel 8th is the best we can hope for now.

Aye. Gut wrenching, the lot of it. 2nd time i've had a tear or a few in my eye today!

Chelsea, United, Arsenal, City, Spurs, Liverpool, Villa, Everton.