Progression: Liverpool were Two Goals From Winning the Premier League

For all of the experts' talk of the multi-million pound United squad being the best in the world, and how far from quality in comparison Liverpool are supposed to be, just two goals would have taken the trophy to Anfield. Two goals.

Mention Liverpool's 2008-09 season and the first thing you will get in response from a large number of football fans is "Rafa Benitez lost it because of all his draws." He was "too defensive" in his tactics and "too negative" in picking teams.

In my opinion, Rafael Benitez played a near perfect season.

"Quite a bold statement," you're probably now muttering under your breath and of course there will be the usual comments of "desperate" and "delusional" from some of our troubled United readers. The ones still choosing to bury their head in the sand when it comes to accepting Liverpool are on the resurgence.

Liverpool's current 86 points would have won them the league on seven separate occasions over the last 14 Premier League seasons. But the title-winning bar has been raised so considerably, by the quality of Chelsea, Arsenal, and Manchester United over the last six years, that you have to go back to 2003 for that to have happened.

It is the second highest points tally for the runner-up position in the history of the Premier league, behind only the 88 points achieved by Manchester United in 1995. Liverpool were only one win and a draw away from claiming victory. Liverpool were just two goals from success.

Two goals to win the title looks like a near perfect season to me.

This is not about ifs, buts, and maybes, it is about gauging just how close Liverpool came to winning the league. Yes, the team could have run away with it if they hadn't had 11 draws and dropped points against teams like Stoke and Hull City. But the point is, 11 draws did not cost us the title.

Two draws cost us the title.

Or one draw and the loss against Spurs, but either way, it is nowhere near as far from success as some would have you believe. Whenever supporters and the media attack Rafa for all of his "negative" management, they casually mention the 11 draws like it was the bare minimum needed for the club to have won the league this season.

In reality, it was just two.

Two goals in just two of the 11 draws was the actual bare minimum needed to finish across the line ahead of Manchester United.

This is not me trying to spin statistics to suit my argument because there is no denying the fact that Liverpool needed just four points to win the title. Turning two draws in to wins gives you four points and requires scoring one goal in each match.

Therefore, Liverpool where just two goals from a perfect title winning season.

You will hear supporters offer the famous Shankly mantra that "second is nowhere," but in building a squad's confidence, and more importantly its experience, second is somewhere.

Second gives the players belief and it gives them another necessary step toward that title and another inch closer to completing the hardest task of all.

Actually winning the league for the first time.

The closer you get, the harder it gets and when you are so near to dragging yourself across the finishing line, it really does come down to the very smallest of details. The perfect season that ends with the title can quite literally come down to needing just two more goals to win the Premier League.

Progression: Liverpool are Crowned Winners of the 'Top-Four' Mini-League

History normally determines that the winner of the "top-four" mini-league goes on to take the Premier League title with four of the last five seasons following this pattern.

It is widely considered that taking the most points from the other "top-four" teams is a vital ingredient in becoming English domestic champions, however with the current campaign just one game from completion, Liverpool run-away winners of the mini-league and Manchester United already being crowned champions, history will not be repeating itself this time around.

Since his arrival in the summer of 2004 Rafa Benitez has struggled to dominate games against Chelsea, Arsenal, and Manchester United with only 17 points from the 72 on offer and finishing bottom of the mini-league every season.

But as the Spaniard propels the club steadily forward he has once again shown that he is on the right road to success with another progressive season that has seen an impressive turn-around against his "top-four" rivals.

• Played 6


• Won 4


• Drawn 2


• Lost 0


• Scored 14


• Conceded 7


• Points 14

Despite a poor run of results for Manchester United which saw them win just one game against their title rivals, it was their incredible performances against the other 16 teams in the league which ensured they won their third English title in three years.

The current league champions managed 26 wins and four draws from the 32 games against teams outside the 'top four' with just the one loss against Fulham and one more game against Hull City still to play.

Some have suggested that it shows Manchester United are not as great a team that many have lauded over the recent months when compared to the other top sides and the quality between the top three or four clubs is alot closer than United are probably comfortable with.

On their day, any one of the 'top-four' clubs can be considered the best team in the country.
But the strength in depth and the quality of the players involved at United have proven the key factor during an incredibly long and very hard fought campaign that has seen them fighting for honours in the Premier League, World Club Cup winners, FA Cup semi-finalists, League Cup winners, a second Champions League final in two seasons and UEFA Super Cup runners-up.

Liverpool's run of form over the last few months has seen an impressive attacking unit that has ensured they finish as the leagues top scorers and proven to many with dominant displays against Real Madrid, Manchester United, and Chelsea that they are finally being considered as genuine Premier League title rivals alongside being one of the best teams in European competitions.

Benitez has once again shown progression with his team as Liverpool record their highest ever Premier League points total and the possibility of finishing an agonisingly close four points from newly crowned champions Manchester United should ensure that next season will definitely be one to watch for Liverpool supporters.

And no doubt for Manchester United supporters aswell.