Rockin' Rafa

"The second half was a crazy game and when it is a crazy game you can't control things. Why was it crazy? Because it was crazy." Make of that what you will. As Liverpool's title challenge ran into another brick wall in the form of Wigan last night, it seemed manager Rafa Benitez was feeling the strain of yet another draw, their third in a row.

But just what was Rafa talking about? The penalty decision? Wigan's physical, "in your face" approach? Liverpool's lack of form? Probably not. Sir Alex Ferguson? Probably. After claiming Liverpool lack the mental strength to cope with the demands of a title race, Ferguson has seen his arch-enemies draw with Stoke, Everton and now Wigan, while his United side have hit top gear again, epitomised by their 5-0 drubbing of West Brom on Tuesday.

Benitez may well have been complaining about the increased mind games being played by Ferguson, and although Benitez has said he will not enter into any, the time will surely come when his players will need the belief and a public vote of confidence from their manager.

Robbie Keane may as well have sat at home watching the game from the comfort of his own living room again. Torres came off because he was "tired", but on came Albert Riera. Keane was then snubbed again as Dirk Kuyt came on, but when the Irishman eventually entered the fold, all he had was nine minutes to make a difference. The fairtytale ending for the £20 million man was not to be, the 1-1 draw seeing Liverpool slip to third in the table.

Liverpool are on a dangerous run, their bad form being time with United's record breaking 11 consecutive clean sheets and 6 straight wins. Somehow, Chelsea are back in with a shout after their 2-0 win over Middlesbrough last night. After being mauled 3-0 at Old Trafford and being 1-0 down at home to Stoke after 85 minutes in the following game, it did look all over for Scolari's men, but they've fought back and now find themselves United's closest challengers again.

It does seem, though, that everything is suiting the league leaders at the moment. Liverpool and Chelsea meet on Sunday, and a draw then would hand a massive advantage to United, whose title odds have been slashed to 1/4 after the last couple of days' events. And whilst Gerrard and Torres had to be replaced with tiredness, Berbatov, Tevez, Ronaldo et al seem to be firing on all cylinders. Plus they have the return of a certain Mr Rooney to come later in the month.

After the fifth goal was scored at the Hawthorns on Tuesday, the United fans' chants were "Rafa's cracking up". They may well be right, after this latest show of "crazy" by the Liverpool manager, in tactical decisions and public speaking. It's advantage Manchester United.

Call Up for Cole?

The campaign for Carlton Cole to be included in the next England squad is gaining momentum all the time after a string of impressive performances from the striker. Cole scored another goal in West Ham's 2-0 win over Hull last night, while England boss Fabio Capello was in Italy, watching another Englishman score too, David Beckham staking his claim for a place in the squad against Spain.

Cole has hit a rich vein of form - his 6 goals in 6 games is no coincidence with West Ham's march up the table - and the talisman is knocking on the door all the time. Described by Gianfranco Zola as "the gentle giant", Cole's size is often not used to the best effect possible, something his possible rival for a place, Emile Heskey does to great effect. But let's face it, Heskey won't be around forever to play in "the Heskey role" as it has been named. Basically, that involves throwing your weight around up top and working selflessly for the good of the team. Cole is only 25, and if he keeps improving could still yet reach the top.

Heskey's appaling goal record for club and country could probably be blamed on his willingness to set other players up instead, but Cole gained three times as many assists as Heskey last season, as well as scoring more goals. In fact, only four other Premier League strikers had more assists than the West Ham man.

After Michael Owen broke a bone in his ankle, (whether he would have been picked is another matter) it unveils even more doors for Cole to keep knocking on. Dean Ashton is another competitor for the role, but always seems to be injured, and Kevin Davies is - well - always overlooked really, plus he's 32. Wayne Rooney - how fit will he be after his hamstring injury in the last few weeks?

Like Heskey, Cole sometimes goes wandering for long periods in matches. Sometimes looking disinterested and unwilling to throw himself about for a while, he does need a metaphorical cattle prod poked in his behind from time to time. But still, Cole offers England everything Heskey does, with a few goals chucked in for good measure. You could say, the English Didier Drogba. Too far? Maybe not in a couple of years...

Van-tastic United

Manchester United moved three points clear at the top of the Premier League and smashed Chelsea's record of 11 successive clean sheets after a 5-0 thumping of West Brom. The Premiership's bottom and top sides showed that, despite this being the closest the league's been in years, the gulf between the elite and the not-so-elite is just that, a gulf. Paul Robinson was sent off in a frustrating and ultimately disappointing night for the Baggies, who could have lost by a lot more.

The home side did start well however, new signing Marc-Antoine Fortune causing United's defence some early cause for concern, a defence which was boosted by the shock return of Rio Ferdinand after back trouble. Fellow defender Wes Brown came off the bench to further his recovery from injury problems, and Park Ji-Sung returned in typically spritely fashion, his pace and energy causing Albion trouble all evening.

Indeed, it was Park who was the victim of the Paul Robinson tackle that got him sent off, a slightly harsh decision looking back. Albion's fans were furious with the red card, but the brutal truth was that they were outclassed, and by then United had gone one up anyway.

Dimitar Berbatov played a lovely one-two on the edge of the box with another former Spurs man, Michael Carrick. Robinson probably should have done better with his positioning, his drifting inside allowed Berbatov a free shot, which in his current form he finished with aplomb, and the floodgates started to open. Carlos Tevez added a second before half time after Scott Carson mis-handled a free kick. Carson protested but in truth it was poor goalkeeping by the England man.

By then, the game was over as a contest and United switched their focus to shutting out West Brom in order to gain the record. They did have a nervous moment when Ryan Donk smashed a shot off the post just after the break. If that had gone in, who knows. With the crowd behind them, and a bit of momentum, Albion could have made a fist of it. But in true style of champions, United punished them with a third goal, Nemanja Vidic stealing in to head home from a Ryan Giggs corner.

Giggs had a hand in the fourth too. Rolling back the years, the Welshman went on a mazy run and pulled a perfect ball back for the up until then relatively quiet Cristiano Ronaldo. He shot into the corner after earlier missing two farily simple chances by his standard. The relief was clear to see for the Portugese winger, but many of the congratulations went to Giggs, who seems to have peaked again, with Sir Alex giving him exactly the right amount of playing time to keep him fresh for United's run-in.

A sweeping move saw United finish off their scoring for the evening, and two contentious offside decisions outraged Baggies' defenders, and saw two yellow cards brandished for dissent. Berbatov picked the ball up on the right wing, and after a run inside found Ronaldo with a throughball, who finished through the legs of Carson. Ronaldo was not offside, Berbatov might have been. It was all irrelevant really as five minutes later United broke the record.

11 clean sheets since their 2-1 loss to Arsenal way back on November 8th, and interestingly enough in that time they have conceded 12 goals in 9 Cup and European matches. Their defensive record has been absolutely brilliant, considering in that time they have played 8 different combinations of the back four, and three different goalkeepers.

If United continue this rich vein of form, it's hard to see anyone stopping them romping to a third successive title. Not even Roman's millions can save Chelsea this time.

Transfer Fever Hits, Part II

Our transfer lo-down continues here, with the other 10 Premier League clubs, and their possible buys before the transfer window shuts.

Man Utd

Fergie has said that's it for the January buys after Serbian duo Tosic and Ljajic joined from Partizan Belgrade, but with United's current injury crisis I wouldn't be surprised to see a Henrik Larsson type signing emerge from Carrington in the next few days. United won't want to spalsh out, but the Swede did wonders in the short stay he had two years ago.

Middlesbrough

The Stewart Downing affair seems to have finally come to an end, with the winger seeming set to stay at the Riverside, good news for the Boro. Marlon King has signed and will provide good support for Tuncay and Alves, but they look set to miss out on Ben Watson. That may be a cloud with a silver lining, as I feel they need someone with more experience anyway.

Newcastle

Will they keep hold of Shay Given? It's pivotal to their aspirations that they do, Given has been a magnificent servant and I can't see him leaving unless a very attractive offer comes along. Steve Harper has signed a new deal, which again points to the exit door for Given. Like Boro, they possibly need a bit more experience, especially in defence, and possibly in the manager's office too...

Portsmouth

Selling Defoe, and selling Diarra is not good news for Pompey fans. The money generated will help stabilize the club, but signings like Hayden Mullins will not go a long way to winning the fans over. Glen Johnson and Peter Crouch have commited their futures to the club, which is good news, but they really do need a striker. Nugent is not Premiership standard, and Crouch is crying out for someone to feed off him.

Stoke

The signings of James Beattie and Matty Etherington are very good buys. Beattie will work his socks off all game, and could be the ideal partner for Fuller, and Etherington can provide that crucial final pass in the attacking third of the pitch. Stoke have a real battle on to stay up, and their away form needs to improve, but it does seem they lack a creative spark at times.

Sunderland

They do need to make signings. Letting Chimbonda go is good news for the Mackems, but if Kenwyne Jones were to leave it could spell a disaster. Darren Bent might come the other way, and will score a good few goals but lacks the physical presence of Jones.

Tottenham

If the problem at Tottenham is the ethic and spirit of the side, then why didn't Harry go for Jimmy Bullard? He would have fit the bill perfectly and given a real wake-up call to their currently under-performing midfield players. Wilson Palacios could prove to be a good signing for Harry, who seems to have given up on defenders altogether. Chimbonda returning could be good, it could be a disaster. Much like Scolari at Chelsea, Redknapp will need to get the most out of the players at his current disposal.

West Brom

Really need a top player to turn games for them. Their injury list is as long as my arm and with a squad that size it could be fatal. Tony Mowbray needs to get his chairman's cheque book out and start splashing the cash or it could be a quick return to the Championship for West Brom.

West Ham

The turning point in their season seems to have been the 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge. West Ham have been turning out some great performances in the last few weeks, and the signing of Savio seems to echo what Zola is trying to do with the club. Like the other "smaller" teams in the league, they need to keep hold of their best players, like Cole and Parker.

Wigan

Been great in recent weeks but the loss of Emile Heskey could threaten their season. Mido's an interesting one, couldn't get in the team at Boro so I don't know how he will fare at Wigan. They've also let Palacios go which is a blow and the standard of player being brought in is not the same (see Ben Watson).

Transfer Fever Hits

With just under a week left until the transfer window slams firmly shut in the faces of Premier League managers, there has never been a better time to unveil a new superstar to the team. The top division in English football is the tightest it's ever been, with some clubs having the potential to finish in about 15 different positions. If a shrewd signing is made between now and Monday, February 2nd, it could be the difference between European football and mid-table mediocrity, or the difference between a safe passage into next season's top flight and a relegation dogfight.

So which teams will be looking to bolster in these last 6 days or so?

Arsenal
With Cesc Fabregas out injured for a while, Arsenal need a dominant figure in that midfield to really improve their options, something they've lacked since Gilberto, Flamini and even Vieira left. Arshavin could be on his way to the Emirates but a deal looks some way off at the moment, and with van Persie, Rosicky and Nasri already on the books, he isn't what they need anyway. The ongoing Gallas/Toure saga might result in an emergency defender being brought in too.

Aston Villa
Emile Heskey has been brought in by Martin O'Neill, a move that really shows his belief about the club's ambitions, not for the long term, but this season. He could have waited until the summer and brought the England striker in for nothing, but the £4m paid by Villa signal their intentions of finishing in the top four. Quite how he will fit into the Villa system with Carew, Young and Agbonlahor in the form of their lives this season remains to be seen, but as far as any other signings go, Villa just really need to boost numbers to stave off Arsenal.

Blackburn
It's not as much who they will sign, it's who they can keep. Santa Cruz is apparently getting ever more itchy feet and Rovers will do well to keep Man City and their billions away from their prized asset. Without him, they could be in real trouble. Elsewhere, Blackburn's defence has not looked great this season and they could really do with some cover there.

Bolton
Bolton seem to be back in trouble after a bad run, and signings could prove to be the way out of it. Record hitman Johan Elmander has failed to fire since moving to the Reebok so another striker might be needed, a Heskey-type figure would have been ideal.

Chelsea
Where do you start with Chelsea? Roman insists his wallet is being kept firmly in his pocket for the time being, with no money becoming available for transfers. Selling Cudicini might prove to be a mistake, especially if Cech gets injured again. For me, the main problem is the players that Chelsea have right now. Sort the Drogba's, the Ballack's and the Alex's out and they'll go a long way to challenging for honours this season, as they certainly have the talent.

Fulham
Jimmy Bullard leaving is a massive blow for Fulham fans. So often their saviour, he had the ability to turn a game with a beautifully crafted pass, a free-kick or the occasional blinding goal. Eyebrows will be raised at the £4m paid by Hull, but he needs to be replaced by someone of equal standard or Fulham could find themselves back in trouble.

Hull
After an incredible start to life in the top flight someone seems to have turned the power off for Hull's season. They're on a terrible run, but the signing of Bullard should help. Teams have realised now how to play against Hull so they need something different. Marlon King's left and with only Cousin up there now, they may need a striker too.

Liverpool
Another tough one to call. Although actually signing Robbie Keane might do Liverpool the world of good. They need to sort his situation, as at the start of the season a Keane-Torres partnership looked fantastic on paper, but the Irish star hasn't hit it off at Anfield yet. Benitez leaving him out altogether won't help, but I can't see Liverpool making any other signings.

Man City
Again, where to start? Wayne Bridge, Craig Bellamy and Nigel de Jong have joined, although you get the feeling that isn't it for City. They're sniffing around Roque Santa Cruz and will want to go comfort shopping after having their ego bruised by Kaka and Milan. Drogba anyone?

It's Getting Messi In Here

At the moment, Lionel Messi is quite simply the best in the world. Unlucky to come runner-up to Cristiano Ronaldo in the World Player of the Year award, Messi is proving his doubters wrong with a series of scintillating performances for Barcelona. The latest came on Saturday night, when Barca scored four second half goals to rout Numancia 4-1.

Messi grabbed two of those goals, taking his tally for the season to 14, and highlighting why he is so highly rated by followers worldwide. After pledging his future to the Catalan giants, saying he "would play for Barcelona until they threw me out", the Argentine wonderkid went on to partake in Barca's most entertaining performance of the season so far. And there is certainly no need to worry, Lionel, they won't be throwing you out just yet.

If they did, there would be a queue about as long as outside any job centre in England at the moment waiting to snap him up. Apparently it would cost $330 million to get Barca to accept an offer, and even then, he wouldn't leave. And why would he? Barca are running away with La Liga at the moment, leading closest challengers Real Madrid by 12 points. They were unlucky not to win the Champions League last season, reaching the semi finals before the World Champions had their way.

The business end of the season will definitely bring out the best and worst of many clubs at the top of the scale, and Barcelona are fantastically positioned to launch an assault on league, cup and European competitions alike. And Messi is desperate for success to really stake his claim as the world's best player. With Ronaldo's future at Man United still a little unclear, his performances have not been of the magical standard of the past two seasons, yet Messi is improving his all the time.

Fergie Feeling The Heat

Manchester United's injury concerns reached crisis levels on Saturday when Fabio, Danny Welbeck and Cristiano Ronaldo limped out of the action early. It takes the Champions' sidelined total to 12 senior players, with Edwin van der Sar possibly becoming a 13th as Ferguson insists on giving the experienced goalkeeper an extended rest period.

This comes just as news filters through that United's match with Everton has been brough forward 48 hours, and will be played at Saturday teatime instead, due to the Merseysiders' FA Cup replay with Liverpool. Ferguson will be genuinely worried about the effects of this massive fixture pile-up for his side, with games such as the Super Cup back in August, the World Championships in December, not to mention the travelling to and from Japan, the prolonged run in the Carling Cup which has seen them reach the final, and their ongoing involvement in the FA Cup and Champions League.

Looking at United's squad, it would seem they are the only side in the country that could cope with such demanding circumstances. However these latest injury additions has forced Fergie into playing the "false sense of security" card to his title rivals. On Monday, the Scot said that United will slip up somewhere along the line, that's inevitable. And with the current injury crisis, he wouldn't be far wrong. From United's 12 injured players, and the rested Van Der Sar, you could put together a very strong first XI:

Goalkeeper: Van der Sar
Defence: Brown, Ferdinand, Evans, Evra
Midfield: Ronaldo, Hargreaves, Anderson, Park
Strikers: Rooney, Welbeck
Substitutes: Rafael/Fabio

And this is the side that is likely to be put out against West Brom tonight:

Goalkeeper: Foster/Van der Sar
Defence: Fletcher, Vidic, Neville, O'Shea
Midfield: Nani, Scholes, Carrick, Giggs
Strikers: Tevez, Berbatov

There is a case that the former side would possibly be better suited to a trip to the Hawthorns, but still with 12 players injured United can put out what seems to be a very strong side. Will they slip up along the way? Probably. But the smart money is still certainly on Ferguson's men, especially with Liverpool and Chelsea not exactly in convincing form themselves.