Second best: How it feels to fall short in a thrilling title race

Peter Reid (Everton), Gary Pallister, Rene Meulensteen (both Man Utd) and Jamie Carragher (Liverpool) have all experienced league-title near-misses
Peter Reid (Everton), Gary Pallister, Rene Meulensteen (both Man Utd) and Jamie Carragher (Liverpool) have all experienced league-title near-misses

As Manchester City and Liverpool prepare for the Premier League title race denouement on Sunday, one thing is certain - one of them will end the season with the most points of any runner-up in English top flight history. We asked key figures in five other thrilling title battles how it felt to come up just short.

QPR, 1975-76

Finished second to Liverpool on 59 points (two for a win)

John Hollins, midfielder

We were about 11 or 12 minutes from getting our hands on the title, not bad for a team promoted three years earlier. We had a line-up crammed full of talent and we would have been worthy winners. We had beaten Liverpool on the opening day of the season and fate would have it that they would be the ones to just pip us at the post come May.

It could have already been in the bag by then. We were top on a winning run of five or six games when we travelled to Carrow Road for our last away game. I believed we would beat Norwich, and we certainly had our chances.  We needed that win to guarantee the title and I remember Gerry Francis clattering the ball against the bar. Somehow we ended up losing 3-2. We were on a bonus of about £50. I was on £150 a week and there were others on £200. A victory then and the title would have been life-changing.

The defeat meant Liverpool, whose final matches were delayed because they were playing in Europe, would take fate out of our hands by travelling to Wolves away. I can remember sitting at home, sticking on the radio, and thinking 'what the hell is going to happen here'. I think we were at Sevenoaks then. My wife was in and out trying to reassure me. She kept saying 'leave it alone, it will be okay, you'll be alright". I had to go out in the garden, have a walk around and calm myself down.

Sevenoaks was quite a way out the city, so I didn't listen to it with my teammates. I sat there listening on the radio and Wolves were fighting for their lives. It still sticks in my mind. I was sitting in the house listening to it on the radio, screaming "come on, come on", and I think the Wolves left winger hit the bar. Then, about 20 minutes from time, Keegan scored, shortly followed by Toshack, then Kennedy. 3-1 it ended. That was it. It was over, and we were beaten by a point, forcing us to settle for a wonderful second.

That was the closest I ever came. We did well in cups where you only had to be on your game every three weeks. With the league it was every day, and that season was one of the best teams I played in. Such good players across the small squad. Stan Bowles, Gerry Francis, Don Masson, Dave Clement, Ian Gillard, Phil Parkes, David Webb, I could go on. I think out of the 42 games played, I was in at least 40. You played even when you were injured.

I look back on that year with such pride but we didn't do what we should have done. We didn't play badly. It was an incredible achievement to get so far but it wasn't to be. I won the Division Three with Swansea so I can only imagine what it must be like to lift the big one.  

Everton, 1985-86

Finished second to Liverpool on 86 points

Peter Reid, midfielder

We won the league in 1985 and then had Gary Lineker come in, an outstanding striker, and he scored 40 goals that season. When we beat Liverpool 2-0 at Anfield (on February 22) we put ourselves in a fantastic position. We were favourites then, but then Liverpool went on a great run. 

We had a few injuries hit us. Paul Bracewell was out and Neville Southall missed the end of the season. Bobby Mimms was a fine keeper, but Neville was the best in the world. Simple as. These were not the days of big squads.

The defining game was against Oxford three before the end. I missed that one with injury. Linx (Lineker) had three one-on-ones that night but it was not to be and Liverpool won the same night at Leicester City so it was back out of our hands. Liverpool still had to go to Chelsea on the final day and win. You can look back at different things, but in the end you look at the run they had and you have to give credit to that mob!

Then they beat us in the FA Cup final as we were both going for a double. Being the champions the year before it felt even worse to miss out. It is never good coming second. You could look for reasons and find excuses. The record books are the bottom line. Nobody ever says, ‘what a great season’.

What was pleasing after that was how we responded. We brought in some good signings over the summer – players like Paul Power and Kevin Langley – and in some respects there was an even greater effort because of the disappointment. We lost Lineker to Barcelona so it was a real achievement to come back and win the title in 1987.

Manchester United, 1994-95

Finished second to Blackburn on 88 points

Gary Pallister, defender

I've thought back to 94/95 a few times in recent weeks, especially United's 2-0 defeat to City last month when Liverpool found themselves in the weird position of being desperate for their old rivals to do them a favour.

For us, it had been the other way around, and we had been talking within the dressing room about whether Liverpool would be up for the fight against Blackburn on the last day.  We thought then there was no way they would help us out and, realistically, we wouldn't get the chance to win it, even though Liverpool were at home in front of their fans.

We were playing West Ham and getting the feeling pre-game that it might not be our year. There was big pressure, but nothing like the we had felt in the last year of the First Division and the first of the Premier League. That last year of Division One, when we lost to Leeds, we felt as though we were hampered because we had to play four games in a week. The league wouldn't let us extend and we fell short. There was anger raging in the dressing room so to get it over the line the next year really released the tension over that long era without a title and all those things that were holding us back just disappeared.

That was the pivotal one and while the pressure was different in 95, having the title taken away from us on the last day was no less hard to take. As it turned out Liverpool were very professional against Blackburn and it was us who couldn't quite get there. Ludek Miklosko had the game of his life in goal.

United missed out on the title on the final day to Blackburn in 1995
United missed out on the title on the final day to Blackburn in 1995 Credit: GETTY IMAGES

We were hearing from the crowd that Liverpool were up against Blackburn, a game they ended up winning 2-1, but we ended up 1-1 at Upton Park. We lost the FA Cup the following week and it was one of the worst summers of my life. To lose both like that was devastating in such a short period of time and then you've such a long summer where you just want to get back and put it right. There was real angst to start again. Some of that team had played their last game. Incey, Sparky, Kanchelskis were moved on and the Class of 92 came through. You knew they were good but none of us could have been sure they were ready to win titles. 

You always feel the pressure in those last days of a season, but I don't know how Liverpool must be feeling. Losing just one game and hitting so many points. It's never been done before, having two teams at that level. Given how unique it is, the pressure will be different.  

Liverpool, 2008-09

Finished second to Manchester United on 86 points.

Jamie Carragher, defender

There was a moment when we thought we might do it. Yossi Benayoun scored a late winner at Fulham and for the first time it looked like Manchester United were under pressure. It never materialised.

We had given ourselves a chance by beating United 4-1 at Old Trafford – the day when Fernando Torres terrorised Nemanja Vidic – but United still had a comfortable lead.

The great myth of that season was the idea Rafa Benitez’s attempted mindgames - the 'facts' speech - backfired. If you look at the run-in, between March 2 and May 24 we won 11 of 12 games, the only draw being a 4-4 against Arsenal. That point effectively ended our hopes.

It was the best Liverpool side I played in. Steven Gerrard and Torres were at their best. We had Javier Mascherano and Xabi Alonso paired in midfield. We lost only twice.

Carragher and Benitez fell short with Liverpool in 2009
Carragher and Benitez fell short with Liverpool in 2009 Credit: GETTY IMAGES

Our problem turned out to be too many draws, particularly in the first half of the season. There were 11 in total, all games which could have gone our way. When you finish with 86 points – four off the lead -  that is the biggest frustration.

Given what was going on off the pitch at the time, with all the problems surrounding Tom Hicks and George Gillett coming to the surface, it was still an achievement.

What is disappointing is it turned out to be a one-off, the closest we got under Rafa before it all went wrong. Xabi left the following summer and was never replaced properly and the balance of the side was never the same. Until this season, there has only been one other Anfield title bid recently – that of Brendan Rodgers’ side in 2014.

Manchester United, 2011-12

Finished second to Manchester City on 89 points

Renee Meulensteen, assistant manager

Our league title defeat, decided just on goals, came in the same season that we lost against City 6-1. That shocker came early in the campaign but Sir Alex knew then that the goal difference might cost us.

We were a couple of goals down at half-time and then had Jonny Evans sent off. It then became 3-0 but then we scored through Darren Fletcher. Suddenly it was a strange thing. Players flooded forward as they thought they could turn it around, which resulted in City finding their fourth, fifth, sixth. That was so early in the season but the manager was right: those goals would cost us dearly. During the run, I do remember the game playing at home to Everton when we still had the clear advantage over City, but we lost our points, against Everton and away to Wigan. 

We were 4-2 up against Everton and it should have been 5-2. We had a great break and then Patrice Evra headed the ball against the post. That would have been game over. No problem whatsoever. But instead, on the break, Everton scored their third and in the latter stages equalised. That was such a disappointing result combined with losing to Wigan. When you look back the lesson is that eras can be defined by fine margins and decisions.

We were losing our advantage and City gained momentum in their games, and it all boiled down to that final game where we had to beat Sunderland by some deficit.

We of course did beat Sunderland but it was only 1-0 and we finished slightly earlier than Manchester City at the Etihad. Whilst we were waiting on the pitch, I remember going inside to meet up with the video analyst to check on the score, and as I walked towards the room he was in, he came out with his head in his hands. That was the moment I knew it was over: City had scored.

That was it. I was just the first one in the dressing room. It felt a very empty place. By that point the fans were passing on the results to the players and staff.  The QPR moment still lives with you. The only thing that needed to be done was to get the ball in the corner to work Joe Hart and then press. It was all that would have been needed to see out the game. But instead, they give the ball away and within three passes it is in the back of the net. Credit to Manchester City for keeping their composure and quality, but it should never have happened at that level.

You remember those days as much as you do the trophies. That's what makes football so colourful.  

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