We did well to win at Sunderland last Sunday because we were awareChelsea had beaten Liverpool when we went onto the pitch, which made it difficult.

We had looked at Chelsea's visit to Anfield as a major chance of getting help from elsewhere, but it wasn't to be. I wasn't involved against Sunderland so I had the chance to watch the second half of the Liverpool game and, to be honest, there was no chance of Liverpool getting a result. The second half was a foregone conclusion and it wasn't the usual Liverpool home performance.

That may be because they had played in Europe a few days before, but whatever the reason it never looked like anything was going to happen for us.

The great thing about last Sunday though was that we still went out and put in a performance to beat Sunderland. It keeps Chelsea on their toes for their final game today against Wigan Athletic. It means they have to be professional today and do a job. We expect they will do, and we recognise it is a very tough game for any team going to Chelsea because they've only dropped four points at home all season. But we still cling to the hope that something can happen in our favour.

It would be a big surprise but it wouldn't be the strangest thing in the world. We just have to do our job and hope.

All teams go out to try and get a result and it will be no different for Wigan today. The problem is they have a very difficult game. Chelsea should be chomping at the bit to win the league and their fans should be buoyant. But there could be a freak performance from Wigan or Chelsea; Wigan have got points there in the past and they have some dangerous players.

Whatever happens, we can't blame anyone else for being in this position because we've made mistakes this season to take things out of our hands.

Of course I think about the things we could have done differently. I'm still looking back at games in 1995 and thinking about what might have been.

For every league and European Cup we haven't won, I look back and think about the little things we could have done different. If we don't win the league then the mistakes we've made this season will live with me forever.

On the other hand, I have to accept that nobody can win all the time. But there are always feelings of regret and disappointment about what might have been. I don't dwell on it too much but I still think at times about games gone by.

I think back to last game of the season in 1995 against West Ham United, with the chances we had and the fact that if we had scored we would have won the league. To this day, when I think back about that game it makes my stomach sick. But that's life and you have to live with it.

When I look back at our great victories I get a good feeling. In life there are times you enjoy and times you don't enjoy, times you look back on with fond memories and times you look back on and hope the same thing never happens again. Hopefully I will look back on tomorrow with fond memories.

I watched the crunch game for a Champions League qualification place between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur last Wednesday and thought it was a great performance from Spurs; they fully deserved their victory.

It is a great achievement for them to overcome the spending power of Manchester City, a big club like Liverpool, and a team with quality players like Aston Villa. They have done it the right way, playing good football and putting in some outstanding performances in the last few weeks. They've beaten Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City away recently, and if a team gets results like that in the run-in they deserve the rewards.

I don't think anyone expected Spurs to qualify for the Champions League at the beginning of the season, but it went down to the wire and Spurs hit form at exactly the right time, while other teams fell away.

The Champions League is definitely a step up in class for teams who haven't played in it before. Everton qualified for it in 2005 through fourth spot, but they got drawn against Villarreal in the qualifying round and were beaten.

No one wants to draw a Spanish team and there are other good teams in the qualifying rounds, so Spurs will know there is no guarantee they will get to the group stages if they finish fourth. But they have an opportunity and they can strength­en over the summer, so they have a great chance of making the group stages.

The Champions League is the Holy Land for football clubs. There are six matches guaranteed and it is not just the financial benefits that make it worthwhile. It's a brilliant experience for players and supporters. We have had some of our greatest nights at Old Trafford in the Champions League and some our greatest away games against the biggest names in > Europe.

I don't think failing to qualify for the Champions League will matter for teams like Manchester City, Liverpool, Villa and Everton in terms of player recruitment. They will recognise they have to take things season-by-season. I'm sure they will come back next season determined to do well.

Ridiculous decision

It is ridiculous and short-sighted for the Premier League to turn down Fulham's request to have their final league game played yesterday instead of today to help them prepare for their Europa League final on Wednesday in Hamburg.

It doesn't surprise me one bit, however, because we continuously harm the chances of English teams in Europe by giving them away games before or after European games.

We have played games on a Wednesday night in Turkey, then played away in the Premier League on a Saturday lunchtime. It's the same for all clubs. It's an absolutely incredible achievement for any team to get to a European final. For Fulham to achieve what they have done and not to be helped by the Premier League is hard to take.

Let's face it, the Fulham league game does not really mean anything. OK, they might be able to move up a place or down a place, but what real effect will that have on the rest of the league? Surely everyone wants Fulham to win the final on Wednesday.

The Premier League's decision is likely to cause Fulham to field a weakened team in their final league game and I wouldn't blame them. Last year we played Hull City in our final game and I think we changed 10 players because we had the Champions League final coming up. I don't think it would surprise or upset anyone if Fulham do that. They are up against Atletico Madrid and it will be probably their toughest test so far. But they have momentum, and with the way things have gone this season they have a good chance. It should be a great game.

Send your questions to Gary Neville to sunday@timesof malta.com.

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