THE essential nature of Liverpool-United clashes dictates something: they should never produce one-sided hammerings.

MY esteemed colleague Mr Azulay will doubtless explain alongside this column how his Wonder Boys can slay European Champions one day then allow themselves to be turned into chump pies at Wigan but the Rubicon is thus crossed: somehow, after a weekend during which we quite frankly embarrassed ourselves, suddenly the Title is now in our own hands, not theirs.