Xabi Alonso Quotations

We've won a lot of matches over the last couple of months and it can be a frustration when you see the gap isn't really closing.

It is one of the keys to beating Manchester United that those two are controlled.

We're doing much better away from home this season and that's why we can get a result at Old Trafford. We're more solid, more compact and more consistent in our results.

We don't need to talk about catching Chelsea at the moment. We have to look after our own results first. It's difficult to see them dropping too many points but you never know.

We all know what this game means. It's always a big occasion but I think this one is even more important than normal.

We are trying to use all the options we have at the moment, but I think you can see we still need a little more,

An uneven playing surface will affect us more than them. They play more of a more direct, aerial game and we prefer a passing game so we are bound to suffer if the pitch isn't in good condition.

It was so disappointing for us and a painful defeat,

It's better not to look at the table at this moment. We must try to think only about our next Premiership match.

As long as we have the possibility then we still have to fight for it.

I tried to do everything just as I would before any other match, but it was impossible.

We will have to go to win. There's no other option. We have one more match.

I've still got Paul Scholes' shirt at home which I swapped with him once. When I was at Liverpool he was one of the players I liked most. Maybe he's not valued as much as he should be in England because of the style of football there and because he keeps a low profile. Perhaps he would have been more valued in Spain, where midfielders like him form part of the 'ideal.' Fans in Spain rate him very highly and I admire him a huge amount.

I left Real Madrid for the same reason Di Maria did. We work hard but only others get the praise.

I am still a Liverpool fan and will be forever, absolutely

I had five great years at Liverpool and I would rather just keep that memory as it is.