Tag Archives: survival

Quintet ready for survival battle

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Five sets of Premier League supporters will be nervously checking scores from around the country, as well as watching their side, in the hope they end the final day of the season outside of the dreaded bottom three. There are myriad permutations involving Wolves, Blackburn, Birmingham, Blackpool and Wigan. Here is our look at what may – or may not – happen.

Wolves v Blackburn

Both these sides sit a point outside the drop zone (100/1 for both sides to go down) and know if results go their way they could see out a comfortable draw and both secure safety.

However, after beating Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City at home this season Wolves will be desperate to Blackburn to their list of Molineux victims and guarantee a third successive Premier League season.

Blackburn (8/1 to go down) are on a poor run of form with a narrow home win over Bolton last month their only victory in 13 matches. They do though have the best goal difference out of all five teams and I suspect boss Steve Kean will be relying on the results of others to keep his side safe.

Wigan v Stoke

At half-time at the DW Stadium last weekend Wigan (evens to stay up) were staring relegation in the face. But their stirring comeback and eventual 3-2 over West Ham has given them a fighting chance of survival. They play a Stoke side still licking their wounds after their defeat by Man City in last week’s FA Cup final.

Tony Pulis will demand nothing more than 100% effort from his well drilled side but you wonder whether their Wembley agony could work in Wigan’s favour, allowing them to grab the win they desperately need.

Manchester United v Blackpool

Ian Holloway’s men have the toughest game of all the relegation-threatened sides as they become the final team to try and defeat Champions Manchester United at home this season.

A debate has raged this week about Sir Alex Ferguson’s team selection and whether he will rest key stars ahead of next week’s Champions League final. Fergie has since confirmed though that Edwin van der Sar, Darren Fletcher, Patrice Evra, Paul Scholes, Anderson, Dimitar Berbatov will all start.

Blackpool (4/11 to go down) have impressed with their bold, fearless approach this season and that could yet bring them rewards. Should they end the campaign level on points and goal difference, their impressive haul of 53 goals scored could yet save them.

Tottenham v Birmingham

That memorable day at Wembley when Birmingham (4/6 to go down) lifted the Carling Cup must feel like a long time ago now as the club slides towards the bottom three.

They have spent the majority of the season in lower mid-table but their run of two wins from their last 12 games is classic of a side sleepwalking into a relegation battle and not having time to wake up before it is too late.

They play a Tottenham side who need a win to ensure Europa League football next season and after watching City’s limp display against Fulham last weekend I suspect they will be relying on other results to keep them out of trouble.

Prediction: Birmingham and Blackpool to go down with West Ham

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2 from 5 in survival fight

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Sunday promises to provide the most thrilling Premier League relegation battle in history, with five teams battling to survive in the top flight. We take a look at all the contenders and who might be facing the prospect of Championship football next season.

Wigan

Roberto Martinez’s men have given themselves a chance of survival with just one defeat in their last five games – picking up eight points from a possible 15.

Their last-gasp win over West Ham not only gave them hope, but will have also boosted confidence in a big way ahead of Sunday’s final game.

Latics (Evens to stay up) go to Stoke to face a team who never roll over, although their recent FA Cup final defeat will have knocked some of the stuffing out of Tony Pulis’ injury-hit squad.

Wigan have only beaten the Potters once in their last eight meetings, with their last victory at the Britannia coming in November 2004.

Blackpool

Most neutrals will hope the Tangerines can survive, having upset the odds so often this season on a tight budget.

The recent win over Bolton was a must and having rediscovered their goal-scoring form in recent weeks, they have renewed hope.

Blackpool (4/11 to be relegated) have the toughest final game of the weekend, with a trip to champions Manchester United, but it threatens to be a much changed United team that they face.

Charlie Adam and co are capable of avoiding defeat at Old Trafford, but a draw is unlikely to be enough and three points looks like a tall order.

Birmingham

A lack of goals has been Birmingham’s big problem all season and may yet cost them a place in the Premier League.

Three goals in their last five games tells its own story, as does the leading scorer tally – which is topped by midfielder Craig Gardner, with just seven in the league.

Blues (11/10 to stay up) have an away date at Spurs on Sunday and having not won on the road since early February, the omens don’t look good for Alex McLeish’s men.

A solid defensive display is needed at White Hart Lane, as the goals against column could yet prove crucial.

Wolves

Mick McCarthy’s men are arguably the team in form at the bottom end of the table with two wins and a draw in their last three matches.

Their only concern going into Sunday’s final game at home to Blackburn is that their form against the teams around them is poor.

Wolves (11/2 to be relegated) have beaten the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool this term and should be too strong for their opponents on Sunday, with a win certain of keeping them up for a second season.

Blackburn

Rovers have won just one of their last 13 games and their fans have every reason to be worried about relegation.

Steve Kean’s men have won just three times on the road this season and a defeat at Molineux could see them end up in the bottom three.

The only plus for Rovers (8/1 to be relegated) going into the final games is that they have at least a better goal difference than their rivals – and that may yet prove crucial.

Prediction: Blackpool and Birmingham to be relegated with West Ham

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Survival instincts kick in

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This season’s relegation battle in the Premier League has been one of the most enthralling – and difficult – to predict in many a year. And, with just four games to go, the wise view is that there are realistically still six teams in danger of going down (Premier League relegation 2010-11).

Here we assess which three out of Birmingham, Wolves, Blackburn, Blackpool, Wigan and West Brom are likely to be playing Championship football next term (all odds to be relegated).

Let’s start with West Ham (4/11) and for Hammers fans it does not make easy reading. Currently bottom of the table, Avram Grant’s men are staring at a return to the second tier for the first time in six years, unless they can pick up a couple of wins in the run-in. However, next up is a trip to fourth-place chasers Manchester City and a defeat there, with other results going against them, could leave the picture even bleaker come Monday in the East End.

They do have key games against fellow strugglers Blackburn and Wigan to come yet before a final-day clash at home to Sunderland, but the feeling is even one good result out of those three may not be enough to save the Hammers.

Wolves (4/6) sit second bottom at the minute and are also in worryingly poor form. Without a win in four, Mick McCarthy’s side were outfought at Stoke on Tuesday – A lack of fighting spirit is something they will surely have to rectify against local foes Birmingham on Sunday if they are to give themselves a chance of survival. But Blues are difficult to beat in their own back yard so we see a win for Alex McLeish’s side this weekend to heap more pressure on their Black Country rivals.

It doesn’t get much easier for Wolves as a humdinger of a derby against West Brom follows that before tricky games against Sunderland and Blackburn. Three points out of those three games may seem an achievement but it could also leave them tantalisingly short when it comes down to the final count.

Just four points separate Wigan, Blackpool Blackburn and Birmingham and it looks like one from these four strugglers will eventually go down with the aforementioned two.

And this is where it gets tricky.

Blackpool (4/11) need to rediscover their early-season form – and quick – if they are to avoid a quick return to the Championship. Next up is a home game against Stoke but, sadly for Ian Holloway’s men, a draw looks like the best they can get off the FA Cup finalists. That may not be enough, though, as tough trips to Spurs and Manchester United lie in wait over the next month and we see two defeats there so a win over Bolton in between may ultimately be in vain.

Birmingham (10/1) appear best placed to avoid relegation out of the six and a home win over Wolves this weekend will do their survival bid the power of good. Following on from that Blues take on Newcastle at St James’ Park – again somewhere they can come away from with a positive result – before another very winnable home game against Fulham. By that time they may well be safe anyway.

Blackburn (13/8) have been in freefall but showed signs of fight against Man City on Monday. They should have got something from the game but we expect them to pick up three points from the must-win home game against Bolton on Saturday. Then, a point at West Ham and a win over Wolves on the final day should see Rovers steer clear of trouble.

So that leaves us with Wigan (4/7). Despite a poor run in the second half of the season, Roberto Martinez says he has the full backing of chairman Dave Whelan and is working without pressure in the final run-in. It certainly seemed that way during the vital win at Blackpool earlier this month but then the 4-2 reverse at Sunderland last time out leaves them searching for more wins. In-form Everton visit the DW Stadium on Saturday and we see this ending all square. Then a bold win at Aston Villa and further draws against West Ham and Stoke inches them out of the bottom three in the nick of time.

West Ham – final points total prediction: 35 Position: 20th

Wolves – 36 – 19th

Bpool – 38 – 18th

Wigan – 40 – 17th.

Blackburn – 42 – 16th

Birmingham – 45 – 14th.

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Nine sweat over survival hopes

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West Brom’s late draw at Stoke on Monday means the battle to avoid relegation from the Premier League this season remains as tight as ever with 10 games to go for most clubs. Some experts reckon up to nine teams are still in danger of going down and here we assess who looks best-placed to hold on to their top-flight status in the crucial couple of months that lie ahead.

With Everton currently in 11th, but with a game in hand on most teams, it looks like David Moyes’s side – on 33 points – have done just about enough to stay up but everyone from 12th (Aston Villa) down could yet get dragged in.

Villa’s (1/150 to stay up) form since Gerard Houllier took over has been frustratingly inconsistent but, with the likes of Stewart Downing, Gabby Agbonlahor, Ashley Young and Darren Bent in their squad, the midlanders surely have far too much quality to go down. A win at Bolton on Saturday will probably put an end to any lingering doubts over their Premier League future.

Equally, Fulham (1/40) look to have too much to be caught in a relegation scrap come early May and the deserved 1-1 draw at Man City on Sunday shows Mark Hughes’s side will pick up enough points between now and the end of the season to maintain their top-flight status for another year at least.

The Cottagers host Blackburn (1/9) on Saturday and, if Rovers slip up away from home again, then they will begin to look worryingly over their shoulders. They still have tough games to come against title-chasing duo Manchester United and Arsenal and third-placed Man City are yet to visit Ewood Park. Wins against fellow-strugglers Blackpool and Birmingham in the next month or so will be absolutely vital or a nervous finish to the season awaits.

Out of all the sides currently in the bottom six, Blackpool (8/15) would be most neutrals’ choice to stay up, such has been the way the Seasiders have entertained in their debut campaign in the Premier League. However, wins against the likes of Liverpool and Spurs mean nothing if your defence is constantly leaking goals and, sadly for Ian Holloway, that has been the case for the past month. We reckon Blackpool will just about stay up thanks largely to their form in the first half of the season but it would be no surprise if they have to wait until the last day to make sure of safety.

So that leaves us with just two from the final five at the bottom to pick from to avoid the drop – and this is where it becomes tricky.

West Ham’s (5/6) win over Liverpool on Sunday was a huge boost for Avram Grant’s side but they must reproduce that form over the next month if they are to get out of the mire in a season in which one encouraging performance has then often been followed by a dreadful one. However, there is certainly goals in Freddie Picquionne, Demba Ba and Victor Obinna while Scott Parker and the fit-again Thomas Hitzlsperger should win enough midfield battles in the coming weeks to secure some more vital wins.

Birmingham (4/7) have a couple of games in hand on their rivals due to their Carling Cup run but how they now react to Sunday’s memorable triumph will be key to whether the Blues stay up. Certainly if they approach the games they have left in the same manner they did at Wembley then surely survival is guaranteed.

The worry for Alex McLeish is that plenty of teams in the past have switched off when winning the League Cup thinking their season has been a success already but the wily Scot will not let that happen and we envisage a final-day draw at Spurs will keep them up.

So by our reckoning, that leaves West Brom (5/6), Wolves (4/7) and Wigan (12/5) as the teams who, come May, could be forced to face up to the prospect of second-tier football once again.

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Villa can boost survival fight

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There is the rarity of all Saturday’s Premier League games kicking off at 3pm, with important fixtures at both ends of the table. Two sides looking over their shoulders meet at Villa Park, with Gerard Houllier’s men looking set for a crucial three points.

Aston Villa v Blackburn

Villa knocked Rovers out of the FA Cup last month and the home side look likely to repeat the dose when Steve Kean’s men return to the Midlands. The home side are just three points outside the bottom three but it’s their away form that has led to their slump.

Villa have lost just three times at home in 13 league games and have lost just one of their last eight games. Meanwhile, despite sitting in 11th, Rovers are just five points from the drop zone and their recent form will be a concern. One win in six indicates Blackburn are a team on the slide, and a lack of goals will also worry the Rovers faithful.

Match Bet: Darren Bent to score 2 or more @ 5/1

Wigan v Man Utd

A new surface at the DW Stadium looks set to play into United’s hands and Fergie’s men look set to extend their lead at the top. Wigan have relayed their patchy pitch in the last fortnight which means a better pitch for the leaders to perform on.

Latics will also be without key on-loan midfielder Tom Cleverley, who is in illegible, and although Rio Ferdinand is still sidelined, the visitors should prove too strong for an inconsistent Wigan who remain in the bottom three.

Match Bet: Draw HT / Man Utd FT @ 3/1

Wolves v Blackpool

A huge game for both sides in their battle for survival, but the pressure will firmly be on the shoulders of the home team. Wolves are currently bottom and have struggled against fellow relegation candidates this season – losing at home to the likes of Wigan and Aston Villa and being held by West Ham.

Blackpool will have received a massive boost from their midweek win over Spurs and will go in search of a sixth away win of the season. The absence of the suspended Charlie Adam will be a blow though, and that may swing things in favour of Mick McCarthy’s men.

Match Bet: Both teams to score @ 8/13

Everton v Sunderland

Forget the Cup win over Chelsea, this is the big test for Everton in front of their restless home fans….and it’s a game they can’t afford to lose. David Moyes’ men are just three points from the bottom three and have, amazingly, won just four of their 12 league games at Goodison. A lack of firepower is a continued problem and the Blues need Tim Cahill to deliver following his recent spell with Australia.

Sunderland are looking to avoid a fourth straight defeat, although the Black Cats are not playing as badly as the form guide suggests. Steve Bruce’s men have won two of their last three away games and could welcome back Fraizer Campbell.

Match Bet: Draw @ 5/2

Newcastle v Bolton

Alan Pardew has quietly gone about his business since his controversial appointment and knows two more wins should see the Magpies safe. Their home form has been impressive of late, with the Toon taking seven points from their last three fixtures and a win will see them move above their opponents in the table.

Newcastle’s hopes of another win will probably be helped by Bolton’s continuing FA Cup run. Wanderers are into the quarter-finals and that, combined with several injury problems, may see them slip out of the battle for a place in Europe.

Match Bet: Kevin Nolan to score @ 2/1

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Holloway confident of survival

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Blackpool manager Ian Holloway is on the verge of signing a new two-year contract and believes the Seasiders (3/1 to beat Wigan on Saturday) will be able to survive this season despite the difficult build-up to the campaign.

The north-west club make their triumphant return to the top flight of English football on Saturday when they travel to the DW Stadium for their season opener, 39 years after their last game in the top tier.

However, it has been a difficult build-up for Blackpool ever since they secured promotion with a 3-2 victory over Cardiff in the Championship play-off in May.

Holloway’s side have been reduced to the bare bones over the summer as they failed to sign many of the loan stars than made them a success last season.

The Seasiders had been desperate to recruit DJ Campbell from Leicester after his loan spell last season but had a number of bids rejected by the Foxes as they held out for more money.

The problems with signing Campbell have been repeated with a number of players and while Holloway has finally been able to bring in five new recruits it looks as though Blackpool could struggle to fill their 25-man squad allocation for the Premier League season.

Blackpool’s failure to sign as many players as Holloway would have liked is believed to have left the former QPR, Plymouth and Leicester manager frustrated and on the verge of quitting the club.

However, Holloway moved to lay those rumours to rest on Wednesday, stating that stories claiming he had quit the Seasiders (2/7 to be relegated) had been greatly over exaggerated.

The 47-year-old has now given Blackpool fans a boost by announcing that he plans to extend his stay at Bloomfield Road after agreeing a new two-year contract.

Holloway is confident he will remain at the club no matter what happens this season but believes his side has what it takes to stay in the Premier League this season.

The Pool boss said: “No-one is bulletproof but I’m confident the chairman won’t sack me next year.

“And I’m confident that if we have gone down, I will be here the following season to actually build a team.

“But I’m confident we can stay in this division.

“If my lads relish the way we are going to play and how we do things, and if the new lads can settle quickly, we can do it.”

Blackpool (16/1 to win the league in the handicap betting) fans might feel a little bit more confident about the upcoming season after Holloway’s announcement, with the recruitment of five players going some way to stabilising the club.

The Seasiders announced the signings of Ludovic Sylvestre, Craig Cathcart, Marlon Harewood, Elliot Grandin and Malaury Martin on Wednesday, with more expected before the transfer window shuts at the end of August.

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Hart hopeful of Eagles’ survival

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paul hartCrystal Palace boss Paul Hart has backed his side to avoid relegation to League One on Sunday following the 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion on Monday evening.

The Eagles take on Sheffield Wednesday this weekend in a survival shoot-out, with Hart convinced his side can get at least the point they need from the game to ensure their Championship status for another year and therefore relegate the Owls instead.

An early own goal by Steven Reid gave Palace the perfect start against already-promoted Albion at Selhurst Park but Gabriel Tamas’ equaliser made for a nervy night in south London on Monday.

Hart, however, is upbeat ahead of the huge clash this weekend and has called on his players to put in a similar performance against Wednesday to make sure of their place in the Championship.

“We just need another performance of that calibre,” he said afterwards.

“We don’t have to win – our away form is excellent so it’s a game to look forward to.”

The draw means they are just two points better off than the 22nd-placed Owls before the crunch clash at Hillsborough.

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Elliott backs survival instincts

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Burnley midfielder Wade Elliott is confident the Clarets can become the latest side to pull off the great escape and avoid relegation this season ahead of their must win game against Liverpool (4/7 to win in the 90 minutes betting).

Burnley are currently seven points from safety with just three games left to play and they will be down on Sunday if they lose against the Reds.

A draw would also see the Clarets effectively relegated as they would be six points behind seventeenth-placed West Ham with two games left and with the Hammers enjoying a much better goal difference.

Burnley, who were promoted last season through the play-offs, had enjoyed a strong start to the season but under new manager Brian Laws have won just two of their last 16 matches in the league, leaving them on the brink on a swift return to the Championship.

The Lancashire outfit will be hoping they can recapture some of that early season form which saw them beat Manchester United at home back in August.

Burnley have lost just six games at home so far this season with only Fulham the only side in the bottom half of the Premier League boasting a better record on their own turf.

Heading to Turf Moor on Sunday will be fourth place chasing Liverpool, looking to cut the gap on Tottenham to just two points after Spurs were beaten 3-1 by Manchester United.

The Reds (16/1 top four finish) also have just three games left to try and secure a spot in next seasons Champions League and are the current outsiders having played a game more than the other sides chasing fourth.

Reds manager Rafael Benitez will bring his side to Turf Moor having not seen them win away from Anfield since December and off the back of a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Atleticho Madrid (8/11 to beat Tenerife on the weekend Euro coupon) in the Europa League on Thursday.

Liverpool got to Spain via road and rail and it will be interesting to see how much the arduous journey has taken out of Benitez’s men.

They will once again be without star striker Fernando Torres while Reds fans will certainly be hoping Steven Gerrard ups his game having faltered to deceive in recent weeks.

Despite the wealth of talent up against his side on Sunday Elliott remains confident Burnley can win this game, and their next two against Birmingham and Tottenham, to secure another season in the Premier League.

“We know we are relying on people to do us favours now. We have to do the best we can in the final three games, see how far it takes us and hope someone helps us. Unfortunately, even the volcano eased up so Liverpool could fly back home,” said Elliott.

“I don’t know if we need a miracle but we need some big performances and a few favours. But there are precedents for it.”

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