QPR fans celebrate a goal at Cardiff, 2011. Photo credit: Jon Candy
Manchester United’s 4-0 win over Aston Villa means they are now five points clear of second-placed Manchester City with four games left to play. Even if City beat United in the Manchester derby, Sir Alex Ferguson’s red devils look set to again lift the Barclays Premier League trophy. With the title race seemingly pretty much over, attention in the sports commentariat has shifted to the fiercely contested battle to avoid relegation to the Championship. Unlike at the top of the table, very little can be taken for granted at the bottom where seven teams are still fighting tooth-and-nail to avoid the dreaded drop. Here’s The Periscope Post’s guide to the snarling relegation dogfight.
The Martinez way. Wigan Athletic go into tonight’s clash at Arsenal massively boosted by recent wins versus Premiership big boys Manchester United and Liverpool. On the pitch, attacking midfielder Victor Moses is the main man for the Latics but it is in the dugout where Wigan hold an ace card. Over the years, canny and likeable ex-Swansea manager Roberto Martinez has won many friends with his easy-on-the-eye tactics and has engineered remarkable survival runs in previous seasons. Martinez is the best manager in the bottom seven and whether Wigan stay up or not he’ll almost undoubtedly be offered a bigger job as he was last summer (he politely declined Aston Villa’s advances).
Wigan is the form team in the bottom seven. Can they pull off another incredible result at Arsenal tonight? Leave a comment and let us know your thoughts.
Taarabt’s too good for you! Adel Taarabt almost single-handedly got Queens Park Rangers promoted to the Premiership last season. However, this season has been a real challenge for the mercurial Morroccan who has struggled for fitness and lost a little of his sizeable swagger. But Loftus Road favorite Taarabt looks to have hit form at just the right moment. He has scored or assisted in recent home wins versus Arsenal, Swansea and Liverpool and will surely be raring to go in QPR’s next game against Tottenham – the club which deemed him surplus to requirements. If QPR are to stay up – a real challenge given they face top six sides Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester City in their teak-tough run-in – Taarabt simply must reproduce his sensational 2010/11 form.
Yak injury a huge blow for Blackburn. 18th-placed Blackburn Rovers trail Wigan and QPR by only three points so are still in with a shout. According to manager Steve Kean, they‘ll need to win at least two of their remaining four games and pick up a draw in another. But that looks unlikely given they have lost their last five in a row and their two best players – 16-goal man Yakubu and Junior Hoilett sustained injuries at Swansea on Saturday. Rovers look a fairly toothless outfit without those two and fans of the club will be hoping the Ewood Park medical staff can work some miracles.
Blackburn have lost five in a row and now they need to win at least two of four. Can they do it? Leave a comment and let us know your thoughts.
Arsenal youngster Miyaichi can save Bolton. Bolton Wanderers trail Wigan and QPR by two points but have games in hand on both rivals and arguably the easiest run-in of all the relegation candidates. Home games against WBA and Swansea – neither of whom have anything really left to play for – mean they have a very good chance to pull away from danger. If Bolton are to survive it’s likely they’ll have on-loan Arsenal youngster Ryo Miyaichi to thank. His trickery and invention has given Bolton another aspect to their game since he joined the club.
Bolton have winnable games in hand on their rivals. Will they take advantage? Leave a comment and let us know your thoughts.
Aston Villa not safe yet. Villa already have 35 points, which in previous seasons, has been enough to stay up. But it increasingly looks like at least 37 points will be needed for survival this year so Villa do remain in a spot of bother with five games left to play. Their listless 4-0 loss to Manchester United smacked of a team running out of ideas and ex-Birmingham manager Alex McLeish is far from popular amongst Villa fans. Villa’s plight is made harder by the fact that many of their players and young and inexperienced. With this in mind, it could well fall to experienced (and excellent) goalkeeper Shay Given to make the saves to keep Villa in their remaining games. Although he let in four at Old Trafford, Given also made some sensational stops.
Villa need something from somewhere (fairly) fast if they are to survive. Could they go down? Leave a comment and let us know your thoughts.
Gone to the Wolves. Bottom-club Wolves look dead and buried after a dreadful run of form since Christmas. The boards’ decision to sack manager Mick McCarthy has back-fired spectacularly and Terry Connor has looked out of his depth since picking up the reins at Molineaux. But while it remains mathematically possible for them to survive, expect Wolves to keep fighting. In a largely dreadful season, energetic winger Matthew Jarvis has been probably their brightest sparks. If they’re relegated expect him to get snapped up by a Premier League outfit.