In The Home Stretch
@GaryLineker I think it's too early to say. The important part of the season is still to be played. #playeroftheyear
In the wake of Gareth Bale’s latest match-winner, BBC Sport asked the Twitterverse for its opinion on the English Premier League’s #playeroftheyear.
Lineker, a Spurs darling of yore, didn’t jump immediately to Bale’s corner, preferring to stay perched atop the proverbial fence, perhaps betraying his role as the Beeb’s current Match of the Day host and a want to stay cushtie with whoever it is that eventually wins the title.
To be fair to the 1991 FA Cup champion, his tweet is based on very sound logic.
There’s roughly 10 matches to play and while it looks like the Red Devils will stroll home to the title, there’s a load to play for in the top four and almost as much at the foot of the table.
Current top six: United, City, Spurs, Chelsea, Arsenal, Everton
(Prediction –City, United, Arsenal, Spurs, Chelsea, Newcastle United)
United have officially bolted and the only real interest left towards the top of the pops is in terms of Champions League qualification.
Big money – and bragging rights – come with the Champions League and while City look to be set for next year’s tournament, there are two places up for grabs still.
Bale’s form has Spurs on the cusp of qualifying and if the North Londoners can get over neighbours Arsenal this weekend they’ll likely wind up in the money come season’s end.
Chelsea could be the outfit on the slide. Already dealing with the ignominy of falling from 2012 Champions League winner to non-qualification for the knockout stages this year, the Blues are not a happy camp at present and Rafa Benitez looks to be on his way – which is saying nothing for a Premiership manager, to be honest.
Benitez has reportedly ‘lost the dressing room’ and the gaffer himself is believed to be discouraged by the lack of character in his squad.
John Terry is being held aloft as the kind of player Benitez admires for his leadership and personality and given Terry’s record over the journey, that’s kind of scary.
There’s been an element of the mercenary about Chelsea for a few years now and it could just be that Roman Abromvich’s ‘buy at any cost’ policy has led to the current rift.
Everton are probably a few points too far back to worry the top five in the run home, but it’s looking like another very solid campaign from the Toffees and no-one would begrudge the underdog if they made a late surge towards the European top flight.
The next eight: West Bromwich Albion, Liverpool, Swansea, Stoke, Fulham, Norwich, Newcastle, West Ham
(Prediction – Liverpool, Fulham, Everton, Sunderland, Wigan, Stoke, West Ham, Swansea)
Swansea City smashed unfancied Bradford City in the recent League Cup final at Wembley, taking home the club’s first trophy and proving again there’s a lot to like about the Welsh outfit under Michael Laudrup.
Good to watch and proving there’s more to the Premier League than money alone, the Swans might well ride home on a wave of joy after the resounding win.
Already ahead of a number of well-established English clubs, Swansea could just about sneak to the top of this group, lying just one win shy of the Baggies with 11 games to play.
Liverpool still hasn’t clicked into gear and other than Luis Suarez, are a team that looks distinctly mid-table.
Having relied heavily on Steve Gerrard in years past, Liverpool are dodging along with Brendan Rodgers at the helm and will probably end up throwing a heap of money around in the summer to try and get the ball rolling again next term.
That’s about as good as it gets if you’re in the Kop right now.
Newcastle United have shown better signs in the last couple of weeks, but are still far from overcoming the slump that marked Alan Pardew signing a new eight-year deal with the Geordie outfit.
There’s a lot to like about the way Norwich have scrapped under the stewardship of long-time Spurs assistant Chris Hughton, but they’ll wind up duking it out for mid-table slots alongside the likes of perennial non-achievers like Fulham, Stoke City and West Ham.
Bottom six: Sunderland, Southampton, Wigan, Aston Villa, Reading, QPR
(Prediction – Southampton, West Brom, QPR, Norwich, Aston Villa, Reading)
Harry Redknapp can’t get the job done from here. There, I’ve said it. Of course, ‘onest Harry might save the R’s, but it’s looking really, really unlikely from seven points back with 11 matches to play.
The QPR goal difference isn’t as poor as Aston Villa, and that’s a damning statistic for the midlands club – and one that could conceivably save the west London outfit on the final day.
Villa have been somewhere between abject and plain old ordinary for a few months now and if they go down I’ll be claiming it as my pick of the year.
Southampton have kept scoring goals and are another two wins from feeling properly safe in the top flight – and that’s a massive achievement given their start to the year.
Jason Puncheon appears to be one of the emerging stars of the Premiership and the south coast outfit will do well to hang onto the likes of he, midfield star Gaston Ramirez and striker Ricky Lambert.
That said, if they stay up they’re a good chance of keeping the band together and consolidating next term.
Reading are firmly in the drop zone as of now and really have to gun for Wigan if they’re going to stay up.
The Royals have been favoured for relegation all year, but with Wigan unable to string results together could survive if the Latics stumble.
Wigan did enjoy a big win over Reading in the last round and these ‘six point’ matches are going to be huge in the run home.
Southampton at home to QPR this weekend is one such fixture. It’s all but last rites for the Rangers if they don’t get the win.
