Fantasy Premier League

Monday Morning Manager

Mon Apr 21 04:33PM

Reading are in trouble.

Reading should be fine.

But Reading are in trouble. They're just out of the relegation zone having lost three in a row and having not scored in four matches. And their overall goal difference is -28, two worse than Fulham. They've recalled Lita from Charlton as Charlton have been eliminated from playoff contention, but is that the answer? They had better hope so because things are very dicey for them at the moment.

Their saving grace could be the schedule. They have to play @Wigan, home to Spurs, and @Derby. A point from Wigan might be optimistic considering Wigan's home form and Reading road (and general) woes. I've got Capt. Kirkland in my fantasy side for this week so am betting on a clean sheet for them. But say they get a point, nil-nil. Then their next games are against teams that aren't playing for anything any more and I think you can expect them to take the last six points on offer. Hahnemann on the barn door next week?

So seven points eliminates Fulham - who do seem doomed already. That leaves Birmingham and Bolton. BRM play LIV (who will be resting players for the CL), @FUL, and Rovers. LIV's second string has proved to be good enough this year and I'm betting on Pennant (got him on the barn door) to do the business again this week. That sets up @FUL as the quintessential six-pointer which always ends in a tie that helps neither club. Then home to a Rovers team with nothing to play for. So 4 points from the three matches.

Bolton would then need to just match that haul over the final three matches. A point at Spurs and a point at home to Sunderland - Keane won't do anyone any favors, leaves them with a mountain to climb at Chelsea. Whether or not Chelsea are still in the title race and the Champions League will go a long way to determining what side Chelsea sets out and could impact this year's relegation much as Liverpool's loss to Fulham last year.

Maybe it doesn't come down to that. Maybe they get the win home to Sunderland. Not unlikely, really. That would be four points and would seal BRM's fate.

Fulham we just gloss over. They're going down. Four points off the pace and two of their final three matches on the road against teams trying to get into Europe (MAC & POR) and one, as we've said, against a fellow relegation battler. I can see them falling apart and only collecting the one point at home to BRM. That won't help them, but may doom BRM.

How do you see this shaping up? DER, FUL, and BRM going down? Or does BOL fall despite their recent good work?