Pick 3 winners out of 5: Tottenham, Bolton, Everton, Portsmouth & Reading
There are 2-3 games left to go in the Premiership, and 4 points separate the 5 teams most likely to get into Europe.
Let’s take a close look at the 3 winners, and 2 losers, in this race for Europe.
Race for Europe
There is of course, the path of the Inter-Toto cup to take. I’ll add information on that as it comes through, but for now the easiest, and most direct, way of getting to Europe is by finishing 5th to 7th.
Winner #1: Tottenham
They’re in 8th place but have 3 games to go, 3 winnable games. Tottenham can, and should, beat Charlton away, and after that they have Blackburn and Manchester City at White Hart Lane. Quite a good chance of getting to Europe in style.
Expected Points: 62
Expected Position: 5th
Winner #2: Bolton
They will be dealing with the loss of Sam Allardyce and will in all likelihood stumble at West Ham, but Bolton have enough quality to beat Aston Villa on the final day of the season, and that should be enough to take them to Europe.
A lot of it depends on Everton and Portsmouth losing, and as you’ll see, that’s quite possible.
Expected Points: 58
Expected Position: 6th
Winner #3: Everton
Everton play Portsmouth at home before traveling to Stamford Bridge for their final game of the season. Assuming that Chelsea will go full out and beat Everton to give themselves a chance against United, Everton have the Portsmouth game to win to secure European football.
The wobble against United aside, Everton have the mental strength to pull through. It’s cruel on Portsmouth, but they’ve had an excellent season and besides, they could get in through the Inter-Toto cup.
Expected Points: 57
Expected Position: 7th
Loser #1: Reading
A fairy-tale season for Reading - Steve Coppell has put together a very ‘effective’ side and the next game (Watford) should be a formality for them. Win that and even if they lose to Blackburn, they will still end up on 57 points, and 8th in the Premiership.
From what I’ve heard, Reading isn’t interested in the Inter-Toto Cup, so that spot would go to the next ranked team.
Expected Points: 57
Expected Position: 8th
Loser #2: Portsmouth
Portsmouth have done well, but with an away game to Everton and a home game to Arsenal their chance to crack Europe this season could be up.
I’m picking Everton to beat them and at best, Portsmouth to get a home draw against Arsenal. That gives them 54 points and 9th place. Not good enough for Europe, but maybe they can make the Inter-Toto.
Expected Points: 54
Expected Position: 9th
Pick your 3 winners
In the comments below, please tell me who you think will make it to Europe and won’t. Here are the final 2-3 fixtures for each side:
Tottenham
Charlton vs Tottenham
Tottenham vs Blackburn
Tottenham vs Manchester City
Bolton
West Ham vs Bolton
Bolton vs Aston Villa
Everton
Everton vs Portsmouth
Chelsea vs Everton
Portsmouth
Everton vs Portsmouth
Portsmouth vs Arsenal
Reading
Reading vs Watford
Blackburn vs Reading
Spurs all the way, easily the 5th best team again and will spend £mmm’s this summer making us into a top 4 team
I think it will be spurs with 60 points, then reading, then everton. I think Big sam will be a massive loss to bolton and portsmouths bad spell earlier cost them dearly
I don’t agree with your predictions. I accept that Spurs will get at least 7 points from 9 and therefore end up on 60 and take 5th.
Bolton will be lucky to get more than 1 pt from remaining fixtures with WH on a role and Sam departing but will get to 56 and claim 7th slot.
Everton and Pompey will draw with eachother and both will lose their final games therefore leaving them on 55/54 respectively.
Like you said Reading will get a result against Watford and even with a final day defeat to Blackburn will end up on 57 and therefore claim 6th place. A wonderful achievement for such a small team.
I will definately be renewing my season ticket at the Madj Stad. Come on U R’s!!!!
I think you will find that neither Portsmouth or Reading have applied to take part in the inter toto cup. Where Tottenham and Blackburn have……..
Bazza - from what I’ve read, Reading haven’t registered but Portsmouth have. The source was an article in the Guardian, which I wouldn’t be surprised if it were wrong.
You mind quoting your source?
This sounds about right to me. Martin Jol is still under pressure, and so anything other than UEFA Cup football next year will be considered a disappointment. With or without Sam, Bolton are still a very good team with very winnable games. The Everton-Portsmouth match is the key to all of this. Great to have a league with three races going on simultaneously!
To be honest mate, I hope you’re right - and it all sounds feasible. However we all know how the Premiership can fling surprises in our face…. nasty buggers they can be too…!
After 30 years of supporting Spurs, I’m not used to having anything to get excited about at the end of the league season… now 2 years running the b****ards are trying to give me a coronary. Spurs to pip it but take nothing for granted, Blackburn are in form and out to cause trouble.
In theory, Spurs, Portsmouth, Reading AND Bolton can ALL finish on 57 points! With Everton & Blackburn on 56. A lot depends on whether Chelsea can be bothered against Everton on the last day or if they’ll be lloking at the Cup Final… If Everton win there then they go to 58 & everyone else is on 57!!!! Get your slide-rules out and the valium on order!
Spurs will take 5th and i think we have enough to beat pompey it all depends on the blackburn-reading game.bolton will take 6th and its between us and reading for 7th.we wont take anything from chelsea so pompey is a must win.i have a feeling reading will finish a point ahead of us so intertoto here we come.
Sorry guys but Pompey will win both of their last two games and throw all your predictions out of the window….Spurs, Reading and Pompey for me.
Spurs will get there, but what a travesty from a poor performing bunch and manager, considering their resources and all the usual media ‘we love spurs’ hype.
Done real well in the cups though. They should perhaps learn to focus on the Prem and one cup maybe..
Reading has been along with Pompey the Premier successes of the season. Both playing quality attacking football especially at home.
Everton and Bolton have both had another good season, but I do believe they both will lose their last two, or both a single point a piece.
Play up Pompey….and of course not a biased comment at all.
Bol
I support spurs. I think have the quality to finish 5th. Everton should follow and Bolton or Blackburn thereafter. Its going to be tight. Spurs should never had been in this situation in the first place. They should have cemented 3rd or 4th.
I agree Spurs should finish 5th. Don’t care too much about the others.
If we do cockerel it up then before have to accept Inter-Toto, there is still the Fair Play chance. Spurs currently sit top of our league and England’s representative along with 4 other countries will go in a hat for 3 places.
But we will finish 5th
Tony Stokes must be reading different papers to me in Portsmouth, or perhaps he’s smoking something illegal - Apart from to praise Berbatov, when has the media message usually been ‘We love Spurs’???
All I notice when I open the back pages of my paper is Man Utd, Chelsea, Liverpool and for the sole reason that most footy journos live in Islington, an ill-proportioned bias towards underperforming Arsenal.
The only time Spurs get a look in is when either we’re linked to buy yet another midfielder, or we’re selling (delete as applicable) Lennon/Keane/Defoe/Berbatov/King to Man U or Chelsea…