Blues, Royals and Cottagers ready for relegation dogfight
Fulham fans at Fratton Park will be awaiting results from elsewhere
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Sunday, 11, May 2008 12:20
Fans of Birmingham City, Reading and Fulham are preparing themselves for much biting of nails today as the relegation scrap goes down to the wire.
Any two of these three teams could join already-relegated bottom club Derby County - with the 19th-placed Blues and 18th-placed Royals currently favourites for the drop.
Fulham occupy the final safe place in the table, 17th, heading into the last day of the season.
But their Premier League survival hangs by a thread as they are ahead of the Royals on goal difference only.
Bolton Wanderers in 16th can technically still be relegated, although it would take a remarkable swing of 11 goals in the results today to see them go down before Reading or Fulham.
Birmingham City cannot catch the Trotters as they are already four points adrift of the Lancashire club.
A win for Fulham at Portsmouth would guarantee their safety following their remarkable efforts over the last few weeks, which has seen them pick up three wins in their four games.
Along the way, Roy Hodgson's men - who appeared to be doomed after a home defeat to Sunderland in early April - have picked up 2-0 wins over both of their rivals today and now have the upper hand.
Both Reading and Birmingham will be hoping Harry Redknapp's Pompey side are not distracted by their FA Cup final date at Wembley next Saturday and can do them a favour by taking points off the west Londoners.
If they can, Reading - who have the easiest fixture with an away game at whipping boys Derby County - will need to better Fulham's result to stay up. But Steve Coppell's side have one of the worst away records in the Premier League, with just one win and four draws all season.
Birmingham appear to be the team with it all to do to avoid an immediate return to the second tier.
They are relying on both Fulham and Reading not winning, while simultaneously beating Blackburn Rovers at St Andrews.
In their favour is the fact that they have home advantage on the final day, while the Royals and the Cottagers are playing away.
The extra boost from playing in front of their home fans helped West Bromwich Albion - who coincidentally will replace one of the relegated sides this season after winning the Championship - mount their great escape in 2004/05.
Birmingham will be hoping to channel that same energy to complete a great escape of their own from the bottom three.