Gerrard could have say on Reds’ title chase as clubs play for pride
WEST Midlands clubs have little to play for in terms of honours as the current league season starts to draw to a close.
Wolves still have a slim chance of gaining a European place but the way they are playing right now slim is out of town! On Saturday, they are at Chelsea.
Wolves and Aston Villa’s owners/ Ceos/finance directors will point out that millions are to be made in final-table positions in the Premier League. It is called TV and merit money!
They are mind-boggling sums and help towards sometimes equally crazy playing budgets.
The three-year deal for both domestic and overseas has tens of millions for each club, in most cases well into three figures.
On top of domestic fees, the overseas TV money (around a billion pounds) was last season divided around £47 million each.
You should add millions more for the European competitions – the Champions League winners pocket £19 million, the runners-up £15 million. Our two semi-finalists have already been guaranteed £12 million each!
Great for the clubs but really of little interest to the fans who just want their teams to win and pick up trophies.
So, by and large, a disappointing season on the field in this patch but one of Liverpool’s greatest players, Steven Gerrard, could have a say in whether his old club or Manchester City win the Premier League title and which is the third team to join Norwich and Watford in relegation to the Championship.
Most critics believe that neither Manchester City nor Liverpool will drop a point in their remaining four matches and that City will win the League title by a point.
But football is not always like that, as we know. Both Villa and Wolves are two of the teams that stand in the way of both the leaders. City go to Wolves on May 11 and will meet Villa at home in their last match of the league season on May 22.
Liverpool will be at Villa Park on May 10 before finishing their Premier League games at home to Wolves on May 22. Intriguing!
I stress that both Bruno Lage and Gerrard will want their teams to win, but the players will have to make a huge effort to prove they are good enough. Manchester City and Liverpool
are seriously great teams. Meanwhile, Villa go to Burnley on Saturday with the in-form Lancashire side still under threat of relegation. Everton’s home win over Chelsea means there is just one point between the two teams above them in the safety zone and Everton – Leeds and Burnley – with Everton having a game in hand. Who goes down in that third spot? Burnley have to play Villa both home and away. Gerrard is still
demanding the best out of his players but not satisfied with the present performances in general.
So this is how it goes for those teams gasping for survival: Leeds have Arsenal away on Sunday, then Chelsea and Brighton at home before finishing at Brentford. They are in real danger still.
Everton have an easier-looking list of Leicester away (Sunday) and doomed Watford away, Brentford and Crystal Palace at home, finishing at Arsenal.
After hosting Villa, Burnley play at Spurs before coming to Villa Park with a finish at home to Newcastle, who are well safe!
This Saturday brings the end of the Championship’s regular season.
It’s been an awful season on and off the pitch for Birmingham City who play at home to Blackburn. Blues are two places above the relegation zone – well safe but with little else to show for it.
They will need to win by a hatful of goals to even contemplate finishing higher. Above them, Cardiff are at Derby with a current three points and six better goal difference. Sacking Lee Bowyer is not the answer. The club needs new owners with deep pockets. Meanwhile, one team looking to extend their season by making the play-offs are Vanarama National League team Solihull Moors. After their latest win – 4-2 at Weymouth – the Moors are in the playoff positions.
Yesterday they were at home to Bromley, with a 3-0 win securing their place on the play-offs.
The top team, which will be Stockport or Wrexham, receive automatic promotion to League Two where Scunthorpe and Oldham are being relegated.
The other spot will go to the winners of the National League playoffs. I have been tipping the Moors for promotion all season.
They are ready for it under manager Neal Ardley.
On Thursday, they have a special dinner with former manager Tim Flowers and Oxford United’s assistant manager Derek Fazackerley. It starts at 6.30pm in the Jerroms VP Suite at the Moors stadium. Tickets are £10 including a Butchers Social curry and are available from solihullmoorsfc.ticket.co.events
I am back in the Sunday Mercury with IMPACT and more memories from my 50 years in TV.
Both Villa and Wolves are two of the teams that stand in the way of both the leaders, Manchester City and Liverpool.