Roy Keane has told The Overlap the Premier League’s bottom “seven or eight” clubs such as Leeds United, Everton, West Ham and Nottingham Forest have been “really poor” – saying Premier League competitiveness has diminished.
With eight or nine games left to go in the Premier League – depending on which club – the bottom eight clubs of the table have created their own mini-league, inadvertently. The gap between Palace and Chelsea is still six points.
Below that, all nine sides are fighting against the threat of relegation. Palace have won twice in a row and have gone six clear of the drop zone. Leeds sit in 16th, just two points above the bottom three after the 5-1 loss to Palace.
Leicester, Forest and Southampton make up the bottom three, while Everton, Leeds, Bournemouth, West Ham and Wolves sit behind Palace. Keane believes all of these clubs have been poor – with the standard of the league less.
“The standard of the Premier League has been poor this year. The teams near the bottom have been really poor, I’m talking the bottom seven or eight teams, the standard is really poor. But the rest have been really, really average.”
Roy Keane says Bottom seven or eight clubs such as Leeds really poor
It has been poor at the bottom. All of the sides in the bottom seven or eight places have the potential to go and beat anyone on their day. Look at Southampton, beating Manchester City in the Carabao Cup. But that day has been rare.
There is a clear divide in three ways. The top six has been infiltrated by Newcastle this season and with the cash they have, they look good to stay. Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham and probably, Liverpool.
Then, the chasing pace. Brighton, Fulham, Brighton, Villa, and of course, Chelsea – though they are an anomaly this season. Leeds will spend this summer if we stay up, but the chances of getting past 12th next season are unlikely.
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