Who will look the Fool on April 1st?

Last updated : 01 March 2002 By Steve Hermon
I definitely agree with fellow Wolves reporter Dave Burgess that the championship will be decided on April 1st when Wolves face off against Manchester City against Molineux.

But I have decided to specifically look at the run-in both teams have before that game. This is to possibly see who will be in the no. 1 spot come April Fools Day and how many points apart the teams will be.

Wolves play six games before the Molineux showdown while Manchester City have eight games. Two of those are the games in hand that City have over Wolves. This leads you to think that even if City do win both of those games, they will probably be more fatigued by April 1st whereas Wolves will have played two games less and be more fresh.

Advantage Wolves!

Wolves face Gillingham at home this Saturday then travel to Nottingham Forest next Wednesday. After that they face Birmingham away then Grimsby and Norwich at home and finally Burnley away. This is a pretty mixed bunch of teams. Birmingham, Burnley and Norwich are all fighting for a play-off place while Gillingham and Notts Forest are lying in the bottom half of the table and Grimsby are fighting against relegation.

I think that Wolves will only drop four points in those six games. My opinion is that they will draw Birmingham away and despite their fading play-off hopes, Burnley at Turf Moor.

That would leave Wolves with a total of 87 points going into the game with Manchester City.

Manchester City, as I said have eight games. Three at home and five away. They first must face Coventry at Maine Road and then travel to Birmingham, Bradford and Crewe. After that they have Crystal Palace at home and then two away games against Stockport and Rotherham and finally Nottingham Forest at home.

I think in those eight games they will achieve six wins, one draw and one loss. In my opinion they will win all three home games plus their away fixtures against Crewe, Stockport and Rotherham.

That would shockingly leave them on also 87 points! This then leaves the top spot up for grabs on goal difference, which as Dave Jones said just days ago, it definitely makes a ‘significant’ difference.

My prediction may send shivers down Wolves fans spines as it did mine when I worked it out, but think positive…

Wolves will have played two games less leaving them fresher; we also have home advantage in the clash. That is two important factors to consider and barring injuries I think we could well come out on top at Molineux and that would give us the edge over City with only three games left after that.

Advantage Wolves!

I’m not going to give my opinion on results after the crunch clash at Molineux on April 1st but hopefully it will be Keegan who looks the fool after the final whistle is blown.