Premier League: Back QPR to hit rock bottom again

Reading have more favourable fixtures left than QPR

As the bottom two prepare for their long awaited Premier League departures, Christian Crowther assesses the 'Rock Bottom' market...

The race for the top flight wooden spoon is on! In the blue and white corner, we have Reading and in the, erm, blue and white corner also, it's Harry Redknapp's QPR.

If you support a team that wear Hoops in the Premier League this season, you'll no doubt be thinking twice before renewing your season tickets.

After a roundly depressing Sunday lunchtime showing on the box, which summed up two miserable campaigns perfectly, the 0-0 draw at the Madejski seemed a fitting way to end months of putting off the inevitable by sending the two teams into the Championship for the start of next season.

If it had been a boxing match, any referee worth his salt would have ended the contest at half-time.

As it stands, both sides are down with just 25 points apiece and only one goal the difference, keeping QPR just a whisker in front with three left to play.

Reading are favourites at 1.68/13 to finish rock bottom with QPR rated at 2.56/4 to return to the position they kept warm for most of the season.

This is the time to assess both clubs' respective form and run-ins then to search for clues. The form book does little to separate things as that Sunday stroll made it two draws and two defeats from their last four Premier League outings for both.

However, on paper at least, it's Redknapp's overpaid flops who have the toughest looking schedule, playing Arsenal and Liverpool with a game against relegation-fighting Newcastle sandwiched in between.

Arsenal are finishing the season strongly as they strive for a Champions League place and wounded Liverpool have clearly been galvanised by the Luis Suarez affair.

It's difficult to see QPR cultivating much success from these fixtures and a point looks about the best they could hope for as the reverse fixtures with all three opponents
produced none at all.

In comparison, Nigel Adkins' Royals have a slightly gentler looking list with trips to Fulham and West Ham split by a chance to host the outgoing champions Manchester City at the Madejski.

Although strong at home, West Ham represent one of the only five teams Reading have beaten in the league this season, while they also took a point off Fulham earlier in the campaign.