February 11 2005

Kit Symons

Crystal Palace assistant boss KIT SYMONS says the "more clubs around the relegation zone the better" as the once four horse race for survival has been blown wide open, by Stuart Pink.

With Palace, Southampton and Norwich all starting to pick up points, clubs such as Blackburn, Fulham, Birmingham and Portsmouth are slowly being dragged into the relegation mire, which will ensure a dogfight right to the climax of the Premiership season.

SYMONS said: "There's a few teams with a worried look over their shoulders that could easily be sucked in. We've still got Norwich and Southampton to play at home and Blackburn away, a lot of the teams around there will be playing each other as well so there's definitely points to be picked up."

In recent Premiership seasons there has been a trend of one team falling dramatically from the relative safety of mid table into trouble at the bottom.

Judging by their recent alarming form, Portsmouth could be this season's contender.

Since new manager Velimir Zajec won his first two games in charge after taking over from Harry Redknapp, his side have won only twice in 11 games and lost the services of the influential Nigel Quashie and Andy Faye.

Former Pompey player SYMONS admits he has heard that some members of the Fratton Park hierarchy are seriously concerned.

SYMONS said: "I went down there for the cup game when they lost to Southampton, so I was speaking to quite a few people, and they then played Boro on the Tuesday night and I think there was a genuine concern that if they'd have lost that one they would have been a bit worried.

"I certainly don't think they're safe at the moment."

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