Gary Anderson will qualify for Premier League play-offs despite poor start, says Wayne Mardle
Saturday 20 February 2016 21:57, UK
Wayne Mardle says Gary Anderson is too good to not reach the Premier League play-offs despite a second consecutive defeat in the event.
After missing the opening week in Leeds through illness, the world champion was back in Newcastle last Thursday but lost out to Michael van Gerwen.
Another tough fixture was on the cards in Dublin and despite matching Phil Taylor throughout, the Flying Scotsman was far from his best and was just edged out by the Power.
Only Robert Thornton sits below Anderson in the Premier League table after the opening three weeks, but Mardle believes there is nothing to worry about for the defending champion who has also claimed the last two world crowns.
"I'm not concerned about Gary, he is too good. He is going to make the play-offs, there are not four players in this tournament better than him," Mardle said.
"I don't think there is any danger of him not making the play-offs. He just he hasn't got off to a good start."
Next up for Anderson in Aberdeen next week is Raymond van Barneveld and Mardle believes he has the game to get the points that will take him through to the knockout stages.
"All it is about now for him is accumulating points. He has got Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen out of the way and know he has got to tear into the others and pick up points," Mardle added.
"He will be concerned but he won't be bothered [about no points from first two games].
"There is always that 'I need to win, I want to win' but Gary the panicker that used to be maybe two years ago, I don't think he exists any more.
"It wasn't an off game - he threw a lot of good darts but a lot of stray ones. And a lot of darts he was releasing came out of the hand flat and he wasn't releasing properly as we are used to seeing from him.
"That's why he got punished Phil played well and Gary was just slightly off."
