HUMPHRIES AT RISK OF PREMIER LEAGUE TOP FOUR EXIT

LUKE HUMPHRIES is at risk of missing out on the Premier League top four.

‘Cool Hand’ currently sits fourth in the table but is yet to pick up a nightly win in the major tournament. 

World No.2 Humphries has reached just one final in the weekly roadshow event so far this season after seven nights of action. 

Darts pundit Charlie Murphy believes Humphries has lost some of the confidence and aura that once made him so dominant on the big stage. 

He told OLBG: “I think he is the one that could end up missing out on the top four unless he goes on a charge. 

“Is he capable of it? I think he might have lost a little bit of confidence. 

“He’s never been full of aura, but he doesn’t seem to have that stage aura or confidence that he used to have when he was winning. 

“I know you get that with winning, and he is not winning that much right now. I am worried about him. 

“Not that he is going to do a Peter Wright and drop down the rankings. I just think it is like he is giving in to Luke Littler. 

“Now that gap is just going to get bigger and bigger. I would probably say he is not the second best player in the world right now.” 

Former pro Matt Edgar also pointed to the difference in mentality between Humphries and teenage sensation Luke Littler. 

He added: “It’s the it factor. That little bit with Luke Littler where you just think, whatever position he is in, he can dig himself out of this. 

“You never get that with Luke [Humphries]. You never got it with prime MVG. You never got it with Phil Taylor. 

“It was always, you can get yourself out of this.” 

Humphries returns to action on Saturday evening at the Belgian Darts Open and will face Dirk van Duijvenbode.

Image by Taylor Lanning.