Pools tips for this weekend August 6-7

Treble chance: Peterborough v Crystal Palace, Southampton v Leeds, Charlton v Bournemouth, MK Dons v Hartlepool, Sheffield Wednesday v Rochdale, Tranmere v Chesterfield, Bradford v Aldershot, Northampton v Accrington, Port Vale v Crawley, Motherwell v Hearts.


Best draws: Peterborough v Crystal Palace, Southampton v Leeds, Sheffield Wednesday v Rochdale, Bradford v Aldershot, Port Vale v Crawley.


Aways: Ipswich, Leicester, Exeter, Dagenham & Redbridge, Barnet.


Homes: Brighton, Derby, Nottingham Forest, Reading, West Ham, Huddersfield, Preston, Wycombe, AFC Wimbledon.


Pick of the draws: Promoted Peterborough will find life tougher in the Championship and I expect them to be held by Crystal Palace in their opening game of the season. Southampton, another promoted club, won't be overawed by the visit of Leeds and can share the spoils. Unfashionable Rochdale punched above their weight in League One last season and I fancy them to get something at Sheffield Wednesday, who underachieved. Bradford's League Two home form last season left much to be desired and they face another stern test when Aldershot come visiting. Crawley, who are the bookmakers' favourites to gain two consecutive promotions, will be confident of gaining at least a point at Port Vale.


Away days: Ipswich manager Paul Jewell seems to have made some astute signings this summer and they can get off to a flier by beating Bristol City, who tend to blow hot and cold. Talking of signings, Sven-Goran Eriksson's Leicester have made more than most during the close season. As a result they look much stronger and are a confident tip to prevail at Coventry. In League One, Exeter will rate their chances of maximum points at Stevenage, who will do well to stay up after their surprising promotion. In League Two, have a punt on relegated Dagenham & Redbridge to beat Macclesfield and Barnet, under new manager Lawrie Sanchez, to defeat Morecambe.


Homes sweet homes: Nobody is in better spirits than Brighton, who are playing in a higher division and at a new stadium. They will surely have too much for Doncaster, who ended last season on a low. Also in the Championship, take Derby to cash in on the gloom and uncertainty surrounding Birmingham, who have lost some influential players after their relegation. It's time Reading, last season's beaten play-off finalists, began a Championship campaign well and three points beckon against Millwall. Promoted Wycombe can upset relegated Scunthorpe in League One while I suspect League Two debutants AFC Wimbledon will give Bristol Rovers a torrid afternoon.

Pools tips for this weekend May 21-22

This will be my final pools blog for this English football season. Normal service will be resumed in August.




Treble chance (home teams): Bolton, Manchester United, Newcastle, Juventus, Toulouse, Deportivo La Coruna, Espanyol, Real Sociedad, Racing Santander, Albacete.


Best draws: Bolton, Manchester United, Newcastle, Juventus, Deportivo La Coruna.


Aways: Liverpool, Wigan, Lorient, Sporting Gijon, Atletico Madrid.


Homes: Everton, Tottenham, West Ham, Wolves, Genoa, Roma, Rennes, Levante, Real Madrid.




Pick of the draws: Manchester City are buoyant at the moment, having won the FA Cup and moved into third place in the Premier League. Their hosts, Bolton, however, will be keen to arrest an end-of-season slide and have lost only three home games. Manchester United are bound to rest some key players before their Champions League final against Barcelona on Saturday week, but I still think they'll be strong enough to share the spoils with Blackpool, who need at least a draw to have any chance of escaping relegation. United manager Sir Alex Ferguson will make sure whatever team he fields will be as committed as ever, while Blackpool know no other way than to attack. Newcastle have drawn seven matches at St James' Park this season. They will probably make it eight against West Bromwich, who are one point and one place above them. Too many draws have hindered Juventus in this season's Italian League and I won't be surprised if they get another against third-placed Napoli. Although Deportivo La Coruna have had a disappointing season in the Spanish League, they are capable of matching the better sides - like visitors Valencia.


Away days: Kenny Dalglish's Liverpool had a blip against Tottenham last Sunday, but I'm taking them to bounce back against Aston Villa and finish the season in style. Wigan's terrific comeback when beating West Ham on Sunday should give them the confidence to win at Stoke, which will probably enable them to stay in the Premier League. In the French League, Lorient are worth a punt to prevail at out-of-sorts Nice. In the Spanish League, Sporting Gijon are a good bet to take maximum points off lowly Hercules and Atletico Madrid should be backed at Mallorca.


Homes sweet homes: Everton were unlucky to lose against West Bromwich last Saturday and can put that right against Chelsea, whose Premier League campaign is ending in anti-climax. Tottenham to clinch a Europa League place with victory over Birmingham, who look bound for relegation. Now that they are relegated, West Ham may be able to relax against Sunderland, for whom the season cannot end soon enough. Two consecutive victories have put Wolves in great heart in their battle to escape the drop and I fancy them to complete the job against Blackburn, who are still in danger themselves. Levante, who held Valencia to a goalless draw away last weekend, should be too strong for struggling Real Zaragoza in the Spanish League.    

Pools tips for this weekend May 14-15

Treble chance (home teams): Birmingham, Sunderland, West Brom, Sporting Gijon, Real Zaragoza, Catania, Napoli, Nancy, St Etienne, Braga.

Best draws: Birmingham, Sunderland, West Brom, Napoli, Nancy.

Aways: Osasuna, Real Madrid, Lecce, Lyon, Marseille.

Homes: Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Wigan, Athletic Bilbao, Seville, Lazio, Monaco, Ajax.


Pick of the draws: A point will probably be enough to keep Birmingham in the Premier League and they should get it at St Andrew's against Fulham, who suffered a surprisingly heavy home defeat by Liverpool on Monday. Wolves enhanced their survival hopes with a 3-1 victory over fierce rivals West Bromwich Albion last weekend and, despite their terrible away record, I expect them to carry on the good work at Sunderland, who are severely weakened by injuries. West Brom and Everton have excelled in the second half of the season. They meet at the Hawthorns on Saturday, with deadlock the likeliest result. Napoli can seal third spot in the Italian League by sharing the spoils with second-placed Inter Milan, while in the French League, Nancy (18th) look good for a point against visitors Nice (17th).

Away days: Osasuna, who beat Real Zaragoza 3-1 away in the Spanish League last weekend, are fancied to dish out similar treatment to Getafe. Real Madrid put their Champions League disappointment  behind them by thumping Seville 6-2 away and they can gain maximum points again by defeating Villarreal. Lecce, who beat the highly rated Napoli in their last match, are a good bet to prevail at rock-bottom Bari. In the French League, high-riding Lyon and Marseille should be backed to win at Brest and Lorient respectively.

Homes sweet homes: Arsenal's season has fallen embarrassingly flat, so they will be anxious to end their home programme on a positive note against Aston Villa, who have also disappointed. Liverpool, boosted by the Kenny Dalglish factor, are in terrific form and will be confident of seeing off a fast-fading Tottenham at Anfield. In the struggle to avoid relegation from the Premier League, Wigan look more likely to survive than their visitors West Ham, who have a doomed air about them. In the Spanish League, I believe Seville will recover from their Real Madrid trouncing by defeating Real Sociedad, while in the Dutch League go for second-placed Ajax to topple the leaders, FC Twente.

Pools tips for this weekend May 7-8

 Treble chance (home teams): Manchester United, Newcastle, Wolves, Notts County, Lincoln, Rotherham, Stevenage, Airdrie, Brechin, Dumbarton.


Best draws: Newcastle, Wolves, Notts County, Rotherham, Stevenage.


Aways: Arsenal, Leyton Orient, Accrington, Northampton, Dundee.


Homes: Bolton, Everton, West Ham, Charlton, Colchester, Huddersfield, Barnet, Stockport, Wycombe.




Pick of the draws: Newcastle are ending the season with a whimper, so visitors Birmingham, who are not yet safe from relegation, can nick a point. Wolves are even more precariously placed and have stumbled at just the wrong time. I cannot see them getting more than a draw against a revitalised West Bromwich Albion. A draw should be enough to save Notts County from relegation to League Two and don't be surprised if they get it against Brighton, who have taken their foot off the pedal since being confirmed as League One champions. Too many draws have cost Rotherham promotion from League Two and they are on course to share the spoils again when sixth-placed Torquay come visiting. A draw should be sufficient for Stevenage to reach the play-offs in their first season in the Football League and they can celebrate their achievement against Bury, who have already gained promotion.


Away days: Arsenal are favourites to complete the double over Stoke, who will probably be distracted by their participation in the FA Cup final on Saturday week. If Leyton Orient can beat Southampton, as they did on Easter Saturday, they ought to do the same against Plymouth, whose relegation from League One was confirmed this week. Accrington are the form team in League Two and my tip for further success at Burton. Expect Northampton to celebrate their escape from relegation with victory at a dispirited Morecambe, who conceded seven at Port Vale last weekend.  In the Scottish First Division, Dundee are a good bet at Queen of the South, who have lost more matches than they have won at home.


Homes sweet homes: Everton, as usual, are finishing the season strongly and are fancied to defeat inconsistent Manchester City. It's now or never for the Premier League's bottom club, West Ham, and I am taking them to gain maximum points against lowly Blackburn, who are notoriously weak on their travels. Barnet need three points to have any chance of staying in the Football League. I have a hunch they will get them against Port Vale, whose hopes of promotion vanished last week. Relegated Stockport will want to finish the season on a positive note and they have a good chance of doing that against out-of-sorts Cheltenham.

Pools tips for this weekend April 30-May 1

Treble chance (home teams): Blackburn, Derby, Leeds, Brighton, Bristol Rovers, Exeter, Walsall, Bury, Hereford, Northampton.


 Best draws: Derby, Leeds, Brighton, Bury, Hereford.


Aways: Manchester United, Reading, Leicester, Queens Park Rangers, Bournemouth.


Homes: Blackpool, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Millwall, Nottingham Forest, Sheffield United, Leyton Orient, Yeovil.




Pick of the draws: Derby and their visitors, Bristol City, lost both their Championship matches over Easter, but at least they are safe from relegation and can play without tension. As the league table suggests, there is little between them. Leeds' promotion challenge has stalled just at the wrong time. They have already drawn eight games at Elland Road this season and I won't be surprised if they make it nine against Burnley. Since they have been confirmed as League One champions, Brighton have not shown the same intensity, so I'm taking promotion-seeking Huddersfield to gain a point at the Withdean stadium. Because Bury have clinched promotion from League Two they may take their foot off the pedal against third-placed Wycombe, who still have everything to play for. I predict that Hereford, the division's home draw specialists with 10 to their name, will take a step closer to safety by sharing the spoils with Bradford City.


Away days: Manchester United's confidence is sky-high, whereas Arsenal's must be at rock-bottom. Unlike Arsenal, United grow stronger towards the end of the season and they should be backed to collect maximum points when they visit the Emirates on Sunday. I believe Reading's defeat by Sheffield United on Easter Monday was merely a blip and they can confirm their place in the Championship play-offs with victory at Coventry. Leicester will be disappointed to miss out on a play-off place and I expect them to take it out on lowly Doncaster. Queens Park Rangers should clinch promotion at Watford while in League One, revitalised Bournemouth are tipped to prevail at Hartlepool.


Homes sweet homes: Blackpool, battling against relegation, were unlucky not to beat Newcastle last Saturday and I believe they will be rewarded against Stoke, who are not half as formidable away from the Britannia stadium.  I expect Millwall's late surge for the Championship play-offs to continue against Swansea, who are indifferent travellers. Sheffield United's revival may have come too late to stop them going down, but I fancy them to defeat Barnsley. Leyton Orient are flying in League One and must be backed against Tranmere, while Yeovil have done well to avoid relegation and can celebrate the fact by beating mid-table Colchester.