Wednesday 27 November 2013

Pools tips for weekend of November 30-December 1

Ten draws: Newcastle v West Bromwich Albion, Norwich v Crystal Palace, Barnsley v Birmingham, Wigan v Derby, Oldham v Bradford City, Stevenage v Shrewsbury, Walsall v Port Vale, Bristol Rovers v AFC Wimbledon, Plymouth v Burton, York v Rochdale.

Best draws: Norwich v Crystal Palace, Barnsley v Birmingham, Wigan v Derby, Oldham v Bradford City, York v Rochdale.

Best weekend away tips: Arsenal, Liverpool, Fulham, Leeds, Queens Park Rangers, Brentford.

Best weekend home tips: Manchester City, Blackpool, Charlton, Leicester, Watford, Preston, Tranmere, Mansfield, Scunthorpe, Southend.


Pick of the draws: There is fresh hope for Crystal Palace's Premier League survival after last weekend's win at Hull. Now under new manager Tony Pulis, Palace can gain their first away draw of the season at Norwich, who are much stronger at home than when they travel. Barnsley cannot shake off their Championship blues and Saturday's fixture against mediocre Birmingham looks as good a draw as any on the coupon. Derby's position just outside the play-offs is mostly down to their fine away form and there is no reason to fear Sunday's trip to Wigan, who are finding it hard to score goals. Oldham are one of the most improved sides in League One and I am tipping them to share the spoils with play-off contenders Bradford City. Rochdale's progress in League Two came to a juddering halt with a 4-0 home defeat by Scunthorpe. That should encourage their hosts York, who are battling to stay out of the relegation zone.

Away days: Premier League leaders Arsenal will be anxious to see their recent defeat at Old Trafford as a blip rather than the start of a trend. Expect them to resume their away dominance at promoted Cardiff. Liverpool, who are second by virtue of goals scored, should be too strong for Hull, who are one of several PL teams precariously placed. Fulham, although third from bottom and clearly struggling, are worth a punt at West Ham, who are desperately short of forwards and have won only once at Upton Park this season. Leeds have forced their way into Championship play-off contention and I believe they will confirm their improvement against mid-table Blackburn. It's impossible to ignore the claims of promotion-seeking QPR at lowly Doncaster and the same can be said of League One high-flyers Brentford, who visit bottom club Notts County.

Homes sweet homes: I can't help thinking Charlton are in a false position in the Championship, where they lie 17th. Their midweek home victory over Doncaster will lift morale and they can further improve their situation by defeating inconsistent Ipswich at The Valley. Tranmere's 5-1 thrashing of Coventry last Saturday was one of the results of the season. It lifted them out of the League One relegation zone and I fancy them to move further away from danger by beating Colchester. League Two Mansfield are on the slide at the moment but I've a hunch they will stop the rot against Morecambe. 

Pools info: Albion v East Stirling (match No 45 on the coupon), Clyde v Annan (46) and Stirling v Berwick (49) will be decided by the Pools Panel. 

Wednesday 20 November 2013

Pools tips for weekend of November 23-24

Ten draws: Fulham v Swansea, Stoke v Sunderland, Blackburn v Reading, Bournemouth v Derby, Ipswich v Leicester, Watford v Bolton, Swindon v Leyton Orient, Wolves v Brentford, Inverness v St Johnstone, Dumbarton v Alloa.

Best draws: Stoke v Sunderland, Watford v Bolton, Swindon v Leyton Orient, Wolves v Brentford, Inverness v St Johnstone.

Best weekend away bets: Manchester United, Crystal Palace, Chelsea, Port Vale, Oldham, AFC Wimbledon.

Best weekend home bets: Birmingham, Leeds, Queens Park Rangers, Peterborough, Preston, Rotherham, Accrington, Rochdale, Southend, Hearts.


Pick of the draws: Sunderland's morale-boosting victory over title contenders Manchester City has given them a Premier League lifeline and I fancy them to get something at Stoke, who are still trying to adjust to life without their former manager Tony Pulis. Watford have had a bit of a hangover after last season's near miss for promotion to the top flight. It wouldn't surprise me if they were held by Bolton, who are climbing the Championship table after a terrible start to the season. League One Swindon recovered from their shock FA Cup exit by winning impressively at Colchester last weekend. A repeat of that performance could see them share the spoils with promotion contenders Leyton Orient, in many ways the team of the season so far. Nobody in the League is in better form than Uwe Rosler's Brentford. They will not fear visiting League One leaders Wolves and can come away with a point. Inverness Caledonian Thistle, second in the Scottish Premiership, may not recover quickly enough from the departure of manager Terry Butcher to overcome the improving St Johnstone.

Away days: That win over Arsenal at Old Trafford the Sunday before last suggests that Manchester United are getting into their Premier League stride and I don't expect Cardiff to halt their progress. Even at this early stage of the season there seems no way back for bottom club Crystal Palace, who have lost all five away matches. But one win can change everything and they are worth a wager at shot-shy Hull, who came up to the Premier League with them last season. Chelsea slipped up by allowing West Bromwich Albion to escape from Stamford Bridge with a draw but I can't see them faltering against West Ham, who are in the relegation mix. In League One, Port Vale are a must selection at Crewe, who have easily the worst goal difference in the top four divisions, and my other fancy is Oldham, conquerors of Wolves in the FA Cup, to beat Gillingham, who lost to non-League Brackley. AFC Wimbledon, who slammed Portsmouth 4-0 at home last Saturday, look a good thing at struggling Bury in League Two.

Homes sweet homes: Birmingham have had some indifferent results this season but they showed what they are capable of with a deserved victory at Huddersfield in the Championship. I'm taking them to hand out the same treatment to high-flying Blackpool at St Andrew's. Accrington are displaying the spirit which is necessary to avoid relegation from League Two. They had a terrific win at Scunthorpe last Saturday and I'm backing them to gain another three points at the expense of Torquay, who are just below them. Although Hearts, with their 15-point deduction, are seemingly doomed to relegation from the Scottish Premiership, they can relieve some of their gloom by defeating Ross, who are poor travellers and badly out of sorts.


Wednesday 13 November 2013

Pools tips for weekend of November 16-17

Ten draws: Colchester v Swindon, Leyton Orient v Preston, Dagenham & Redbridge v Burton, York v Plymouth, Forest Green v Lincoln, Gateshead v Salisbury, Southport v Hereford, Livingston v Dumbarton, East Fife v Stranraer, Montrose v Albion.

Best draws: Colchester v Swindon, Leyton Orient v Preston, York v Plymouth, Forest Green v Lincoln, Gateshead v Salisbury.

Best weekend away bets: Rotherham, Bristol City, Fleetwood, Chesterfield, Hamilton, Morton.

Best weekend home bets: Brentford, Port Vale, Sheffield United, Mansfield, Scunthorpe, Wycombe, Rangers, Stenhousemuir, Clyde, Peterhead.


Pick of the draws: League One promotion contenders Swindon will be anxious to bounce straight back after their humiliating FA Cup first-round exit by non-League Macclesfield and I believe they will do so against middle-of-the-table Colchester, who already have eight draws to their name. League One leaders Leyton Orient are perhaps the team of the season so far but Preston, who have climbed to fourth, have the pedigree to check their progress. York have found it hard going in League Two, as have their visitors Plymouth. Plymouth have not drawn away in the league this season but I think they might change at the weekend. Forest Green have won their last two at home in the Skrill Premier but I'm backing improving Lincoln to stop them making it a hat-trick. Gateshead gained a creditable draw at Oxford United in the FA Cup first round last weekend, which will make them believe they can deny play-off contenders Salisbury maximum points.

Away days: With two consecutive victories behind them, League One Rotherham appear to be over their indifferent spell and you have to fancy their chances at Stevenage. Bristol City are at last emerging from their nightmare period and are worth a punt at Tranmere, who have the same number of points. Fleetwood's away form has propelled them to the top of League Two and I expect them to triumph at bottom club Northampton. Third-placed Chesterfield returned to winning ways in the FA Cup and they are worth supporting at ailing Torquay. Hamilton, the Scottish League One leaders, should confirm their superiority over lowly Cowdenbeath and I've a hunch Morton will win their first away game of the season at fellow strugglers Queen of the South.

Homes sweet homes: New manager Nigel Clough has already made a difference at Sheffield United, who can climb out of the League One relegation zone by beating Gillingham. League Two Mansfield stopped the rot by scoring eight against non-League St Albans in the FA Cup first round. That should encourage them to inflict Oxford's first away defeat of the season. East Stirling may lead Scottish League Two but they could be heading for a fall at Peterhead, who have rediscovered their spark in recent weeks. Take a chance on a home win. 


Pools info: Walsall v Peterborough (match No 10 on the coupon) has been put back to Monday and is therefore subject to a pools panel verdict. 

Wednesday 6 November 2013

Pools tips for weekend of November 9-10

Ten draws: Manchester United v Arsenal, Swansea v Stoke, Tottenham v Newcastle, Brighton v Blackburn, Derby v Sheffield Wednesday, Hibernian v Inverness, Motherwell v Dundee United, Falkirk v Livingston, Queen of the South v Hamilton, Forfar v Brechin. 

Best draws: Manchester United v Arsenal, Tottenham v Newcastle, Brighton v Blackburn, Motherwell v Dundee United, Queen of the South v Hamilton.

Best weekend away bets: Everton, Manchester City, Wigan, Portsmouth, Cheltenham, Annan.

Best weekend home bets: Chelsea, Liverpool, Norwich, Barnsley, Bolton, Burnley, Brentford, Bury, Aberdeen, St Johnstone.


Pick of the draws: Arsenal, the Premier League leaders and proud conquerors of Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League, will be anxious to avoid a repeat of their abject performance at Old Trafford last season and there is evidence to suggest that Manchester United are not the force they were. Tottenham are being hindered by a lack of firepower and that could cost them against Newcastle, who deserved their unexpected victory over Chelsea last Saturday. In the Championship, Brighton are struggling to recapture last season's form under their ex-manager Gus Poyet. They have already drawn on six occasions this season and I can see another deadlock looming when they host Blackburn. Dundee United's recent results in the Scottish Premiership suggest they may have turned the corner and they are capable of holding Motherwell. Lowly Queen of the South knocked high-riding Hamilton out of the Scottish Cup last weekend, so there is no reason why they should have an inferiority complex when they entertain the same opponents in the Scottish Championship.

Away days: Things look desperate for Crystal Palace in the Premier League and I don't believe their visitors, Everton, will give them any respite. Manchester City's away record is hampering their title challenge but they are likely to improve on it against struggling Sunderland, who contributed to their own downfall at Hull last Saturday by having two players sent off. Owen Coyle's Wigan have been poor on the road but it would be a major upset if they failed to beat the Championship's bottom club, Yeovil, on Sunday. I'm taking Portsmouth, mid-table in League Two, to spring one of the surprises in the FA Cup first round. They go to League One strugglers Stevenage, who have already lost four matches on their own patch. Cheltenham should be higher than they are in League Two and I believe they will take out their frustration on non-League Tamworth. Annan, Scottish League Two promotion contenders, must be fancied to prevail at Albion, who are at the other end of the table.

Homes sweet homes: Norwich manager Chris Hughton and his team have been severely criticised, particularly after their 7-0 Premier League drubbing at Manchester City, but they can start to turn things around against West Ham, who have impressed nobody this season and are not far off the relegation zone themselves. Barnsley, mired in the Championship relegation zone, gained a hard-earned away point - their first of the season - at Ipswich last Friday and I'm tipping them to go one better against their Yorkshire rivals Doncaster, who are on a downward spiral. Although Bolton have begun climbing the table they have yet to win at home this season. I believe that wretched run will end when they play Millwall.


Pools info: The results of matches 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 and 33 on the coupon will be decided by the Pools Panel.