Pools tips for this weekend August 20-21

 Treble chance: Arsenal v Liverpool, Norwich v Stoke, Swansea v Wigan, Wolves v Fulham, Brighton v Blackpool, Burnley v Cardiff, Hull v Crystal Palace, Sheffield Wednesday v Notts County, Kilmarnock v Hearts, Motherwell v Rangers.


Best draws: Arsenal v Liverpool, Wolves v Fulham, Brighton v Blackpool, Sheffield Wednesday v Notts County, Motherwell v Rangers.


Aways: Manchester City, Portsmouth, Sheffield United, Dagenham & Redbridge, Bristol Rovers.


Homes: Aston Villa, Everton, Sunderland, Coventry, Derby, Stevenage, Wycombe, Gillingham, Morecambe.


Pick of the draws: The last two matches between Arsenal and Liverpool have ended 1-1, and I fancy a repeat at the Emirates stadium in the lunchtime kick-off on Saturday. Neither team distinguished themselves when dropping points on the opening weekend of the season and it is difficult to see either finding anything extra. Fulham are shaping up well enough in defence to deny Wolves victory at Molineux on Sunday. Both promoted Brighton and relegated Blackpool have started well in the Championship and can share the spoils. Notts County are thriving under Martin Allen's managership and are a good bet for a point at Sheffield Wednesday, who have made an unconvincing start in League One. Motherwell have earned their top spot in the Scottish Premier League and can frustrate Rangers.


Away days: There are remarkably few away bankers this weekend, so take a chance on Manchester City to beat Bolton, even though the hosts got off to a flier by winning 4-0 at Queens Park Rangers. It's about time City showed more adventure on their travels and they will be encouraged by their runaway victory over Premier League newcomers Swansea last Monday. In the Championship, Bristol City are down in the dumps and Portsmouth should be able to take advantage. Sheffield United, with maximum points from their first three games in League One, are tipped to make it four in a row at Tranmere. In League Two, Dagenham & Redbridge are worth a punt at Bradford City, as are Bristol Rovers at inconsistent Macclesfield. 


Homes sweet homes: Sunderland had a good result at Anfield last Saturday and, having made some good signings during the summer, should be backed to avenge their 5-0 defeat by Newcastle at St James' Park last season. Coventry are pointless after three matches in the Championship, but have played better than their results suggest. I'm tipping them to get off the mark against struggling Watford. Promoted Stevenage, who had a terrific 3-1 win at Bournemouth in League One on Tuesday, will be confident of continuing their rise against Hartlepool, while in League Two Morecambe look too strong for Aldershot. 

Pools tips for this weekend August 13-14

Treble chance: Stoke v Chelsea, Wigan v Norwich, Leicester v Reading, Portsmouth v Brighton, Watford v Derby, Bournemouth v Sheffield Wednesday, Colchester v Wycombe, Notts County v Charlton, Yeovil v Oldham, Burton v Shrewsbury.


Best draws: Stoke v Chelsea, Wigan v Norwich, Portsmouth v Brighton, Bournemouth v Sheffield Wednesday, Notts County v Charlton.


Aways: Arsenal, Bolton, Manchester United, West Ham, MK Dons.


Homes: Liverpool, Birmingham, Cardiff, Ipswich, Leeds, Millwall, Chesterfield, Leyton Orient, Barnet.




Pick of the draws: Stoke are formidable at home, have had a good pre-season and won't have an inferiority complex about playing Chelsea, who will be hoping to impress their new manager. Norwich are the likeliest of the three Premier League newcomers to stay up and I expect them to start this campaign by holding Wigan, who only escaped relegation on the final day of last season. Another promoted club, Brighton, got their Championship season off to a good start last Saturday by winning in stoppage-time and look good for a share of the spoils at Portsmouth. In League One, Sheffield Wednesday look a stronger outfit now and capable of spoiling Bournemouth's day. Notts County and Charlton impressed while recording 3-0 victories last weekend, so don't be surprised if this Saturday's fixture results in stalemate.


Away days: Newcastle are one of the few Premier League clubs to have had a more unsettling close season than Arsenal, who visit St James' Park on Saturday. That's the main reason I'm taking injury-troubled Arsenal to collect maximum points. Bolton faded badly at the end of last season but Owen Coyle's team should still have too much for promoted Queens Park Rangers. Champions Manchester United, strengthened by three new signings, are determined to be first out of the blocks this time and I cannot see Roy Hodgson's West Bromwich Albion denying them at the Hawthorns. West Ham will surely shrug off their Championship home defeat by Cardiff last Sunday by defeating injury-ravaged Doncaster at the Keepmoat stadium. In League One, MK Dons are tipped to win at Exeter, who were shot-shy in a drab goalless draw at Stevenage last weekend.


Homes sweet homes: Relegated Birmingham played well despite being beaten at Derby last weekend and should regain their confidence against Coventry in the Championship. Leeds are much better than they showed in their opening-day defeat at Southampton last Saturday and I fancy them to put things right against Middlesbrough. Millwall, who gained a creditable 2-2 draw at Reading, are tipped to see off  Nottingham Forest. In League One, Leyton Orient can get off the mark against Tranmere and in League Two, Barnet, convincing 1-0 winners at Morecambe, can prevail against Port Vale, who are poor travellers.

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.