Le Tiss's PL picks

Le Tiss: Thinks Diouf is a duff buy

Also see

• Jeff Stelling's picks
• Paul Merson's picks
• Alan McInally's picks
• Charlie Nicholas's picks
• Phil Thompson's picks
• Chris Kamara's picks
• Tony Cottee's picks
• 2008-09 preview

It's a dangerous game, making pre-season predictions. But with just days to go before the big kick-off in the Premier League, the Soccer Saturday gang have gallantly agreed to put their necks - and their credibility - on the line.

Southampton idol Matt Le Tissier looks into the future - but are his predictions saintly or sinful?

Champions

I think Scolari will make a big difference at Chelsea. They got very close to Manchester United last season with not such a great manager and now that they've got a very good manager in charge I think they'll pip them. I know he hasn't managed in the Premier League before but he's got enough experience from around the world to be able to adapt to the English game fairly quickly. He's worked with top players and I think he'll get the best out of the Chelsea squad.

Champions League spots

It will be a hell of a job for somebody to break into the top four so I think it will be the usual suspects again. I'd go for Manchester United in second, Liverpool in third and Arsenal fourth. I think the signing of Robbie Keane will be key for Liverpool and will lift them above Arsenal, whose lack of investment could cost them a little bit. Losing guys like Mathieu Flamini and Alexander Hleb won't help their cause much either.

Fit for fifth

Spurs have spent a lot of money and they've bought some quality players so they're my tip for fifth and an outside bet for the top four. Juande Ramos has got a few months under his belt and he can kick on after a good start. Modric was a good signing and will make a difference, but if they lose Berbatov and fail to replace him with quality then they might not even make the top seven. The other contenders are Man City - especially if they land Santa Cruz - and then Aston Villa. I think Everton will struggle to challenge for that position because they've lost a few players and haven't brought many in.

Surprise package

A lot of people are saying Newcastle are going to finish in the bottom half, but they're the sort of team who might get some momentum going. I don't think they're going to be up there battling for trophies, but I don't think they'll be scrapping it out at the bottom. And with Kevin Keegan at the helm, they have the potential to challenge for a European spot.

Going down

I think everyone is unanimous in their view that Hull and Stoke will go down. I'd like to see the promoted sides go on a bit of a run, but looking at their squads it's going to be a long hard slog for them. Then it could be one club from six or seven for the other spot and if I was to stick my neck on the line I'd go for Bolton. They got away with it a bit last season and spending £11m on Johan Elmander seems a lot for somebody who isn't really a big name. West Brom have the biggest chance of the three coming up, but I don't think they'll be comfortable by any stretch of the imagination. Fulham have bought a lot of players but may find it hard to gel quickly and I'm not convinced by the players that Sunderland have brought in either. There'll be a few teams in the scrap.

Golden boot

I think Cristiano Ronaldo will struggle to repeat last season, especially as he's missing the start of the campaign with an injury, so I think it's between Fernando Torres and Emannuel Adebayor. I'd say Adebayor is the value bet out of those two and if you're looking for a dark horse then Jermaine Defoe could be worth a punt. I think he'll enjoy playing with Peter Crouch and picking up a few assists and he'd be a good outside bet.

Best buy

I'd go for Robbie Keane at Liverpool because he's such a clever footballer and I think he'll link up really well with Fernando Torres. That looks like a really good combination because Keane can see a pass and that will benefit Torres with his runs and his pace. Furthermore, Keane knows where the goal is himself, having joined the Premier League's 100 goals club and that could be the signing that makes Liverpool a bit more dangerous.

Barking buy

There's quite a few that have baffled me, but the one that stands out was Sunderland spending £2.5million on El Hadji Diouf. As a forward he has got a shocking goalscoring record and Sunderland really need somebody who's going to get into double figures. It's surprised me that Roy Keane has gone for somebody who's averaging about one goal in every 15 games.

Soccer Saturday summer slacker

That's got to be Alan McInally because once the season ended and there was no work to be done he'll have spent all of his time on a beach, playing golf or drinking for Scotland. Jeff will be a close runner-up though. He's been known to fluctuate a little bit in the weight department and every time I've texted him over the summer he's been in the Caribbean or somewhere else in the world. I imagine he's spent a couple of months eating and drinking too much.