The pundits' picks

The good, the bad and the bonkers - it can only be the Soccer Saturday team's new season predictions...

Jeff and the boys get their crystall balls out for the new season

We asked them to deliver their verdicts and the Soccer Saturday boys didn't disappoint. On the eve of the big Premier League kick-off, Messrs Stelling, Merson, McInally, Nicholas, Thompson, Le Tissier, Kamara and Cottee have studied the stats, scoured the summer ins and outs and told skysports.com who will bring home the bacon and who will have egg on their face. Could their predictions be spookily spot-on? Or have they made a forecasting faux-pas of Michael Fish proportions? Here's your chance to compare the panel's picks for the new season, and read all their analysis in full...

Jeff Stelling

Champions: Liverpool
Champions League spots: Man Utd, Man City, Chelsea
Fifth: Arsenal
Surprise package: Burnley
Going down: Birmingham, Hull, Portsmouth
Golden boot: Fernando Torres
Best buy: Fabian Delph
Bonkers buy: Jermaine Pennant
Read Jeff Stelling's predictions in full

Paul Merson

Champions: Chelsea
Champions League spots: Liverpool, Man Utd, Arsenal
Fifth: Tottenham
Surprise package: Wigan
Going down: Burnley, Birmingham, Portsmouth
Golden boot: Didier Drogba
Best buy: Michael Owen
Bonkers buy: Glen Johnson
Read Paul Merson's predictions in full

Alan McInally

Champions: Chelsea
Champions League spots: Man Utd, Liverpool, Arsenal
Fifth: Man City
Surprise package: Blackburn
Going down: Burnley, Hull, Birmingham
Golden boot: Nicolas Anelka
Best buy: Peter Crouch
Bonkers buy: Emmanuel Adebayor
Read Alan McInally's predictions in full

Charlie Nicholas

Champions: Liverpool
Champions League spots: Chelsea, Man Utd, Arsenal
Fifth: Everton
Surprise package: Fulham
Going down: Wolves, Stoke, Burnley
Golden boot: Fernando Torres
Best buy: Michael Owen
Bonkers buy: Carlos Tevez
Read Charlie Nicholas's predictions in full

Phil Thompson

Champions: Man Utd
Champions League spots: Liverpool, Chelsea, Aston Villa
Fifth: Arsenal
Surprise package: West Ham
Going down: Burnley, Wolves, Portsmouth
Golden boot: Fernando Torres
Best buy: Fabian Delph
Bonkers buy: Darren Bent
Read Phil Thompson's predictions in full

Matt Le Tissier

Champions: Chelsea
Champions League spots: Man Utd, Liverpool, Arsenal
Fifth:Man City
Surprise package: Tottenham
Going down: Burnley, Hull, Birmingham
Golden boot: Fernando Torres
Best buy: Michael Owen
Bonkers buy: Darren Bent
Read Matt Le Tissier's predictions in full

Chris Kamara

Champions: Chelsea
Champions League spots: Man Utd, Liverpool, Arsenal
Fifth: Aston Villa
Surprise package: Bolton
Going down: Not saying!
Golden boot: Nicolas Anelka
Best buy: Michael Owen
Bonkers buy: Stewart Downing
Read Chris Kamara's predictions in full

Tony Cottee

Champions: Chelsea
Champions League spots: Liverpool, Man Utd, Man City
Fifth: Arsenal
Surprise package: Burnley
Going down: Birmingham, Wolves and Portsmouth
Golden boot: Fernando Torres
Best buy: Michael Owen
Bonkers buy: Emmanuel Adebayor
Read Tony Cottee's predictions in full