A couple of months ago I was made redundant (again). I will look for a job but while I'm within the three month notice period I'm fidning out whether I can make a living being a professional gambler and day trader.

This sounds like a doss but is all consuming as there is so much information out there to be aware of and use. (I spend around two hours a day reading the Racing Post).

One of the things I've come across is an Index set up which rates all football teams. Your rating goes up and down after each result, and takes into account the relative strengths of the teams you have played. So for example losing 5-0 at Highbury is not as bad as losing 5-0 at Bradford (God forbid).

There is a table showing the absolute rating, and also the rating as it was over the last 60 games. At the top end Man U are rated at 974 (I have no feel for how good or bad that is for a top team) and Bradford are 844.

The interesting thing to look at is the comparison of now with a year ago. A year ago Man U were 958, Arsenal 952, Sunderland 911, Liverpool 906, Newcastle 862, Leeds 928, Boro 882, Bradford 848. Now it is Man U 974, Arsenal 944, Sunderland 912, Liverpool 906, Newcastle 894, Leeds 886, Boro 852, Bradford 844.

Now I show all these boring things to show that we are better than we were, also to show that there's not much movement in lots of the other teams, apart from Boro and Leeds declining.

An interesting point from Scotland is that Celtic are rated not much higher than last season but Rangers have come down to meet them.

The table covers every league team in the UK.

-- Anonymous, December 15, 2000

Answers

AND some sad Statto has examined bookings and whether they are related to home advantage.

What he found was that more away players were booked in games. In drawn games where you'd expect the most even commitment it was 40:60 on number of bookings. This held through all divisions so it wasn't related to the volume of the home support but to their opinion. So I think that means if we all go 'tut tut, refereee' on Saturday it will have the same effect as 'you useless f***** w*****'.

-- Anonymous, December 15, 2000

So how's this new job panning out then Mac?

Got any tips for today? ;))

-- Anonymous, December 15, 2000

I started really well, but was always conscious that I'd hit a bad patch. This happened at the end of last week when I had 6 consecutive seconds, which just shatters your confidence.

I'd also hade 6 weeks of making £300 a week on football spread betting before this week when I had a bad loss.

It all knocks your self belief, no matter how many times you say to yourself you're doing the right thing.

I won't give tips !!! BUT out of Chelsea, Villa, Derby, Ipswich, Leicester, Leeds and Newcastle, Newcastle are favourites to score the most goals this weekend. Not sure who they are expecting to score them.

-- Anonymous, December 15, 2000

Mac, Would you not be better off dealing from home on the stock market? It seems that the only way you can win from gabling on football is to move to Singapore and speculate on the S League.

-- Anonymous, December 15, 2000