Martin Tyler has narrated big televised football matches for nearly half a century. It naturally follows therefore that for most of us, he has been an intrinsic part of our football watching journey for our entire lives.

In broadcasting terms he is unquestionably a legend in his field, while even critics of his commentating style - and his perceived bias toward certain clubs – would have to cede he is a national institution. 

Think of a memorable game you have experienced either from the sofa or down the pub, and invariably it will have been accompanied by this doyen of the microphone, expertly painting pictures with words; framing the significance of the moment and preserving it for posterity. 

Indeed, because of the sheer accumulation of years he has been the voice of football for Sky, and before them ITV, Tyler will be greatly missed whenever he decides to hang up the mic and take a well-earned rest. 

Like their begrudging admission of his iconic status, his critics would cede to this too, even if missing his phrasing and intonation solely amounts to an entrenched familiarity, and Tyler does have his detractors for sure, a surprising number in fact for someone who is clearly without malice. 

Part of the reason for his unpopularity takes us back to the opening line in the opening sentence, for it is not Tyler’s job to narrate a game of football. He is no storyteller.

Martin Tyler's jokes are wearing a bit thin these days, aren't they?

Surely time for some new blood.

— 888sport (@888sport) April 12, 2021

But sadly, in a way, he believes he is. 

It all began when Sky first secured the broadcasting rights to the newly formed Premier League, at a cost so exorbitant it had them feeling entitled enough to do what they liked with it. 

This sense of ownership did not begin and end with rearranged kick-off times and introducing gimmicks.

They wanted to direct the narrative, they wanted Hollywood plots and in their opening season they got one when Manchester United won their first league title for a generation. They’ve been chasing that high ever since. 

This extends to Tyler and then some, because it often seems like he has a pre-conceived script on how he wants the game to play out. Who the ‘good guys’ are. Who are the villains. 

When his script is adhered to, he is ecstatic. When it’s not, he is oddly despondent in his commentary. Almost angry. 

This we saw in evidence when Anthony Martial made his debut for the Reds back in 2015 against Liverpool, a game that Liverpudlians often highlight as proof that Tyler dislikes the Merseyside giants. That feels unlikely. Tyler is an ardent Gillingham supporter. 

But despite Liverpool being longer priced in the football betting that afternoon, Tyler knew the bigger story was for Martial to make an impact, which he duly did by opening the scoring.

Tyler’s response was excitable to put it mildly. His voice went up several octaves. He screamed into the mic that the winger had already paid off his hefty transfer fee. 

Yet when Christian Benteke equalised soon after, in spectacular fashion, you could hear a pin drop. The esteemed commentator described it like a man detailing the sandwich he’d eaten for lunch.  

There are numerous other examples similar to this, too many to mention in fact, but frankly, it is not Martin Tyler’s job to tell us how to be excited.

It is not his job to tell us what the story is, but to simply cover it. We pay enough in subscriptions to make those decisions for ourselves. 

When the 77-year-old calls it a day – and that day may be soon – you would get generous betting odds on Sky finding anyone better. As a commentator he is highly informed, ridiculously experienced, and superb at his job. 

But his insistence on being a self-appointed – and entirely uninvited - marionette to our emotions means he will retire to mixed sentiments. A Marmite of a legend.

*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*

FIRST PUBLISHED: 3rd February 2023

A mere few weeks ago, Nottingham Forest were short-priced in the Premier League relegation betting, their return to the top-flight after twenty years absence looking for all the world like a flying visit.

With just shy of a third of their season completed the Tricky Trees had posted a solitary win, that game also producing their only clean sheet. Defeats were racking up on a regular basis.

If the results were miserable, the performances were no better, with a lack of cohesion squarely to blame and this was particularly evident at the back where defenders played as if with strangers. That of course was largely because they were.

Twenty-two signings. That was the remarkable final tally from a frenetic summer of transfer dealings, the likes of which we had never before seen, least of all from a newly promoted club.

For a while it felt like Forest were recruiting a new player every other day and for what it’s worth, their seemingly scattergun shopping spree came at a cost of £160 million, giving them a nigher net spend than the Bundesliga, Ligue 1, La Liga and Serie A combined. 

Yet if the outlay was a legitimate talking point, the real conversation centred on the sheer number of incoming talent. Granted, last term Forest had an array of loan players and with them returning to their parent clubs that needed addressing.

But their many purchases far exceeded replacing them and with essentially an entirely new squad to make sense of, and shape, how on earth was Steve Cooper going to achieve that while also adapting to a higher level of competition?

How on earth indeed.

In the opening weeks players came and went, impressing in cameos or flattering to deceive, and the inconsistency in line-ups naturally led to inconsistent displays.

By matchday 10 Cooper had utilised 28 different players as he struggled to settle on his best XI and from this relationships weren’t being formed across the pitch and understanding of movement was in short supply.

As for a spirit of togetherness – so often the most important attribute for any promoted side – there was instead only relative chaos.

When their poor results rooted Forest to the foot of the table the I-told-you-so brigade emerged in their multitude, almost triumphant.

Fast forward to the here and now however, and the situation is much improved. A series of positive performances have taken Forest to within touching distance of mid-table while crucially Cooper appears to have forged a team from many disparate parts.

A centre-back pairing of Joe Worrall and Willy Boly looks promising. Up front, Morgan Gibbs-White is linking up well with Brennan Johnson. 

Forest’s online betting odds are significantly healthier and subsequently we can start to view their supermarket sweep last summer through a more upbeat prism. 

With it being accepted that Nottingham Forest’s squad is substantially better than it was twelve months ago – now heavily populated by internationals and experienced top-level fare – perhaps it can be said that the Midlands club have embarked on an accelerated upgrade, rather than the incremental improvement typically favoured by sides outside the top six. 

And if that is indeed the case, they will be in a position to challenge that top six at a much faster rate. 

Was their strategy sensible? Far from it. It was high-risk and even reckless. But nobody is saying I-told-you-so anymore, and that at least is a start.

It's surely only a matter of time until Nick Pope surpasses Jordan Pickford as Gareth Southgate's top goalkeeping option right?

Conventional thinking has it that Jordan Pickford is England’s number one keeper, a conclusion that is perfectly reasonable, and frankly undeniable, given that Everton’s shot-stopper has played in all of his country’s big games since emerging onto the international scene five years ago.

Clearly, he is Gareth Southgate’s first choice and clearly he has his manager’s full support and trust. 

Aaron Ramsdale meanwhile has recently firmly established himself as Pickford’s deputy, following a couple of outstanding seasons with Arsenal.

As for Nick Pope, for several years now the former Burnley keeper has been widely regarded as a no-brainer squad pick for the major tournaments, but only as third choice.

Even this position appeared to be in some jeopardy last September when the 30-year-old endured a calamitous appearance at Wembley against Germany, spilling a straightforward shot late-on resulting in a costly equaliser.

Nick Pope is bossing it between the posts 🔥#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/oWPZgmSDck

— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) January 25, 2023

That mistake of course can be put down to mere misfortune, an inevitable, occasional mishap that is included in any goalkeeper’s job description, and it is hoped that Southgate views it that way, as he surely does.

Because putting that poor 90 minutes aside, Pope has been consistently exceptional in 2022/23. 

Indeed, it could be argued that on current form a back-up to a back-up for the Three Lions has been by some distance the best keeper out there of an English persuasion, and the stats prove this. 

After joining Newcastle’s lavishly funded revolution last summer, Pope has been pivotal in the Magpies ascent into top four contention, impressing on a weekly basis and providing a surety at the back that was previously missing.

No Premier League stopper boasts more clean sheets, with Pope the only number one to reach double figures at this juncture.

No top-flight stopper has conceded fewer goals, a miserly 11 that equates to him being beaten by some of the world’s sharpest shooters every 163 minutes. 

And if you believe that the differing qualities of the teams ahead of them is a factor when comparing to Pickford, consider this. Pope has saved 51 of the 62 shots he has faced this term, giving him an 82% save percentage. Pickford’s is 71.7%. 

What’s more, it is a lofty calibre of goalkeeping from the 6ft 3 presence that extends far beyond this season.

Presently, Pope’s assuredness, agility and calm decision-making is having a meaningful impact on Newcastle’s Premier League odds but for five arduous campaigns he also almost single-handedly belied the Premier League relegation betting, keeping Burnley up via countless brilliant displays. 

On two occasions he was voted the Clarets’ Player of the Year while in an especially stand-out season in 2019/20 he narrowly lost out on claiming the Premier League Golden Glove to Manchester City’s Ederson.

Here we can legitimately refer to the differing qualities of the teams ahead of them. Fifteen clean sheets for a perennially struggling side is little short of remarkable. 

Pope’s feats in Lancashire are mentioned here to illustrate that this is anything but a flash-in-the-pan campaign. He has been superb now for quite some time. 

Yet still, when England begin their Euro qualifiers this March it is Jordan Pickford who will be selected, for he is Southgate’s man. Sometimes though, conventional thinking is wrong.

*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*

FIRST PUBLISHED: 2nd February 2023

Former NFL star Jason Bell provides his thoughts on the latest events in the National Football League as Super Bowl LVII edges closer...

49ers’ bad luck continues

I can’t remember a team that has had such bad luck at the quarterback position like the San Francisco 49ers have had.

They’d already gone through two, so to lose Brock Purdy to a bad injury early on and then for fourth choice Josh Johnson to be ruled with concussion is crazy.

Purdy had been superb in all of his starts before that, so it was just such a shame the game was basically done when he got hurt.

You want to see every team at full strength, especially at this stage of the season, but credit to the Philadelphia Eagles for seizing the opportunity.

Every year officials get flack

There was plenty made of the standard of officiating in the two NFL Championship games and in all honesty it’s just one of those things that happens every year.

The officiating is always questioned, it’s nothing new, so I’m not surprised people have spoken up.

There were some calls that could be questioned, no doubt, but these things swing in roundabouts, and I think a lot of it is just frustration that it’s gone against someone’s team.

If there are any significant issues then it always gets fixed ahead of the new season, and I’m sure this year will be no different.

Mahomes proved he’s got guts as well as class

If you look at the quarterbacks of both the Kansas City Chiefs and the Eagles, these are two guys that are true leaders. It’s not because of them being the loudest person in the room, it’s because of the respect they demand.

You see the way Patrick Mahomes played against the Cincinnati Bengals, even with that injury, the team rallied around him as much as possible to help, but he still took over and did what we know he can do.

Everybody was watching him, doubting him and his mobility, but he got through it. In the second half, he was grimacing from the pain in his ankle, but he stayed out there and made plays.

That’s what a leader in the NFL is – somebody who plays through anything and does anything to help their team. He’s not only the best player in that position, but he’s the best leader too and he should be applauded for that.

Mahomes v Burrow a rivalry to savour

Josh Allen will definitely have something to say about it because he’s that good, but personally I really want to keep seeing Patrick Mahomes versus Joe Burrow.

These two teams don’t like each other, but you can’t have a rivalry between two good teams without two legitimate stars at the quarterback position because that’s what makes it.

Both are amazing players and I’m sure we’ll see them battling it out for many years to come. I can’t wait!

"I would follow him."@OsiUmenyiora and @JasonBell33 discuss why @JalenHurts is such a good leader. pic.twitter.com/9tADsWOh5S

— NFL UK (@NFLUK) February 2, 2023

Chiefs still have my vote, just!

As you get closer to the Super Bowl, it’s always hard to pick a winner because the two best teams are the only ones still standing.

You always lean to the team you picked at the start of the season, but this Eagles team is really good. Jalen Hurts has been playing brilliantly and is rightfully a serious MVP candidate, but I think at the moment I’m still just with Kansas City.

I just think the Mahomes factor is so hard to go against. He’s still playing lights-out football despite being injured and if the defense can hold up and give him enough opportunities to take his offence down the field, I think they’ll just have enough.

Jackson will be a Raven next season

I can’t see Lamar Jackson moving on from the Ravens as he has the franchise tag and I think they’ll use it. That’s unless they franchise him and then trade him, but I don’t see that happening.

Will he get what he wants? I’m not sure, but I think he’ll be there next season.

He can certainly take the Ravens to a Super Bowl. He’s got the skillset and when you watch him on the field, he can legitimately do anything. It’s about putting the right talent around him and I don’t think they’ve done that as well as they could have. 

When he’s on, he’s probably one of the best 10 offensive players in the league.