All is rosy for Manchester United at present with the club firmly in the top four mix and positively flying under the governance of Erik Ten Hag.

Finally it seems, after a decade of under-achievement following the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson, the Red Devils have rediscovered their mojo and subsequently – naturally – optimism is high at Old Trafford. 

A good deal of their substantial advancement can be attributed to finally having a solid centre-back pairing while ahead of Varane and Martinez, a combative but classy midfielder prowls in the form of Casemiro, putting in assured displays that evoke Roy Keane from back in the day.

Up front meanwhile, a rejuvenated Marcus Rashford is scoring for fun. 

Indeed, it is possible to go through the whole set-up and highlight individuals who look transformed under the studious Dutch coach, that is until you gaze out towards both touchlines and find a problem still persists, one that frankly has gone on for so long it cannot be diminished as a coincidence.

Bit passive this half but for many it’s just fitness minutes so it’s understandable. Biggest takeaway is how much United struggle for goals without Marcus. Not much goal threat from the wingers.

— UnitedMuppetiers (@Muppetiers) February 1, 2023

Why are Manchester United wingers so routinely struggling to live up to expectation?

It is a shortcoming that is richly ironic given that United are historically associated with having flying wide-men; tricky, pacy wingers who got proverbial bums off seats and entertained as much as they racked up impressive stats.

From Giggs to Ronaldo, to Kanchelskis, the Ferguson era was lit up by such players, key personnel who informed United’s title hopes and heavily influenced the football betting.

Before them there was Steve Coppell, and before him there was of course the great George Best. 

Yet, their tormenting of full-backs at the Theatre of Dreams feels like a distant memory now as the club’s £95m summer signing Antony persistently flatters to deceive, all step-overs and little substance down the United right.

The Brazilian was devastating at times in the Eredivisie last term but has proven to be a huge disappointment in the Premier League to date.

Elsewhere, Jadon Sancho’s travails continues, an attacking superstar-in-the-making whose 114 direct goal involvements in 137 appearances for Borussia Dortmund had him coveted across two summer windows by the Reds.

An underwhelming debut campaign in English football, however, has only got worse this term and currently the 22-year-old is a peripheral figure under Ten Hag. In truth, he’s a shadow of a shadow of his former self. 

Between them, these seismic signings cost £180m but if the problem began and ended with the pair their failings would be little more than a sub-plot. 

Alas, there is a pattern. 

Furthermore, it is a sustained one, and if it started post-Ferguson perhaps it’s apt that the club’s winger woes originates from Ferguson’s last ever signing, Wilfried Zaha.

After losing his powers at Old Trafford, Zaha returned to Crystal Palace where he’s been brilliant ever since. 

Manchester United urged to consider re-singing Wilfried Zaha #mufc https://t.co/rTJWb2jCam pic.twitter.com/fBajjwLR6u

— Man United News (@ManUtdMEN) February 5, 2023

There followed Angel Di Maria, who went from being world class to ordinary at a stroke of a pen, while Memphis Depay hardly fared better. If anything, the player who scored 20 times for Barcelona two seasons ago fared much worse.

Dan James is another, and who can forget Alexis Sanchez? Pretty much anyone who watched his abject showings in the North-West, that’s who. Anthony Martial meanwhile – bought to hug the touchline – is clearly better served as a striker. 

What’s the betting we’ve left someone out, so great is their number, and the theory goes that the pressure to perform for such a big club, on such an iconic stage, is so monumental as to be suffocating.

The expectation to be the difference-maker weighing heavy on the shoulders.

If so, then Ten Hag’s next remit, after forging a cohesive unit at United is evident. He must set his individuals free, ending the club’s winger curse in the process.

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

It’s tempting to suggest that the standard of punditry in the UK has plummeted in recent years, a claim that is strengthened every time Jamie Redknapp opens his mouth.

Only then we think back and acknowledge that once upon a time the BBC routinely gave Garth Crooks lots of air-time, believing him to be erudite because he. Spoke. Really. Really. Slowly. And. Carefully.

We remember too Mark Lawrenson phoning in performative displays of apathy in between rounds of golf.

Going further back there was Jimmy Hill. According to Tears For Fears, everybody wants to rule the world. Hill actually thought he did. 

Yet still, it’s hard to shake a lingering suspicion that as far as punditry goes, we’ve never had it so bad, with lazy opinions the norm and genuine insight in scant supply.

Cliches meanwhile abound as across the platforms the same faces appear, an old boy’s network of former players on a cushy number and entirely reliant on being spoon-fed stats in lieu of doing their own research. 

Frankly, you would get ludicrously long betting odds on any of these banter-merchants saying anything interesting or illuminating and if certain individuals did, we’d collectively fall off our sofas. 

Perhaps though, as stated, we’ve always been short-changed in this regard? It’s just that now there are more of them to annoy us.
Wherever the truth lies, our dislike of this terrible trio is timeless. 

3) Michael Owen 

Uttering banalities with a voice that could send a hyperactive toddler to sleep, Owen’s main contribution to broadcasting has been a slew of foot-in-mouth moments.

‘That’s completely unstoppable but the keeper has got to do better for me.’ That was one of his, along with the profoundly silly, ‘Footballers these days often have to use their feet.’

Such clangers would be endearing from anyone else – think of Sir Bobby Robson’s regular habit of calling his players by the wrong name – but from Owen merely induces scoffing and a scowl from the viewership, because they are not balanced out elsewhere by perceptive points of view.

Rather there is a vacuum filled with meaningless words from a man who once won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award despite not possessing one. 

2) Danny Murphy  

Any best-of or worst-of list is of course wholly subjective. One man’s Ferrari is another man’s banger. 

Yet on rare occasions it is possible to make a sweeping judgement, one that very likely applies to all of humankind; one that even the football betting markets wouldn’t touch, because it’s such a cert.  

So here goes.

There is not one single person among Match of the Day’s 11 million-strong audience – bar maybe Murphy’s family and friends though even that is up for discussion – who is happy to see that he’s on that week. Not one single person. 

1) Steve McManaman 

‘Macca’ makes it a clean sweep of former Liverpool players, but with the other two their club allegiance is pretty much irrelevant. 

That is absolutely not the case here, with a clear bias towards his ex-employer one of the key ingredients that makes his punditry and commentaries such a toil.

In his company 90 minutes feels like an eternity, more so an eternity spent in a version of hell that sees you placed within earshot of the most annoying pub-bore who has ever existed.  

The only time that McManaman shuts up is on an inhale, and even those blessed fragments of silence are ruined because we know what’s coming.

FIRST PUBLISHED: 7th February 2023

The University of Phoenix Stadium is the arena. The Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles are the teams. Super Bowl LVII is the event.

The stage is set for Sunday’s showpiece fixture in the National Football League and fans will see either the Chiefs or the Eagles celebrating Super Bowl glory this weekend.

Undoubtedly one of the great sporting events of the year, the Vince Lombardi Trophy awaits the winning team and both organisations have enjoyed success in recent times.

The Eagles, buoyed by one of the great Super Bowl plays with the Philly Special, prevailed at Super Bowl LII while the Chiefs – competing in their third Super Bowl in four years – were victorious at Super Bowl LIV.

There really is very little to split the two teams. If you’re struggling to make your pick, there are plenty of NFL odds and predictions at covers.com to help ahead of Sunday’s big game.

Soaring Eagles Unstoppable?

The early sports betting markets have the Eagles as narrow favourites (4/5) and Philadelphia supporters will be quietly confident of a second Super Bowl success in six years.

With a regular season record of 14-3, the Eagles clinched the number one seed in the AFC Conference and home advantage throughout the playoffs certainly helped.

In fact, Philadelphia demolished their rivals en route to the Super Bowl – first defeating the New York Giants 38-7 before a similarly destructive 31-7 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.

A historic matchup@JalenHurts | @PatrickMahomes | #SuperBowlLVII pic.twitter.com/rtoGVNGv1l

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) February 7, 2023

Jalen Hurts was simply sublime throughout the regular season, recording a 22-6 touchdown to interception ratio while completing 66.5% of his pass attempts.

In addition, he offered a viable threat in the running game. Hurts finished the season with an impressive 760 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns in 15 appearances.

A well-oiled machine on offence, the Eagles are one of the most effective teams in the NFL at moving the chains and they are worthy favourites for the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Reddick Leading Defence

The Philly defence has been outstanding this season as well, notching 70.0 sacks to lead the NFL. To put this into perspective, the Chiefs are next best with a combined 55.0 sacks.

With concerns over Patrick Mahomes and his mobility, the Philadelphia defensive front will be smelling blood and we should expect a fast start from the Eagles in that regard.

Haason Reddick is the player to keep an eye on. He finished the 2022 regular season with 16.0 sacks and leads the postseason statistics with 3.5.

Eagles' Haason Reddick reveling in journey to Super Bowl LVII after early career struggles: "I'm here, baby"https://t.co/GpLj2Lg23t pic.twitter.com/Mdlotq99rI

— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) February 7, 2023

The 13th overall pick from the 2017 NFL Draft has been playing with a chip on his shoulder this season, having failed to impress the Carolina Panthers last term.

He could be a dark horse for the Super Bowl MVP award. Defensive players rarely win the accolade but Reddick is a contender if he can make a big play or two. 

Experience Key For Chiefs

Appearing in the Super Bowl for the third time in four seasons, the Chiefs have that crucial big game experience and Andy Reid is among the best head coaches in the NFL.

In Reid and Mahomes, the Chiefs have an edge at the two most important positions but of course there are no guarantees that either will bring their A-game on Sunday night.

However, as mentioned by Jason Bell in his NFL blog last week, there is something about the Kansas City Chiefs that gives them an edge whenever they take to the field.

While the Eagles have blown their rivals away, Kansas City are more battle hardened after coming out on top in two one-score games in the postseason.

Now unbeaten in seven straight games, the Chiefs have clicked into gear in recent months and an extra week off to get healthy could prove decisive.

Super Bowl LVII Prediction

While it won’t go down as the highest scoring Super Bowl of all-time, this looks like it could be a bit of a shootout between two of the best quarterbacks in the game.

A lot will depend on the fitness of Mahomes but if he’s good to go then the Chiefs will take some stopping in Arizona this weekend.

Anything can happen in the Super Bowl and this one is tough to call but Mahomes is the X-Factor and he can make the difference in a close encounter.

Super Bowl score prediction: Kansas City Chiefs 31-28 Philadelphia Eagles

The January market was definitely full of surprises.

There was no shortage of major investments, top clubs and top players involved, sudden twists but also real projects implemented by a club like Chelsea which anticipated part of the summer transfer window... already in January.

The clubs have spent high-level figures especially in England, while the situation has remained under control in Spain, France, Italy and Germany with limited spending and programming postponed to next June when there will be changes as always.

And now what will happen to the summer market?

Predicting some transfers is almost impossible, too soon because the most important variables can change between now and June: football directors, managers, players with new agents, there's plenty of time to study the strategies for 2023/2024 even if there are those who have already started doing it.

In Spain, Real Madrid have prepared an Endrick deal for 2024 and await the decisions of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos on the situation of their expiring contracts next June.

Atletico Madrid has already completed a purchase: Caglar Soyuncu could sign as a free agent in the coming weeks, the green light is imminent.

Barcelona, on the other hand, as always, will be active on many fronts, from the new right back to midfield, awaiting the decision of Sergio Busquets who has an offer from Inter Miami for a new experience in MLS.

In France, Paris Saint-Germain have already prepared a Milan Skriniar deal on a free transfer: the centre-back will leave Inter in June and has already signed a four-year contract with PSG, but the club's programming will not end here.

Obviously it will also depend on how this second part of the season goes, especially in the Champions League.

Bayern Munich will be one of many clubs involved in a great race looking for a new striker: many top clubs in Europe are looking for a new center forward, from Manchester United to Chelsea with Bayern looking for that type of player.

There will be a big summer battle between all these clubs as they search for the right striker, waiting to figure out who might be available on the transfer market and who will stay at their club.

Jurgen Klopp wants to keep Roberto Firmino, talks are ongoing to extend his contract. Liverpool are offering a short-term deal to Brazilian striker. 🔴🇧🇷 #LFC

"We’re on the right track. We’re having really good talks with Liverpool", his agent Wittmann also told Sky days ago. pic.twitter.com/5h1BDM7tzv

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 7, 2023

In fact, Tottenham are hoping to be able to extend Harry Kane's contract, new contacts are already scheduled to get it done before the summer; Napoli now don't even want to negotiate for Victor Osimhen because they are 100% focused on the second half of the season.

Will there be Benjamin Sesko or Dusan Vlahovic on the market or will they stay where they are? What will become of Romelu Lukaku, currently on loan at Inter from Chelsea until June? We will see.

Much of the 2023 summer transfer market will go through the attackers, a real hunt for the number 9 that will involve many clubs.

While many others will compete on the midfielder: Jude Bellingham is the most requested, Liverpool are constantly insisting with Jurgen Klopp who hopes to be able to sign the English midfielder while Manchester City and Real Madrid have not yet given up.

All these clubs are looking for a new midfielder, the same could also be done by Manchester United and Newcastle who will try some moves as well as Barcelona in Spain if both Busquets and Kessié were to leave.

A domino between midfield and attack, the real key to a summer market that can be crazy... like and more than the one in January.