There are a bizarre number of players managed by Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United who have failed to cover themselves in glory in management and in the punditry game since retiring, which makes us wonder why one of the best managers in football history has not been able to influence nearly enough impressive football brains, whether that be in the dug-out or on our television screens.
We’d go further and say the majority of Sir Alex’s former players who have stayed in football are pretty bloody unbearable. Many show a lack of knowledge but are being paid a hell of a lot to speak about football in front of people who pay too much money to listen.
With that in mind, we have ranked the Manchester United media mafia by how unbearable they are.
 
10) Roy Keane
Does not bother wasting any energy trying to get bites. Says it how it is. Is not afraid to make enemies. We wish more Manchester United legends could be like Keano.
 
9) Gary Neville
Mildly irritating but deserves praise for repeatedly calling out the Glazers, even if he didn’t care when he was being paid by them and diverts blame when it doesn’t seem relevant.
Neville’s ability to wind up rival fans (particularly Arsenal) is also impressive. Overall, he knows his stuff and is a brilliant co-commentator. Also, Tories hate him. That’s a bonus.
Related video: Why The Glazers Have Set Man United Up To Fail (Dailymotion)

JOHNNY NIC: Top 10 football pundits sees Gary Neville take joint first
 
8) Andy Cole
Was one of the first people to call out Antony for being a spinning flop. Doesn’t say too much but when he does, it rarely makes you think ‘what an attention-seeking moron’, which is an improvement on some on this list.
 
7) Owen Hargreaves
Mundane is the word that suits Hargreaves and his punditry the best. Isn’t exactly bad at the job but his insight leaves a lot to be desired and probably puts a few people to sleep every time he is on TNT Sports.
 
6) Paul Parker
His opinions would be completely unbearable if he wasn’t amazing for our traffic. Parker chats an awful lot of rubbish but we give him the benefit of the doubt because it has helped us through many dry days.
He was also one of the first to call out Marcus Rashford, though his language often leaves a lot to be desired. Sh*tting on his doorstep, Paul? Really?

 
5) Patrice Evra
His raw chicken love-making has not inspired us here, we promise. Evra’s finest punditry moment undoubtedly came when he threw Thierry Henry under the bus by revealing that the Arsenal legend turned the TV off when he saw Granit Xhaka leading the Gunners out as captain. It was difficult, yet brilliant, to watch.
In fairness to Evra, he clearly does not give a sod about what he says live on air. Doesn’t stop him from being annoying, mind.
 
4) Dion Dublin
A bit of a nightmare to listen to when he is on co-commentary duty and isn’t really known for being a Manchester United pundit if truth be told. His ties with the club and the fact he is frequently seen or heard on our televisions sees him sit near the middle of the road. Homes Under the Hammer and his impeccable ability to identify the bathroom at the top of the stairs score him some points.

 
3) Dwight Yorke
Needs to realise that he can’t get a job in management because he is a rubbish manager. His punditry game isn’t much better, either. There is a reason we don’t see him on our screens much.
 
2) Michael Owen
Like Evra, Owen is simply a bizarre human being. From throwing the remains of his apple into a bin that is strangely situated next to his TV in his front room to hating films, never trying tea or coffee and being a hilariously bad actor, the former Manchester United, Liverpool and England striker is an oddball, but we wouldn’t change him for the world.
That side of his personality amuses us, but he rarely amuses us with his takes on TNT Sports or Premier League Productions. His bias tends to shine through when jumping to the defence of his pal Howard Webb – who he refuses to challenge on ‘Match Officials: Mic’d Up‘ – on social media.

 
1) Rio Ferdinand
The word ‘unbearable’ in the punditry dictionary should be illustrated with a picture of Rio Ferdinand.
His TNT Sports gig gives him the platform to cast his lack of wisdom to a more generic football audience but it is on YouTube that Ferdinand is able to show his true self and get reactions on social media. From saying that Mikel Arteta would jump at the chance to replace Erik ten Hag at Manchester United on his Five channel to backing his former club to finish in the top four on live television, he can be equally deluded and biased on both platforms.
READ NEXT: Who will be the next manager of Manchester United?

Man Utd ‘wouldn’t have needed’ star ‘in my day’ as ex-Red Devil states he’s ‘not as good’ as he used to be

Wes Brown has stated that Manchester United “wouldn’t have needed” Raphael Varane “in my day” due to the quality of players, as he believes the defender is “not as good” as he was in his prime.
Varane’s United career has stagnated this season. Injuries put him out of the side at the start of the season, and once fit again, he was benched, with each of Harry Maguire, Jonny Evans, Victor Lindelof and Luke Shaw playing instead of him.

The majority of those men have been injured at points as well, though, so Varane is back in the side – he’s played the last 10 Premier League games, starting nine of those.
Former United defender believes the four-time Champions League winner has lost something since those days at Real Madrid, but some of his struggles can be attributed to the constant chopping and changing of United’s centre-backs.
“He’s been a class act in the past. He’s won many trophies for club and country. At Manchester United, people might have thought he’s have come in and been a little bit better, but I do think, when he has played this season he’s done OK,” Brown told FourFourTwo.
“When I played centre-back during my career, I always found it harder when it wasn’t a proper partnership. To be fair, injuries haven’t helped.
“But listen, he’s still there and he’s still got it. He’s not as good as he was in his Real Madrid days, or why would they have sold him?
Related video: Why Manchester United Wants Dan Ashworth So Badly (Dailymotion)

“But he’s still a class act and he has a good partnership with Lisandro Martinez. But it’s just that that partnership hasn’t been given a real chance over the past couple of seasons.”
That partnership was the preferred one at centre-back at the start of last season, but injuries have meant the pair have been unable to play together as often since.
While Brown feels Varane still has some of the qualities that made him a crucial asset at Real, he does not believe the defender would have had what it took to displace some of United’s best defenders during his era at the club.
“If you’re talking about my day, no. We had prime Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic – we wouldn’t have needed him. They were almost always fit and they had that natural understanding,” Brown said.
“Gerard Pique was also there, as backup, as well as the likes of Jonny Evans, Phil Jones and Chris Smalling.


“There was a hierarchy and different partnerships within that group that complimented each other. United don’t seem to have enough of that at the moment.”
Brown does feel that had Varane had a consistent partner in defence during his time at United, he would have been able to showcase his abilities better.
“Partnerships are key in football. Not just in defence but all over the pitch. I just don’t think Varane’s quite had that,” he added.
READ MORE: Man Utd coach Benni McCarthy aiming for a managerial job ahead of potential Old Trafford change

Ronaldo says Bellingham ‘reminds me of Zidane’ as Real Madrid legend ‘surprised by his quality’

Real Madrid legend Ronaldo Nazario says Jude Bellingham has reminded him of Zinedine Zidane with the “quality” of his displays for the Spanish giants this season.
Bellingham moved to Madrid for £90m in the summer and has got 20 goals and nine assists in all competitions in his debut season.

And Ronaldo, who won two La Liga titles in his time with Los Blancos, says he’s been surprised by the England international this term, likening him to former teammate and fellow Galactico Zidane.

Ronaldo the new Zidane?

Ronaldo told the Daily Mail: “I love the way Jude Bellingham plays. The way he is playing at Madrid, scoring goals in almost every match, I love to watch him play. He goes forward all the time.
“I was watching a few matches in the Bernabeu stadium and I was looking for Bellingham. He surprised me a lot with his quality. The speed at which he runs into the area, you can see he wants to score goals all the time. He reminds me a little bit of Zinedine Zidane with his quality.”

He could have been a Red Devil

Bellingham toured the Manchester United training ground before moving to Borussia Dortmund for £25m from Birmingham City in 2020.
And Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the United boss at the time, says he and other Old Trafford alumni did their best to lure him to the club, but the teenager’s maturity put him on the right track.
Related video: Cristiano Ronaldo launches ‘special’ new business venture away from football (The Independent)

Do you wonder oh I keep my life in balance

“He knew what he wanted. Jude, he was in the building,” Solskjaer said on The Overlap’s Stick to Football podcast,
“You can’t ask a lot more for a midfielder. I was there (to meet Bellingham) obviously as the manager. Sir Alex (Ferguson) was there. Bryan Robson was there and (Eric) Cantona was there that day when he came to the club.
“We all spoke to him. Of course, we sold it to him as well as we could, but he knew what he wanted. (Bellingham chose Dortmund because of) X amount of minutes in the first team. That’s it.
“The most mature 17-year-old I’ve ever met in my life.”
READ MORE: England’s biggest hope still leads Europe’s top 10 Under-21 stars

Mbappe on target as PSG beat Nice to reach French Cup semi-finals

Kylian Mbappe returned to the starting line-up and scored as Paris Saint-Germain beat Nice 3-1 in the quarter-finals of the French Cup on Wednesday.
Having only been used as a substitute in last weekend’s 2-2 draw with Reims in Ligue 1, Mbappe was recalled in one of six changes made by coach Luis Enrique.


He responded by opening the scoring in the 14th minute at the Parc des Princes, and Fabian Ruiz soon doubled the home side’s lead.
Gaetan Laborde pulled one back before the break for Nice, but Brazilian defender Lucas Beraldo’s first PSG goal sealed the win on the hour mark.
Ten points clear at the top of Ligue 1 and through to the Champions League quarter-finals, the result means PSG remain in with a chance of winning a clean sweep of honours this season.
“The team has clearly improved and I think we will keep improving,” said Luis Enrique.
“We are in a key moment of the season, into the final third, and we are still alive in every competition. We need to remain humble and try to be even more competitive, but we are in great form.”
The capital side, record 14-time winners of the French Cup, will now play Rennes at home in the semi-finals on April 3, with Lyon hosting second-tier Valenciennes in the other tie a day earlier.
Related video: PSG fans choose who is better than Mbappe (GOAL)

Or two and Griezmann.

PSG have won the competition six times in the last decade but failed to do so in either of the last two years. This year’s final will be played in Lille on May 25.
Mbappe has either started on the bench or been substituted in each of PSG’s four Ligue 1 games since he informed the club of his intention to leave when his contract expires at the end of the season.
However, he played a starring role as the Qatar-owned outfit beat Real Sociedad in the last 16 of the Champions League, and Luis Enrique has indicated he will also continue to field the France captain from the start in the domestic knockout competition.

– ‘This is not an NGO’ –

The coach’s squad rotation has created headlines in recent weeks beyond his use of Mbappe, but the Spaniard made clear he does not mind leaving key players out.
“I don’t care. It’s normal that the players are not happy when they don’t play,” he said.
“They need to be prepared to give 100 percent when they train and when they play.
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“This is not an NGO, it is a top-level football team. The players need to be ready to perform at their best. Whether it is fair or unfair is not my concern.”
Mbappe, wearing the captain’s armband, got the breakthrough when he played a quick one-two with Ruiz in the box and poked the ball over the line for his 35th club goal of the season.
Goncalo Ramos blazed a great chance over and Mbappe saw a deflected effort hit the post, before a goalkeeping error allowed the hosts to increase their advantage just after the half-hour mark.
Marcin Bulka, Nice’s giant Polish shot-stopper, made a mess of dealing with a back-pass under pressure from Ousmane Dembele, who seized the ball and laid it back for Ruiz to score.
Ineos-owned Nice are the only side to have beaten PSG domestically this season, having won 3-2 at the Parc des Princes in September.
Second in Ligue 1 at the season’s halfway stage, their challenge at the top of the table has faded on a six-game winless run.

They pulled a goal back on 37 minutes when Gaetan Laborde controlled and lashed in a rocket of a shot after a good run by Jeremie Boga.
Nevertheless, PSG effectively ended any prospect of a Nice comeback on the 60-minute mark when a Vitinha cross was headed in at the back post by Beraldo.
The 20-year-old defender has quickly become a regular in the Paris side since arriving from Sao Paulo in January.
Shortly after that, a Lee Kang-in free-kick was tipped onto the bar by Bulka, who needed lengthy treatment after taking a knee in the face from Ramos and being left with a bloodied nose.
The post Mbappe on target as PSG beat Nice to reach French Cup semi-finals appeared first on HESPRESS English - Morocco News.

Jose Mourinho leads contenders to take over at Newcastle if Eddie Howe sacked

Newcastle United have had a poor season and some heat is undoubtedly coming on Eddie Howe. Will Saudi Arabia want to make a change?
Here are the men at the top of the latest next Newcastle United manager odds, according to gambling.com.
 
10) Marco Silva
Done a low-fi brilliant job at Fulham. If you were looking at a current Premier League manager looking for a step-up from mid-table, he would probably be a better option than most. But it’s fair to say that Newcastle are probably looking for a bigger name.
 
9) Julian Nagelsmann
On pretty much every list for every big club this summer as he is making it be known that he would love to work in the Premier League after the European Championship with Germany. He would probably quite like the Liverpool job, thank you, but Newcastle would be an easier introduction to Premier League football. It’s clearly easier to replace Howe than Jurgen Klopp.
 
8) Enzo Maresca
The current Leicester manager will undoubtedly attract some interest if/when the Foxes are promoted to the Premier League, but we can’t imagine anybody risking Maresca becoming the next Vincent Kompany. They will surely wait and see if he can thrive in the top flight before buying him out of his Leicester contract.
 
7) Brendan Rodgers
Has only been back in Scotland for five minutes, but when did that ever stop him being lured back down south to the Premier League? Rodgers was strongly linked with the Newcastle job when PIF took over so there is some logic to them returning to their original list of targets, though it seems unlikely that fans would be wowed by his appointment.
Related video: Why Newcastle Can’t Defend Anymore And How To Fix It (Dailymotion)

 
6) Michel Sanchez
There were reports in January that the Girona boss was interesting the powers-that-be of Newcastle, but Michel will have far grander suitors this summer with European football to offer. As it stands, Newcastle are a mid-table Premier League club with FFP restraints on their budget to climb higher.
 
5) Thomas Frank
The problem with this plan is that Brentford are the only club to make a bigger backwards step than Newcastle this season.
 
4) Antonio Conte
Probably the best of the currently available managers and there’s no doubt that his first seasons in both his Premier League jobs have been successful. Obviously he then loses his mind and his sh*t with those in charge of the club, but one season might be enough to win Newcastle the trophy they crave.
 
3) Roberto De Zerbi
A mainstay on every list of managers in the frame for a bigger job than Brighton, but the Seagulls have not exactly soared as Newcastle have been grounded in mid-table. He would certainly play a more expansive form of football but you can more easily see him at Chelsea than at Newcastle.


 
2) Graham Potter
Still leading the names being linked with the Manchester United job, Potter seemingly becomes a better manager the longer he is out of the Chelsea job. But would he really be a big enough name for Newcastle? Could he be sold to fans as an upgrade on Howe?
 
1) Jose Mourinho
This link simply refuses to go away. Mourinho has an affinity with Newcastle and an affinity with winning trophies, so even though it might well be an absolute disaster, it feels like destiny.
“What’s happened to the Geordie revolution? It was great to see the Toon mixing it with the big boys last season. Why have the wheels come off so quickly? Is it time for phase 2? And Jose? There are no guarantees of a trophy in football – unless you employ him.”
So says Richard Keys, who is a pr*ck but probably echoes the thoughts of those in Saudi.