The impact of Erik ten Hag is already being felt at Manchester United, with Luke Shaw acknowledging a "big improvement" as he aims to atone for a poor personal campaign last season.
Ten Hag arrived at Old Trafford after the departure of Ralf Rangnick, who replaced Ole Gunnar Solskjaer last November, following another underwhelming campaign from United.
The former Ajax coach has a sizeable rebuilding job to do after United recorded their lowest points tally in a Premier League season.
United also failed to end a league campaign with a positive goal difference for the first time since the 1989-90 season.
Ten Hag has acted by bringing in left-back Tyrell Malacia and Christian Eriksen, and has convincingly defeated Liverpool and Melbourne Victory in his opening two pre-season friendlies.
Frenkie de Jong is the next reported arrival should United strike a deal with Barcelona, and Shaw was quick to credit the work Ten Hag is doing on and off the pitch.
"We can't be satisfied anymore with how the team had been going," he told United's website. "It’s not where the club should be and we know the levels have had to take a massive step in terms of higher intensity and what we're supposed to be doing and I think from the start of the last two weeks, especially in training, it's definitely a big improvement.
"And even in the games, I think you could see things that probably you haven't seen before, so I think there are things to look forward to.
"I think the manager knows what the team needs and he has his own style and how he wants to manage and all the players have really taken it on board and they're really enjoying it
"He is very hands-on and he takes a lot of the sessions. He's involved a lot and if he sees people aren't hitting the standards that he wants in training, he'll make sure they know.
"The manager demands more and we have to be better and better. After the first game he said to the press and he also said it to us as well that there were mistakes made that we need to improve on, not just individually but as a team as well.
"He's spoken a lot about the team and the structure and the way he wants to play. It's a lot of details, but details win games and with his philosophy and the way he wants to play, we need to listen.
"It's really good to have an idea of what the manager wants and it's down to us to go and show that on the pitch. And like I said, there is still much more to come from us and this is only the start."
The arrival of Malacia from Feyenoord provides further competition for Shaw, who only made 20 Premier League appearances last season in a campaign hit by injury.
Malacia is expected to pose an attacking threat at left-back, having provided four assists in the 2021-22 season, while his 6.0 expected assists (xA) was bettered by only four Eredivisie defenders.
As Shaw prepares to compete with Malacia, Alex Telles and Brandon Williams at left-back, the England international acknowledged he must improve after the 2021-22 term.
"Last season was very disappointing, not just as a team but also individually for me," he added.
"It wasn't what people expect or what I expect and I think this season is another fresh start. Now it's time for me to keep consistency and keep higher levels of performance week in, week out which I've spoken to the manager about already and that's what he wants."
United will conclude their pre-season preparations against Crystal Palace, Aston Villa, Atletico Madrid and Rayo Vallecano before their Premier League opener against Brighton and Hove Albion on August 7.
"I think you need to have an eye on that Brighton match [already] because that's the most important game that's coming up," Shaw continued.
"Now, it's all about preparation and getting the fitness work in and the game time, and obviously understanding the new set-up the manager wants on the pitch.
"It's about putting all that together and making sure we're 100 per cent at our best when that first game comes because that's the most important one."
For years, there has been talk of the NFL entering an era of 'positionless' football and, looking back on the 2021 season, there is a case to be made that it's finally here.
With the league dominated by dual-threat quarterbacks and defenses increasingly reliant on secondary defenders who can move around the field, the phrase 'the more you can do' has never more definitively applied to the NFL – at least not since the bygone era of the two-way player.
Indeed, players who can excel in several positions and fulfil a multitude of different roles are more valuable than ever, with three of the teams that made last season's final four dependent on players who are among the league's most versatile.
Using advanced data, Stats Perform can break down the league's multi-faceted stars and look at some of the more versatile players who have flown somewhat under the radar.
The NFC West Unicorns
Aaron Donald - Los Angeles Rams
We would be remiss to mention the most versatile players in the league and not start it with Donald.
Donald is the NFL's pre-eminent defensive player and the most remarkable aspect of his dominance is that he maintains it irrespective of where he lines up on the defensive line.
His pressure rate of 28.1 per cent last year led all interior defensive linemen and it only dipped to 27.7 per cent when he moved out to the edge, though he did so for just 94 pass-rush snaps in 2021 compared to 448 from his defensive tackle position.
And 108 of his 127 pressures on the inside involved him beating a pass protector. That was the case for 23 of his 26 edge pressures, which illustrates his ability to confound offensive linemen regardless of whether he's working within tight confines or from wide-open space.
Jalen Ramsey - Los Angeles Rams
Donald is the engine of the Los Angeles defense, but a unit that has leaned on its top-end talent would not have remained among the league's elite if not for the presence of arguably the NFL's top secondary defender.
Ramsey still played the vast majority of his snaps as an outside corner in 2021, playing 784 in that position. However, as the 'star' player on the Los Angeles defense, Ramsey spends most of his time locked on an opponent's top receiver, which frequently means playing in the slot.
Indeed, Ramsey played 366 snaps in the slot and was outstanding when lined up there. Targeted 31 times from the slot, Ramsey allowed a burn, which is when a receiver wins a matchup on a play in which they're targeted, 38.7 per cent of the time. The league average for slot corners with at least 50 coverage snaps was 50.7 per cent.
Ramsey posted the ninth-lowest burn yards per target average (5.84) and was the seventh-best slot by big play rate. He gave up a big play on just 6.5 per cent of targets.
His numbers as an outside corner were less impressive. Ramsey gave up a burn 48 per cent of the time and surrendered 10.32 burn yards per target. However, his big-play rate allowed of 19.4 per cent was still better than the average of 26.1 per cent (min. 50 snaps) and amounted to him giving up 15 big plays on 75 targets across 398 coverage snaps.
In other words, Ramsey allowed a big play on under four per cent of his coverage snaps as an outside corner. The 'lockdown defender' tag applies to Ramsey wherever he is on the field.
Deebo Samuel - San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers have dug in their heels and refused to indulge Samuel's trade request, with their determination to hold on to the wide receiver unsurprising given his outsized value to San Francisco's offense.
Samuel is to the 49ers' offense what Donald is to the Rams' defense. Last season, he was the reason it worked and the reason the Niners came agonisingly close to completing three wins over the Rams and claiming the NFC championship.
In a career year for Samuel, he racked up 1,405 receiving yards, leading the league with 18.2 yards per reception while his 10.1 yards after catch average was also the best among wideouts.
Yet it was the way in which the Niners utilised his ability in the open field to turn him into a de-facto running back in the second half of last season that weaponized the San Francisco offense.
When lined up in the backfield as a running back, Samuel averaged 6.58 yards per rush last season. He recorded 4.11 yards before contact per attempt, 2.67 yards after contact and averaged 4.77 yards per attempt on carries in which there was a run disruption by a defender.
No running back could match his yards per carry average or top his performance on rushes disrupted by a defender. Rashaad Penny of the Seattle Seahawks and Dontrell Hilliard of the Tennessee Titans were the only players with over 50 carries at running back to average over 4.0 yards before contact per rush. Kareem Hunt (2.84) of the Cleveland Browns was the only player to average more yards after contact per attempt than Samuel.
With the option to hand the ball off to Samuel or flare him out and get him the ball on screens, lining Deebo up in the backfield allowed the Niners to limit Donald's impact for long periods and lessen Ramsey's effectiveness when he played the 'star' role by forcing him to follow Samuel into the box.
The duplicity Samuel brings in his hybrid receiver-running back role is critical to head coach Kyle Shanahan winning the play-calling chess match. Despite his trade demands, it's why the Niners will ensure he remains on their board.
Cooper Kupp - Los Angeles Rams
While Kupp may not do the damage Samuel does out of the backfield, it is impossible to leave the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year off this list.
Kupp was the only receiver in the NFL last season to finish in the top five in burn yards per route as an outside receiver (fourth, 3.9) and from the slot (third, 4.0).
On top of that, he was fifth in big-play rate among outside receivers with at least 50 targets, registering an explosive on 39.7 per cent of targets. Only two wideouts, Christian Kirk (36.7) of the Arizona Cardinals and Cedrick Wilson (36.5) of the Dallas Cowboys produced a higher rate of big plays from the slot than Kupp's 36.4 per cent.
Lined up for 24 snaps as a running back, Kupp was also utilised as a safety net for Matthew Stafford out of the backfield on occasion. His proficiency in contributing to pass protection by blocking defenders before getting out into his route perfectly encapsulated just how well-rounded of a player he has become.
Queens on the Chessboard
Cordarrelle Patterson - Atlanta Falcons
Patterson was overdrafted by the Minnesota Vikings back in 2013, but he carved out a hybrid role last season in the Atlanta offense in which he, like Samuel, spent time in the backfield and lined up as a receiver.
Designated as a running back, Patterson averaged 4.07 yards per carry, racking up 2.0 yards after contact per attempt and 3.06 yards per attempt on rushes in which there was a disruption by a defender.
Among running backs who registered 100 carries and were targeted 50 times, Patterson's 22.6 per cent big-play rate on passing targets was the highest in the NFL. Alvin Kamara of the New Orleans Saints was second at 21.3.
With the Falcons transitioning to a new era at quarterback as Marcus Mariota and Desmond Ridder compete for the job, Patterson's ability to create yards after contact as a runner and explosive plays on routes out of the backfield will again be extremely valuable in 2022.
Between Patterson, Kyle Pitts and first-round pick Drake London, the Falcons have a trio of malleable playmakers who can ensure the offense is still explosive as they move away from the Matt Ryan era.
Travis Kelce - Kansas City Chiefs
In terms of value to his team, Kelce rivals Samuel with the multiple roles he plays for the Chiefs and the importance of him excelling from several spots will likely increase in 2022 following the Chiefs' trade of Tyreek Hill.
One of the league's most effective 'power slots' who uses his size and route running to his advantage when lined up as a de-facto slot receiver, Kelce played 333 snaps in that position in 2021.
He played 184 as an outside receiver and 136 from his traditional in-line tight end spot in an encapsulation of the evolution of a position that has grown ever more multi-faceted.
Kelce's burn rate from all three spots was over 70 per cent. He won his matchup with a defender on 79.1 per cent of targets as an in-line tight end. That ratio dipped to 76.3 per cent as an outside receiver and 74.4 per cent from the slot.
The majority of his big plays, however, came when he lined up outside. Kelce produced a big play on 34.8 per cent of his targets as an outside receiver and 32.3 per cent from the slot. He was not as explosive as an in-line tight end, a spot from where he delivered a big play 25.8 per cent of the time.
Though the numbers at each alignment may differ, they all paint the same picture: a playmaker who gets open regardless of where he is on the field. Combined with his underrated blocking, Kelce's remarkable versatility makes him one of the most dangerous offensive weapons in the NFL.
Elgton Jenkins - Green Bay Packers
Jenkins has played every position in the trenches apart from right guard during his three seasons in the NFL, and in that time he has established himself as one of the best young offensive linemen in the NFL and an integral part of the Packers' attack.
Last season, Jenkins played the entirety of his snaps at left tackle before injury curtailed his campaign after eight games. He allowed only 11 pressures on 163 pass protection snaps, with his pressure rate of 6.7 per cent superior to the average of 9.2 per cent among left tackles.
Prior to that in 2020, Jenkins played most of his snaps at left guard, but also filled in at center and made cameos at both tackle spots. His pressure rate of 4.7 per cent was fifth among left guards that year. At center, he gave up a pressure on just 2.1 per cent of snaps – the third-best rate among players at the position.
Essentially, Jenkins is a rare breed of offensive lineman who can hold up in pass protection at every position on the offensive front. He appears set to slot in at right tackle for 2022, but Jenkins will likely be the first person the Packers call upon if they have an injury at another spot up front.
Ambidextrous Defenders
Micah Parsons - Dallas Cowboys
Parsons claimed NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2021 thanks to an exceptional first-year campaign that saw him make an unexpectedly outsized impact as a pass rusher.
On 220 pass-rush snaps, Parsons generated 69 pressures for a pressure rate of 31.4 per cent that was tops among linebackers with at least 50 pass rushes.
Parsons spent 153 of those snaps on the edge but also proved extremely effective in coverage. Allowing a burn on 41.9 per cent of targets last season, Parsons gave up only 6.86 yards per target – the fourth-fewest among linebackers targeted at least 25 times.
Also second for his position with a run disruption rate of 16.4 per cent, Parsons swiftly proved his ability to influence every facet of the game and his multiplicity will make him somebody opposing play-callers will constantly have to think about when game planning for the Cowboys.
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah - Cleveland Browns
Though Parsons was the standout defensive rookie in the league last season, he was not the best first-year linebacker in coverage. That distinction went to Owusu-Koramoah, who slid to the second round of the 2021 draft and went on to lead all linebackers with 5.83 burn yards per target allowed and give up a big-play rate of 4.5 per cent that was also the best for the position.
Owusu-Koramoah played most of his snaps (414) at inside linebacker but also spent time at outside linebacker, on the edge and in the slot on top of a handful of snaps at outside corner.
He did not pass rush often, logging just 27 snaps in that regard, but gained nine pressures for a pressure rate of 33.0 per cent. Against the run, he registered a disruption rate of 15.3 per cent.
Owusu-Koramoah is a player the Browns can trust to hold up in man and zone coverage and has the flexibility to operate in almost every position in the back seven. He can play the run extremely well and has produced encouraging flashes as a pass rusher to suggest he can grow in that area.
Any success the Browns enjoy on defense in 2022 will likely in part be a product of Owusu-Koramoah's malleability.
Chuck Clark - Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens added Kyle Hamilton and Marcus Williams to their safety room this offseason but have, to this point, kept hold of Clark.
On the surface, that may be something of a surprise. However, a deeper dive into the numbers illustrates the value he has to Baltimore's defense.
Though Clark operated at free safety for 526 snaps in 2021, he also played 108 at strong safety, 97 in the slot, 81 on the edge and over 100 at linebacker.
He defended double-digit targets from free safety, strong safety and in the slot. Only at free safety did he allow more 10 burn yards per target.
His average of 8.01 burn yards allowed per target when lined up as a deep safety was 12th in the NFL. In the slot, he gave up 9.25 per target – better than the average of 9.53 for slots with at least 50 snaps.
With Williams set to slide in at free safety, Hamilton and Clark will have the freedom to roam around the field in three-safety looks and their proficiency in playing the slot should offer the Ravens more answers in defending tight ends and the bigger wideouts that are spending an increasing amount of time on the inside.
Under the Radar Rovers
Kamren Curl - Washington Commanders
Sticking at the safety position and with teams that play their football in Maryland, Curl has quietly emerged as a stud who can fulfil a variety of roles in the defensive backfield.
Last season, Curl played 342 snaps as a free safety, 211 in the slot, 90 as a strong safety, 56 as an inside linebacker, 53 as an outside linebacker and 45 as an outside corner. To say the Commanders have confidence in him all over the field is putting it mildly.
Lined up as a deep safety, Curl allowed 6.02 burn yards per target – the best ratio in the NFL. He allowed a big play on 14.8 per cent of targets, which was the fourth-best rate among deep safeties.
In the slot, he surrendered only 6.15 burn yards per target and a big play on two of his 21 targets. Though Curl was not asked to do as much in coverage when he played closer to the line of scrimmage, he influenced the game with his play against the run. His run disruption rate of 10.0 per cent from the inside linebacker spot was equal to that of Derwin James of the Los Angeles Chargers.
Defensive centrepieces are rarely found in the seventh round, but the Commanders have clearly unearthed one who has the multiplicity to rival defenders of a much higher profile.
Elijah Moore - New York Jets
If former 49ers defensive coordinator and now Jets head coach Robert Saleh is hoping to develop his version of Deebo Samuel, then Moore may be his best candidate.
Moore thrived playing as both an outside receiver and in the slot in his rookie season after being picked in the second round last year. He was tied for 16th in burn yards per route (3.0) among receivers with at least 50 targets. Moore also finished 16th in that group in big-play rate, delivering a burn or a burn for a touchdown on 35.7 per cent of targets.
Though the explosive plays (25.7 per cent) dropped off when he was in the slot, Moore excelled at maximizing his separation as an inside receiver, finishing tied for 10th (min. 25 slot targets) with 3.1 burn yards per route.
Moore carried the ball only five times as a rookie, but he averaged over 10 yards per attempt, with one of those attempts going for a touchdown. Though it is an extremely small sample size, that's the kind of efficiency to suggest he should be given increased opportunities on designed touches out of the backfield in his second season.
Asking Moore to replicate Samuel would be ambitious. However, if he can succeed in a more varied role while continuing to produce from several receiver spots, it would be a substantial boost to Zach Wilson's hopes of a second-year leap.
Primoz Roglic has withdrawn from the Tour de France due to injury, dealing a blow to Jumbo-Visma team-mate Jonas Vingegaard's hopes of winning the competition.
Roglic played an integral role as Vingegaard claimed the yellow jersey at stage 11, with Jumbo-Visma executing their game plan in perfect fashion to displace Tadej Pogacar.
Le Tour heads through Rodez and finishes in Carcassonne as part of stage 15 on Sunday, but Slovenian Roglic will play no further part in the event.
The 32-year-old, who is a three-time stage winner on Le Tour, is unable to continue after battling back problems following a fall that saw him collide with a hay bale at stage 5 between Lille and Arenberg.
"To allow my injuries to heal properly, we have decided that I won't start today [Stage 15]," said Roglic, who occupied 21st position in the standings.
"I'm proud of my contribution to the current standings and I trust that the team will realise our yellow and green [jersey] ambitions. Thanks to everybody for your great support."
Roglic will hope to recover for the upcoming Vuelta a Espana, which begins on August 19, while Magnus Cort (EF Education–EasyPost) and Simon Clarke (Israel-Premier Tech) have both also withdrawn from Le Tour due to COVID-19.
Jumbo-Visma team-mate Wout van Aert will remain in the race, though, and will aim to again support Vingegaard, who held a 2:22 second advantage over Pogacar in the general classification standings heading into stage 15.
Thomas Tuchel has suggested that Chelsea could avoid signing players who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 in future.
N'Golo Kante and Ruben Loftus-Cheek have both missed the Blues' tour of the United States due to being unvaccinated, with their pre-season preparations taking place back in London with the youth teams instead.
Speaking at a news conference ahead of Chelsea's friendly against Mexican side Club America, Tuchel was asked if he would take vaccine status into consideration when it came to future transfer targets.
"Yes, it has to [be a factor]," Tuchel said.. "I knew some players who I would also take without vaccination. I have to say, but yes, it is a part of daily life at the moment.
"We cannot force [players to get vaccinated]. It is at the moment a very normal decision to get vaccinated. Both players took the decision not to. We need to follow the rules. They cannot join us. They know about the consequences.
"We don't like it. Of course not. We would love to have them here and it is not an ideal solution. Far from ideal. But, once the situation is like this you need to come up with a solution.
"They train with the Under-23s. Then they go with the Under-19s... but it will not compensate. It will not be the same [as being with the first team]."
Chelsea went on to secure a 2-1 win against Club America on Saturday thanks to second-half goals from Timo Werner and Mason Mount either side of a Reece James own goal.
After the victory, Tuchel was asked by reporters about the arrival of Kalidou Koulibaly, who joined Chelsea on Saturday from Napoli for a reported fee of £33.8million (€40m).
"He brings experience, quality, top defending, quality, height, everything we're looking for to play a back three of back four," Tuchel said about his new centre-back.
"It's a brilliant signing, another brilliant signing for us, and we hope that he can show his quality as soon as possible. He is now training outside after he arrived yesterday, and we're very happy.
"He knows some of the players – he plays with [Edouard Mendy] with the national team and knows [Jorginho] from Napoli – so I think from this side, it will be quick that he feels welcome in the group. It's a nice group, and everyone is happy he is with us now."
The 31-year-old will likely line up alongside Thiago Silva, who joined the club two seasons ago as a 35-year-old, and Tuchel is backing Koulibaly to have a similar impact to the Brazil international despite arriving in the latter stages of his career.
"That's what we believe [that his peak years are still to come], and that's what he is here for," the Blues head coach added.
"There were always rumours about him leaving Napoli, and it was always super difficult – and in the end impossible – to get him because he was a key player.
"It's nice he takes the challenge right now, and we have Thiago Silva, who is even older and super experienced and still at the peak of his game.
"We hope Kalidou can do the same and play for many years for us. He is totally fit and ready for the challenge, and he needs to be because we need him in top shape."
Charles Oliveira will face Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title in the headline event of UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi.
Oliveira has long been viewed as the defending lightweight champion, though the fight will be for the vacant 155-pound belt at the Etihad Arena on October 22.
The Brazilian secured the title last year after knocking out Michael Chandler before defending his title against Dustin Poirier in December.
But Oliveira surrendered his belt after he failed to make the weight for his next defence in May against Justin Gaethje, who he then defeated by submission in a non-title fight at UFC 274.
Retired former champion Khabib Nurmagomedov will be backing team-mate and long-time friend Makhachev in the United Arab Emirates, with the former winning his last 10 UFC fights in a row.
Oliveira has also triumphed in his last 11 consecutive bouts, including 10 finishes, setting up a highly anticipated fight between two of the most talented fighters in the world at present.
Yet Oliveira will pose the toughest task Makhachev has faced in UFC, given Dan Hooker and Arman Tsarukyan are the only two top-15 lightweight fighters the Russian has defeated in his 11 UFC wins.
Harry Kane acknowledged Tottenham have failed to deliver trophies in recent years, but believes Antonio Conte and the new signings will help create "something special" in north London.
Spurs have not won a major trophy since their EFL Cup success back in 2008, though they pipped fierce rivals Arsenal to Champions League qualification in the 2021-22 season.
A run of five goals in the final five league games from Kane guided Tottenham into Europe, the England international finishing the top-flight campaign with 17 goals.
That marked Kane's joint-lowest tally in the Premier League in his eight seasons as a regular, alongside 2018-19, and was down on the 23 goals registered in 2020-21.
But after Conte bolstered his squad with five new signings – Fraser Forster, Yves Bissouma, Ivan Perisic, Richarlison and loanee Clement Lenglet – Kane insists Spurs are on the brink of success.
Asked about his aims for the upcoming season, Kane told Sky Sports: "Just to have another good year, another consistent year to help the team as much as possible, try to score as many goals as I can.
"From a team point of view, [the aim] is always to win trophies. There's a good buzz around the club at the moment but you've got to go out there and perform and show what you can do when it's crunch time.
"We haven't quite done that over years – with this manager, with this squad, we can really push on and try and do something special."
Conte's side opened their pre-season campaign with a 6-3 victory over a select K League XI before sharing the spoils against Sevilla with a 1-1 draw in Japan.
New arrival Richarlison has featured in both those games and is expected to offer stern competition for attacking trio Dejan Kulusevski, Son Heung-min and Kane.
But Son sees the competition with the "quality" Richarlison, who scored (10) and assisted (five) more Premier League goals than any other Everton player in the 2021-22 season, as a positive.
"Competition is always good. You improve yourself and also your team-mates," he told reporters after the Sevilla friendly.
"We can rotate, or we can have a different style of football, or we can have different movements.
"Adding players like Richy is incredible. He's a quality player so I'm really enjoying that. I've been with him only four days but he's become like a really close friend."
Son will hope for another productive season in front of goal, having shared the Premier League Golden Boot award with Mohamed Salah last season (both scoring 23 goals each).
But the focus will be on how Kane starts the season, having failed to score in his first eight Premier League games of the last term amid uncertainty over whether he would join Manchester City.
"We talked about this last season – Harry didn't score at the start of the season but how many goals did he finish with?" Son added.
"Goals for Harry, I think there is no doubt. We don't have to worry about him scoring goals because he is, for me, the best partner, the best striker in the world still. He's working hard and he's an unselfish player."
The 2021-22 season was one to forget for Manchester United, with the club failing to even come close to finishing in the top four in the Premier League.
A campaign that saw them replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as manager with interim coach Ralf Rangnick eventually ended in a sixth-place finish, 13 points behind Tottenham in fourth and a whopping 35 away from champions Manchester City.
One player who came in for particular criticism last season was captain Harry Maguire, who has struggled to recreate his impressive form for England at club level since a big money move from Leicester City in 2019.
Speaking during United's pre-season tour of Australia, Maguire said: "Last year was disappointing. As an individual I didn't play well and as a team, we certainly didn't play well.
"But a good career can last 10 to 15 years and you're never going to have every year where it's plain sailing and you don't have any difficulties.
"You're going to have to fight, you're going to have setbacks and last year was certainly a setback for myself on my career path.
"But it's behind us now and we look forward to the future and getting this club back to winning trophies, which is what it’s all about."
United ended the season by losing six consecutive away league matches for the first time since March 1981, and failed to end a league campaign with a positive goal difference for the first time since 1989-90.
The club has moved to improve their fortunes next season by appointing Erik ten Hag as manager, and the arrival of the former Ajax boss has seen a renewed sense of optimism at Old Trafford.
United have made a promising start to pre-season, with a 4-0 win against rivals Liverpool in Bangkok followed by a 4-1 success against Melbourne Victory in Australia.
Anthony Elanga had been full of praise for Ten Hag's focus on improving running on and off the ball, and Maguire echoed the praise from his young team-mate about the early impact of the new manager's methods.
"It's been tough. The running has been hard but we're really looking forward to the new season," he added. "Everyone knows last year was nowhere near good enough but it's a fresh start and we've got a big season ahead.
"Erik and his coaching staff are bringing their ideas and the first two games you've seen little glimpses of the principles.
"We're working towards being ready for that first Premier League game, that's what matters. Everything we're doing now is building for that first game."
Mikel Arteta hailed Gabriel Jesus's "chaotic" nature after the forward continued his impressive start for new side Arsenal in Saturday's pre-season win over Everton.
The Brazil international, recently signed from Manchester City in a reported £45million deal, made it three goals in two outings as Arsenal ran out 2-0 winners in Baltimore.
Jesus, who scored his first two goals for Arsenal in last week's 5-3 win over Nurnberg, also assisted Bukayo Saka for the Gunners' second goal against Everton.
Arteta has been impressed by the 25-year-old's instant impact and in particular his ability to disrupt opposition defences.
"He creates chaos, he creates uncertainty and he's always on your shoulder," Arteta said.
"He's always there to nick the ball off you, he's always in front of the goal. He's a real threat and this is what we need.
"The moment we give the ball away he is straight away active and putting pressure and getting his team behind him.
"He has a lot of leadership skills. I can see straight away what he's doing with the boys and he's the type of guy that we want.
"He looks really sharp, really dynamic. He's got a really good understanding with his team-mates straight away.
"They are looking for him, he's generating chances, good connections around specific spaces we want to exploit with him especially, and yeah, we're really happy."
Excluding penalties, former Palmeiras ace Jesus averaged 0.81 goal involvements per 90 minutes between signing for City in 2016 and his departure this month.
Of players to have played at least 5,000 minutes over that period, only former City colleague Sergio Aguero (0.91) and Liverpool's Mohamed Salah (0.88) boast a better return.
Jesus was often used in a wide position at City, but Arteta has so far used the versatile forward through the middle.
"He's very versatile, but obviously, the way we would like to develop him is in that position," Arteta said when asked if he sees Jesus as a number nine.
"In relation to what the opponent does in certain games, we are going to have to use him in different positions. He's open to that and he knows it's part of his strength as well."
William Saliba was given his first run-out of the close season against Everton, the centre-back featuring for 71 minutes before being replaced by Pablo Mari.
He completed more passes (53) than any other player on the field and Arteta confirmed the 21-year-old – who has spent three seasons out on loan – is part of his plans.
"He is in the plans, yes," Arteta said. "We cannot guarantee first-team football to anybody in this team – you can ask that question to anybody.
"What we guarantee is that the ones we really see and think are going to take us to the next level, they're going to be playing a lot of minutes.
"He's a proper talent and he's shown in the last year what he can do. But in football it's about what you do the next day.
"What everybody did three months ago or a month ago, it doesn't really matter. It's about what you do tomorrow and he's going to have the chance to play."
Chile pulled off an upset by overcoming the United States 31-29 in Colorado on Saturday to qualify for the Rugby World Cup for the first time ever.
The South American nation lost last week's first leg 22-21 in Santiago, but pulled off a huge result away from home to advance by a single point on aggregate.
Not until the 75th minute of the second leg, when Santiago Videla kicked over a penalty, did Chile take the lead for the first time.
Pablo Lemoine's side, who were 19-0 down at one stage in the second leg, will now join England, Argentina, Japan and Samoa in Pool D at next year's tournament in France.
USA will have a second chance to advance when they compete in a final qualification tournament in November, where Portugal, Kenya and the loser of the Asia/Pacific play-off await.
Speaking on the back of an historic win for his side, Chile captain Martin Sigren said: "It really means so much... the sacrifices that this team has made.
"There were times when it seemed like it was uphill. I want to thank all the family who came here. They were the ones who kept us pushing."
Fred Kerley is hopeful of achieving more historic feats after leading a clean sweep for the United States in the men's 100 metres at the World Athletics Championships.
The 27-year-old, who dropped down from 400m to 100m last year, powered past Marvin Bracy-Williams and Trayvon Bromell late on to claim gold in a time of 9.86 seconds.
With Bracy-Williams and Bromell taking silver and bronze respectively, it is the first time any nation has won all three medals in the world 100m since USA themselves in 1991.
After adding to the 100m Olympic silver won in Tokyo last year and the 400m world bronze from 2019, Kerley believes there is still more to come.
"I know today opened up many doors for me," he said. "The future is bright for me.
"It's amazing to be among the greats. They did it in 1991, we did in 2022. It's history. To be part of something that has only happened three times just means the world to me."
Bracy-Williams and Bromell clocked a time of 9.88 in Oregon to finish just behind Kerley in front of a full crowd in the first World Championships held in the USA.
"It's a wonderful blessing to get a clean sweep," Kerley added. "I feel we can dominate again at next year's World Championships [in Budapest].
"We all put the work in, come back home and return again next year. This win means I can do 100m, 200m and 400m. I've got a medal in 400m and 100m."
Justin Verlander was in impressive form as he reached his MLB-leading 12th win of the season, leading the Houston Astros to a 5-0 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Saturday.
Verlander put in a solid shift on the mount, striking out 10 while allowing just six hits and a walk over 106 pitches in six innings, lowering his ERA to 1.89, third in the major leagues.
The 39-year-old moved past Curt Schilling (3,116) and Bob Gibson (3,117) to 3,121 career Ks with his 10 on the night, moving to a 15th-ranked 108 for the season.
Martin Maldonado also hit a grand slam in the second inning, blasting A's rookie Jared Koenig over his head past centre-field for the third four-run shot of his career.
Moving to 59-31 for the yeat, the Astros extended their lead atop the American League West to 10 games over the Seattle Mariners, while the A's hold the AL's worst record on 31-61.
Yankees smash Red Sox to build momentum
Aaron Judge and Matt Carpenter led the way for the New York Yankees as they gave the Boston Red Sox 14-1 belting in the Bronx.
The team with the MLB's best record lost five of the previous six games and it threatened to be another glum night, at home to their fierce rivals, after Rafael Devers' home run off Jameson Taillon in the first inning.
Judge and Carpenter more than steadied the ship, however. Judge scored two home runs while also Carpenter went long twice, driving in seven runs on the night as the Yankees moved to 63-28 for the year.
Dodgers beat city rivals
Julio Urias and Trea Turner propelled the Los Angeles Dodgers to their 60th win of the season, routing the Los Angeles Angels 7-1.
Trea Turner hit two home runs on the night, including a two-run shot to set up a five-run third inning for the Dodgers, who had the same amount of hits as the Angels with seven.
Julio Urias gave up five of those, but struck out eight Angels batters over 91 pitches in seven innings, moving his ERA to 2.89 for the season.
Freddie Freeman also recorded his 1,000th career RBI as the Dodgers moved to 60-30 for the year, extending their lead over the New York Mets atop the National League to three games.
Defending 100m world champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce has expressed satisfaction with a seemingly effortless first-round trot to the line, at the Oregon World Championships, on Saturday.
The Jamaican looked in superb form as she stopped the clocked at 10.87, easily covering the field before shutting down comfortably ahead of Britain’s Daryll Neita and Germany’s
Gina Lückenkemper who also qualified.
In fact, overall, as expected, there was no drama in the opening round as Fraser-Pryce compatriots Shericka Jackson and Elaine Thompson-Herah also won their heats, while the fourth Jamaican Kemba Nelson also advanced to the semi-finals after being third in Heat 4.
“I was trying to qualify as easy as possible and I hope I was able to do that and just look forward to the next round,” Fraser-Pryce said after the race.
“I couldn’t see the start from where I was so I’m not sure how that was executed but I’m sure when I go around the coach will have it and I’ll be able to look at it and see if I was able to execute. First rounds are usually hit and miss because there are so many things happening.”
Fraser-Pryce, who will be looking for a 5th world title, has come into the event with the fastest time in the world this year, 10.67, recorded in Nairobi, Kenya.
Jamaica’s Oblique Seville narrowly missed out on a podium spot in the men’s 100 finals an event that was entirely swept by the United States at the Oregon World Championships on Saturday.
Pre-race favourite Fred Kerley recovered late on to just edge out compatriot Marvin Bracey who seemed destined for gold after getting off to a brilliant start. A third American Trayvon Brommel was just behind. Timewise Kerley never quite lived up to the explosive promise of a 9.79 clocking in the first round, but still took the event in a respectable 9.86. Just ahead of Bracey who clocked 9.88 for second place. Brommel stopped the clock in an identical time.
Just behind Brommel was Seville who was fourth in 9.97. Despite missing out on the podium the result capped off a strong season for the 21-year-old who broke 10 seconds for the first time earlier this year and clocked a personal best of 9.86 in May of this year. Seville is coached by Glen Mills at the Racers Track Club the same place sprint legend Usain Bolt was conditioned.
Earlier the country’s 100m national champion Yohan Blake failed to make it to the final after finishing 6th in the semi-finals.
Ryan Jones says he feels like his "world is falling apart" after the former Wales captain was diagnosed with early-onset dementia at the age of 41.
Jones revealed he was given a diagnosis of probable chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) last December.
The back row won 75 caps for Wales and three for the British and Irish Lions on the 2005 tour of New Zealand in an illustrious career.
Jones said in an interview with The Sunday Times: "I feel like my world is falling apart.
"I am really scared. I lived 15 years of my life like a superhero and I'm not. I don't know what the future holds.
"I am a product of an environment that is all about process and human performance. I'm not able to perform like I could. I just want to lead a happy, healthy, normal life.
"I feel that's been taken away and there is nothing I can do."
The ex-Ospreys skipper says he was initially diagnosed with depression after retiring seven years ago and started to have short-term memory issues, while also becoming forgetful.
He added: "I've got three children and three step-children and I want to be a fantastic dad. I can't train harder, I can't play the referee. I don't know what the rules of the game are anymore.
"We don't know where to go, where to find support. We haven't got any friends in this space. It terrifies me. That's the fear. That's the bit that never leaves. That’s the bit I can’t shake off."
Jones says more must be done to prevent an increasing number of players from suffering.
"It [rugby union] is walking headlong with its eyes closed into a catastrophic situation," he added.
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