Fred Done, co-founder of Birchwood-based Betfred, takes a look at the year ahead in his regular column

TIME for me to get my crystal ball out – here’s my predictions for the new year.

For the Wire, I do think it will be tough again with the usual suspects – namely Saints, Wigan, Castleford and a strengthened Leeds – pushing them all the way in the Betfred Super League.

But I reckon Steve Price, now he knows what he’s up against, will steer Warrington to at least one piece of silverware.

They are 4/1 at Betfred to go one better and win the 2019 Grand Final and joint 9/2 favourites to pick up the Challenge Cup.

Not for the first time, I’m really going to really stick my neck out regarding our local Premier League clubs.

I’m going for current leaders Liverpool to win the title, City to make club history and at long last triumph in the Champions League, United to achieve a top-four finish and to complete a north west whitewash, Everton to start bringing the glory years back by finishing in the top 10 and just maybe winning the FA Cup.

They say a week is a long time in politics, well what about Old Trafford?

The mood of the United squad has been totally transformed by the appointment of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who has got everyone from fans to players throughout the club enjoying themselves.

Football is after all supposed to be entertainment – and that’s what we’re getting with the Reds nowadays now the Miserable One Jose Mourinho has gone.

A penny for Mourinho’s thoughts today, with United firmly back in business.

Norwegian Solskjaer is a breath of fresh air with his honesty, enthusiasm and general demeanour… and that accent sounds as if, like me, he’s Salford born and bred!

No wonder caretaker Ole is 7/4 joint-favourite at Betfred alongside Spurs’ Mauricio Pochettino to get the nod in the summer to take over at Old Trafford on a permanent basis.

In the last two weeks United, have been cut from 12/1 to 100/30 to land a top-four finish in this particularly competitive Premier League season and are now 400/1 from 500/1 for the title, which I admit is very probably beyond them.

Paul Pogba, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial to name but three have been given licence to express themselves in the spirit of 1999 which we’ve been so sadly missing since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson.

Nowadays, this new-look team look as if they fear no-one, including City, Liverpool or anyone else.