Call of Duty players outraged over new “pay-to-win” skin, claiming they’re unable to see opponents in Warzone and Black Ops 6.
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‘It’s like Messi… there I said it’ – Pundits rave about Arsenal ace Nwaneri as Shearer dubs him ‘potential superstar’
PUNDITS have been left raving about Ethan Nwaneri after his masterclass for Arsenal against Leicester.
The 17-year-old bagged an assist as his side won 2-0 thanks to a brace from sub Mikel Merino.
Nwaneri has now scored or assisted four Premier League goals before the age of 18.
That puts him in an esteemed group alongside legends Wayne Rooney, Michael Owen and Cesc Fabregas.
While during the game itself, Nwaneri controlled proceedings with four shots, six dribbles and 32 passes.
He even put in a strong defensive contribution with three successful tackles and 12 duels won.
And now, pundits are lining up to sing Nwaneri’s praises.
Perhaps the boldest comment came from Joe Cole, who compared the teenager to Lionel Messi.
Cole said on TNT Sport: “These touches he produces, in and around the box, tiny little touches.
“I don’t want to say it, but it’s like Messi. I’ve said it.
“I don’t want to put any more pressure on his shoulders. I’m sure he’d deal with it.”
Meanwhile, Alan Shearer lauded Nwaneri’s masterclass on Match of the Day.
The Newcastle icon said: “17 years of age… a potential superstar. He was, without doubt, the bright spark for Arsenal.
“Even when things weren’t going for them, which were large parts of the game, he was the one that was probing, he was the one putting crosses in and having pops at goal.
“He [Nwaneri] just shifts the ball onto the left foot and he whips it in but Declan Rice can’t quite get on the end of it.
“Again, he gets the ball and works it onto his left foot. This time he cuts inside and has a pop at goal but hits the crossbar.
“But he can and does also like to down that right-hand side.
“If you show him too much room, if you invite him to go down there then that’s fine, he will do that as well.
“He was the best player on the pitch today, so lively.”
‘It breaks all rules in football, absolute madness’ – Gary Neville slams Ruben Amorim’s Man Utd tactics in Spurs clash
GARY NEVILLE had some less-than-kind words for Manchester United’s first-half performance against Tottenham.
The injury-ravaged Red Devils still managed to field a starting XI worth £448million, but were second best in the first 45 minutes in North London.
James Maddison‘s goal was the difference maker as he reacted first to Lucas Bergvall‘s rebounded shot after Andre Onana could not push it far enough away.
Spurs had five shots to United’s eight, though the home side had three on target compared to the visitors two.
But Neville was particularly critical of the way Ruben Amorim had set up his midfield pair of Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro.
Speaking on co-commentary for Sky Sports, he blasted the midfield plan as “embarrassing”.
He explained: “The distance between the two central midfield players, see where Casemiro is and where Bruno Fernandes is, that cannot be right.
“It breaks all rules in football. Absolute madness.”
The former defender added: “United may win today and may score goals but I have to say that the structure of the team is awful.
“The gaps in that midfield between Fernandes and Casemiro.
“That’s a tactic, they’ve been asked to do that, Bruno’s been asked to come out to this side and it isn’t right.
“Bruno Fernandes is playing right wing, the two of them in midfield are split, it’s embarrassing.
“You wouldn’t see this in Under-9s or Under-10s football.”
Despite the criticism, the Red Devils arguably should have gone in at the break level.
Alejandro Garnacho had been played into the penalty area on his favoured right foot with only the goalkeeper to beat just 11 yards out from goal.
However, the Argentine, who has not scored in the league under Amorim skied his shot miles over the bar.
It compounds a worrying stat for the 20-year-old that he has the worst big chance conversion rate of any player in the Premier League to have had at least 10 of them, with only two of his 14 scored – a rate of just 14 per cent.
Amorim named EIGHT teenagers – including seven academy stars – on his bench with 12 senior stars out of contention.
Stephen Maguire PUNCHES table in anger after threatening to ‘wreck the place’ in tense Welsh Open snooker final
STEPHEN Maguire could not hide his frustrations during a tense Welsh Open final.
The Scot, 43, was facing off against Mark Selby at Venue Cymru in Llandudno.
At 2-1 down in frames, Maguire made a costly mistake that cost him the frame against The Jester from Leicester.
On Fire was losing the frame 30-24, when he played a poor positional shot that left him in a sticky situation.
After analysing the situation, he was forced to play for safety instead of going for a pot.
But, before he played his shot, Maguire banged the top of the table as he rued his bad effort.
To make matters worse, he left the door open for Selby who went on to clear the table with a break of 78.
Maguire is back in a ranking final after a five year wait.
After beating Ali Carter in the semi-final, he admitted he could struggle to keep his emotions in check if the final against Selby begins to slip away from him.
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“Who knows what to expect,” he told the BBC.
“In hindsight Mark has probably played better than me all week, I’ve been scraping my way through just winning matches somehow.
“I’m just hoping that I can find some form somehow and play the way that I should. Right now I’m not thinking about the rankings, I just want that title.
“I don’t think either of us played that well, but I just thought that I wasn’t going to win that with the way things were going. I couldn’t quite finish it off and when I did, little things were happening. I’m just glad I got over the line.
“I found it easy to keep my composure because I was playing him (Carter). He was cracking up, the rest was getting thrown about, extensions were getting thrown about. I thought, is that the way I act? I think I better change if that’s the way that I act.”
Man, 45, dies after being restrained by cops rushing to ‘stop child being assaulted’ inside house
A MAN who resisted arrest after police rushed to “stop a child being assaulted” inside a house has died.
Officers had been called to High Street in South Norwood, London, at 1.27am on Sunday following reports a child was being assaulted.
After gaining entry into the property, police found the 45-year-old man suffering from a medical emergency.
Police say he was very agitated and was actively resisting against officers.
The 45-year-old was later restrained and paramedics were called.
However, once paramedics arrived and he was transported into an ambulance, the man became seriously unwell.
Although he was rushed to hospital, he later died despite the best efforts of medical professionals.
T/Commander Andy Brittain, who is overseeing the response to this incident, said: “Our thoughts are with the family of the man who has died.
“We will ensure they are fully supported.
“I know the community in South Norwood will want to be reassured that the incident was handled appropriately.”
They continued: “The IOPC is conducting an investigation to provide that independent scrutiny.
“We must also acknowledge the impact that incidents like this have on the officers involved.
“In this case they were responding to an emergency call involving a child in danger and on arrival at the scene, were met with a very challenging situation.
“No officer ever wants to be involved in an incident where someone loses their life and we will ensure they get all the support they need.”
Metropolitan Police confirmed that a referral has been made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) and that the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards was aware of the case.
In a statement, the Met said: “A referral in these circumstances is not an indication that officers are believed to have done anything wrong.
“It is a mandatory step when anyone dies or suffers serious injury following contact with the police or while in their custody.”
Seven weird and wacky hot cross bun flavours hitting shelves ahead of Easter
NOTHING says Easter like a hot cross bun with some quirky and fun varieties hitting shelves this year.
Shoppers have an abundance of weird and wonderful flavours to choose from including apple crumble and lemon curd.
Other retailers are selling salted caramel buns or strawberries and cream varieties.
We’ve rounded up some of the standout options on offer to shoppers looking to indulge this Easter.
M&S – Lemon curd-filled, £3
M&S is known for its indulgent sweet treats, but has caused a real stir with its extremely lemony hot cross buns, new to shelves this year.
The retailer describes them as “fluffy, lemony, with an oozy, zingy lemon curd filling”.
Shoppers can pick up a pack on Ocado for £3 while prices vary in M&S stores.
There has been plenty of reaction to the citrussy buns on Facebook, with one customer branding them “amazing”.
Tesco – Rhubarb and custard, £1.80
Tesco‘s rhubarb and custard hot cross buns are ideal for anyone who’s a fan of the classic British dessert.
A pack of four comes in at £1.80 or Clubcard customers can get two for £3, working out at £1.50 per pack.
You can sign up to the Clubcard scheme for free via Tesco’s website.
Shoppers can buy the buns in-store or online, with them sparking quite the discussion on social media.
Some customers are keen to try the new creation while others aren’t so keen on the idea of the traditional recipe being tampered with.
Co-op – Apple crumble, £2
Another variety based on a classic British dessert, Co-op has these in stores for £2 for a pack of four.
The buns combine sultanas with candied apple pieces, apple compote and cinnamon crumble on top.
Some shoppers are keen to get hold of them with one pronouncing on Facebook: “Now these are me!”.
But others are sceptical, with one not convinced they have much flavour.
Asda – Tiramisu, £1.43
Coffee lovers will be keen to bag these “exceptional” hot cross buns based on the classic Italian pudding.
The pack of four will set you back £1.43.
The sweet buns combine dark chocolate pieces with Brazilian coffee powder and mascarpone cheese for an indulgent bite.
Shoppers are keen to give the themed breaded treats a go, with one saying they would “get right on them” on their next trip to Asda.
Sainsbury’s – Chocolate and salted caramel, £1.80
Sainsbury’s‘ Taste the Difference chocolate and salted caramel hot cross buns are on sale for £1.80.
The buns are made with sourdough and topped with dark chocolate chunks, caramel fudge and brown sugar for “extra indulgence”.
One shopper on Facebook branded them “really tasty” but another said the concept was “totally silly” and “too commercial”.
M&S – Cheesy, £2
Failing to stick with the sweet theme, M&S’ cheesy hot cross buns are perfect if you’re looking for a savoury morning or afternoon snack.
The soft buns, costing £2 per four-pack or £3.50 for two on Ocado, come loaded with chunks of Red Leicester and Cheedar cheese.
Shoppers are divided over the quirky twist on the classic version though.
One on Facebook branded them their “absolute fave” while another simply posted a sick person emoji, making their feelings towards the buns quite clear.
Tesco – Strawberries and cream, £1.80
Tesco has also launched these Finest strawberries and cream hot cross buns as part of its Easter range this year.
Shoppers can pick up a pack for £1.80 or two for £3 if they’ve got a Clubcard.
The sweet buns combine clotted cream, strawberry jam and strawberries making for a quintessential British bite.
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Man Utd ‘in for 18 months of pain’ predicts Redknapp as Sky Sports pundit says ‘they need to get rid and change culture’
MANCHESTER UNITED are set for “18 months of pain”, according to Jamie Redknapp.
And he believes there needs to be a serious overhaul of the culture at Old Trafford to turn the mess around.
Ruben Amorim has struggled since replacing Erik ten Hag in November, losing eight of his first 20 matches in charge as United sit 15th in the table going into the trip to Tottenham.
He has also binned Marcus Rashford, Antony and Tyrell Malacia out on loan while the club’s woes run far deeper than just on-field issues.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe needs to sort out the financial chaos – but his methods of increasing ticket prices, job redundancies and staff perk cuts are proving unpopular.
However, Redknapp gave his backing that Amorim can be the manager in the dugout to help lead the transformation with the right people above him.
But he warned it will not be a comfortable ride for anyone connected to United – with plenty of players needing to be pushed out of the exit door along the way.
The Sky Sports pundit said ahead of the Spurs game, in which United were forced to put eight untried teenagers on the bench: “For what it’s worth on Amorim, I like him. I think he’s got something about him. And I totally get the performances haven’t been good enough.
“But I actually like what he’s doing more off the field than actually what he’s doing on the pitch. Because that club needs a change of culture.
“We’ve spoken about how it works. Get people like Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho that have left and one or two others who have had a mention about leaving.
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“Now, if they’re not going to buy into having a good way of living and coming in and training correctly and being involved and helping the group and create a winning mentality, they’ve got to be surplus to requirements.
“I see Manchester United as having still much more pain, even 18 months more pain, because they need to get rid.
“Whoever’s been in charge or even managers have gone so far and then they’re panicked and then they’ve gone and bought 30-year-old players that aren’t going to maybe take the club any further forward. I think now they have to take their time.
“They’re trying to get… Jermain [Defoe] mentioned getting the best in class. People like Jason Wilcox, they’ve got the guy from Manchester City, the CEO there [Omar Berrada]. They’re trying to do things slowly and I think that’s how they have to do it.”
Amorim has not been afraid to show his ruthless attitude during his time in charge – in more ways than one.
He exiled £325,000-a-week academy graduate Rashford – even publicly slamming him by saying he would rather play his 63-year-old goalkeeping coach – and declared this is the “worst United team in history”.
But despite his difficult start in terms of results and becoming the quickest United manager in history to reach five home Premier League defeats, Amorim refuses to budge from his 3-4-3 system.
And Redknapp feels like that lack of adaptability could be costly.
He added: “I like what he’s trying to achieve but it might take a bit more time than what you’d like.
“You know, I think he’s got to be more flexible in the system.
“When I hear a manager having one system, that worries me because you’ve got to adapt in game each time you’re playing against another team.
“But I think Manchester United will get there. It’s just going to take a bit of time but they have to go all in on it.
“They can’t just go, ‘We’re going to panic now and go buy more average players’, because the players right now aren’t good enough to produce the performances that Manchester United want, hence why they’re in this position.”
Michael O’Sullivan described as a ‘beautiful person’ as tributes pour in following jockey’s tragic death
WILLIE MULLINS described tragic Michael O’Sullivan as ‘a credit to his family’ while Barry Geraghty said he was a ‘beautiful person’ amid a flood of tributes for the late jockey.
There is widespread grief in racing circles after the deeply upsetting death of the 24-year-old, 10 days after a terrible fall at Thurles.
But the reaction and tributes from his friends and colleagues in Britain and Ireland paint a picture of a young man who was as well-liked as he was respected.
And his talent was not just confined to the saddle. Before turning professional, the Cork native earned a degree in Agricultural Science and the University College of Dublin and he was fluent in French.
He stood out as a tremendous riding talent, though, and burst onto the scene in 2022 after teaming up with Barry Connell, winning Grade 1s on Marine Nationale and Good Land.
That partnership came to an unfortunate end in November when the two men had a disagreement about schooling arrangements for some of Connell’s horses.
As a result, O’Sullivan was given opportunities by several different trainers, including champion trainer Mullins for whom he rode a Grade 3 winner on New Year’s Day.
Mullins said: “It’s dreadful news which puts all our problems into context. He will be much missed here and there is a real sadness over the whole of Closutton today.
“He was here two mornings a week and was very much a part of the team at Closutton and his part here was only going to get bigger. He was such a natural rider who was very modest, friendly and understated.
“He had a great understanding of horses and racing and given the horse, he was the man.
“I think Closutton will be a much poorer place without him and we, as a family, will miss him. He will be much missed in the yard and we have his family in our thoughts and our prayers are for them now. He was a credit to his family. May he rest in peace.”
Connell and O’Sullivan’s working relationship came to an abrupt end a few months ago, but news of the jockey’s death hit the trainer and his staff especially hard.
He said:“He was a bright, rising star as a jockey and we were lucky to have had a very close association with him.
“Everybody in the yard is devastated. He was such a lovely personality to have around the place, he fitted in really well. He was widely liked by his colleagues and everyone who met him.
“I think everyone in racing is stunned today and all we can do is express our sympathy to his parents, William and Bernadette, and his brother, Alan. He will be sadly missed.”
O’Sullivan’s famous victory at Cheltenham on Marine Nationale in 2023 was the first-leg of an opening day Festival double, as he later bagged the Fred Winter on Gordon Elliott’s Jazzy Matty.
Connell added: “We were in the parade ring the following day and one of the officials came out with the golden armband and gave it to me and said ‘put that on Michael’.
“He was the leading rider after the first day of Cheltenham which was a remarkable achievement. He was an inspiration to lots of young jockeys in Ireland.”
Legendary rider Barry Geraghty, who retired in 2020 while O’Sullivan was still an amateur, said his death will have completely devastated his colleagues.
Geraghty said: “He was such a lovely, kind person. He was quietly spoken, humble and very intelligent and well educated.
“He had a lovely way about him and the weighing room is a broken place because of that. They’ve lost such a beautiful person.”
Simon Pegg looks world’s away from his Hot Fuzz days as he shows off slimmer physique on BAFTAs red carpet
ACTOR Simon Pegg looked rather different from his Hot Fuzz days as he showed off a slimmed down physique as he hit the BAFTAs red carpet.
The 55-year-old looked worlds away from his early 2000s movie days as he attended the star-studded awards ceremony in London.
Simon looked smart in a black suit which featured a shimmering silver detail across both the jacket and trousers.
He added a pair of thick-rimmed glasses as his hair was styled back into a quiff.
The actor showed off a more defined facial structure for his outing with his cheekbones and jawline more prominent than ever.
He also went for a clean-shaven look as he ditched his usual stubble and moustache for his photo opportunity on the red carpet.
Simon first rose to fame as the co-creator of the Channel 4 comedy Spaced in 1999 before achieving more recognition for his roles in a trilogy of hit movies with co-star Nick Frost.
The duo kicked off their partnership with 2004’s Shaun of the Dead, followed by 2007’s iconic Hot Fuzz and 2013’s The World’s End.
They also starred in the 2011 comedy film, Paul, together.
Simon was not the only star out in force at the Royal Festival Hall for this year’s BAFTAs.
Molly-Mae Hague mingled with A-listers including Camila Cabello and Ariana Grande at the celeb-packed event.
Pamela Anderson also posed up a storm as she headed into the glitzy event.
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