Newcastle legend Alan Shearer has issued a stark warning to his former club over the future of Bruno Guimaraes after it was suggested Manchester United were in advanced talks over a summer transfer

Newcastle United icon Alan Shearer has warned the Magpies they must qualify for European competition or face losing their star players.

The former Toon striker reckons that much of the coverage linking skipper Bruno Guimaraes with a departure from the club is nonsense and anticipates further rumours between now and the campaign’s conclusion.

Both the Brazil international and fellow midfielder Sandro Tonali have been connected with summer moves away from St. James’ Park, with Manchester United said to be interested in the pair. The Reds are even now reportedly in advanced talks over a £69m deal for Guimaraes, as they look for a successor to Casemiro.

Michael Carrick’s side are currently in third place and among the favourites to secure Champions League football. Newcastle, on the other hand, are currently ninth, seven points behind Liverpool in fifth place.

It’s highly likely the Premier League will be given five spots in next season’s edition of the Champions League, but Eddie Howe’s side are well off the pace.

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United have a clear advantage over Newcastle in that regard, and Shearer has warned the Magpies that ‘noise’ around their key players will only get louder.

Addressing the rumours surrounding Guimaraes, Shearer told Betfair: “Newcastle have to get through the season. They have to somehow get European football, whether that’s Europa League or whether that’s the Conference League.

“They have to somehow get European football. I guess it’s been happening for the last two months. I’ve seen the reports myself now on Bruno Guimaraes. I also know that a lot of the reports are rubbish.

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“If Newcastle don’t qualify for European football, then the noise around their top players will only get louder and then it becomes difficult not only to keep your top players, but also then it becomes difficult to bring top players in because top players want European football.

“So that’s going to happen more and more between now and the end of the season. If there’s any truth in it, I haven’t got a clue, but that will happen if Newcastle don’t get European football.

“That’s the same for most clubs but obviously with Newcastle, that’s what happens when you have a little taste of success. If that doesn’t continue, then that’s when the transfer talk will happen.

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“There’s no difference to anyone else. It’s the same at Tottenham, it’s the same at Man United, it’s the same at Villa. Villa will have the same issues as well, there’ll be talk about Morgan Rogers.”

Guimaraes is presently sidelined with a hamstring problem, although he was spotted in Barcelona during the week observing the Magpies’ Champions League loss.

Speaking last year, the Brazilian stated: “I hope to stay much longer. I don’t know what the future brings let’s see, but I hope to play much more for Newcastle United.”

The Indian men’s and women’s teams found themselves in tough draws for the Thomas and Uber Cups respectively after being clubbed with defending champions China, the Badminton World Federation announced on Wednesday.

The 34th edition of the Thomas Cup and 31st Uber Cup are slated to be held at Horsens, Denmark from April 24-May 3.

The Indian men’s team, who had made history winning its first-ever tile in 2022, have been placed in Group A alongside China, Canada and Australia.

India had lost to eventual winners China in the quarterfinals of the last edition in 2024.

In the Uber Cup, the Indian women’s team also find itself in Group A with reigning and 16-time champions China.

Hosts Denmark and Ukraine complete the group.

India had bowed out in the quarterfinals in the previous edition, losing to Japan.

China boast of a formidable men’s line-up with Shi Yu Qi (world No. 2) and Li Shi Feng (No. 7), besides Weng Hong Yang (No. 17) and Lu Guang Zu (No. 18).

India however, will draw confidence from Lakshya Sen’s recent form as the Paris 2024 semi-finalist stunned Feng en route to a runner-up finish at the All-England Championships earlier this month.

India had created history in 2022 by winning their maiden Thomas Cup title in Bangkok, becoming only the sixth nation to lift the trophy after a 3-0 win over 14-time champions Indonesia in the final.

India qualified for the 2026 Thomas Cup through their position in the BWF men’s team rankings following the Badminton Asia Team Championships.

The women’s team also secured their Uber Cup berth via the world rankings.

A total of 16 teams — divided into four groups of four — will play round robin league with each tie consisting of five matches (three singles and two doubles).

The top two teams from each group will make the quarter-finals.

Thomas Cup Draw 
Group A: China, India, Canada, Australia; Group B: Japan, Malaysia, England, Finland; Group C: Chinese Taipei, Denmark, Korea, Sweden; Group D: Indonesia, France, Thailand, Algeria.

Uber Cup Draw 
Group A: China, India, Denmark, Ukraine; Group B: Japan, Malaysia, Turkey, South Africa; Group C: Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, Canada, Australia; Group D: Korea, Thailand, Bulgaria, Spain.

Our review as Pearl Abyss’ long-awaited ARPG has finally launched on the PS5, PC, and Xbox

Few games this year have received as much hype across social media and gaming communities as Crimson Desert. The action RPG developed by Black Desert’s developers, Pearl Abyss, promises a large, expansive world for players to explore alongside a gripping storyline.

A cry away from the MMORPG roots of Black Desert, Pearl Abyss’ latest title focuses on a single-player immersive experience. At the time of writing, I have spent roughly 8 hours playing the game on PC and feel I have spent enough time to give my first impressions of Crimson Desert.

When discussing anticipated discourse for Crimson Desert, one key concern among players is whether the game was promising too much and whether it could truly deliver such a vast array of content while still providing meaningful gameplay and immersion, being so-called ‘as wide as an ocean but as shallow as a puddle’. Once through the game’s introduction, which provided a very rudimentary summary of the fighting and movement mechanics (more on that later), the first thing that struck me was how beautifully Crimson Desert’s world was designed.

READ MORE: Official minimum PC specs needed to run Crimson Desert before March 19 launch

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It struck the same feeling as when you first get out of the sewers in Oblivion or step into Elden Ring’s Limgrave for the first time and are presented with this vast, beautiful open world that, barring a few exceptions, you’re basically free to explore. While Crimson Desert does present you with a main story to follow and enjoy, I’m one of those who are far too easily distracted by side quests and activities at first, which this game was more than happy to accommodate.

After only progressing around 20 minutes into the main quest, I was presented with a wide variety of things to take part in, including arm wrestling in an inn, mining for materials, and cooking a…fish porridge? And what open-world game is complete without, yes, a fishing minigame.

Considering this was the first area of the game, it felt to me that Crimson Desert was giving me the message that I don’t need to rush the main story and that there are meaningful rewards in taking time out to tackle side quests and activities. This is further emphasised by a mechanic that confused me at first, but is central to the game’s presentation -Knowledge.

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Whether it’s a person you’ve just met on the cobbled streets, a shopkeeper and their inventory, an animal in the wild, or a type of ore in a mountain, Crimson Desert asks your character, and inadvertently the player, to learn about every little thing in this world, and I love it. While most massive open-world games practically require a wiki to understand various items and things, Crimson Desert is essentially tasking you with becoming your own wiki as you fill up your journal with a flurry of information that you have to obtain yourself.

How deep of an RPG is Crimson Desert really?

Let’s start with what I believe will be the biggest con for RPG fans who may be turned off by this game: the lack of character creation. Crimson Desert has decided to take the route of throwing you into the protagonist of Kliff instead of allowing you to create your own character.

While this isn’t a dealbreaker for me, it may disappoint many, especially those who have previously played Black Desert and likely spent hours on the character creation screen alone thanks to Pearl Abyss’ attention to detail in that department. Despite this, the game allows the player to take control of other playable allies, each with their own strengths and weaknesses.

A wide array of roleplaying is also still allowed through the role of Kliff – I was especially struck when I stumbled upon a dodgy shopkeeper who sold a black mask with the fine print stating that the mask ‘allows for crimes to be committed’. While this isn’t something I’ve explored yet, it does appear that I can skew Kliff’s moral compass ever-so slightly for financial gain.

Furthermore, the game still allows you to customise Kliff’s look with different armour options and a variety of hairstyles, available at barber shops. Armour and clothing can also be further customised with the option of dyes being made available.

What about the combat?

When you’re first introduced to the ‘sword and shield’ style of Crimson Desert’s combat, you’d be forgiven for thinking the same thing I did: ‘Is that it?’. Aside from a few button combinations, the initial feeling of Crimson Desert’s combat can feel quite simple: spam one button to attack and span another to block and dodge.

This isn’t helped by the somewhat simple tutorial the game places you in, throwing wave after wave of enemies without giving much of a chance to experiment or show off combos. However, the combat allows for much more versatility than it shows on the surface, with different weapon types being made available, allowing for different playstyles for different types of enemies and bosses.

The so-called skill tree also allows for different manoeuvres to be performed in combat, many of which are essential for certain enemies, as I discovered in a particularly difficult boss fight in the first few hours of the game.

Is Crimson Desert worth all the hype?

While I have only spent a handful of hours with Crimson Desert, it has left a lasting impression and while I have no doubt not covered everything in this summary, I can tell Crimson Desert still has plenty to offer and explore. With its wide variety of systems, enemies, bosses, and more I think Crimson Desert may be the perfect game for those looking for a vast open world to explore and be rewarded while doing so.

This review is based on an early review copy received prior to Crimson Desert’s official launch.

A number of Victorian raiders have been undone by Sydney’s racing demands north of the Murray, though Ciaron Maher is assured his elite colt Observer will adapt seamlessly.

The two-time Group 1 conqueror lines up for his maiden Sydney outing in this Saturday’s $1 million Rosehill Guineas (2000m).

After his Australian Guineas victory at Flemington on February 28, the son of Ghaiyyath was dispatched north to acclimatise to clockwise gallops, leaving Maher impressed with the transition.

“I wanted to get him up there early and do a couple of nice little pieces of work and he worked like a horse that has had a lot of experience up there,” Maher said from Caulfield on Tuesday morning.

“He came through his Guineas win very well. He’s travelled up, he did a nice piece of work last week that was quite impressive and this morning just cantered around on the bit.

He didn’t have to do a lot and you would think he’s only going to improve getting back up to 10 furlongs (2000m).”

Godolphin-owned Observer, who worked right-handed under James Cummings before joining Maher last year, targets becoming the pioneer Australian Guineas winner of the Rosehill Guineas.

Alongside his Victoria Derby Group 1 from Victoria Derby, he hopes to match Dulcify, Helenus, Tarzino and Riff Rocket as Rosehill Guineas victors.

Trainer Maher contemplated the Australian Cup (2000m) against elders next Saturday, but deemed the peer Group 1 at 2000m irresistible.

“He’s still got options (to take on older horses), but taking on three-year-olds at 2000 metres, it’s hard not to go there and his form this prep has been spot on,” Maher said.

“Hopefully he can add another one to his CV and add to his record.”

Barrier two was allocated to Observer, next to rival Autumn Boy, in the nine-strong Rosehill Guineas field confirmed Wednesday morning, ridden by Craig Williams.

Discover competitive racing betting markets for the upcoming Rosehill Guineas feature.

Trainer Bjorn Baker didn’t originally intend to run Warwoven in the Golden Slipper on seven days’ notice, but looming Sydney showers are shifting his mindset toward embracing it.

Kiamichi managed the feat in 2019, Shinzo repeating three years later, so should Rosehill be rain-affected Saturday, the colt’s recent racing edge may pay dividends.

Barrier 14 befell Warwoven, priced at $7 Wednesday, as stablemate and early joint-favourite Paradoxium eased to $8 in gate 18.

Baker sees ongoing progress in both, their recoveries from Queensland Magic Millions interruptions proving their hardiness.

“Both colts have got a great constitution and very good attitudes, so that gives you a bit of encouragement,” Baker said.

“They’ve both been on the way up, so if anything, the back-up could work to our advantage, especially if there is a little bit of rain around and the track does get demanding. Maybe that would tip me towards Warwoven.”

A win aboard Warwoven would crown Rachel King the first female victor in the world’s top juvenile prize money event.

First-time blinkers adorn the colt, which Baker views as potentially crucial.

“He has worked in them previously and has gone very well so we thought, Saturday is the day to do it,” he said.

“It’s a bit of a risky move, but he’s drawn out a touch.

“We’ve got the option to go forward or take a sit. Rachel knows him very well, so we’ll figure that out.”

The awkward draw challenges Paradoxium, yet Baker emphasises tactical precision.

“No doubt, the gate, he is going to have to overcome that,” he said.

“He’s just going to need a little bit of luck from out wide and make sure we get our tactics spot-on.

“But the main thing is we are here, and he is in good shape and healthy.”

Last 15 Golden Slipper winners included seven from barrier 8+, six from 10+.

Chris Waller mirrors Warwoven’s change with blinkers on Fireball first-up, off Hidrix who underperformed in them during the Todman Stakes (1200m).

Discover prime racing betting markets ahead of the Golden Slipper.

Longtime radio broadcaster Howie Rose announced Thursday that he is retiring at the end of the season after being involved in New York Mets broadcasts since 1987.

Rose, 72, said the decision to retire did not come easily to him, and it’s something he has gone back and forth on.

“Excited as always about the beginning of another Mets season. In fact, I’ve been blessed to be a part of Mets broadcasts in one capacity or another since 1987. And every season’s been unique and significant in its own way. This year, though, will be especially meaningful to me because 2026 will be my final season in the Mets broadcast booth,” Rose said in a video posted to the Mets social media.

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Mets radio broadcaster Howie Rose emcees the opening ceremonies before the Mets home-opener against the Toronto Blue Jays at Citi Field in New York City on April 4, 2025. (Brad Penner/Imagn Images)

“Now, trust me, I did not arrive at this decision to retire easily. I’ve been going back and forth in my mind about it for the last few years. But the simple reality is that I’m 72 years old, and my wife Barbara, who has sacrificed so much for so long, deserves to have her husband around a little more often, whether she likes it or not.”

Rose said he will not be making a “clean break” and will still be involved after this season. He cited the love the fans have given as a reason it’s hard to let go. 

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Mets radio broadcaster Howie Rose talks with team owner Steve Cohen on the field before a ceremony honoring first baseman Pete Alonso for breaking the Mets’ all-time home run record before a game against the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field in New York City on Aug. 14, 2025. (Brad Penner/Imagn Images)

“Hopefully, I’ll be involved now and then in some still-to-be-determined capacity because for me, letting go of the Mets isn’t hard. It’s impossible. And one of the biggest reasons for that is the bond that we’ve created with each other through all these years. The warmth, acceptance, and yes, love that you’ve shown me in so many ways for so long makes this all the more difficult. And I return those feelings in kind,” Rose said.

Rose said he will broadcast every Mets home game and the ones at Yankee Stadium, and should they make the postseason, he will be at every game, home or away. He said he wanted nothing more than to see the Mets win the World Series in his last year.

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Howie Rose applauds during a Mets Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Citi Field in New York on Aug. 1, 2010. (Kathy Willens, File/AP Photo)

“I’m always honored to start the season by MCing opening day at Citi Field, but this year in particular, I would like nothing better than to bookend that by serving as master of ceremonies on the steps of City Hall after a trip down the Canyon of Heroes immediately following the season,” Rose said.

“That would make this dream that I’ve lived complete.”

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