Former Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim is said to have made a big decision that shows his true colours towards Michael Carrick

Ruben Amorim has shown his true colours towards Michael Carrick, with the axed Manchester United boss holding off telling his side of the story until the end of the season. Following the 1-1 draw with Leeds United in early January, United made the decision to sack Amorim, with Carrick replacing him as interim head coach a few weeks later.

In the wake of his departure, the 41-year-old appeared much happier when photographed walking the streets of Manchester with his wife. Video clips also caught him wishing journalists in attendance well, but for official comments on his challenging United tenure, a lengthy wait is expected.

Though dismissed managers often issue statements offering well-wishes fairly soon after leaving, a well-placed source in Portugal has told the Daily Mail that Amorim is waiting until the end of the season before speaking out about how rapidly things soured for him at United.

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Their report adds that a reason for this delay is that Amorim does not want to disrupt the remainder of United’s season under Carrick. United’s interim boss will no doubt appreciate that sentiment as he attempts to lead the club back into the Champions League.

In his final press conference, Amorim unleashed quite the rant with several former United managers name-dropped.

When asked if he had support from the board, Amorim said: “Guys, to stop with that, and I noticed that you received selective information about everything. I came here to be the manager of Manchester United, not to be the coach of Manchester United. That is clear.

“I know that my name is not Tuchel, is not Conte, is not Mourinho, but I’m the manager of Manchester United. It’s going to be like this for 18 months or when the board decided to change. That was my point. I want to finish with that. I’m not going to quit. I will do my job until other guy is coming here to replace me

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“I just want to say that I’m going to be the manager of this team, not just the coach. I was really clear on that. That is going to finish in 18 months, and then everyone is going to move on.

“That was the deal. That is my job, not to be a coach. If people cannot handle the Gary Nevilles and the criticises of everything, we need to change the club.

“Every department, the scouting department, the sport director needs to do their job. I will do mine for 18 months and then we move on. Thank you, guys.”

It has been an excellent start to life in the dugout for Carrick with victories over Arsenal and Manchester City followed up by a comeback win this past weekend against Fulham.

Maximum points from their last three games has seen United move up to fourth in the Premier League table. Such form has seen Carrick face questions about possibly being the permanent successor to Amorim.

Before the win at Arsenal, he said: “It’s been about a week now, but nothing is clear yet.” My first thought is about what is happening right now. What’s important to me is that any decisions I or the staff make are not short-term.

“I have a responsibility for what will come next. I need to make the right decisions. Over time, we will gradually resolve this issue.”

Alongside Amorim breaking his silence, a final decision on the club’s next permanent manager is expected, with Unai Emery, Oliver Glasner, Roberto De Zerbi and also Carrick among those to have been touted.

MS Dhoni (Image credit: BCCI/IPL)

NEW DELHI: Enigmatic former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has virtually ruled out stepping into the commentary box, calling the popular post-retirement role a “difficult” balancing act that demands sharp statistical recall — something he admits doesn’t come naturally to him.The 44-year-old, who led India to three ICC titles, has largely stayed away from public cricket discussions since retiring in 2020, with his on-field involvement now restricted to IPL appearances for Chennai Super Kings.

“Commentary is very difficult. I feel there is a very fine line between describing the game and in that process getting into a zone where you start criticising individuals who are playing the game. It’s a very thin line,” Dhoni told sports broadcaster Jatin Sapru during a YouTube interaction.“Often, you don’t even feel that what you are doing is may be borderline wrong. You would always like to be on the other side where you are describing the game. If you feel something is wrong you say it out.“But how to put it, that is also an art, how to politely put it forward where nobody feels targetted…If the team is losing there are reasons behind it, and you need to have the skill of describing those reasons without anybody feeling bad. That is the art of commentary,” he said.Beyond the nuances of commentary, Dhoni said his inability to memorise statistics also works against him.“I’m not good with stats…but there are a lot of people who are very good with stats. They know stats…If you ask me about my stats, I’ll be like hmmm and there are certain people who know stats about not just Indian cricket team or the Indian players but everyone throughout the era,” he said.Good listener but not good with phonesRenowned for his calm decision-making during his playing career, Dhoni was also asked whether he ever seeks advice on cricket or life. The wicketkeeper-batter said he rarely feels the need, crediting his tendency to listen more than speak.“I’m a very good listener. Yes I do speak with people who I’m comfortable with. But I’m more of a listener than a speaker. And if I don’t know about the topic I don’t speak much because I will be absorbing more if I’m listening,” he said.“I never feel that urge to contribute if I don’t know…being a good listener you don’t always have to look for advice…They keep floating around just with certain people who you are having a conversation with.“You need to have that intelligence to figure out what works the best for you,” he added.With a broad smile, Dhoni also confessed he still struggles with phone conversations.“I’m not good in that way of communicating. I like to sit across and speak to people. I’m not someone who’s very good over the phone because I can’t see a face. So, I’m a very awkward guy when it comes to speaking on the phone.“So that’s something I want to improve but I’m glad I haven’t improved,” he joked.“You know when initially mobile phones came it was for the benefit of the people who own the phone. Now your mobile phone is for my benefit,” he said.

The Minnesota Vikings tweaked their main leadership group last Friday, firing general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and, for the time being, replacing him with Vice President of Football Operations Rob Brzezinski. Kevin O’Connell and Brian Flores are expected to have more personnel input, which means one thing: O’Connell is certifiably on the hot seat.

As the Vikings recalibrate authority at the top, O’Connell enters a season where results will carry more weight than you might expect.

O’Connell basically has a one-season trial to prove he’s the right man to hold most of the power.

Kevin O’Connell’s 2026 Season Is a Referendum

It’s quite the change in leadership for Minnesota.

Adofo-Mensah Out

The Vikings canned their top boss, and The Athletic‘s Alec Lewis opined, “For weeks, executives and coaches inside the Vikings’ building and throughout the NFL had speculated that Adofo-Mensah’s job could be in jeopardy, even after he received an extension last offseason and even though the Vikings produced a 43-25 record over his four seasons.”

“While Adofo-Mensah had close personal relationships with many players and staffers, questions about his job status persisted for several reasons. Only four of Adofo-Mensah’s 28 draft picks are surefire starters for the future, a paltry return.”

Adofo-Mensah’s draft record alone mandated a change.

Lewis continued. “The team’s 2025 quarterback plan, following a 14-win season, contributed to a playoff-less finish at the same time former quarterback Sam Darnold was leading the Seattle Seahawks to the Super Bowl. Adofo-Mensah’s Wall Street-trading background created skepticism among some football people inside and outside the organization that never completely faded.”

“And tension had spilled over between Adofo-Mensah and key members of the coaching staff, who questioned his experience to do the job.”

Without an immediate search for a replacement, O’Connell wields more power than ever.

A Trial of Sorts for O’Connell

Ready for the Spider-Man quote? With great power comes great responsibility.

That’s where O’Connell is as he enters the 2026 offseason. He’ll probably be in charge of the roster more than ever, but that doesn’t mean he’s free and clear. With Adofo-Mensah out of the way, the urgency for O’Connell to win now spikes.

Imagine this: the Vikings, having fired Adofo-Mensah, embark on the 2026 season, fresh with roster additions orchestrated by O’Connell and Flores. For their troubles, the team encounters a losing season, somewhere in the ballpark of 6-11 or 7-10, as the J.J. McCarthy experiment fundamentally flopped.

Do you really think that the Wilfs would just waltz into the 2027 offseason with the same leadership personnel and structure? Nope — O’Connell will be on the hot seat. He must prove that his ways are optimal. He’s already entering Year No. 5 with zero playoff wins. He needs to reach the postseason tournament and probably win at least one game. Most head coaches don’t see a Year No. 5 without a playoff dub on their resume.

SI.com‘s Will Ragatz noted this week, “O’Connell is the Vikings’ head coach, but he’s also essentially the CEO of the organization. After ownership, everything the team does moving forward begins with O’Connell. He’s going to be the one leading the most important item on the franchise’s agenda this offseason, which is how to address the quarterback position by either bringing in a high-level starter or adding competition for McCarthy.”

“He’ll have major influence on free agent signing and possible trades, especially involving players on the offensive side of the ball. And when it comes time to make draft picks in late April, it feels safe to assume O’Connell will have the final say in the war room.”

This … Rarely Works

In the last half-decade, the Tennessee Titans and Carolina Panthers have fired their general managers while keeping their head coach. Months later, the head coach was also fired.

Most teams don’t do this — fire the GM and retain the head coach. It’s mainly because the next general manager wants to pick his head coach, and rightfully so: that person’s job and legacy are tied to the head coach, and it’s arguably his most crucial decision overall.

For a moment down the stretch of 2025, it seemed the Miami Dolphins would try the general manager-only termination approach. A few weeks later, Mike McDaniel was canned, too.

The Vikings are travelling down a usually unsuccessful path, keeping the head coach but getting rid of the general manager. History shows that this typically ends poorly for the head coach.

Coaching Candidates if the Experiment Flops

Peeking around the bend and assuming a doomsday scenario: O’Connell fits the historical pattern of head coaches not succeeding after the general manager’s termination. Believe it or not, the Vikings’ head coach options in 2027 would be pretty impressive. A list could look like this:

• Brian Flores
• Kliff Kingsbury
• Mike McDaniel
• Nate Scheelhaase
• Chris Shula
• Mike Tomlin
• Grant Udinski

On Tomlin, it’s worth noting that the Vikings would have to fire off a trade to the Steelers, not unlike the Denver Broncos and New Orleans Saints in 2023 for Sean Payton.

O’Connell essentially has to win now. He doesn’t have the leeway to kick back and try a new four-year plan.

Manchester City youngster Charlie Gray has overcome remarkable odds from joining the club at 8 to make his senior debut under Pep Guardiola

06:00, 04 Feb 2026

As Charlie Gray came on to make his Manchester City debut, he became the latest to overcome astronomical odds in the game. Phil Foden, Nico O’Reilly and Rico Lewis may have given the impression it was easy but it is difficult enough to make a top academy such as City’s as an Under-9, never mind progress through every age group and make the senior team.

It’s hard to think of many journeys tougher than what 19-year-old Gray has had to battle through either. It is testament to the qualities the teenager has that City kept faith with him after a fractured spine and fractured shins and had the patience to let him find his game again.

“From the end of 15s to the start of 16s I had a fractured spine, and then I had fractured shins coming back from it so I was nearly out for two years,” he told the Manchester Evening News. “Coming back from that was a tough thing. I got my scholarship on the back of not playing for two years, so I wasn’t even expecting a scholarship and a pro. I was grateful to even get that at that point.

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“Coming back is always difficult, not playing for two years and then building back into training and getting put into matches, you’re never going to be back at your sharpest but it’s just building from there. It obviously happens where I’ve had some other injuries along the way. Not as long as the two-year one but I picked up one for a few months in the 18s season. I had an injury-free season last year, which really helped me. That’s a big reason why I was able to kick on.”

Step by step, Gray made his way back. He was fit enough at the end of the 2023/24 season to play every minute of the 4-0 win over Leeds in the FA Youth Cup final, and last year he was named EDS Players’ Player of the Season in an Under-21s side that won the league and play-offs.

That may not have been enough to propel him onto Pep Guardiola’s radar but it caught the eye of several clubs last summer and he was linked with a move to Sunderland as they looked to cover the loss of Jobe Bellingham. A move never came, but Guardiola made his after seeing the defensive midfielder star in a 4-0 demolition of Real Madrid in the UEFA Youth League in December.

Gray had been regularly training with the first team by then, and after impressing again on his return from Spain he got word from Guardiola that he would be in the squad for the Carabao Cup quarter-final against Brentford. His family all shipped in from Eccles just in case and, with 10 minutes to go in the game, the youngster found himself in the dugout with his manager waiting to come on.

“There was a little bit of instruction of course telling me what to do but again him just saying this is a great opportunity and to enjoy it. I feel like that did help. I didn’t go on the pitch too nervous. not knowing that I was coming on made me not overthink things and just play my game when I did come on,” he said.

“Getting the debut in the end was a dream come true. You get told that you’re in the squad the day before and just from that I was obviously over the moon just being on the bench. I was never expecting to come on but with 10 minutes left I got the call back and just a rush to get on the pitch.

“I had quite a few family there – probably seven or eight. With it being my first time on the bench, it was just in case for the what if so they were all buzzing for me. They’ve taken me to training since I was young, watched my game since Under-5s at Platt Lane so seeing that and then me playing at the Etihad was a proud moment for them as well.

“With the long injury I couldn’t really do anything at all so having people around me who I could speak to was the important thing. I was in school at the time so just having fun with my mates at school was the main thing that helped the days. It’s always important to have people around you no matter what the circumstance but especially then it was needed.

“I’ve had some tough injuries to get past but it’s part of football. It’s a few years ago so you almost forget it but looking back at it I took some big steps to overcome those things and it makes the debut even better.”

With his contract up in the summer, it remains to be seen how many more opportunities Gray will get under Guardiola, but his form this season will only add to the interest from other clubs. Until then, the midfielder has the chance of making more history with the academy as they look to go all the way in the UEFA Youth League for the first time.

A trip to Helsinki in the last-32 on Wednesday is tricky for a number of reasons. City went out to Alkmaar in the quarter-finals last year and have historically struggled playing away at national youth champions, but also their squad has been significantly impacted by the January transfer window.

Divine Mukasa, Justin Oboavwoduo and Stephen Mfuni all secured moves in the last week to weaken Ben Wilkinson’s team ahead of their knockout game. Mfuni and Mukasa are on loan in the Championship and those moves should benefit City in the longer term, but it is worth bearing in mind when assessing the club’s poor record in the Youth League.

Dealing with unavailable players is just one of the realities for anybody in any team, and there will be little sympathy for Gray and the rest of the City youngsters looking to make it to the last-16 in Finland this week.

“It’s important in these tournaments to get some momentum going. It gives the group some confidence to know when you go into games that you can win them, especially against such big teams like Leverkusen and Madrid. To win in the way we did with 6-0 and 4-0, we couldn’t have asked for much more,” said Gray.

“We don’t know a lot about their team, we haven’t played them before so it will be a different challenge but we’re all looking forward to it. Away games are always different for us, playing away from the Joie Stadium but we are all confident that we can go there and win.

“We’re used to winning at this club and in the Youth League that hasn’t quite happened yet. I played in it last year where we got beat in the quarter-finals but it was really close, we lost in the last minute from a game that we should have won. We felt last year like we could have gone on and won it but that just adds to the drive this season to want to win it even more. We’re all hoping we can do that.”

SAN FRANCISCO – It was not that long ago that the Carolina Panthers were at the bottom of the barrel.

The Panthers went 2-15 in Bryce Young‘s rookie season after selecting him first overall. The following year, the win total improved to five, but Young also spent some time on the bench, leaving plenty of question marks.

This season, they responded by winning the division and narrowly reaching the divisional round as double-digit underdogs.

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Bryce Young hands off to Rico Dowdle of the Carolina Panthers during the first quarter against the Seattle Seahawks at Bank of America Stadium on Dec. 28, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Young set career highs with 23 touchdowns and 3,011 passing yards and was also sacked 27 times, the lowest mark of his career. The improvements have been clear, and perhaps his 2025 season was a stepping stone to living up to the No. 1 pick hype.

“The more experience you get, the more times I have around my guys, I always lean on them, so I’m extremely excited for the future,” the Alabama alum told Fox News Digital on Radio Row in San Francisco.

Running back Rico Dowdle was a newcomer this year, filling the void quite nicely after Chuba Hubbard missed some time. After leaving the star-studded Dallas Cowboys, it was fair for him to wonder if he made the right choice.

Bryce Young of the Carolina Panthers is seen before playing the Seattle Seahawks at Bank of America Stadium on Dec. 28, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

PATRIOTS’ STEFON DIGGS ANSWERS CARDI B PROPOSAL QUESTION AHEAD OF SUPER BOWL LX

He seemed rather confident he did.

“It’s always fun doing what you love to do. We didn’t get to the end goal that we set out to do from the beginning, so that wasn’t fun. But it was good. We had some ups and downs throughout the season, had our moments as a team, and this year was a starting point in Carolina, for sure,” Dowdle said.

Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle celebrates after scoring against the Miami Dolphins during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025, in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Jacob Kupferman/AP Photo)

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Carolina had a late 31-27 lead over the Los Angeles Rams last month in the wild-card round, but the Rams scored with 38 seconds left to end the Panthers’ Cinderella ride.

But the glass slipper has been broken, and the Panthers have more shoes to fill.

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As a poster boy of world rugby, Rees-Zammit’s return to the Six Nations is not only a boost for Wales, but for fans and media alike.

“I try to not focus on that,” Rees-Zammit said.

“Everything that I’ve had off the field has come from my skills in rugby, and obviously going to America brought a new audience, but it’s all about performance.

“You’ve got Henry Pollock going through the same thing, he’s burst on to the scene and is playing unbelievably.”

And while England’s Pollock ruffles a few feathers, Rees-Zammit believes it is for the good of the game.

“You’ve got to try and bring your personality out when it comes to rugby, because a lot of it gets shut down,” he added.

“Henry is doing a great job of bringing his personality to the game and we need more people like that, it’ll just grow the sport.

“He obviously gets stick for it, and I got stick for it when I was younger, but you just go through it.”

You can watch Sarra Elgan’s Six Nations 2026 Preview at 19:00 on Wednesday, 4 February on BBC One Wales and iPlayer.