Michael Carrick has won four of his five matches in charge of Manchester United, but Gary Neville and Roy Keane have been told they are wrong about what should happen next

Gary Neville and Roy Keane have been told they are wrong about Michael Carrick and they must remember that football is unpredictable. Keane last week poured cold water on suggestions that Carrick should be appointed Manchester United’s permanent head coach

The former Republic of Ireland international, who won numerous trophies during his time at Old Trafford, believes Carrick lacks sufficient ‘football knowledge’ to lead his old club to the Premier League title, insisting they must seek a different candidate for the permanent role.

Neville backed Keane’s view and believes that United must ‘get the best’ in their head coach search, with Carrick possibly learning under a proven winner as an assistant, even though the former England international is unbeaten in his first five matches in charge, with the Reds in the Champions League qualification places.

However, former United forward Louis Saha has disagreed with his old team-mates, and he believes the pair have forgotten that football is unpredictable.

“Michael Carrick’s future is a decision for the board and definitely depends on the project,” he told CasinoHawks. “They’ve heard from the manager and others who are interested in the job.

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“They know it’s a difficult one. What Carrick has done in the last five games is amazing because he has managed a transition. A lot of players were not fully confident or sure about how they were going to play, and it gelled very quickly. Everyone is on board now. It has changed.

“I think everyone is allowed to have their opinion, and that’s fine. Definitely, Roy and Gary are well placed to have those very strong feelings. I understand them, but I don’t agree.

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“I really feel like if someone is doing their best and obviously has to improve, he’s not an experienced manager, but an experienced manager can struggle there too.

“Nobody has any guarantees, so it’s really hard for anybody to predict what’s going to happen. We know that there is a definitely different situation if you qualify for Europe or the Champions League; you have different challenges. It’s going to be a challenge for everyone, and even an experienced manager can struggle there.

“It’s just about having the right communication and the right tactics. We’ve seen that he’s able to learn very quickly. I am backing him up. Definitely, it doesn’t mean that he won’t face any challenges or won’t make any mistakes.

“Any experienced player knows that during a career, there are a lot of situations that you can’t predict. This is football. You may end up with the best tactics and still face a better opponent on the day. And everybody is going to criticise you.

“Very experienced players know that, but they tend to forget when they become pundits. They think that everything is very logical. No, it’s not. Football is very, very, very unpredictable.”

Shawn Porter has offered his prediction for a fantasy super-lightweight matchup between Shakur Stevenson and Manny Pacquiao, believing that one man would emerge triumphant in dominant fashion.

Stevenson successfully completed his first assignment at 140lbs last month, dethroning Teofimo Lopez to claim the WBO title with a one-sided unanimous decision victory.

But despite his mightily impressive performance, the 28-year-old has admitted that his most natural weight is 135lbs, where his best win came against William Zepeda in July.

Pacquiao, meanwhile, produced arguably his most ferocious display at super-lightweight, when he scored a second-round stoppage victory over Ricky Hatton in 2009.

Back then, the Filipino was coming off an eighth-round finish over Oscar De La Hoya, shortly after picking up world titles at super-featherweight and lightweight.

He would then go on to become an eight-division world champion, claiming notable victories over the likes of Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito at 147lbs and 154lbs, respectively.

But despite having had just one outing at 140lbs, many believe that this was where Pacquiao’s speed, strength and power were most effective.

His tremendous engine, in particular, is why former world champion Porter believes that this version of ‘Pac Man’ would give Stevenson all he can handle.

In fact, the Hall of Famer has opined on his PorterWay Podcast that, effectively, the slick southpaw would not stand a chance against Pacquiao.

“I just think that’s a Pacquiao fight all the way. His engine was different; the entire car was just different, especially at 140[lbs]. He was literally in his prime.

“Nobody could keep up with that engine; nobody was ready for it.”

Despite being a four-division world champion, it would appear Stevenson is yet to prove that he can be spoken about in the same breath as pound-for-pound legends such as Pacquiao.

Shakur Stevenson is establishing himself as one of the best in his era, but there is one boxing icon he is glad to have not crossed paths with.

Stevenson is now a four-weight world champion, following his victory over WBO super-lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez at Madison Square Garden in New York last month.

It was a dominant performance from the 28-year-old, as he claimed the unanimous decision victory after all three judges scored the bout 119-109 in his favour.

That triumph at 140lbs has gone alongside his world title reigns at featherweight, super featherweight and lightweight, and as of yet nobody has come close to beating Stevenson, who currently holds an unbeaten record of 25-0.

Despite all of his success, Stevenson has revealed there is a Hall of Fame fighter from the past that he would have been weary of facing.

Posting on social media, Stevenson named four-division world champion Pernell Whitaker as the man in question.

“So happy Sweet Pea didn’t box in our era.”

So happy Sweet Pea didn’t box in our era!!

— Shakur Stevenson (@ShakurStevenson) February 25, 2025

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Just like Stevenson, Whitaker was known for his elite defensive skills, as he won world titles at lightweight, light welterweight, welterweight and light middleweight.

During his peak, he claimed notable wins over the likes of Juan Mazario, Buddy McGirt and Azumah Nelson, and also had a controversial draw with Julio Cesar Chavez Sr, with virtually every onlooker believing that Whitaker should have won.

At the end of his career, ‘Sweet Pea’ also shared the ring with Oscar De La Hoya and Felix Trinidad, as his final record stood at 40 wins from 46 fights.

Image credit: Zimbabwe Cricket

Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza stressed that reaching the Super 8s was only one milestone in a much bigger journey after his side progressed to the next stage of the T20 World Cup 2026 following a rain-hit fixture against Ireland at the Pallekele International Stadium on Tuesday.The abandoned match earned both teams a point each, taking Zimbabwe to five points in Group B and ending Australia’s hopes of advancing.

“The fact that we’ve qualified for the Super 8s hasn’t changed the ultimate goal that we set out for. Like I said, it’s just a tick in the box, but we have a lot of other goals to achieve and everybody loves an underdog story, don’t they?” Raza said.He reflected on Zimbabwe’s long qualification route, including the sub-regional stage featuring Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania.“I’ll take you back when we played the sub-regional qualifiers B, and we played the Kenya, the Rwanda, Tanzania, and all those teams. And I remember I stood up to my troops and I said, we are in this position or in this mess, as you want to call it, because of us. There’s no one else to blame. And only us that would get this mess clear and only us can get it out of it. So what are we gonna do about it? And we won the qualifiers B, regional sub-regional B, then the main qualifiers happened. We won that as well,” he said.Zimbabwe now enter a challenging Super 8 group alongside defending champions India, 2024 runners-up South Africa and two-time winners West Indies, needing a top-two finish to make the semi-finals.“Yeah, certainly so. Myself and the coach will sit down. We watched Sri Lanka in the last three games as well. We’re going to have the data on them and we try and put our best foot forward and try and win that game. That is the whole point of us being here,” Raza said of their preparation.“I think every condition we find ourselves in, if we can find a day or two to train, I think we’ll sum up the conditions really well and hopefully make those plans. One thing you can’t fight is the weather and conditions. So we try and learn those conditions if we can have two, three training days in a particular city, wherever we’re going to.”Before the Super 8s begin, Zimbabwe will take on co-hosts Sri Lanka in their final group-stage match at the R. Premadasa Stadium on Thursday.

In 2025, Rousey admitted severe concussion problems led to her retirement from MMA.

For long-time MMA fans, Rousey v Carano is the super-fight that never happened, with the latter retiring a few years before her fellow American made her professional debut.

The UFC tried to make the match-up when Rousey was at the height of her powers, but were unable to reach terms.

Rousey has a 12-2 record while 43-year-old Carano is 7-1, with her only loss against Cris Cyborg in her last bout in 2009.

Carano, who became an actor after retiring, said Rousey approached her about the fight.

“Ronda came to me and said there is only one person she would make a comeback for and it has been her dream to make this fight happen between us,” said Carano.

“She thanked me for opening up doors for her in her career and was respectful in asking for this fight to happen.

“This is an honour. I believe I will walk out of this fight with the win and I anticipate it will not come easy, which I welcome.

“This is as much for Ronda and me as it is for the fans and mixed martial arts community. What a time to be alive.”

Carano recently settled a lawsuit with Disney after she was dismissed in 2021 from her role in Star Wars franchise spin-off The Mandalorian following comments she made comparing being a Republican in the US to being a Jew during the Holocaust.

Jake Paul’s promotional outfit, Most Valuable Promotions, will organise the event in its first foray into MMA.

“Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano are the two most formative figures in the history of women’s MMA; they are the icons who shattered the glass ceiling and helped build the foundation this sport stands on,” said Paul and Nakisa Bidarian in a joint statement.

“MVP’s conviction in women’s boxing was driven by the success achieved by Ronda Rousey, who was the biggest star of the entire sport of MMA during her career.”

Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has been impressed by interim boss Michael Carrick and made his feelings clear on his future

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Wayne Rooney believes that Champions League-winning manager Luis Enrique should not be appointed as the new Manchester United boss, instead advocating for former teammate Michael Carrick to remain in charge. The United legend argues that the club has previously pursued the strategy of hiring high-profile managers, with PSG’s Enrique currently linked to the vacant managerial role.

However, Rooney is of the opinion that Carrick has already demonstrated his ability to bridge the gap between the first team and the academy, a hallmark of United’s ethos. The Class of ’92 represented the club’s golden era, and since then, the club has consistently nurtured talent capable of performing at the highest level.

Carrick assumed the role of caretaker manager at United following Ruben Amorim’s sacking earlier this year, and is expected to manage first-team responsibilities until the season concludes. To date, Carrick has overseen five Premier League matches, securing victories in four, including significant triumphs over Arsenal and Man City, and drawing the remaining match against West Ham United.

The ex-United midfielder has reintegrated Kobbie Mainoo into the squad after he fell out of favour under Amorim, leaving his future at Old Trafford uncertain. Since rejoining the team, the England international has performed admirably, with Rooney commending Carrick for facilitating this reconnection.

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Speaking on The Overlap, Rooney commented: “We talk about Luis Enrique and stuff. And I think [United have] been there and tried different managers, between Mourinho and Van Gaal, then we saw the likes of Ten Hag and Amorim, which don’t work.

“I just think for me, it kind of makes sense [to stick with Carrick]. I felt that from the minute he was mentioned of going in, not because, obviously we played together and we’re friends, I just think he’s a real calming influence.

“I’ve got two boys in the academy, I’ve spoke about this a lot, there was a massive disconnect from the academy and the first team. Whether people say that’s right or wrong, and immediately, what we’ve seen is this connection come back together, which Man United was known for.

“It was known to be a family club, and Michael’s done that actually in a very short period of time, where we’re seeing the first team coaches at the academy games, and there’s a real interest in the academy.”

The United legend believed the Reds ought to have done more to bring former players into the structure and draw upon their understanding of the club.

Rooney continued: “I was there with Michael, our boys in the same academy team, and we used to sit in the car and have a sleep in the car park, the two of us.

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“[You have] two players that were very experienced, that know the football club. Just even someone to come out and say ‘can we have 10 minutes with you to just have a word, just to see what you feel about the football club.

“And I really believe – people might agree, might disagree greater – having someone in there who knows the club, cares the club, it makes a big difference.”

Tommy Hearns faced each of his fellow four kings – Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran and Marvin Hagler – during his 67-fight professional career, but one of them was on another level when it came to punching power.

‘The Hitman’ was considered a monstrous puncher himself, scoring 48 stoppages in 61 victories, before ending his prolific campaign as a five-division world champion.

Down at welter and super-welterweight, the American boasted a significant height and reach advantage over the majority of his opponents, including Leonard and Duran.

Against Leonard, though, Hearns suffered a 14th-round stoppage defeat in 1981, albeit in a closely-fought battle, before rematching his rival at super-middleweight in 1989.

On that occasion, many felt Hearns was unfortunate to come away with a draw, though he would nonetheless claim the WBO title at 168lbs in his following outing.

His encounter with Duran, meanwhile, came in 1984, when the knockout specialist orchestrated a second-round finish to retain his WBC super-welterweight title.

But despite Duran – who supposedly once knocked out a horse – being known as ‘Hands of Stone’, it was actually Hagler who gave Hearns a sterner test in the power department.

The pair collided in a thrilling three-round middleweight contest in 1985, with Hagler ultimately emerging from their iconic battle as the unified world champion.

Speaking with Marko Boxing nearly four decades later, Hearns still regards ‘Marvelous’ as the most formidable puncher he ever came up against.

“Marvin Hagler was [in] a different class [to] Roberto Duran. I think Marvin was the hardest puncher [I fought].”

Given that Hagler was a natural middleweight, whereas Duran typically campaigned in the lower divisions, it is perhaps unsurprising that Hearns arrived at this conclusion.