I’ve been thinking a lot about charisma this week, after Igor Tudor’s first interview as Tottenham boss. He said all the right things but that’s not why the reception from Spurs supporters has been so positive.

Tudor is an emergency manager. Appointed to restore morale, patch together a thin squad and keep Tottenham in the Premier League. A humiliating sentence for a Spurs fan to write but here we are.

On the evidence, the Croatian does a good line in rescue jobs. Sure, getting Juventus and Lazio the European finishes they expected feels a little more decorative than saving Spurs from the drop but still.

He’s used to being a short-term appointment but, that said, 11 jobs in 12 years is not much of a recommendation, even in football.

Since few Spurs fans know a huge amount about Tudor’s management style, this gives little to hold onto heading into the final third of the season. But we at Tottenham are desperate for scraps. So the warmth engendered by his first interview was perhaps to be expected.

Given the reception, when I went to watch it I expected to be blown away by his charisma, Pep Guardiola style. That didn’t happen. The way Tudor presented was focused, low-key and tough, with an underlying clarity. Like all charismatic people, he drew the eye, absorbed you into his moment. He came across as certain, but not bullish.

What I realised is this more restrained style is proof of his charisma, rather than a lack of it. In different situations audiences value different styles. A major component of the quality is vocal range.

Charismatic individuals are able to inflect their voices with different tones to fit their environment and this makes them more persuasive. That’s exactly what Tudor was doing: matching his tone to the task.

Simply put, in times of crisis, fearful people want hard men who are busy getting things done. Look at politics around the world if you don’t believe me. Now compare this to Thomas Frank’s demeanour. He was open, affable, honest.

At risk of making imperfect national generalisations, the Danes are the second-happiest nation on Earth. Denmark has a high level of trust in its society, they invented hygge – wellbeing achieved by indulging in rest and cosiness, even in times of struggle.

At Brentford, Frank took time out and had periods away from his phone. These are all good things, and they particularly work in a long-term appointment who is trying to set a new workplace culture. But as this season came crashing down, he was infected by fear, and it affected his ability to match tone to situation.

Short-term impact football management requires charisma. The pinnacle of this is Jose Mourinho. His success was built on using huge charm to sell the deep analysis he produced, to persuade footballers to join his cult of personality.

He’s also a scary example of how great personal charisma can stop you questioning yourself, something which played out this Tuesday in the latest vicious episode of racism towards Vini Jr.

You’re right to think charisma can also sit in tandem with great good looks – welcome to the chat Thierry Henry – but fairly often hotties haven’t had to develop any.

Footballers without charisma are always surprised when they can’t manage. People want to talk to them no matter what. Great fame or talent brings a spotlight that can feel like being in the presence of the quality, but it’s something else entirely.

Tudor has got charisma nailed. The quality is vital in negotiating big characters and bringing the fans with you. Don’t mistake this for a positive column about the future of Tottenham Hotspur, however.

People over-value charisma because anyone can see it, and it’s extremely useful in job interviews. Will it be enough to harness a team with barely 11 fit players? Funnily enough one man’s personal traits aren’t enough for that – just watch Ange Postecoglou on the Overlap.

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Sam Dudley was killed by a train at a level crossing while he was out running on August 24 last year – his phone was found to have been displaying a warning that his music was too loud

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A man was struck by an oncoming train at a level crossing and died after his phone issued a warning, an inquest heard.

Sam Dudley was out running in Formby on the morning of August 24 last year when the tragedy unfolded at Hoggs Hill level crossing.

The 29-year-old was wearing headphones when he entered the crossing shortly before 11.07am. Before reaching the tracks, the site is fitted with signage and a traffic light system that shows red or green depending on whether a train is approaching.

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When a train nears the crossing, the light flashes red and klaxon sounds to warn pedestrians of the danger, Liverpool Echo reports.

CCTV footage shown at the inquest captured Sam running onto the track before appearing shocked as he realised a train was approaching. The footage showed him attempting to jump backwards moments before impact but it was too late.

An investigation found Sam had entered the track through the pedestrian gate while the red light was flashing and the klaxon was sounding. After the gate, further signage warns users of oncoming trains. When Sam’s phone was recovered, it was found to have been displaying a notification warning that his music volume was too loud.

A prevention of future deaths report, published on February 10 following the conclusion of the inquest on February 3, sets out the findings of senior coroner Anita Bhardwaj. The report states the crossing “was safe, compliant, and operating as designed” and confirms there “were no causal or contributory failings identified in the inspection, maintenance, or management of the crossing”.

Ms Bhardwaj concluded that the likely explanation was that Sam did not hear the warning signals because he was running while listening to loud music through his headphones.

She said: “It is more likely than not that Sam did not hear the klaxon because he was running whilst listening to loud music through his headphones… In all the circumstances it is more likely than not Sam was distracted, not fully attentive and proceeded onto the track.”

Despite finding no fault with the crossing itself, the senior coroner for Sefton, St Helens and Knowsley identified wider safety concerns around warning signage.

She noted that while signage exists once pedestrians pass through the gate, there is limited warning displayed directly on the gate which sits only a short distance from the critical “decision point” where users choose whether to continue.

In her report, Ms Bhardwaj said: “Nationally there is signage once individuals pass through the gate, but there is limited signage on the gate itself as people enter the walkway, only a short distance from the ‘decision point’.”

With more people wearing headphones they are less aware of their surroundings. Ms Bhardwaj suggested that clearer pictorial signage at the gate, such as an image of earphones crossed out, could improve awareness at the point people make a decision to cross.

She added that visual warnings often attract attention quickly, while sound cues create stronger emotional responses, and argued a combination of both could improve safety communication.

Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana said ‘nothing changes’ and ‘people are never punished’ after he and Burnley’s Hannibal Mejbri were sent racist abuse following Saturday’s 1-1 draw.

Both players were targets of online attacks in the hours after the Premier League match at Stamford Bridge and shared images of messages they had been sent privately over Instagram.

It came days after UEFA began an investigation into claims by Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior that he was racially abused on the pitch by Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni during a Champions League game in Lisbon.

On Saturday night, Fofana – who had been sent off late in the game for two yellow cards – posted screenshots of messages he had been sent and wrote on Instagram: ‘2026, it’s still the same thing, nothing changes. These people are never punished.

‘You create big campaigns against racism, but nobody actually does anything.’

Mejbri had earlier also shared abusive messages he had received and wrote on his Instagram story: ‘It’s 2026 and there are still people like that. Educate yourself and your kids, please.’

Chelsea said the abuse ‘is completely unacceptable and runs counter to the values of the game and everything we stand for as a club,’ and that ‘there is no room for racism’.

A club statement added: ‘We stand unequivocally with Wes. He has our full support, as do all our players who are too often forced to endure this hatred simply for doing their job.

‘We will work with the relevant authorities and platforms in identifying the perpetrators and take the strongest possible action.’

Burnley said: ‘There is no place for this in our society and we condemn it unreservedly.’

Football’s response to allegations of racism has been heavily scrutinised in recent days following the incident in Lisbon.

Benfica boss Jose Mourinho in his post-match comments accused Vinicius of provoking what happened while the Portuguese club claimed there was a defamation campaign against their player.

The match on Tuesday was halted for 10 minutes early in the second half after Vinicius refused to return to the pitch after becoming suddenly and visibly upset with something apparently said to him by Prestianni, who covered his mouth with his shirt during the incident.

Saturday’s Premier League game ended level after Burnley’s Zian Flemming headed a stoppage-time equaliser to deny Chelsea, who dominated up until Fofana’s red card.

The defender was dismissed in the 72nd minute for a second booking after making a late challenge on James Ward-Prowse.

Earlier, Joao Pedro had scored in the fourth minute to seemingly put Liam Rosenior’s side on course of victory but as so often this season under successive managers they lacked killer instinct and failed to finish off Scott Parker’s struggling team

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Manchester United will be heading into the summer without a permanent manager on their side, so free agents could be their best friend

Manchester United are likely going to need to add a number of fresh faces to their squad come the summer. With no permanent manager at the helm, the club are set to make a decision on their next permanent boss and back whoever they choose in the market to make their stamp on the squad.

With funds stretched, that could lead to the club looking at free agents to add more quality and depth. Signing players who are without a club seems like a calculated risk for the Premier League giants.

United have long relied on academy graduates and rising stars to bolster their squad, but this may change in a few months’ time. Michael Carrick has been a breath of fresh air at Old Trafford, winning four out of five matches upon his interim return and fans have been calling for his temporary head coach role to be made permanent once the 2025/26 season ends.

However, with plenty of moving parts in the United dressing room, the club’s hierarchy may want to bide their time before hiring someone permanently.

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Free agents could become United’s saviour during this uncertain period. Here, Mirror Football takes a look back at some of United’s most daring free transfers.

Michael Owen

Michael Owen sent shockwaves through the football world when he signed for United after his Newcastle contract expired in 2009. The former Liverpool star, who clinched the 2001 Ballon d’Or during his stint on Merseyside, ruffled many feathers by penning a two-year deal with their arch-rivals.

To add insult to injury, Ferguson handed Owen the club’s iconic number seven shirt.

The then-29-year-old forward had struggled to regain his top form since departing Anfield and had experienced relegation with Newcastle the previous season. However, Owen’s knack for goal-poaching remained intact.

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The former England striker netted a memorable 4-3 winner against Manchester City and also scored as United triumphed over Aston Villa in the 2010 League Cup final. After an impressive debut season, Owen made enough appearances to earn a Premier League winner’s medal in 2011 but saw his playing time dwindle before departing United in 2012.

He scored 17 goals in 52 appearances for the club.

Victor Valdes

In 2014, United made a statement signing by bringing in Barcelona icon Victor Valdes as backup to David De Gea. The goalkeeper had been without a club for several months as he recovered from a knee injury after leaving Barcelona, eventually penning an 18-month deal with United in January 2015.

Valdes won six La Liga titles and three Champions League trophies with his boyhood club and knew United boss Louis van Gaal from his time at Camp Nou. Having completed the recovery from his knee injury at United, the 32-year-old was happy to compete with De Gea and made his first team debut in May.

However, Valdes was later placed on the transfer list after it was reported that he had refused to play in a reserve game. The Spain international made just two appearances for the club before joining Standard Liege on loan in January 2016 and later signing for newly-promoted Middlesbrough on a free transfer.

Paul Scholes

One of the most extraordinary moves during Sir Alex Ferguson’s legendary reign as manager was coaxing Paul Scholes out of retirement. The midfielder called time on his career at the end of the 2010/11 season but made a stunning comeback, coming off the bench in an FA Cup victory over Manchester City in January 2012.

Scholes’ return was revealed just an hour before the Manchester derby as United grappled with an injury crisis, with Darren Fletcher and Tom Cleverley sidelined. Ferguson was convinced Scholes had retired prematurely, and his judgement was vindicated as the midfielder featured 21 times that campaign.

Scholes penned a contract extension and was part of the United squad that won the Premier League in Ferguson’s final season at the helm before hanging up his boots for good.

Edinson Cavani

United snapped up former PSG legend Edinson Cavani on transfer deadline day in October 2020, several months after his departure from the French club. The then-33-year-old had become PSG’s record goalscorer during his seven-year spell in Paris, netting 200 goals in 301 outings.

Upon his arrival at Old Trafford, Cavani was handed the iconic number seven shirt and would have hoped to replicate his former team-mate Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s immediate impact on the club a few years prior. Cavani bagged 17 goals in his debut season as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side finished 2nd in the Premier League and lost the Europa League final on penalties.

Regrettably for Cavani, who had renewed his contract in May 2021, United were unable to build on that progress as Solskjaer was succeeded by temporary manager Ralf Rangnick that December.

The Uruguayan forward had relinquished his number seven jersey to a returning Cristiano Ronaldo and witnessed his game time drastically cut before departing the club in the summer of 2022.

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Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.

Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games this season, an increase of up to 100 more.

The new trail will only be at the National Trust site for a few weeks.

A National Trust site in Cambridgeshire has announced a new trail will be opening in the spring inspired by a famous children’s book. Anglesey Abbey has revealed it will have a new sculpture trail for families to visit at the start of spring.

The trail will bring the “much-loved” characters from The Wind in the Willows to life around the gardens of the National Trust site. The trail will follow Kenneth Grahame’s characters Badger, Toad, Mole, and Ratty the Water Vole on a “modern-day adventure”.

The trail will also feature a “cast of newly introduced species”. While walking around the gardens, you will learn more about how wildlife, farming, people, and the environment are all connected making the experience quite educational.

All of the sculptures have a unique design and have been placed in “key locations” around the gardens to allow visitors to explore “while engaging with art, storytelling, and nature”. The sculptures cover themes like biodiversity and conservation.

Visitors will be able to use trail maps to guide them around the gardens. The map will also feature more information about the characters, artists, and ideas that inspired the new trail.

Meghan Curteis, Experience and Visitor Programming Manager at Anglesey Abbey, said: “We’re delighted to welcome the Wind in the Willows sculpture trail to Anglesey Abbey this spring. It’s a wonderful way for visitors to explore the gardens, enjoy some fantastic artwork and reflect on the important connections between nature, wildlife and people, all while spending time outdoors with family and friends.”

The trail has been created by Wild in Art in collaboration with the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). The trail is part of a “wider programme of public activities” to celebrate the 50th anniversary of wildlife research at APHA.

Charlie Langhorne, Managing Director and Co-found, Wild in Art said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with the Animal & Plant Health Agency and the National Trust to bring this much-loved story to life in such a beautiful and inspiring setting.

“The trail will be a spectacular celebration of artistic talent, using sculpture as a three-dimensional canvas to spark curiosity, open up conversations and create moments of connection with nature and the environment for people of all ages. We hope visitors will enjoy discovering each one and the stories they tell.”

The trail will only be available at Anglesey Abbey from Saturday, March 28, until Tuesday, May 5. Entry to the National Trust site costs £19 for adults and £9.50 for children between the ages of five and 17.

Anglesey Abbey is around a 21 minute drive away from Cambridge via the B1102. The site has a car park that is free to use for all visitors.

A foam roller may be basic, but it’s also one of the highest-impact recovery tools you can have in your arsenal, especially for relieving tight glutes, hamstrings, calves and upper back. This one’s designed with a textured, trigger-point style surface to mimic hands-on pressure, which helps you target stubborn knots rather than just rolling around.

For the price, it’s a great entry point if you’re starting to take recovery seriously, and it’s simple enough to use while watching TV. Pair it with slow breathing, and you’ll feel your body downshift.

Protesters commemorating people killed during a deadly government crackdown in Iran last month have clashed with security forces at a university in Tehran.

Students chanted anti-regime slogans, including “death to [Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali] Khamenei”.

They faced off with members of the Basij, a volunteer internal police force which is a branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to anti-government media.

Footage shows violent clashes at the Sharif University of Technology on Saturday, while other clips on social media showed protesters with bloody head injuries.

There were also reported demonstrations at the Amir Kabir University of Technology and the University of Tehran.

The protests followed a brutal crackdown on dissent in January which saw thousands of people killed.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump is considering military action against Iran.

Mr Trump warned on Friday that strikes were possible even as Iran’s top diplomat said Tehran expected to have a proposed deal ready in the next few days.

It follows talks with the US over Iran’s nuclear programme.

America has scaled up its military presence in the Middle East in recent weeks.

The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and its strike group will shortly be joined by the USS Gerald Ford, which passed Gibraltar on Saturday en route to the region.

“I guess I can say I am considering that,” said Mr Trump when asked by a reporter at the White House on Friday about a limited strike on Iran.

Meanwhile, Masoud Pezeshkian, Iran’s president, sounded a defiant tone during a meeting with Paralympic athletics on Saturday.

“We will not bow our heads in the face of these problems,” he said. “We will try to bring honour and pride to our country.

“As long as we are alive, and we can breathe, we will sacrifice our lives for our country.

“By God’s grace and strength, we will not lower our heads in the face of these difficulties. Even though the outside world and global powers are unfairly pressing us to submit, we will not bow our heads, just as you [athletes] refused to bow to difficulties.”

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Mr Trump talked up regime change in Iran on 13 February when he revealed that a second aircraft carrier was heading to the Middle East.

“It seems like that would be the best thing that could happen,” Mr Trump said. “For 47 years, they’ve been talking and talking and talking.

“In the meantime, we’ve lost a lot of lives while they talk. Legs ‌blown off, arms blown off, faces blown off. We’ve been going on for a long time.”

Bolton Mountain Rescue Team (BMRT) said that friends Lizzie and Catherine had set off from Rivington village to walk the Angelzarke amble.

The pair undertook the walk on a bitterly cold Valentine’s Day (February 14) when ice had formed on many parts of the 24-mile moorland trail.

Lizzie slipped on the ice and was suddenly in immense pain – realising immediately that she had broken her wrist.

At the same time, BMRT volunteers, Mark and Martin, were on their way to another reported fall in Holcombe, Bury, when they were redirected towards Belmont while other team members continued to the earlier incident.

A woman was rescued from the moors after slipping on ice (Image: Bolton Mountain Rescue Team)

Lizzie’s location was able to be pinned down thanks to a What3Words coordinate given by Catherine, leading them to a lane by Greenhill Farm off the A675.

Mark, one of the team’s remote rescue medical technicians, was able to ease Lizzie’s pain with a strong painkiller and she was placed in their rescue vehicle while they waited for ambulance crews to arrive.

Lizzie was then taken to hospital for treatment and surgery, with BMRT wishing her a swift recovery and thanking Catherine for her help.