Diego Simeone has again been recommended to Manchester United with club legend Roy Keane still eager to have him as head coach

Manchester United have once more been urged to appoint Diego Simeone as their permanent manager ahead of Michael Carrick. Roy Keane is amongst the pundits who have expressed strong admiration for the Atletico Madrid boss, with United’s iconic midfielder believing he would bring “good havoc” to the club.

Carrick, by contrast, has arguably taken a completely different approach, focusing on the fundamentals, with United appearing significantly improved compared to their performances under Ruben Amorim. Whilst he was only brought in as interim manager until the end of the season, Carrick has positioned himself strongly to potentially remain in charge beyond that point.

A fifth straight win was the aim last Tuesday night, but United had to settle for a draw against West Ham following victories over Manchester City, Arsenal, Fulham and Tottenham. Meanwhile, United have been linked with several managers, including England boss Thomas Tuchel.

A contract extension for the 52-year-old, announced earlier this week, is anticipated to see interest from Old Trafford diminish. Carlo Ancelotti, Luis Enrique and Julian Nagelsmann are amongst other top-tier candidates being discussed, with Simeone’s name continuing to feature prominently.

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Former Premier League midfielder Andy Townsend is the latest to back him for the role. Speaking to Boylesports, he said: “I think you have to be looking for an elite manager, someone that has dealt with the very biggest players and personalities and has handled pressure from above and the terraces

“I don’t think Antonio Conte would be the right fit. Out of all of them, the one manager I would like to see at United is Diego Simeone.”

“I think his football and the way his Atletico Madrid team have played is kind of more suited to the Premier League. I don’t think his style of play would please the United fans. They want something more flamboyant.

“But at the moment, United need to get back on level terms with the likes of City and Liverpool and try to get ahead of Arsenal, I don’t think you want someone who’s talking about the beautiful game.

“You need someone who is prepared to put massive demands on the players on a consistent basis and drag performances and victories out of them. Only Simeone has those qualities.”

Despite advocating for Simeone as the club’s new permanent head coach, Townsend was quick to commend the work Carrick and his coaching staff have accomplished over the past month.

He admitted: “I think Michael Carrick has done a really good job since he’s come in. Some of the decisions he’s made have been very straightforward, like playing Kobbie Mainoo. He’s been naming unchanged starting line-ups and that’s never a bad thing.

“If you’ve got a winning team, don’t change it. Too many managers rotate players when their team’s been on a good run. All of a sudden, they’re giving this player a game, that player a game, but when you have a winning team, and they look like they’re enjoying things, just roll with it.

“Keep going. Live in that moment. Suddenly, you’re five games unbeaten as United are. There’s a simplicity and an effectiveness to what Michael has done and he’s doing it in an understated manner.”

Keane has recently performed a notable U-turn regarding the possibility of handing Carrick the permanent role, though he’s already made it abundantly clear who he’d prefer to see take over from Amorim.

“I’ve said it for years, I’d like to see Atletico Madrid’s Simeone, I’d like to see him go in there,” he stated on Stick to Football back in October.

“I know his mate’s [Andrea Berta, sporting director] gone to Arsenal, but I think he would just create havoc, but good havoc.

“I think he’d rock up to that place and say, ‘This is how you do things.’ No guarantee, but I’d just like to see his personality, and his track record..”

Keane continued: “People might think styles of football, they beat Real Madrid, they scored five last weekend. This idea that he’s defensive… Yeah, he doesn’t like his team giving up too many goals or chances, but they can play a bit.

“Liverpool a few weeks ago [3-2 defeat], the team aren’t as great as they were a few years ago but there’s still that fighting spirit. He’s on the sideline causing… He got sent off that night [against Liverpool], didn’t he? I’d like a big personality.”

Recent weeks have brought contrasting fortunes for Simeone’s Atletico, with a contentious 4-0 Copa del Rey semi-final victory over Barcelona sandwiched between losses to Real Betis and Rayo Vallecano.

The recent La Liga match resulted in a 3-0 loss for Atletico, with points lost against Levante late last month leaving them trailing leaders Real by 15 points.

Chris Waller proclaimed Joliestar the finished article after the mare strengthened her impeccable fresh record by securing the Expressway Stakes at Randwick.

Waller admitted doubt as Caballus ($4.60), once from the same stable, took a firm grip on proceedings mid-straight, unsure if Joliestar ($2.60 fav) had the measure.

The mare responded by laying back her ears and grinding forward, collaring the Bjorn Baker charge and striding away to triumph by 1-1/4 lengths ahead of stablemate Lady Shenandoah ($6), who was a head adrift in third.

“She is a true horse now. Last year we were saying we needed her to settle and relax and do the little things right, and she does that now,” Waller said.

“James (McDonald) put her into a beautiful position and tactically, that was great because it was a sprint home.

“Tommy (Berry on Caballus) just about pinched the race. James didn’t go around them, he just stuck to the basics and rode her like a jockey should.”

Plans call for Joliestar to remain fresh throughout autumn, with the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) on March 7 as her immediate aim, followed by the T J Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick in April.

Royal Ascot looms large thereafter.

“She is a foolproof horse. She runs well fresh and hopefully that will be her autumn – Canterbury Stakes, T J, and we might get on a plane after that,” Waller said.

Waller was excited by Lady Shenandoah’s strong finishing burst upon resuming, while Angel Capital ($2.90) needed vet clearance after misbehaving in the gates.

He crossed the line fourth, 3-1/2 lengths away, having pulled hard initially then closing off.

Waller shrugged off the run, insisting the entire suits quicker races.

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“Angel Capital was just a little bit fresh and there wasn’t enough speed and intensity for him,” he said.

“We will stick to our plan to go to the Newmarket Handicap.

“They went slow. I don’t think he was too bad.”

The post Joliestar claims 2026 Expressway Stakes in stylish return first appeared on Just Horse Racing.

Vibrating tendons before cycling allows people to push harder without feeling mental strain, according to a study.

The research was undertaken by Benjamin Pageaux, a professor in the School of Kinesiology and Physical Activity Sciences at Université de Montréal, working with researchers from Université Savoie Mont Blanc in France.

Volunteers took part in lab tests on stationary bikes. Each completed two sessions –  one after tendon vibration and another without.

The device was strapped to Achilles and knee tendons and activated for 10 minutes before cycling. After that, participants cycled for three minutes at a pace they perceived as either moderate or intense, adjusting their effort to match their target.

After tendon vibration, participants produced more power and showed higher heart rates compared to sessions without the pre-exercise vibration. However, even though their bodies were working harder, their sense of effort did not increase.

Changing ‘effort signals’

While the precise biological mechanisms are still being studied, Pageaux has suggested possible explanations.

“Depending on the amplitude and frequency of the vibration, we can either excite or inhibit neurons in the spinal cord,” he said. “Prolonged vibration changes the reactivity of the neuromuscular spindles and alters the signal sent to the brain.”

By changing these ‘effort signals’ travelling from the muscles to the brain, vibration appears to reshape how movement and exertion are perceived. 

This brain-body disconnect could help make exercise feel less intimidating for people who struggle to stay active.

The perception of how hard exercise is plays a role in whether people stick with it. When it feels overwhelming, they’re more likely to stop or avoid it, whereas if it feels manageable, it becomes more enjoyable and easier to continue over time.

This raises the question of whether the feeling of effort could be reduced, helping people push past the sense that exercise is too hard.

Encouraging people to stay active

The research is still in its early stages, with the testing limited to these cycling sessions under controlled conditions.

“It hasn’t been tested in a marathon, only during a short, three-minute cycling exercise,” Pageaux says. “However, this is the first time the effect has been shown to work with this type of exercise.”

The team will now examine brain activity more closely during exercise, using electroencephalography and MRI to see how tendon vibration influences neural activity during exertion.

The researchers are also studying the reverse process to understand how pain and fatigue amplify the feeling of effort and make physical activity feel more difficult.

Ultimately, the goal is to develop strategies that lower perceived effort and help more people become physically active, especially those who are currently sedentary.

“By gaining a better understanding of how the brain evaluates the link between effort and perceived reward during exercise, we hope to promote more regular physical activity,” Pageaux said.

Prolonged passive vibration of Achilles and patellar tendons decreases effort perception during subsequent cycling tasks was published in the Journal of Sport and Health Science

Indicators from last year’s Coolmore Stud Stakes were there, but the Black Caviar Lightning cemented the status, crowning Tentyris as Australia’s budding sprint phenomenon on Saturday at Flemington.

Trained by the Freedman duo of Anthony and Sam, the colt claimed a second straight Group 1 with a explosive run against top weight-for-age opponents in the 1000-metre sprint.

It was his initial appearance since outclassing his contemporaries in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) during Derby Day, as Sam Freedman shared how his seasoned father – ex-member of the famed ‘FBI’, Freedman Brothers Incorporated – rated this horse highly.

“He has been in the game for so long and he said to me at the end of the spring campaign, this might be the best horse you ever train,” Sam said.

“(I said) I thought you might be suggesting you trained one better back in the 1990s and 2000s – there was a bit of cheek there, they had Mahogany and Schillaci – but he’s building his own record that will hopefully be right up there with some of the best.”

Street Boss-sired Tentyris ($2.60 fav) flew late from last among eight starters to duplicate the Coolmore quinella, placing John McArdle’s filly My Gladiola second once more.

In the Lightning, $7 elect My Gladiola closed the 2-1/4 length Coolmore deficit to three-quarters, Benedetta ($26) third by identical measure.

After steering Tentyris to second in the prior year’s Blue Diamond Stakes, Damian Lane returned Saturday replacing sidelined Mark Zahra and dubbed him an ‘incredible talent’.

“We just only had the one play with him with how he steps out of the barriers, it was just a risk whether the 1000 was going to be too short (but) it certainly wasn’t,” Lane said.

“Mid-race I had to ask him to pick up the bridle and when he did, he really joined in well and as had become his trademark, that last bit of his race was outstanding.”

Lane celebrated four wins via the Lightning, adding Group 3 C S Hayes Stakes on Sixties and Listed races on Hard Kick and Sass Appeal.

Freedman eyes the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington March 7 where Tentyris sits $2 favourite, his favoured option pending weight, and racing fans should examine racing betting markets for upcoming action.

“I would love to come to the Newmarket if he was not heavily penalised for the victory. It’s not easy for a three-year-old to carry a big weight like that,” he said.

“We’ll have to have a chat about where he goes, but I can assure you it’s a very good problem to have.”

The post Tentyris electric in Black Caviar Lightning Stakes return first appeared on Just Horse Racing.

Most current and former stars are at the 2026 NBA All-Star Weekend, except former Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan. Instead of participating in the league’s annual event, Jordan was seen at the Indy 500 on Sunday. After his sighting, fans revealed some of what they think about the six-time champion.

In the 2025-26 season, the league returned to NBC, and Jordan had some involvement to celebrate. The Bulls star was introduced as a special contributor for the network’s commentary team. However, fans were disappointed that it was just a one-on-one interview with Mike Tirico via the “MJ: Insights To Excellence” series.

Fans erupted on X, and here are some of what the fans said about Jordan.

“Hilarious that he cares about NASCAR more than the nba,” a fan said.

“MJ literally the only one who could’ve pulled this off,” another fan commented.

“NBC would have paid 5 million for this, he’s giving it out to FOX for free,” one fan said.

More fans noticed how Michael Jordan puts NASCAR ahead of the NBA.

“It’s pretty clear at this point MJ loves NASCAR way more than the NBA or NBC. He won’t even do a live segment for the NBA on NBC but he does it for NASCAR and FOX didn’t even pay Mike for this,” someone commented.

“That’s odd, didn’t go to the @NBA #AllStarWeekend doe 🤔” a comment read.

“Top 3 ever, been on NBC all season and he at the Racetrack during NBA All-Star weekend. Their old heads don’t care about it why they expect us to?” one fan commented.

Streamer IShowSpeed missed out on meeting Michael Jordan

Although his playing days have been over since 2003, Michael Jordan still attracts younger fans. One of the fans who was close to meeting him was streamer IShowSpeed. The online sensations recently wrapped up his tour in Africa and revealed that Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo offered to introduce him to Jordan.

Unfortunately for Speed, the meetup didn’t happen, and he revealed why during an interview with Yahoo Sports Mail on Thursday.

“Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. That didn’t happen,” Speed said. “I was on tour, and it was like a risk of, like, I would have to pause my tour for five days. And I would just mess up too many logistics and it just would have been, like it just would have been a hassle just to clean it up. But there’s always another try.”

However, Speed remains optimistic that he will meet Michael Jordan next time.