Ruben Amorim’s stance on Benjamin Sesko never changed throughout his time at Manchester United

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Ruben Amorim supported Benjamin Sesko during his difficult early period at Manchester United and the striker is now showing just why the club signed him.

The Slovenian joined Old Trafford last summer in a £74million deal and was viewed as a key part of United’s attacking plans for the future. Despite an impressive spell at RB Leipzig where he found the net 39 times in 87 matches, the 22-year-old found it difficult to settle during the initial phases of his Manchester career.

Managing just two goals in 16 outings before his double against Burnley – the first match following Amorim’s dismissal – scrutiny intensified on the forward.

Throughout his goal-scoring drought, Sesko – who has subsequently netted five times in seven matches under Michael Carrick – retained the backing and confidence of his manager, with the Portuguese boss maintaining that he will spearhead United’s attack for years ahead.

Speaking before United’s 2-2 stalemate with Tottenham Hotspur, Amorim suggested Sesko possesses even greater ability than he initially anticipated, saying: “I understand how things are in football and he’s going to struggle. That is normal.

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“He has no experience here and then the first impact when everyone says that you are so good, you are the next big thing, and you hear about that with Sesko, and then you come to one club that is the hardest club.”

Sesko faced criticism from significant sections of the media, including United legend Gary Neville. Amorim acknowledged that maintaining composure under pressure, particularly with the world’s attention on you, is especially challenging for a young player.

“If you don’t perform every week, you are going to hear a lot of things from club legends, from pundits, from the media, and sometimes they are right,” added Amorim. “To possess the ability to accept this as normal whilst still retaining your confidence is incredibly difficult for a young kid, particularly one who is a control freak, wants to manage everything, and realises he can’t control everything.

“So, I know, and I’ve said it since I started training with Ben, he has more potential than I initially thought. He’s going to face challenges, and we need to understand his style of play to incorporate our ideas.

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“So, [with] everything, I think I’m quite relaxed with that. He is going to be our striker for the long term. But he’s going to have these struggles and these bumps during the ride, and that is a normal thing in football.”

The striker is undoubtedly vindicating his former manager’s faith as he keeps finding the net with crucial goals in United’s pursuit of Champions League qualification.

His 71st minute strike against Everton in Monday’s 1-0 victory is the most recent addition to his goal-scoring record, which now stands at eight for the campaign across all competitions. In recent weeks he also scored an incredible equaliser against West Ham to rescue a point at the London Stadium and the winner against Fulham in a 3-2 victory at Old Trafford.

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The 2026 NFL Combine runs from February 26 through March 1, and we’ll have you covered with both up-to-date and historical coverage.

Here’s a look at the historical list with all the results dating back to 2000. But before getting to the table, here’s an explanation of how and why pro scouts use the drill.

The vertical jump is used to measure athletic potential at the NFL Combine as a metric of muscular strength, anaerobic power, and raw explosiveness in football players.

It tends to improve draft stock most in wide receivers, defensive backs, and pass rushers.

A device with prongs is used to mark the jump, which is measured in inches. From a standing position, a player crouches down and jumps as high as he can, using his hand to make contact with the highest prong possible.

Gerald Sensabaugh of North Carolina holds the current NFL Combine record at 46.0 inches, set in 2005.

Arizona State cornerback Chris McKenzie, at just 5-foot-9, recorded the best mark by a former player from the West with a 45-inch leap, also in 2005.

ASU’s Marcus Williams is next on the list with a jump of 43.5 in 2017.

Cal’s Scott Fujita (2002), Washington State’s Raonall Smith (2002), and ASU’s Jaelen Strong (2015) round out the Top 5 with leaps of 42.0 inches each.

See all the other with their position, school, and the year they participated in the searchable, sortable table below.

Liverpool and Manchester City discover their Champions League round of 16 opponents on Friday, with the draw se to take place two days after the play-off round ties are completed

UEFA are bracing themselves for potentially two chaotic days involving Manchester City and Liverpool, depending on the outcome of Friday’s Champions League draw. The Premier League sides are in the round of 16, having secured automatic qualification from the group stage.

They will learn their opponents during Friday’s draw, after the knockout play-off stage concludes on Wednesday night. Both clubs are aware they will currently meet one of three teams, and that number will drop to two following Wednesday night’s second legs.

For City, they will meet either Bodo/Glimt, who defeated Inter 5-2 on aggregate, or either Real Madrid or Benfica. Real Madrid currently hold a 1-0 aggregate lead in that fixture.

For Liverpool, it’s between Atletico Madrid, who secured their spot with a 7-4 aggregate victory on Tuesday night, and either Juventus or Galatasaray. The Turkish side currently hold a 5-2 advantage from the first leg.

For both teams, the first leg will take place away from home.

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However, with Liverpool potentially being paired against Atletico Madrid, and City having the prospect of meeting Real Madrid, it means both sets of supporters could be in the Spanish capital simultaneously.

The opening leg of the last 16 phase will occur on March 10 and 11. The return fixtures will then follow a week later, on March 17 and 18.

Should this prove accurate, and given the recent tensions between the clubs, it suggests that UEFA and local police forces may need to implement additional security measures.

Liverpool and City have been battling for Premier League supremacy in recent years, with City winning more often.

However, Liverpool capitalised on Pep Guardiola’s team’s decline last season to claim their 20th league title.

Both sides will also be aiming to add to their European Cup collections this campaign.

Liverpool have claimed the competition and its forerunner six times, whilst City secured the trophy for the first time in 2022/23.

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On paper it’s top versus mid-table. In reality, the context is doing most of the talking: Glasgow could be without close to 15 frontline players, Connacht are missing Finlay Bealham plus long-term injuries, and the betting line has swung so far that Connacht are around -3 favourites after a season where they’d usually be double-digit underdogs in this match-up.

URC Table Snapshot

• Glasgow Warriors: 1st — 44 pts from 11 games, +155 PD
• Connacht: 12th — 21 pts from 10 games, -26 PD

It doesn’t flatter Connacht, but the table is tighter than it looks. A win here keeps the play-off chase alive, especially with Scarlets in two weeks in what becomes a vital mini-block for points.

The Six Nations Factor

Glasgow have been the most consistent side in the URC this season — 44 points, best points difference, and a run that has them looking like champions again. But international windows change everything.

• Glasgow are expected to be missing ~15 starters due to Scotland duty
• The handicap has flipped from what would likely be Glasgow -10 in a normal week to Connacht -3
• Leadership and cohesion are the big risks when you remove a full international spine

They’ll still be structured. They’ll still have threat. But this is the kind of week where depth gets tested properly.

Connacht Recent URC Form

• Connacht have won 2 of their last 6 URC matches
• The Zebre win (31–15) ended a run of four straight defeats
• Connacht have lost their last two URC home matches and haven’t lost three in a row at Dexcom Stadium in the Championship since January 2021

Glasgow Recent URC Form

• Glasgow have won 5 of their last 6 URC matches
• Their only defeat in that run was 0–23 away to Scarlets
• They’ve conceded just 91 points across those six matches (avg 15.2 per game)

Recent URC Meetings: Connacht v Glasgow

• Connacht’s only win in the last four meetings was 34–26 in Galway in October 2023
• The last meeting in Scotland was a tight one: Glasgow 22–19 Connacht (January 2025)

URC Era Record

What It Means for Connacht (and Lancaster)

It’s been a rough first season for Stuart Lancaster results-wise, but the injury context matters. Connacht have been forced to lean on academy players far more than planned, and while that may pay off long-term, the URC table doesn’t wait for development stories.

This game is different. Glasgow are weakened. Connacht are closer to a settled XV than they’ve been in months. That flips the pressure.

With Scarlets coming in two weeks, Connacht need a points haul from this block. Beat Glasgow’s second string at home and you suddenly have a runway. Miss the chance and the season starts slipping away fast.

Key Match Angles

• Tempo: Connacht should try to play at speed and stretch Glasgow’s combinations
• Breakdown pressure: less settled Glasgow units can be exposed if Connacht win collisions
• Game management: Connacht must control exits — Glasgow live off cheap turnover ball

Prediction

This is the kind of fixture that usually feels like a free swing. Not this week. If Connacht want the play-offs, this is one they have to take.

Connacht by 4–8 points (but only if their set-piece and exits hold up).

Ryan Garcia’s father and trainer, Henry Garcia, has outlined the determining factor for whether a showdown between his son and Shakur Stevenson gets made.

The 27-year-old called out Stevenson immediately after his victory over Mario Barrios, which saw him claim the WBC welterweight title last Saturday.

Prior to their clash, many questioned whether Garcia was in the right mental space to dethrone Barrios, a tough but technically limited world champion.

As it happened, though, ‘King Ry’ was able to drop his man in the opening round, before piecing together a dominant unanimous decision victory in Las Vegas.

But before facing Barrios, Garcia had expressed his desire to lock horns with Stevenson, the WBO super-lightweight champion, in a bid to test himself against one of his sport’s most elite operators.

Stevenson, meanwhile, has insisted that their potential clash can only take place at a catchweight of 144lbs, to which Garcia verbally agreed before defeating Barrios.

Speaking with MillCity Boxing, though, Henry Garcia has said that Stevenson must move up to 147lbs, or else they will pursue a rematch with Devin Haney.

“Absolutely [the Haney rematch is bigger than a Shakur Stevenson fight], by far, there is no comparison. In order for [Stevenson] to fight us, he’s going to have to come up to [147lbs]. Didn’t [Crawford] go up [to fight] Canelo [at 168lbs]? And he got respect, right?

“Why doesn’t Shakur go up to [fight] Ryan? He wants Ryan to [agree to] a catchweight. We don’t want to start going down – unless it makes sense, but I doubt it.”

Stevenson comes off a one-sided points victory over Teofimo Lopez, for which he moved up from 135lbs, and became a four-division world champion last month.

But despite Stevenson’s lofty status as a pound-for-pound star, Henry Garcia firmly believes that a rematch between his son and Haney, the WBO welterweight champion, is a much bigger fight.

Their first encounter came in April 2024, though Garcia’s majority decision victory was later overturned to a no-contest due to him testing positive for banned substance ostarine.

Looking Forward, Backward and Sideways at the Vikings’ Offseason

During the NFL offseason, it is time to look forward, backward and sideways (and in this case we look at the Minnesota Vikings). There is always plenty to look forward to, as this is the season of speculation designed specifically for Purple prognostication. And, as far as the Vikings are concerned, there is a great history of individual performances, near misses and more than an odd or exceptional win/loss to discuss. The Vikings are an infinitely fascinating franchise if not ultimately a successful one (where success is often only defined by winning the Super Bowl).

But this time on the Vikings Territory Breakdown podcast, the fellas—Joe Oberle, senior writer at vikingsterritory.com and purplePTSD.com and Mark Craig, NFL and Vikings writer for the Star Tribune and startribune.com—look back in sadness to a couple of players who wore Viking purple, and are, unfortunately, no longer with us: WR Rondale Moore and defensive back Ronyell Whitaker.

The news of these passings brings sadness to Purple Nation, for sure. But couple the news of their passing with the death of rookie draft pick Khyree Jackson last summer, and the Vikings organization has experienced more than enough of highly emotional difficulties of late. We will pay tribute to a couple players who, though only playing a short time in Minnesota, still deserve their due.

In addition, we will look forward to free agency, the draft and the NFL Combine just on the horizon. But if you want to know what we look sideways at, well, you’ll just have to tune in and check it out. Skol!

Joe Oberle is a veteran sportswriter/editor/reporter and has covered the Vikings since 2008. The author of three books, he … More about Joe Oberle

Do you consider the absolute dream candidate for the Minnesota Vikings a 3rd-Round cornerback? Probably not — but Bleacher Report does. BR’s Gary Davenport picked a “dream target” for every team in this year’s draft, and for Minnesota, that man is Texas’s Malik Muhammad.

He’s twitchy, competitive, and sticky in coverage, with the kind of edge Minnesota keeps chasing at corner.

Muhammad would be a sweet addition, indeed, but few consider him Minnesota’s top priority.

Muhammad Would Evidently Fit Brian Flores’ CB Mold

A curveball some eight weeks before the draft.

BR: Muhammad Is the Vikings’ Dream Rookie

Most opened Davenport’s article expecting to find a running back like Jeremiyah Love or a cornerback like Mansoor Delane. But Davenport disagreed.

On Muhammad as the Vikings’ dream pick, he explained, “The quarterback position in Minnesota will dominate the offseason conversation surrounding the Vikings, but if the team adds competition for J.J. McCarthy this spring, it will likely come via a veteran free agent. The Vikings were stout defensively in 2025, allowing fewer passing yards per game (158.5) than any team in the NFC.”

“But the team has a potential issue on the back end—outside of Byron Murphy Jr. and Isaiah Rodgers, the team’s depth at the cornerback position is essentially non-existent. That should lead the Vikes to look to add a cornerback relatively early in this year’s draft, and Malik Muhammad of Texas could be an intriguing target on Day 2.”

The Consensus Big Board has Muhammad listed at No. 82 as of February 24th. A 3rd-Rounder.

Davenport continued, “A 6’0″ 188-pounder who spent the 2025 season matched up with opponents’ No. 1 receivers, Muhammad has it all — size, speed, athleticism, fluidity in coverage…you name it.”

“He also has a background in track and basketball, which can’t hurt at a position that involves a fair amount of running, jumping and whatnot.”

The Scouting Report

Muhammad is 6’0″ and 190 pounds. He played 41 games at Texas, logging 97 tackles, 16 passes defended, and 3 interceptions. He also has youth on his side; he won’t turn 22 until September. Muhammad is known for his versatility, twitchiness, and role as a defensive field general.

NFL Draft Buzz on Muhammad: “Muhammad brings immediate value as a defender who can contribute in multiple packages from day one. What jumps off the tape is his natural feel for route distributions and ability to process passing concepts – he sees the game unfold with veteran anticipation despite his youth.”

“Watching him navigate complex coverage assignments against elite SEC competition revealed a corner who rarely finds himself out of position and consistently plays above his experience level. His best NFL fit appears to be with defensive schemes employing pattern-match principles that maximize his instincts and football IQ.”

It’s worth noting that the Vikings are in the middle — hopefully near the end — of a severe drought in drafting cornerbacks. Ten years have passed since the franchise picked one of any round with staying power.

NBD added, “Coordinators who prioritize versatility in their secondary will appreciate his ability to execute both man and zone techniques with equal proficiency. While Muhammad doesn’t possess elite length, he compensates with exceptional footwork and transitional quickness that lets him mirror even the craftiest route runners.”

“The technical refinement he displays in press technique and zone spacing indicates a prospect who’s been meticulously coached. The comparison that resonates when studying Muhammad is a young Marcus Peters.”

Perhaps the Value Is Really That Great

Davenport must love Muhammad and his fit in Minnesota because it’s not often that a 2nd- or 3rd-Rounder pulls down “dream” draft candidate status a couple of months before the event.

So, how would Davenport’s assertion come true? Well, first, the Vikings would have to scoop Muhammad from Round 2 or 3, fitting his current stock. Thereafter, if he immediately latched on as a starter and remained for longer than a few years, Davenport would be vindicated.

The Vikings must also get into the habit — soon — of playing rookies. In the last four years, rookies don’t often see the field in Year No. 1, with the exception of wide receiver Jordan Addison and guard Ed Ingram. For example, Minnesota drafted wideout Tai Felton in Round 3 last year; the guy barely played on offense as a rookie.

If Davenport is correct, the Vikings grab Muhammad from Round 2 or 3, and he plays right away, fans will treat him like a supreme breath of fresh air.

Other Dream Candidates

How about real dream draft candidates for Minnesota? Here’s a look at Round 1 rookies who would bring tremendous joy to the fan base if they [somehow] fell to Pick No. 18:

• Mansoor Delane (CB, LSU)
• Caleb Downs (S, Ohio State)
• Jeremiyah Love (RB, Notre Dame)
• Sonny Styles (LB, Ohio State)

Downs, Love, and Styles live in a category of their own; they’re virtually guaranteed to be gone by Pick No. 18. Delane would turn heads, as he’s considered the top corner in the draft.

The NFL Draft is about eight weeks away.