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      Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher were jumping around like a couple of fans – what happened to objective punditry?

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      GARY NEVILLE was presumably trying to be funny when he signed off Sky’s ‘Super Sunday’ show with the words: “You were live on Liverpool TV.”But his comments weren’t completely wide of the mark after another afternoon of pundit ‘bantz’ from the Premier League’s leading broadcaster.
      SunSport’s Mark Irwin isn’t impressed with Neville and Carragher’s fanboy anticsCredit: PA
      Neville had a face like a slapped arse after watching his beloved Manchester United being ripped a new one at Anfield.
      And he made no attempt to hide his displeasure at their 7-0 defeat by the bitter rivals from the other end of the East Lancs Road.
      On the other side of the microphone, we had Jamie Carragher whooping and cheering every Liverpool goal live on air.
      During the post-match inquest they had Carragher grinning away with fellow Kop idol Graeme Souness while Neville sulked alongside professional United grinch Roy Keane.
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      And just to make sure there was absolutely no chance of impartial analysis, the whole thing was hosted by Kenny Dalglish’s daughter Kelly Cates.
      Now I have no problem with these former players having their loyalties forged over many years in a certain team’s colours.
      But there comes a point where favouritism becomes outright bias and we’re very close to crossing that particular bridge.
      And it’s not as if Neville and Carragher are the only culprits.
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      Rio Ferdinand can rarely resist the urge to wildly cheer a Man Utd goalCredit: Getty
      Ian Wright couldn’t hide his delight when Arsenal netted a last minute winner against Bournemouth last weekCredit: https://twitter.com/StokeyyG2/status/1632068949230735361
      Match of the Day regularly films Ian Wright and Alan Shearer celebrating Arsenal and Newcastle goals like mad things while Rio Ferdinand is equally vociferous in his support for United.
      And it seems that many viewers actually lap this stuff up.
      Nevertheless, it does beg the question whatever happened to objective football coverage?
      There used to be a time when Scottish sports writers were dismissed as ‘fans with typewriters’ because of their unwavering support for their national team.
      But now it appears that correspondents throughout the whole of Britain are actively encouraged to display their colours and are criticised for not being partisan enough.
      Now I know that I am a miserable bastard who is no-one’s idea of a ray of sunshine.
      But almost every time I write a match report for this paper I get taken to task by certain readers who complain that I have not been positive enough about their team.
      Well I’m sorry that I missed the memo that I’m now required to be a cheerleader and I’m still awaiting delivery of my spangly costume and pompoms.
      But judging by the number of scarves and club colours we’re now seeing in press boxes up and down the country, maybe I’m the one who is behind the times.
      Because there is a new breed of football reporter who happily admits that they are only interested in one team and couldn’t care less about anything else that is going on in the sport.
      And I understand that these guys connect with a lot of fans because they are every bit as fanatical as them.
      Yet we have now reached the point where post match press conferences are carried out in front of more tourists than Madame Tussauds.
      Many of them don’t even bother with the pretence of bringing a laptop, camera or notepad because all they’re interested in is the free pre-match meal and a nice comfy seat to cheer on their team.
      And the clubs don’t care less because they’d much rather open their doors to unquestioning loyalists than to grumpy old sods like me.
      So forgive me if I don’t get offended by Gary Lineker showing his political colours.
      It’s his sporting neutrality which I’m worried about.
      A right old Mess
      Lionel Messi and PSG are out of the Champions League at the last 16 stage once again, it remains to be seen whether his old boss Pep Guardiola can do better with moneybags Man City next weekCredit: Getty
      ANOTHER year, another early Champions League exit for Paris St.Germain.
      The flat track bullies of European football are strolling untroubled towards their ninth French League title in 11 years.
      Yet in spite of all the insane spending by their Qatari owners, they still cannot buy a win in the game’s most prestigious club competition.
      Maybe it’s because they have gathered more stars than the Milky Way that we all take such pleasure from their annual humiliation.
      And the fact that Messi and his chums have been sent packing by former Stoke and PSG cast-off Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting only adds to the comedy value this time.
      But we really shouldn’t laugh too loudly at this in-Seine farce.
      Because here in England we have our very own perennial Champions who have still never lifted the European Cup in spite of squeezing FFP until the pips squeak.
      So it’s probably best that we wait to see how Manchester City get on against RB Leipzig next week before we start gloating at Les Flops.
      F1 opener was the pits
      Lewis Hamilton looks set for a long, hard 2023 F1 campaignCredit: PA
      SERIAL winner Lewis Hamilton knew before the first Grand Prix of the season had even got underway that he had no chance of winning the championship.
      Now he knows how Harry Kane feels at Tottenham.
      But after more than a decade dominating Formula One, Hamilton is entitled to feel downhearted by the car which Mercedes have served up again this year.
      Team-mate George Russell was equally despondent after reigning champion Max Verstappen led from start to finish in Bahrain last weekend.
      “Red Bull have got this Championship sewn up,” he gloomily predicted. “My bet is that they will win every single race.”
      Now that might be good news for Verstappen and his team boss Christian Horner.
      But the lack of competition can’t be good for Formula One because no-one wants to watch a procession.
      And even the most obsessive petrol heads will soon lose interest if the highlight of the race is the pit stop.
      Where are their heads at?
      FIFA president Gianni Infantino left many baffled as his organisation refused the Premier League’s request to trial concussion subsCredit: PA
      THE geniuses at FIFA have refused a request from the Premier League and various other countries to trial the use of concussion subs.
      Why on earth would they do that?
      Time to send on a replacement for Gianni Infantino, who is clearly dazed and confused.
      Devil’s in the detail
      Wout Weghorst touching the ‘This is Anfield’ sign is the least of Man Utd’s worriesCredit: BBC
      APPARENTLY Manchester United are looking to sign the Anfield pitch invader who slid into Andy Robertson on Sunday because he managed to get closer to the Liverpool players than anyone from Erik ten Hag’s team.
      In the aftermath of that 7-0 humiliation, Wout Weghorst has been getting dog’s abuse from irate United fans for touching the ‘This Is Anfield’ sign ahead of the match.
      Might I suggest that of all ten Hag’s weekend problems, that was the very least of them.
      All’s Wells that ends Wells
      Novak Djokovic will not be allowed to compete at Indian Wells, but should be back for the US OpenCredit: Getty
      THERE has been predictable outrage at Novak Djokovic being barred from competing in America because he still hasn’t been vaccinated against Covid.
      But the GOAT of tennis knows the requirements for entry to the land of the free and has opted not to comply with them.
      It is entirely his choice what he puts into his body and he is happy to live with the consequences of that decision.
      The US border ban is due to end in two months’ time anyway, so Djokovic will still be allowed to enter the US Open in August.
      It just means he cannot participate at Indian Wells and Miami this month. And he’s obviously not losing too much sleep over that.
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      Running Wild
      Chris Wilder is the new Watford managerCredit: PA
      CONGRATULATIONS to Chris Wilder on his appointment as Watford’s third manager of the season and their ninth full-time boss in four seasons.
      And if he achieves Championship promotion in May, he can still look forward to the sack. More

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      Mercedes ‘hold emergency meeting’ after disastrous F1 season opener as Lewis Hamilton slams car’s issues in Bahrain GP

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      MERCEDES have reportedly held an emergency meeting following their disastrous start to the F1 season.Red Bull dominated in Bahrain with Max Verstappen taking the chequered flag and team-mate Sergio Perez finishing second.
      Mercedes held an emergency meeting following the Bahrain horror showCredit: Rex
      Lewis Hamilton vented his frustrations at the team after they ignored his adviceCredit: PA
      Mercedes were way off the pace with Sir Lewis Hamilton and George Russell finishing fifth and seventh respectively.
      That led to a team meeting according to reports in Italy.
      It is claimed technical director Mike Elliot was handed an ultimatum and told to fix the issues with the W14.
      Mercedes chief Toto Wolff has admitted his team already face a difficult task to catch up with their rivals, and accepts a title challenge may be impossible.
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      He is also stuck between developing the W14 or scrapping the car and coming up with a new design capable of competing with Red Bull.
      Hamilton urged his team to try and develop the current model into a car capable of winning races, though he also vented his frustrations with his team after they failed to listen to his advice.
      He said: “Last year, there were things I told them, I said the issues that are with the car.
      “I’ve driven so many cars in my life, so I know what a car needs, I know what a car doesn’t need. And I think it’s really about accountability.
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      “It’s about owning up and saying, ‘Yeah, you know what? We didn’t listen to you. It’s not where it used to be and we’ve got to work’.
      “We’ve got to look into the balance through the corners, look at all the weak points and just huddle up as a team, that’s what we do.
      “We’re still multi world champions you know, it’s just they haven’t got it right this time, they didn’t get it right last year, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get it right moving forwards.” More

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      F1 tragedy as FIA chief Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s son Saif dies in horror road accident in Dubai

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      THE son of FIA chief Mohammed Ben Sulayem has died following a car accident.Saif Ben Sulayem was tragically killed in Dubai on Tuesday.
      Saif Ben Sulayem tragically died in a traffic accidentCredit: Instagram / @sbs_03
      Mohammed Ben Sulayem has asked for privacy following his tragic lossCredit: Rex
      Ben Sulayem was elected FIA president in 2021Credit: Rex
      Saif, left, alongside his dadCredit: Instagram / @sbs_03
      The news has been confirmed by the FIA, but the president has requested privacy at this time.
      Saif was a keen motorsport enthusiast like his father.
      He had even tried to forge a career as a racing driver.
      Saif competed in the 2016/17 UAE Formula 4 championship which saw him come up against current F1 drivers Oscar Piastri and Logan Sargeant.
      However, he ultimately decided against taking it up full-time.
      Mohammed Ben Sulayem, 61, was elected FIA president in December 2021.
      He has played a key role in restructuring the organisation, which oversees Formula 1, since replacing Jean Todt.
      Last month, Ben Sulayem announced he was giving up hands-on control.
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      He said: “My stated objective was to be a non-executive president via the recruitment of a team of professional managers, which has now been largely completed.
      “Therefore, going forward, your day-to-day contact for all matters on F1 will be with Nikolas [Tombazis, director of single-seater racing] and his team.
      “I will focus on strategic matters with my leadership team.” More

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      Lewis Hamilton claims he rarely drives on normal roads outside of F1 track because he ‘finds it more stressful’

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      LEWIS HAMILTON has revealed that he rarely drives on normal roads outside of F1 circuits as he finds it too stressful. The seven-time World Champion, 38, has made tearing round tracks and overtaking rivals at nearly 200mph look easy in his long career.
      Lewis Hamilton’s struggles on normal roads are not reflected on F1 circuits, where he has often been a cut above the restCredit: Rex
      He is among the most experienced drivers on the current grid – and has the record to back up his skills.
      But the Brit made the ironic confession that while the high-speed, twisting roads of Silverstone during a Grand Prix weekend do not scare him, normal roads do.
      Hamilton admitted to Vanity Fair that the experience of driving in a normal road car left him feeling under too much pressure.
      He said: “I just think I find it stressful. I try not to do things that don’t add to my life.”
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      Driving around the south of France during his interview, he added to the magazine: “This is now stressful for me. This road is crazy. So much going on here.
      “I’m going to turn around in a second. Look, we’re on these roads, anything can happen.
      “People say: ‘Dude! You drive around at 200 miles an hour!’ And I’m like, in terms of fear factor, that’s easy for me. I guess we’re just all wired differently.”
      Despite his road concern, Hamilton is still known to be a big collector of different vehicles and has in his collection Ferrari LaFerrari, a McLaren P1 and an MV Agusta bike.
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      As he tries to become more environmentally conscious, the star will now mostly only drive his electric Mercedes EQC.
      The 37-year-old also revealed it was not just normal driving which unsettled him, and revealed his long-term fear of spiders.
      It’s been a below-par season for Hamilton, who saw rival Max Verstappen clinch his second consecutive title last month.
      He currently sits fifth in the rankings after failing to win a single race.
      And Hamilton’s hopes of ending his duck at the Brazilian GP were hit when teammate George Russell beat him to the chequered flag by just over 1.5 seconds. More

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      ‘I hope he wins’ – Max Verstappen incredibly tips rival to challenge him at top of F1 podium after Bahrain GP heroics

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN has tipped Fernando Alonso to challenge for race wins this season.The Aston Martin driver claimed his 99th career podium with an impressive drive at the Formula One season opener in Bahrain.
      Fernando Alonso has been backed to win races this seasonCredit: Rex
      Max Verstappen believes Aston Martin have a ‘really strong’ carCredit: Rex

      Complete F1 2023 race calendar – details on every Grand Prix this year
      The Silverstone-based team surprised many by topping the time charts in testing and in free practice ahead of the race.
      And this quick pace has seen Verstappen tip Alonso to rival him for a spot at the top of the podium.
      Verstappen said: “I hope so for Fernando as well because he has had a few years where there was not really a possibility to fight at the front so I’m happy to see him sitting here already in race one.
      “I think also again, I mentioned it before, but at Aston Martin, they really have the spirit and drive, they want to win and they’ve hired a lot of good people.
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      “So I guess it can only get better for them. And I think for this year, difficult to say if they’re going to challenge for the championship, but race wins are definitely on the table.”
      However, the Dutchman thinks the race wins will be limited for Alonso, and compared his time racing against Lewis Hamilton during his dominance.
      Verstappen added: “I’ve been in the same position where some races I’m finishing 20 to 40 seconds behind the winners and you still win two or three races a year.
      “Sometimes there are some tracks which really suit your car and everything just comes together and you can win a race with maybe sometimes a bit of help or luck.
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      “But for sure they (Aston Martin) have a really strong package. And now of course it’s all about developing it further.”
      Two-time F1 champion Emerson Fittipaldi has also backed Alonso to produce a “very strong” title challenge.
      Alonso is already a two-time world champion, winning titles with Renault in 2005 and 2006. More

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      Lewis Hamilton vents frustration at Mercedes & reveals he ‘told team about car issues LAST YEAR’ after Bahrain disaster

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      LEWIS HAMILTON has vented his frustration at Mercedes and says that he told them about the car’s speed issues last season.The seven-time Formula One world champion started the new season in disappointing fashion last weekend.
      Lewis Hamilton says he told Mercedes about the car’s problems last seasonCredit: Getty
      The 38-year-old could only finish sixth in Bahrain as rival Max Verstappen romped to victory for Red Bull.
      Mercedes already had concerns about their W14 design, which is an evolved version of their “no-sidepod” one from last season which caused numerous issues as the team missed out on an eighth-consecutive constructors’ championships. 
      Mercedes boss Toto Wolff wants his development team to reproduce a “radical” new design following the “worst weekend of racing” at the Sakhir Circuit.
      However, motorsport legend Hamilton says they would not be having these issues if the team had listened to him previously.
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      The Brit told BBC: “Last year, I told them the issues that are with the car.
      “Like, I’ve driven so many cars in my life, so I know what a car needs, I know what a car doesn’t need.
      “And I think it’s really about accountability, it’s about owning up and saying ‘yeah, you know what, we didn’t listen to you, it’s not where it needs to be and we’ve got to work’.
      “We’ve got to look into the balance through the corners, look at all the weak points and just huddle up as a team, that’s what we do.
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      “We’re still multi world champions you know, it’s just they haven’t got it right this time, they didn’t get it right last year, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get it right moving forwards.”
      Hamilton went winless for the first time in his F1 career last season while team-mate George Russell scored one victory for the team in Brazil.
      But despite the prospect of another year of struggle, Wolff does not expect that to prevent Hamilton from agreeing new terms.
      Hamilton, 38, has a contract until the end of the year and both Jenson Button and Damon Hill have questioned whether he will re-sign now he’s not winning.
      Hamilton said he IS committed to the team and Wolff has also dismissed the idea he will walk away now he has a battle on his hands. More

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      Max Verstappen warned he faces ‘very strong’ challenge for F1 title… but not from Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes

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      TWO-TIME Formula One champion Emerson Fittipaldi has warned Max Verstappen he could face a “very strong” challenge to his title bid. Verstappen cruised to victory at the season opener in Bahrain, with team-mate Sergio Perez a comfortable second.
      Max Verstappen cruised to victory at the Bahrain Grand PrixCredit: The Mega Agency
      But he has been warned he faces ‘very strong’ opposition by Emerson FittipaldiCredit: Rex
      Fittpaldi won his two F1 titles in 1972 and 1974Credit: Getty

      Complete F1 2023 race calendar – details on every Grand Prix this year
      Everything thus far points to another easy championship for the flying Dutchman.
      However, competition could come from an unusual source this season.
      Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso claimed the final podium spot at the race.
      And Fittipaldi, who won the 1972 and 1974 F1 titles, has warned Alonso could pose the biggest challenge of the season.
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      Speaking to VegasInsider, Fittipaldi said: “Fernando Alonso’s podium was an unexpected one.
      “I think the Aston Martin’s performance even surprised Fernando and everyone in the team.
      “If you look at the mid-corners and slow-speed corners, Fernando was able to have different lines than the competitors. That means he had extra grip there.
      “When he overtook, he was very manoeuvrable on the slow, mid-speed corners. That means the car has a very good grip and handling.
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      Fittipaldi reckons Fernando Alonso could put up the biggest fight this seasonCredit: Rex
      “Lance Stroll was quick. With all the problems he’s had, he was running very strong, very quickly.
      “That means they’ll be a challenge in this year’s Championship. No doubt.”
      Over the last decade, Red Bull have duked out titles mainly with Mercedes and Ferrari.
      However, the regulation changes which came into effect last year saw Lewis Hamilton’s team dramatically drop off the pace of the front of the order.
      Meanwhile, consistency issues in both strategy and reliability have ensured Ferrari have not truly been able to compete on race day.
      Therefore, in 2023, Alonso and Aston Martin could pose the most significant threat to Verstappen achieving a three-peat.
      An incredible omen also suggests Alonso could land his third title before Verstappen, with the winner of the opening race in the last six years NOT going on to win the championship.
      Though the legality of the Aston Martin has now been openly questioned.
      Lewis Hamilton is not likely to challenge this seasonCredit: PA More

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      ‘The question is: Which car?’ – Toto Wolff reveals Mercedes’ major headache as he predicts ‘extremely difficult’ season

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      TOTO WOLFF has revealed Mercedes face a huge dilemma after their slow start to the season.Red Bull dominated the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday with Max Verstappen securing victory in emphatic fashion.
      Toto Wolff is facing a big dilemma after Mercedes’ slow start to the seasonCredit: Getty
      The result leaves Mercedes with a big question – whether to come up with a new car design or develop their current W14.
      Wolff, 51, admitted it is unlikely his team will compete with Red Bull for the F1 championship, which could lead him to scrap the current development plans.
      He told Motorsport: “It is extremely difficult to catch up such an advantage, but it is what we have to do. We have no choice.
      “I am not sure the budget cap gives you constraints in the position where we are, but we do need to decide which direction we are going in and put all the resources behind it.
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      “We are still developing one car. The question is just which car.”
      Mercedes could decide to continue working on their current model and Sir Lewis Hamilton has urged them to do exactly that.
      The seven-time champion finished fifth in Bahrain, 51 seconds off Verstappen and has urged his team to come up with improvements.
      He said: “I am generally happy with the race, it was much better with the qualifying and I am happy with my performance.
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      “There’s not much more I could have done. Set the car up differently maybe? But overall just lacking performance.
      “The team did a great job with the pit stops, just unfortunately, the car is just not there at the moment, we are lacking downforce and we have just got to work really hard to try and add that ASAP.
      “Anything that is in the wind tunnel, we need it tomorrow. We need to push massively to close that gap.” More