TIME McGREGOR PUNCHED
Says Richard
CONOR McGREGOR has the punching power and talent to beat Manny Pacquiao in a boxing ring.
Former heavyweight champion of the world George Foreman insists that now is the time for the Irishman to quit the
UFC and head back to boxing.
McGregor, 32, is no stranger to the 12-round fight game having fought and lost to Floyd Mayweather in 2017.
And despite a knockout defeat to Dustin Poirier in the UFC last month, Foreman says he must now focus on boxing because he will never have true success in the octagon again.
The Notorious (left) has lost three of his last six UFC bouts and American Foreman, who was still the world heavyweight champion at the age of 45, said: “It’s hard for McGregor to accept it but he’s a better puncher than he is in MMA.
“I’d rather see him in boxing matches now.
“I think if he has a fight with Pacquiao he can actually beat him – good rules, over
FORMER New Zealand fly-half Dan Carter has announced his retirement from professional rugby union.
He won two World Cups with the All Blacks and his last international was a man-of-the-match display against Australia in the 2015 World Cup Final.
Carter, 38, remains the highest Test points scorer with 1,598.
In a post on Instagram, he said: “I’ve thought about it on many occasions but today is the day and I am very grateful I can do it on my terms. “I’m officially retiring from professional rugby.”
BOSS Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has ordered his star Manchester United strikers to ease the goal burden on top-shot Bruno Fernandes.
The Portuguese (left) has weighed in with 21 goals this season to take United to the top of the Premier League goal charts. Marcus Rashford has hit 17, while Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood have just seven and four respectively. And Solskjaer has told his front three that it is now time to step up to the plate as he looks to his team for a streak of ruthlessness against Newcastle tonight.
He said: “We are the highest-scoring team in the Premier League so that’s something to build on.
“But it’s fair to say that Mason, Anthony and Marcus – the forwards who scored so many goals last season – haven’t really hit those same numbers this time.”
United have scored 50 Premier League goals – one more than leaders Manchester City – and slammed nine past Southampton.
Solskjaer cannot afford to let the Toon off the hook as they try to keep City in their sights. He added: “I think we have improved a lot in terms of being consistent, but we need to be more clinical.”
RICHARD DUNNE insists there is no question that Manchester City have the quality to complete an unprecedented Quadruple this season.
But the Blues’ popular former centre-back admits luck will be the crucial factor that determines whether they can go one better than rivals United’s Treble in 1999.
City have already booked their place in the final of the Carabao Cup against Tottenham on April 25, are the runaway Premier League leaders and on Wednesday travel to Budapest to face Borussia Monchengladbach in the Champions League last 16.
Next month also sees them visit Everton in the quarter-final of the FA Cup and Dunne believes boss Pep Guardiola now has the solid foundations in place to attack – and defend – on all fronts.
“The priority when City hired Pep was to win the Champions League,” said the Dubliner.
“It is one competition they have not managed to go far in, other than one semi-final. In previous years when you think City had a good opportunity to win it, they still looked dodgy at the back.
“Now that’s not the case. They are so good at keeping the ball, recovering the ball, how do you sustain attacks against them? Those mistakes have been cut out and that’s what makes you believe this season could be different.
“Man United are the only (English) team that has done the Treble because it is so hard.
“City are on for a Quadruple and as good as they are they will need luck to do it. A red card, a VAR decision is all it takes to turn the season upside down in the cups.
“But they are capable of doing it because they have such a strong squad with so few weaknesses.”
At the heart of City’s revival after their early-season struggles has been the centre-back partnership of John Stones and Ruben Dias.
The latter’s arrival from Benfica has been a turning point for the entire defence. City have not been behind in their last 16 league games and have won their last 11 in a row – a streak which has seen them turn a six-point deficit behind Liverpool into a doubledigit lead over the champions.
For Dunne, a lionheart at the back for City when the club operated in a much different sphere, Dias is a joy to behold.
He added: “Dias just carries himself like a defender, he looks like a defender and plays like one.
“Yes, he can still make passes, carry the ball from the back and set up attacks, but he knows his main job is to defend and to organise everything around him.
“He has brought a stability to the whole team, it’s all about trust and Guardiola now has someone in the same mould as (Vincent) Kompany, who was a leader.
“That filters down to the other players – they won’t be afraid to take risks and leave themselves exposed behind because they now know they are solid back there.”