‘I fought it all day.’ Why Indiana basketball’s Darian DeVries didn’t… — and more

• British No 1 being aided by Mark Petchey at Indian Wells

• ‘I am definitely going to tap into a few people’

Emma Raducanu says she is determined to wrest back control of her “natural” tennis style, with the British No 1 eager not to be bound by the diktats of a single coach or a style that does not feel right.

“I want to come back to my natural way of playing. That takes time to relearn because that’s something that has been coached out of me a little bit,” Raducanu told BBC Sport. “I have had a lot of people telling me what to do, how to play, and it hasn’t necessarily fit. I don’t necessarily want to have one coach in the role because anyone I bring in is straight away going to be scrutinised – even if it’s a trial.

We asked for your views on your hopes for the rest of the season after Sunderland reached the magic 40-point mark after Tuesday's win at Leeds.

Here are some of your comments:

Peter: Sunderland have a solid defence and good cover in the squad. They have a good midfield and again have cover there, but there is a distinct lack of punch up front. Burnley and West Ham have scored more goals so any thoughts of Europe are far fetched to say the least. A great season, but they really do need a couple of strikers who are going to get a dozen goals or more a season, it must be the number one priority for next season.

Simon: Up for the Cup, aye! Forget Europe - even if we qualified we couldn't compete and we've seen what's happened to others: fighting relegation as a result. Next season is about consolidating but we should have a real go at a trophy now we are safe

Colin: Good to hit 40 points but now we must concentrate on establishing ourselves in this league before we start doing anything else, as for Europe we are not even close maybe in a few more seasons.

Tom: Delighted to have hit the magic 40 point mark so early. I doubt we can get European football but we should try and take a run at the FA Cup. Beat Port Vale and we are into the last 8 and we are capable of getting a result against anyone.

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Richard Hughes’ big gamble has paid off and looks like a genius move. Even if Arne Slot is sacked at the end of it.

Richard Hughes took an enormous chance in the summer as he twice broke Liverpool's transfer record in the biggest summer spend we've ever seen at Anfield. Over £400m went out on new players, with £200m coming in for those sold.

Just an overwhelming overhaul of the playing squad as Liverpool sought to build around their title-winning coach in Arne Slot. But as we come to the end of the season, has that worked?

The Reds are unquestionably worse than last season. Despite the lavish spend, things have moved backwards and Liverpool haven't come close to retaining their crown.

But we still stand by what Hughes did. In fact, it was a genius move in all truth.

Richard Hughes: Situation Summary

Current Role and Strategic Review

As of March 4, 2026, Liverpool Sporting Director Richard Hughes is currently leading a comprehensive "analysis and review" of the club's direction. Following a massive £450 million investment in the summer of 2025, the team is currently sixth in the Premier League and fighting for Champions League qualification. Hughes is reported to be evaluating head coach Arne Slot’s performance based on team development data and progression metrics, with no definitive decision yet made regarding the manager’s long-term future beyond this season.

Recent Transfer Activity

Hughes has already moved to secure future reinforcements, notably finalizing a £60 million deal for Rennes center-back Jérémy Jacquet, who will join this summer. He has also overseen the integration of goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, though reports from late February suggest Hughes now faces a decision on a potential loan request for the player. Additionally, Hughes is reportedly working on "refreshing" the club's wide options, with RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande identified as a marquee target for the upcoming summer window to provide competition or a succession plan for the attack.

Contract Management and Squad Depth

A primary focus for Hughes remains the resolution of several high-profile contract situations. He is currently navigating negotiations with Ibrahima Konaté, whose deal expires in June 2026, and is managing the "bold decision" regarding Mohamed Salah, who enters his final year in 2027. Hughes is also monitoring the midfield market, with West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes linked as a potential target should first-team regulars like Dominik Szoboszlai or Alexis Mac Allister attract serious interest from Real Madrid.

The Genius Move

Strengthen when you're at your strongest. That's the old saying and one that Liverpool haven't always adhered to - they signed absolutely no one in 2019 after winning the UEFA Champions League, after all, and subsequently won the Premier League.

But this time around, Liverpool and Hughes spent massive amounts. It was the right call, even if that kind of spend comes with risk.

Liverpool were able to attract the likes of Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak to the club on the back of that title win. Given the struggles of this season, would they be able to do the same in 2026?

Almost certainly not. The atmosphere around the club, publicly at least, is one of struggle and elite players are less inclined to jump to that ship. We've already seen that with Marc Guehi, who was eager to join last summer but opted against it come January.

Hughes, though, ensured that Liverpool would have elite players to build around by doing the overhaul when he did. Be it Slot or anyone else next season, they'll have someone like Wirtz to build their attack around. They'll have new full-backs who are heading towards their prime years.

It's something that only could have happened after a major win when the atmosphere was as positive as it was. We've seen how quickly that can change - getting it done last summer was the perfect move.