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Day: 8 May 2017

Body of missing Manchester student found on Oxford Road construction site

The body of 19-year-old University of Manchester student Charlie Bartlett has been found on the site of the old BBC studios on Oxford Road.

Charlie’s brother Harry Bartlett launched an appeal on Facebook after not hearing from his brother for over 24 hours after he attended the Owens Park ball. The ball took place at The Principal hotel on Oxford Road on the night of Saturday 6th of May.

He was last seen in Sound Control on New Wakefield Street, a short walk from where his body was later found at 7.50am on Monday 8th May, after emergency services were called to the site on Charles Street, just off Oxford Road.

Greater Manchester Police later confirmed that the body was that of the first year Computer Science student. They added that the death is not being treated as suspicious.

Police cordons and a forensic team were seen at the site, which is currently undergoing development into student flats, during the morning of Monday 8th of May.

A GMP spokeswoman said: “Shortly before 7.50am on Monday, May 8, 2017, police were called to reports that a body had been found on Oxford Road in Manchester city centre.

“Officers attended and discovered the body of a 19-year-old man.

“There are no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death and a file is being prepared for the coroner.”

Tributes have flooded in on Facebook for the undergraduate student, including from his brother Harry, who confirmed the news on his own Facebook page.

“Unfortunately the news is horrible – my little brother’s body has been found… Rest in peace Chuck,” he wrote.

A University of Manchester spokesman said: “The police have informed us of the death of one of our students. University staff are working to provide support to his family and we are offering counselling to all students who have been affected by this incident.”

Calls for information about student missing since Saturday night

Friends and family of University of Manchester student Charlie Bartlett, who was last seen on the night of Saturday 6th of May, have called for any information about his whereabouts.

Charlie attended the Owens Park end of year ball at the Principal Hotel on Oxford Road on Saturday evening, the 6th of May. He went from there to Sound Control on New Wakefield Street, just across the road, but has not been seen since then. He is most likely to still be in black tie having come directly from the ball.

His brother, Harry, posted to Facebook on the 8th of May, asking for people to contact him or Greater Manchester Police if they knew anything about where Charlie might be, and to share as widely as possible to raise awareness.

“Charlie Bartlett, my little brother, has gone missing in Manchester for over 24 hours now. If anyone has or does see him, or knows anything please get in contact with me,” he posted.

He asked that people either called him, on 07827292124, or the police, on 0161 872 5050, quoting the reference 154-08051.

Review: Double Zero “00” Neapolitan Pizza

This spot in Chorlton is talked about for its classic Neapolitan pizzas, bring your own booze rule and cheap prices. All of those things add up to a pretty tempting restaurant, so I headed over on otherwise average Tuesday to see if I could be coaxed out of my mid-term blues.

Located in the centre of the foodie hub on Barlow Moor Road, Double Zero was seriously busy when we arrived. Luckily we had called ahead to book, so could bypass the crowd to be sat down at a small table by the large windows. The very rushed, but still friendly waitress brought us over some menus and glasses for our alcohol. We noted the atmosphere was fairly loud as there were a few large tables all indulging in the bring your own rule, however we didn’t mind too much. The menu is simply split into appetisers, classic pizzas, double zero’s favourite creations, and a create your own option. As we were quite hungry, we decided to try a starter each.

I ordered a fig crostini. When I ordered, I prayed it was similar to the delicious fig and cured meat sandwich I was lucky enough to experience in Umbria, Italy last summer. When it arrived, I couldn’t quite contain my excitement. The plate was beautifully presented with small bits of crusty bread piled high with brie, prosciutto, and topped with perfectly formed figs. I quickly took a bite and was met with the ideal combination of the creamy cheese, salty meat, and sweet figs. The portion was large but I wanted more and more.

My companion order the focaccia of the day – rosemary, which came with a tomato and basil dip. This focaccia wasn’t the normal thick, fluffy bread I envisage, but was thinner and crispier. However, it was full of flavour and a faultless starter.

Having been blown away by the taste and memories my starter had invoked, I couldn’t help but notice our fellow diners’ pizzas, exactly what anyone would hope for from a Neapolitan-style pizzeria.

Our pizzas were swiftly in front of us. We both opted to choose our own options, as who can deny their own taste buds? I chose to top mine with buffalo mozzarella, ham, and mushrooms. My companion chose bacon, chicken, and sundried tomatoes. We were pleased with the generous amount of ingredients that had been used and tucked in for as long as we possibly could.

We both sat back with a third of our pizza left and confessed we were full. Despite being embarrassed for having had eyes too big for our bellies, we were happy we could grab a box and take home our leftovers for the next day.

We got up to leave and agreed that we were glad we had finally tried Double Zero and it would easily be placed in the top pizzerias in our Manchester list.

Soap and Glory are back

This Wednesday, the 10th May, Soap and Glory are making a return to the University of Manchester campus but this time have collaborated with the Manchester Enterprise Centre to impart their wisdom on how to be a successful businesswoman.

Following their last appearance on campus which saw the brand head to Manchester in a big pink bus, handing out amazing freebies, a braid bar and dance classes, the ‘She’s the Business’ event is certainly not to be missed! The day includes talks from top speakers in the industry, including S&G, Seed, Esporta, Johnny’s Sister and many more.

As well as getting excellent advice from industry professionals, the day also includes interactive workshops tackling issues such as confidence and social media. The workshops include a session run by Jo Grobbelaar – from This Great Life, who will give a talk on how to balance work and play – something all of us need to master before we dive into the real world of 9-5 jobs.

As well as Grobbelaar, Soap and Glory’s very own Lizzie Newell – Social Media Manager – and Jasmin Rafferty – Community Assistant Manager – will give a talk on how to launch and maintain your digital presence to help give you a head start in your chosen industry.

The event is absolutely free; all you need to do is register here for your tickets! The event is being held in Lecture Theatre B in University Place, smaller workshops will be held on the fourth and fifth floor. The event begins at 9am, so prepare yourself for an early start. It is sure to be a fantastic and inspiring day where you can hear expert advice from the top women in business. Don’t miss out!

Incredible Isco – Real Madrid are a better team without Gareth Bale

Zinedine Zidane’s Real Madrid have one foot in their third UEFA Champions League final in four years, thanks to yet another Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick in a 3-0 win over city rivals Atletico at the Santiago Bernabeu. The hat-trick was the 47th of Ronaldo’s amazing career.

There seems to be no limit to the Portuguese megastar’s ability, as he continues to display imperious goalscoring form year after year, cementing himself amongst the very best to have ever played the game. Ronaldo is just one goal away from his 400th for Los Blancos — his 399 so far have come in just 389 games. Astonishing.

All the spotlight will once again be on the former Manchester United forward in the Welsh capital, if his side finish the job at the Vicente Calderon next week. The occasion would perhaps be even more special for Gareth Bale though, in the city where he was born.

While Ronaldo will no doubt be the first name on the team sheet for Zidane, Bale’s place in the team is not 100 percent certain even if the Welsh superstar is fit.

There have been calls this week from Bale’s Real teammate Toni Kroos for the £86 million man to step up to the mantle of being Los Blancos’ talisman. The fact that Bale has only completed five games in the past six months and only scored nine goals in 26 appearances this season, however, suggests he’s not quite ready for Ronaldo to pass him the baton just yet with the Portuguese on 35 goals in 41 games this term.

Since he arrived at the Bernabeu in 2013, Bale has scored a respectable 67 goals in 149 games as a right-winger. Ronaldo, though, who like Bale plays as a wide forward but on the opposite flank, has scored 198 goals in 190 games — nine more than Lionel Messi.

Despite the fact Bale cost more money, the pair simply don’t match up individually despite Spanish journalist and football expert Guillem Balague claiming last year that Bale was now Real’s best player. Balague, though, was wrong: Bale has a long way to go before he can reach the levels of his current teammate.

It’s a devastating partnership when they’re playing together. Individually, Ronaldo and Bale are Real Madrid’s two best players, but without Bale both Ronaldo and the team play better. Last night’s 3-0 win over Atletico was as good as Los Blancos have played for a long time, and absent from proceedings was the club’s record signing Bale.

Yet the starting line-up Zidane picked was arguably the strongest side he can pick from — even if Bale was fit. The man who stepped in for the Welshman was Isco, who was ice cool on the ball as always and played a huge part in his side’s immaculate performance.

With Bale out, Real Madrid appeared to rely on pace much less. They kept the ball exceptionally well, having 63 percent of possession. Of course, if Bale had played, Real would have still dominated the ball, but the selection of Isco made Zidane’s game plan more flexible and less one-dimensional.

Ronaldo gained more freedom, roaming from the left to the right flank throughout the game, while Kroos and Modric’s control of the middle third gave Isco a free role off the left-hand side of the field. The Spaniard was popping up everywhere.

Isco was selected ahead of Colombian star James Rodriguez, who has been impressive of late, but Isco’s selection was fully merited as he shown last night. Real’s number 23 completed 98.2 percent of his passes, misplacing just one of the 57 passes he attempted. It was a near perfect display from Spanish international.

It shows there is no hierarchy in a football squad. James cost £65 million, more than double the amount Los Blancos paid for Isco, who cost just £30 million from Malaga in 2013 — the same year Bale signed for the club.

The former Malaga star has been in and out of the team, with Bale a permanent fixture in the XI when fit. Zidane, though, may now have to rethink this decision.

In fact, when Isco had a run in the team under Carlo Ancelotti in the 2014/15 season, it coincided with Real’s best form of that campaign. The Bernabeu side won 22 games in a row in all competitions between September 2014 and January 2015, with Bale missing 15 of these matches. In his place came Isco, who filled the void expertly as Real won all the games while averaging more ball possession.

Last night’s incredible display from Isco could well mean that he’s ousted Bale, as well as James, in Zidane’s pecking order to force himself into their strongest XI, despite the fact the pair costing a combined fee of £151 million.  With Bale also expected to miss the second leg, next week’s game across the city could be the perfect chance for Isco to stake a genuine claim to start in Cardiff on the 3rd June.

As the old cliché goes, “there’s no ‘I’ in team.” There is, however, an ‘I’ in Isco, and after a somewhat up and down last three and a half years, the 25-year-old Spaniard is now reaching his full potential and becoming an increasingly important player for Real Madrid. It’s open for debate, but I believe Isco makes Los Blancos a better team.

Marco Silva – The New Pochettino?

Just over two years ago, I made the case that Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino could one day emulate Diego Simeone and win a top-flight title, as Simeone did with Atletico in 2014. Two years on, there is a possibility that this might come true, as Spurs find themselves in the thick of a title shake-up with London rivals Chelsea.

Now though, Pochettino has an apprentice of his own in the shape of Hull City’s Portuguese boss Marco Silva, aged just 39.

Pochettino is currently one of the hottest prospects in Europe, but let’s not forget where it started out for the Argentine in English football.  When Pochettino replaced Nigel Adkins as Southampton manager in January 2013, he was virtually unknown in the English game.

The former-Espanyol coach took over with Saints sat just above the drop zone on 22 points, and Adkins’ sacking came just two days after an impressive 2-2 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in a hard-fought comeback by Southampton.

It was a questionable decision at the time, but it proved the right one as Southampton finished the season on 42 points and secured top flight status for another season.

Southampton, now managed by Frenchman Claude Puel, on Saturday secured their 41st point of this campaign at home to Hull City – leaving them just one point short of their 2012/13 points tally with five games left to play.

Hull had a share of the spoils, but if Silva had been at the helm since the beginning of the season, there is a strong possibility that they would be close to Southampton in the table – Saints currently sit ninth.

The dismissal of Mike Phelan in January this year coincided with Silva’s appointment, and it had parallels to the situation on the South Coast four years ago.

A further similarity between the two clubs’ situation is that Adkins’ results at Southampton in 2012/13 perhaps didn’t merit what their performances deserved, as was the case with Hull this term under Phelan.

Unlike Southampton, though, Hull have by far the weakest squad in the Premier League as well as having the lowest budget and wage bill of the 20 teams in England’s top flight.

Even worse, the Tigers had just 13 points when Silva took on the challenging managerial reigns in Humberside – nine points less than Southampton had in 2012/13 when Pochettino took the job at the opposite end of the country.

When Silva came in, his side were rock bottom and six points adrift of safety. They looked down and out, almost certain to take the plunge back into the Championship. Silva, though, has changed the mindset of the whole club — Hull now sit two points above the relegation zone with three games left to play.

Silva has picked up 21 points in 15 Premier League games since he became the Hull manager, and it has sent the Tigers roaring up the table – this represents more points than Pochettino achieved in his first half season with Southampton having played one less game than the Argentine.

The main reason is the Tigers’ home form. Only Spurs, ironically managed by Pochettino, and Everton under the guidance of another former-Saint Ronald Koeman (Pochettino’s successor), have picked up more points at home than Silva’s men in 2017.

Hull have earned 19 points from seven games at the KCOM Stadium since Silva took over, having only registered eight points in 10 home games under Phelan.

Home victories over AFC Bournemouth, Liverpool, Swansea City, West Ham United, Middlesbrough and Watford have seen Hull steer clear of the drop zone and in with a genuine chance of retaining top-flight status next season against all the odds.

Defying the odds has been no problem for Silva in the past either, as he transformed Estoril from second division minnows to the fourth best team in Portugal between 2011 and 2014 — behind only SL Benfica, FC Porto and Sporting Club de Portugal — widely regarded as Portugal’s big three consistently.

The Tigers have also earned two home wins in cup competitions under Silva, against Swansea and Manchester United in January. Silva’s side pushed United all the way in the EFL Cup semi-final, losing 3-2 on aggregate over two legs.

Just as Pochettino guided Spurs to the League Cup final in 2015, Silva could have achieved the same feat. If he was in charge for Hull’s 2-0 first leg defeat at Old Trafford instead of Phelan, the game and tie could have had a different outcome.

Hull’s fine performance against United at the KCOM Stadium demonstrated Silva’s hunger for medals, and he is no stranger to silverware. He won the Segunda Liga (Portuguese second tier) in 2012 with Estoril, as well as the Taca de Portugal (Portuguese Cup) in 2015 with Sporting Lisbon before moving onto Olympiacos where he won the Greek league title in 2016.

The man from Portugal has now become hot property on Humberside, he could go a very long way in the game just as Pochettino has done and will continue to do.

In contrast to their home form, Hull’s away form has not been so impressive. The point at the St. Mary’s Stadium, where Pochettino used to manage, was only Hull’s seventh point away from home this season, and just their second under Silva. It’s been tough on the road, but the home form of Hull has been key in their bid for survival.

When Silva took over at the KCOM Stadium, he made seven January signings. Alfred N’Diaye, Andrea Ranoccia, Lazar Markovic, Omar Elabdelloui, Evandro Goebel, Oumar Niasse and particularly Kamil Grosicki have all played their part in Hull’s excellent second half of the season. Despite losing top scorer and talisman Robert Snodgrass to West Ham in late January, as well as losing Ryan Mason to long-term injury just a week later, Silva has coped well with injuries and has developed a fresher look to the Hull squad.

With Sunderland up next at home, followed by a trip to fellow strugglers Crystal Palace, the amber and black army will fancy their chances to further boost their chances of staying up.

Silva will then come face-to-face with Pochettino on the final day of the season — two men who share so many similarities in the way they think about the game of football.

Just as Pochettino guided Southampton to safety four years ago, Silva, under much more difficult circumstances, has instilled belief and fight into Hull City. The Portuguese boss has turned the KCOM Stadium into the Tigers’ pit, and Hull are looking like potentially pulling off one of the greatest escapes of the Premier League era.