BIRMINGHAM // More money spent than Manchester City, up to £24 million (Dh140.4m) of it on the opinion-dividing talents of Darren Bent, Gerard Houllier accusing rival managers of ganging up on him because he is a foreigner.
"One of the most significant weeks in Villa's history," declared the club programme, capturing the agitation of Aston Villa's slump to the edge of the drop zone as much as the import of the events.
Manager and record signing had the most to prove. Houllier suddenly afforded the magnitude of spending so explicitly denied Martin O'Neill before his summer resignation; Bent required to justify bailing out on a Sunderland side 16 points and 11 places to the good of his latest employers.
Their vindication came early. Bent's predatory instinct carrying him to the six-yard box at precisely the moment Joe Hart palmed an Ashley Young shot into finishing territory.
The first shot of Bent's Villa career was unerring, virtually everything else that surrounded it defensive, but the combination sufficient to deliver just a second win in 11 league outings.
Villa's start was more energetic than focused, Richard Dunne directing an early corner kick over the bar before City steadily took control of the play. With Edin Dzeko used as a conventional centre-forward and Carlos Tevez buzzing free around him, first-half chances regularly fell the visitors' way without ever finding the net.
Impressively dominant, Aleksandar Kolarov almost caught Brad Friedel out with an inventively lofted free kick from acute angle.
Yaya Toure had a series of shots blocked in the area. Tevez completely missed a vicious Kolarov corner when unmarked in the six-yard box. Gareth Barry directed a header beyond Villa's goalkeeper only for it to drift a foot past the post.
In among all that Bent did precisely what he signed for.
Almost without a touch of the ball when Hart palmed out Young's low, curling strike, the England striker swallowed up the rebound and directed his first shot in Villa colours past the slow-to-react goalkeeper. Cue rapturous applause in Villa Park, yet no real alteration in their team's play.
Howard Webb's customary leniency allowed the home side to throw weight into their tackles as they attempted to close City down in their own half, but their attacking success before the break did not stretch beyond a brace of long-range shots. Mancini's interval alteration was to the formation, changing Dzeko's starting position to the left wing of a 4-2-3-1.
Tevez's tendency to drop deep was checked, while the Bosnian began the half with a blocked shot from the left and bullish header that flew marginally off target.
Villa continued throwing bodies at the ball - Marc Albrighton particularly stolid in taking a ragged Kolarov drive full in the face.
Mancini's next move was to alter personnel, withdrawing Barry - to the amusement of the midfielder's former supporters - for Adam Johnson.
Still Dzeko was asked to spend part of his time operate outside the striker's natural environment.
Friedel managed to get his body in the way of a Jerome Boateng's fine drive and Dzeko floated a weak header into the American's hands. Villa's opportunities were infrequent.
One break saw Young stretch Hart, another saw the England goalkeeper tee up the excellent Albrighton with a miscued clearance. Hart looks in increasing danger of succumbing to the national No 1's disease by the week.
Properly released on goal by Tevez, Dzeko drew his left-back to find the corner only for Carlos Cuellar to slide in and deflect the strike away. Further sterling defending saw James Collins, Ciaran Clark and Cuellar redirect a trio of netbound strikes, while Dzeko missed a target that appeared easier to hit.
An evening Villa spent heavily for. An evening City could ill afford.
sports@thenational.ae
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Volunteers offer workers a lifeline
Community volunteers have swung into action delivering food packages and toiletries to the men.
When provisions are distributed, the men line up in long queues for packets of rice, flour, sugar, salt, pulses, milk, biscuits, shaving kits, soap and telecom cards.
Volunteers from St Mary’s Catholic Church said some workers came to the church to pray for their families and ask for assistance.
Boxes packed with essential food items were distributed to workers in the Dubai Investments Park and Ras Al Khaimah camps last week. Workers at the Sonapur camp asked for Dh1,600 towards their gas bill.
“Especially in this year of tolerance we consider ourselves privileged to be able to lend a helping hand to our needy brothers in the Actco camp," Father Lennie Connully, parish priest of St Mary’s.
Workers spoke of their helplessness, seeing children’s marriages cancelled because of lack of money going home. Others told of their misery of being unable to return home when a parent died.
“More than daily food, they are worried about not sending money home for their family,” said Kusum Dutta, a volunteer who works with the Indian consulate.
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Key changes
Commission caps
For life insurance products with a savings component, Peter Hodgins of Clyde & Co said different caps apply to the saving and protection elements:
• For the saving component, a cap of 4.5 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 90 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• On the protection component, there is a cap of 10 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 160 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• Indemnity commission, the amount of commission that can be advanced to a product salesperson, can be 50 per cent of the annualised premium for the first year or 50 per cent of the total commissions on the policy calculated.
• The remaining commission after deduction of the indemnity commission is paid equally over the premium payment term.
• For pure protection products, which only offer a life insurance component, the maximum commission will be 10 per cent of the annualised premium multiplied by the length of the policy in years.
Disclosure
Customers must now be provided with a full illustration of the product they are buying to ensure they understand the potential returns on savings products as well as the effects of any charges. There is also a “free-look” period of 30 days, where insurers must provide a full refund if the buyer wishes to cancel the policy.
“The illustration should provide for at least two scenarios to illustrate the performance of the product,” said Mr Hodgins. “All illustrations are required to be signed by the customer.”
Another illustration must outline surrender charges to ensure they understand the costs of exiting a fixed-term product early.
Illustrations must also be kept updatedand insurers must provide information on the top five investment funds available annually, including at least five years' performance data.
“This may be segregated based on the risk appetite of the customer (in which case, the top five funds for each segment must be provided),” said Mr Hodgins.
Product providers must also disclose the ratio of protection benefit to savings benefits. If a protection benefit ratio is less than 10 per cent "the product must carry a warning stating that it has limited or no protection benefit" Mr Hodgins added.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
