Marcus Rashford is one of many Manchester United players who needs a positive season.
The forward’s stock has fallen among United fans after a poor season when he scored only five goals in an injury-hit period under three managers where his team finished sixth.
He also lost his place in the England national team. The Mancunian striker had managed 21, 22 and 13, 13, 11 and eight goals in his previous seasons.
Rashford is only 24, but he’s entering his eighth term as a United first teamer. He’s being judged by his new manager, but he’s capable of fitting into the high pressing game demanded by Ten Hag.
The National caught up with him briefly after he’d played in the final game of United’s pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia.
How should United fans feel about this season after what they’ve seen on the tour?
We’ve tried to play our best football and I think the majority of the time that showed, but the real challenge is to do it when the season begins.
We’ve done a lot of work pre-season and other than not winning against Villa, it has been a positive trip without any injuries.
I’m looking forward to the season and I feel like we’re ready to go from the first game. I want the same support from the fans. It’s up to us put a smile on their faces again after last season.
Last season?
We know it didn’t go well. When you are losing games and you’re not picking points, it’s difficult to enjoy yourself on the pitch.
I’m my own harshest critic and I know when I’m not playing my best football and I know when I need to improve. I’ve reflected on that.
So how are you feeling now?
I’m in a good place mentally and physically. I feel really positive and I know I’m not the only one there. There’s a joined up feeling among players.
We want the season to start to show what we can do. Hopefully we can start the season off a lot better. We’re better players than what we showed last year.
What impression has Erik ten Hag made on you?
A positive one. He’s a positive manager who likes to play attacking football. Even when we’re defending he wants us to be on the front foot, to squeeze the pitch and press high up.
The players enjoy this because when we win the ball back we’re in a much better position to try to score. Had the pre-season been hard work? Yes, definitely. Do we enjoy it? Definitely.
Ten Hag has spoken well of the connection between the front players pre-season. Do you feel that?
I do and I expected it to be good, but I feel like we can do better, do more. Against Villa, we conceded a goal on a counter attack. There’s work to do there.
He wants the forward players to link up and it has been a good start under the new manager and we have to look to build on that. We have to keep improving.
Why should fans think this season will be any different from you than last season, for example?
This is only the second time since I became a professional footballer that I have had a full pre-season. I mean that in terms of rest and getting the work in. I feel really good in myself.
I had time to rest, to recover mentally and physically. It didn’t feel like last season just rolled into this one. I want to continue to feel how I feel now.
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
'Ghostbusters: From Beyond'
Director: Jason Reitman
Starring: Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace
Rating: 2/5
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?
The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.
Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.
New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.
“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.
The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.
The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.
Bloomberg
Andor
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Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
Company%20Profile
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
