Manchester United’s players waited in the open outside the changing rooms to the side of the main stand after Saturday’s 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace. The mood was more downbeat than triumphant as the players chatted to each other or kept their own counsel.
They waited for the go ahead to walk to the team bus on Holmesdale Road, where hundreds of fans were waiting for pictures or an autograph, to catch a flight. Meanwhile manager Erik ten Hag obliged with his media commitments, separating the result from the performance.
“The performance was good but the score we are not happy with, we are disappointed with the score,” he said. “It is clear. I know one thing for sure in football that there is a long way to go and when you play in the quality we now deliver, the points will come, the goals will come.”
Compared to the last time when his team suffered a 4-0 debacle in May, he said: “It is so different now because we can work on the team, we are building structures because we have players back on the training pitch.
“We can also have consistency in the selection and that helps to bring the patterns and routines in and you play better. You can take more control of the game and you can even, like in the first half, dominate the game.”
Andre Onana also emphasised the positives: “In football sometimes, you can’t control everything,” said the Cameroonian. “We were coming in; we had more chances and I had faith always in my guys. Today, we hit the crossbar twice and hopefully in the coming games, we will score a lot.”
Asked about his double save from Eddie Nketiah and Ismaila Sarr, the goalkeeper said: “I don’t think it is so important because we didn’t win. We are such a big club. I think we were better than them. We had so many chances but unfortunately, we didn’t score. It’s difficult to come back with one point.”
It’s at the other end of the pitch where the focus will be on United’s shortfalls. Ten Hag and Ruud van Nistelrooy et al coached the side to win the match, but they could not put the ball in the net. It may seem odd given United scored 10 in their previous two games, but chances were squandered in front of goal.
Following a 3-0 win at winless Southampton and a 7-0 triumph against third tier Barnsley, United drew 0-0 at another winless Premier League side Palace.
It was a rare scoreline for Ten Hag’s side: only four of his 81 league games have ended goalless, the last time against Liverpool in December 2023. For much of Saturday evening’s game at Selhurst Park, a no-goal outcome looked improbable.
United, especially in the first half, created chance after chance. Alejandro Garnacho, Joshua Zirkzee, Bruno Fernandes and Matthijs de Ligt all came close, but not close enough.
Oh how the watching Van Nistelrooy, now United’s assistant manager and one rated as a man who almost always took his chances as a player, winced in frustration. Ten Hag did too. His side have missed 17 big chances from the opening five league games, more than any other club. The next clubs, with 12 missed chances each, are Aston Villa and Liverpool.
It’s a positive that United are creating them, something they didn’t do on the previous trip to south London, and United’s 67 per cent possession afforded 15 shots, six on target, and 11 corners. The football was attractive too as Palace struggled to cope.
United have scored only five times in five league games, three of those against the winless Southampton. And it’s now a new issue. United scored only 57 times (and conceded one more) in 38 league games last term, way off all the seven teams above them who all managed between 74 and 96.
United’s defence was better than four of the sides who finished above them, but the goal difference was woeful for a club built on a reputation of attacking football.
United did bring forward Zirkzee in from Bologna, but he’s no Van Nistelrooy, more a player who knits the attack and drops deep to do so.
He’s scored one in seven so far. Rasmus Hojlund was injured pre-season and the Dane did come off the pitch at Palace to cheers from the 3,000 travelling fans whose disposition was as sunny as the weather before the game following two wins and 10 goals.
Those results made the draw at Palace especially frustrating. But tellingly, United have won only two of their last eight games against opponents in the bottom half of the league – against promoted sides at that.
Had it not been for former United goalkeeper Dean Henderson, who made seven saves, there may have been a different outcome, but there’s usually a but with Manchester United: injuries, chances, poor luck.
If United are to become a side that challenges for league titles, they must win at grounds like Palace and can’t be picking up seven points every five games, as has been the case so far this season.
It’s top ten rather than top three form and while the season is still young, United could have faced a far more challenging start. Now, far more difficult challenges await: Spurs at home next then Aston Villa away.
These are the teams United should be measured against this season since United aren’t good enough to win the league. However, they are already five points behind Villa. Europa League and Carabao Cup commitments add to the pressure.
Ten Hag knows he’ll need his squad, it’s why he rotates and why he didn’t start Marcus Rashford – but did that take away the momentum of a player who has started scoring? Surprising as it was, there was nothing more to it than a football decision to bench the striker.
United have been here many times in their history, notably in November 1992 when the team were 10th in the table after 15 games of the inaugural Premier League season – one United went on to win.
United had scored only 14 goals while league leaders Norwich had 27. There were no transfer windows in November 1992 and that’s when United signed Eric Cantona from Leeds United. There will be no such fixes this time, the budget has been spent and the season is still very young. Besides, Cantona was a one off.
Three weeks ago, United fans left Old Trafford fuming after a home defeat to Liverpool. The mood has been picked up off the floor since, but legitimate questions remain about the direction of the team and the main one is when the chances are going to start being converted and by whom.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Read more about the coronavirus
Porsche Taycan Turbo specs
Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors
Transmission: two-speed
Power: 671hp
Torque: 1050Nm
Range: 450km
Price: Dh601,800
On sale: now
MATCH INFO
What: India v Afghanistan, first Test
When: Starts Thursday
Where: M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengalaru
Results
2.15pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,200m
Winner: Maqam, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer).
2.45pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,200m
Winner: Mamia Al Reef, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami.
3.15pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 2,000m
Winner: Jaahiz, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel.
3.45pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,000m
Winner: Qanoon, Szczepan Mazur, Irfan Ellahi.
4.15pm: Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Cup Handicap (TB) Dh200,000 1,700m.
Winner: Philosopher, Tadhg O’Shea, Salem bin Ghadayer.
54.45pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,700m
Winner: Jap Al Yassoob, Fernando Jara, Irfan Ellahi.
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
MATCH INFO
Watford 1 (Deulofeu 80' p)
Chelsea 2 (Abraham 5', Pulisic 55')
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
TOURNAMENT INFO
Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier
Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi
Stormy seas
Weather warnings show that Storm Eunice is soon to make landfall. The videographer and I are scrambling to return to the other side of the Channel before it does. As we race to the port of Calais, I see miles of wire fencing topped with barbed wire all around it, a silent ‘Keep Out’ sign for those who, unlike us, aren’t lucky enough to have the right to move freely and safely across borders.
We set sail on a giant ferry whose length dwarfs the dinghies migrants use by nearly a 100 times. Despite the windy rain lashing at the portholes, we arrive safely in Dover; grateful but acutely aware of the miserable conditions the people we’ve left behind are in and of the privilege of choice.
Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)
2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)
2007 Grace Bijjani (Mexico)
2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
2014 Lia Saad (UAE)
2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)
2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)
