Manchester United fans will welcome their new boss Ruben Amorim and hope he’ll have more success than the previous one. And the one before him. And the one before that. And so on.
Managing – or rather coaching since Amorim’s title is now ‘head coach’ marking a departure from the term ‘manager’ – United is one of the toughest jobs in football at one of the biggest clubs in football. The pressures are unique, the expectations high, the dressing room an incredibly complex one which is difficult to manage. Or coach.
Fans are baffled and bewildered, their addiction rewarded with occasional bewitching moments amid confusion about the direction the club is taking.
For years in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, fans have cheered almost every player departure out of the door and constantly demanded that deadwood is shifted, but little changes. United went from a norm where finishing third was a failure to where it’s now considered at the top of their realistic aims.
Erik ten Hag lost his job because the INEOS-led decision makers at the club think there’s a better man to do it. They also think that a top-four finish should be the new coach’s target this season.
There’s a transfer window in January, but United is a loss-making football club already pushing spending to the limits. When those new players arrive, every one is heralded as a probable improvement on the ones they’ve replaced and a brighter future is imagined, yet United haven’t sustained a single league title challenge since the last win in 2013.
From Angel Di Maria to Jadon Sancho, hundreds of millions of pounds have been spent – most say squandered – on big name footballing stars, but United is a talent-reducing, reputation-denting factory where the highs are occasional and the managers survive for two and a bit years.
All those managers have been supported – by the club and fans – but they reach a point where it’s realised that a Premier League title challenge is a bridge too far. And so the next man arrives, fresh with his own ideas and smiles throughout the honeymoon period that follows.
“How many days will it take for us to see the significant changes that you’ve planned?” one journalist asked a previous manager Louis van Gaal in 2014.
“100 days,” he replied confidently. That Dutchman oversaw a huge turnover of players, though he was frustrated that he couldn’t bring in the very best players, much like Erik ten Hag was when he wanted striker Harry Kane in 2023. With their appeal trimmed by a lack of success and wealthier rivals, United, while still desirable, don’t have the pull they enjoyed for decades.
Erik ten Hag's United reign - in pictures
Amorim has a huge task. He’ll get support and patience and the bar can’t be any lower than it is right now with United struggling to win, score and 14th in the league, but he must make significant improvements.
Strikers are a huge problem for United. Rivals can alternate their forwards, United have eight goals in nine league games. Chelsea, Sunday’s visitors to Old Trafford, have 19. Oh for the goals of legendary striker Ruud van Nistelrooy who now finds himself in charge of the team for the next three games. His team did score five in his first game, a League Cup match against a weakened Leicester City side on Wednesday.
Injuries battered United last season and this. They’ve been a factor in the team regressing to the levels of the 1980s, when success came in domestic cups but not the league.
The 2024 team plays well in patches, such as in the first half at West Ham last week in what was Ten Hag’s final game, but struggles to follow game plans and structures for 90 minutes.
Old Trafford does see very talented young players including Kobbie Mainoo, Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund who should get better with experience, but the team is far from a vintage one. They’ve been capable of big performances and even bigger moments such as the surprise win against Manchester City in the 2024 FA Cup final, but there is no quick fix for this dressing room.
United’s new INEOS-led decision makers have set a target of the Premier League title by 2028, the year England’s biggest club celebrates 150 years. Things change in football – sometimes quickly – but United look miles behind the leading sides right now in terms of squad quality.
Amorim’s freshness, confidence and ideas will be appreciated. His Sporting side play aggressive attacking football in a competitive league, albeit one outside the big five in Europe. There is no tougher league than the Premier League.
His Sporting team is – and it’s still ‘is’ since he’ll stay in charge until he joins United on November 11 – adaptable and he’ll meet new players who are tactically flexible, although, paradoxically, several members of the squad have bristled at the tactical ideas of just about every United boss they’ve worked under.
It’s unclear which formation he will bring to United – Amorim’s Sporting side played a fluid 3-4-3 shape with rotations on the flanks against top sides. Out of possession, Sporting dropped into a 5-4-1 shape and condensed the spaces to good effect.
Amorim will leave beautiful Lisbon, and with the nights and cold closing in, he’s not arriving in Manchester in the best month, but it’s the time of year when United bosses lose their jobs.
He’ll be hoping he’s not in the same position in two years, though he won’t have to deal with some of the issues Ten Hag faced like an unsettling strategic review as the club’s future ownership was sorted out throughout 2023. That led to Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s team being put in charge of running the football club and fans are supportive of them. The new boss and his coaches should find a more solid football structure, but he’ll need to show incredible leadership skills managing up and down if United are to change.
Maybe it’ll change, it has to change one day and Amorim comes with an unblemished CV – as Ten Hag did when he moved to Old Trafford from Ajax in 2022.
At 39 he’s young, bright, charismatic and turned Sporting from failures to the best team in Portugal. It’s not just trophies where he can be judged a success. He joined a club who’d just sold their best player, Bruno Fernandes, to Manchester United in 2020, but still brought players through who were sold for vast profits: Manuel Ugarte was sold to PSG (and later Man United) for €60 million, Pedro Porro to Tottenham for €40m, Yousef Chermiti to Everton for €12.5m and Tiago Tomas to Wolfsburg in 2023. The year before Matheus Nunes moved to Wolves for €47m, Joao Palhinha to Fulham for €24.9m, Nuno Mendes to PSG for €38m plus a loan fee. This year, Abdul Fatawa moved to Leicester for €17m, Mateus Fernandes to Southampton for €15m, Paulinho to Toluca for €8m.
Even more impressive were the 21 players he promoted from Sporting’s youth team into the first XI. The value of Sporting’s squad was €175m when he took over in March 2020. It’s €444m today, more than Porto’s €352m and Benfica’s €336m, traditionally Portugal’s two biggest clubs with the best track record of selling players. Amorim brought prize money from European runs where they eliminated Arsenal in 2023 and narrowly lost to Juventus.
If the same thing had been happening at United, the club wouldn’t have needed to lay off 250 staff as they have done so far in 2024, but United, even despite their potential capacity to generate revenue, have underachieved for years and belts need to be tightened.
Of more value to the Sporting fans were the trophies and the exciting football. United fans want the same, the players and executives too. They’ll give Amorim support like he’s never experienced in his life, but delivering that success is the difficult bit, as so many have found before him.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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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.
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Match info
Premier League
Manchester United 2 (Martial 30', Lingard 69')
Arsenal 2 (Mustafi 26', Rojo 68' OG)
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Heavily-sugared soft drinks slip through the tax net
Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.
Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar - about six teaspoons.
A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just Dh6.
Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.
Racecard
6pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 Group 1 (PA) $55,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
6.35pm: Oud Metha Stakes Rated Conditions (TB) $60,000 (D) 1,200m
7.10pm: Jumeirah Classic Listed (TB) $150,000 (Turf) 1,600m
7.45pm: Firebreak Stakes Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,600m
8.20pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 Group 2 (TB) $350,000 (D) 1,900m
8.55pm: Al Bastakiya Trial Conditions (TB) $60,000 (D) 1,900m
9.30pm: Balanchine Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m
Results
6.30pm Madjani Stakes Rated Conditions (PA) I Dh160,000 I 1,900m I Winner: Mawahib, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)
7.05pm Maiden Dh150,000 I 1,400m I Winner One Season, Antonio Fresu, Satish Seemar
7.40pm: Maiden Dh150,000 I 2,000m I Winner Street Of Dreams, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
8.15pm Dubai Creek Listed I Dh250,000 I 1,600m I Winner Heavy Metal, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
8.50pm The Entisar Listed I Dh250,000 I 2,000m I Winner Etijaah, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson
9.25pm The Garhoud Listed I Dh250,000 I 1,200m I Winner Muarrab, Dane O’Neill, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
10pm Handicap I Dh160,000 I 1,600m I Winner Sea Skimmer, Patrick Cosgrave, Helal Al Alawi
Company name: Play:Date
Launched: March 2017 on UAE Mother’s Day
Founder: Shamim Kassibawi
Based: Dubai with operations in the UAE and US
Sector: Tech
Size: 20 employees
Stage of funding: Seed
Investors: Three founders (two silent co-founders) and one venture capital fund
No more lice
Defining head lice
Pediculus humanus capitis are tiny wingless insects that feed on blood from the human scalp. The adult head louse is up to 3mm long, has six legs, and is tan to greyish-white in colour. The female lives up to four weeks and, once mature, can lay up to 10 eggs per day. These tiny nits firmly attach to the base of the hair shaft, get incubated by body heat and hatch in eight days or so.
Identifying lice
Lice can be identified by itching or a tickling sensation of something moving within the hair. One can confirm that a person has lice by looking closely through the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs or lice. Head lice are most frequently located behind the ears and near the neckline.
Treating lice at home
Head lice must be treated as soon as they are spotted. Start by checking everyone in the family for them, then follow these steps. Remove and wash all clothing and bedding with hot water. Apply medicine according to the label instructions. If some live lice are still found eight to 12 hours after treatment, but are moving more slowly than before, do not re-treat. Comb dead and remaining live lice out of the hair using a fine-toothed comb.
After the initial treatment, check for, comb and remove nits and lice from hair every two to three days. Soak combs and brushes in hot water for 10 minutes.Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay.
Courtesy Dr Vishal Rajmal Mehta, specialist paediatrics, RAK Hospital
Result
UAE (S. Tagliabue 90 1') 1-2 Uzbekistan (Shokhruz Norkhonov 48', 86')
The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
More about Middle East geopolitics
Race card
1.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,200m.
2.15pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,200m.
2.45pm: Handicap Dh95,000 1,200m.
3.15pm: Handicap Dh120,000 1,400m.
3.45pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,400m.
4.15pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,800m.
4.45pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,950m.
The National selections:
1.45pm: Galaxy Road – So Hi Speed
2.15pm: Majestic Thunder – Daltrey
2.45pm: Call To War – Taamol
3.15pm: Eqtiraan - Bochart
3.45pm: Kidd Malibu – Initial
4.15pm: Arroway – Arch Gold
4.35pm: Compliance - Muqaatil
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
Student Of The Year 2
Director: Punit Malhotra
Stars: Tiger Shroff, Tara Sutaria, Ananya Pandey, Aditya Seal
1.5 stars
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
US tops drug cost charts
The study of 13 essential drugs showed costs in the United States were about 300 per cent higher than the global average, followed by Germany at 126 per cent and 122 per cent in the UAE.
Thailand, Kenya and Malaysia were rated as nations with the lowest costs, about 90 per cent cheaper.
In the case of insulin, diabetic patients in the US paid five and a half times the global average, while in the UAE the costs are about 50 per cent higher than the median price of branded and generic drugs.
Some of the costliest drugs worldwide include Lipitor for high cholesterol.
The study’s price index placed the US at an exorbitant 2,170 per cent higher for Lipitor than the average global price and the UAE at the eighth spot globally with costs 252 per cent higher.
High blood pressure medication Zestril was also more than 2,680 per cent higher in the US and the UAE price was 187 per cent higher than the global price.
MATCH INFO
Manchester United v Everton
Where: Old Trafford, Manchester
When: Sunday, kick-off 7pm (UAE)
How to watch: Live on BeIN Sports 11HD
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
NBA Finals results
Game 1: Warriors 124, Cavaliers 114
Game 2: Warriors 122, Cavaliers 103
Game 3: Cavaliers 102, Warriors 110
Game 4: In Cleveland, Sunday (Monday morning UAE)
ICC men's cricketer of the year
2004 - Rahul Dravid (IND) ; 2005 - Jacques Kallis (SA) and Andrew Flintoff (ENG); 2006 - Ricky Ponting (AUS); 2007 - Ricky Ponting; 2008 - Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI); 2009 - Mitchell Johnson (AUS); 2010 - Sachin Tendulkar (IND); 2011 - Jonathan Trott (ENG); 2012 - Kumar Sangakkara (SL); 2013 - Michael Clarke (AUS); 2014 - Mitchell Johnson; 2015 - Steve Smith (AUS); 2016 - Ravichandran Ashwin (IND); 2017 - Virat Kohli (IND); 2018 - Virat Kohli; 2019 - Ben Stokes (ENG); 2021 - Shaheen Afridi
