Sam Allardyce has offered Wayne Rooney no assurances over his role in the new England set-up, admitting Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho could hold the key to his future.
Rooney has captained his country for the past two years, is the record scorer with 53 goals and most experienced player with 115 caps.
He has vowed to continue his international career under Allardyce, who was officially presented as Roy Hodgson’s successor at St George’s Park on Monday, but serious question marks exist over his status.
Allardyce declared it was too soon to rubberstamp his captaincy and indicated Mourinho’s use of the 30-year-old would be crucial in the early weeks of the new season.
Rooney has spent the majority of 2016 as a playmaking midfielder, for both club and country, but Mourinho has already indicated that experiment will not continue on his watch.
Discussing Rooney’s future role, Allardyce said: “It’s a decision that I’ll make once I’ve got my feet under the table.
“It’s far too early to make any predictions.
“I still think Wayne Rooney still has a massive place to play in the England side. I don’t think there is any doubt about that.
“I think Jose will determine (where), because if Jose says he is not going to play him in centre midfield and he is playing up front and scoring goals for Manchester United then it would be pointless me bringing him into England and playing him in centre midfield.”
Asked if Rooney could be a first-choice for England if he is forced to play second fiddle to the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Anthony Martial at Old Trafford, Allardyce added: “I don’t know until that happens with anybody, let alone Wayne Rooney.
"Like everything else, you wait until the season starts. I hope there are standout players all over the place when the Premier League starts.
“I hope it’s a hugely difficult task for me to pick my first squad because everybody is on really good form and playing exceptionally well. I do think form at a football club has a place when you are making your selection.”
Allardyce is held in particularly high esteem by the League Managers’ Association, a matter that might help when he begins rounding up his squad in the coming weeks.
As a coach with more than two decades of domestic football under his belt, the 61-year-old knows the frustrations that some bosses feel about releasing their prized assets, but still expects some conflict of interests.
He has enjoyed frosty relations with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger over the years, but with Jack Wilshere, Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to monitor, among others, he may need to press for a detente with the Frenchman.
“I would like to get round everybody and make some contact and hear their thoughts,” he said.
“We’ve got to try and help each other if we possibly can. It won’t always be the case, the demands on Premier League managers and demand on me as England manager is bound to cause some conflict down the line because the pressures are far greater than ever before.
“So they are bound to want to protect their players and that is what I have to try and overcome with a little bit of give and take, hopefully.”
The FA have been keen to stress that Allardyce was the only man they offered the job to – although that is not quite the same as saying that others, including Wenger, were not sounded out first.
Chief executive Martin Glenn pointed to three key qualities that earned him the nod – strength of character, tactical nous and ability to inspire players.
Of those the latter could be the most important and Allardyce has no lack of optimism about the tools at his disposal.
He believes Hodgson’s squad was good enough to win Euro 2016 and will work at extracting the maximum potential from that group.
And that task fires up the veteran coach more than another season of fighting for Premier League survival ever could.
“I think they (could have won) had they all performed to their best, which they suggested they were going to beforehand,” he said.
“I was extremely excited by the performances that came before they actually got to the tournament, I thought there was some outstanding ability in the team to beat teams.
“I think that this is a new challenge for me. It’s outside of my comfort zone, which is what I like.
“The challenge of the Premier League is not as big a challenge to me as when I first got there because I’ve done it for so long. I’ve managed in there for such a long time that I know I can achieve at that level.
“So this is a different level, this is a different challenge and so I am challenging myself to be able to meet that challenge to help England get to a tournament and do better than they’ve done before.
“I’m ready for this now. After 950 games as a manager there is something you want to change in your life sometimes and this was it for me.”
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Yemen's Bahais and the charges they often face
The Baha'i faith was made known in Yemen in the 19th century, first introduced by an Iranian man named Ali Muhammad Al Shirazi, considered the Herald of the Baha'i faith in 1844.
The Baha'i faith has had a growing number of followers in recent years despite persecution in Yemen and Iran.
Today, some 2,000 Baha'is reside in Yemen, according to Insaf.
"The 24 defendants represented by the House of Justice, which has intelligence outfits from the uS and the UK working to carry out an espionage scheme in Yemen under the guise of religion.. aimed to impant and found the Bahai sect on Yemeni soil by bringing foreign Bahais from abroad and homing them in Yemen," the charge sheet said.
Baha'Ullah, the founder of the Bahai faith, was exiled by the Ottoman Empire in 1868 from Iran to what is now Israel. Now, the Bahai faith's highest governing body, known as the Universal House of Justice, is based in the Israeli city of Haifa, which the Bahais turn towards during prayer.
The Houthis cite this as collective "evidence" of Bahai "links" to Israel - which the Houthis consider their enemy.
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
Famous left-handers
- Marie Curie
- Jimi Hendrix
- Leonardo Di Vinci
- David Bowie
- Paul McCartney
- Albert Einstein
- Jack the Ripper
- Barack Obama
- Helen Keller
- Joan of Arc
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
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Transmission: Single-speed automatic
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Abaya trends
The utilitarian robe held dear by Arab women is undergoing a change that reveals it as an elegant and graceful garment available in a range of colours and fabrics, while retaining its traditional appeal.
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The specs
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The bio
Job: Coder, website designer and chief executive, Trinet solutions
School: Year 8 pupil at Elite English School in Abu Hail, Deira
Role Models: Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk
Dream City: San Francisco
Hometown: Dubai
City of birth: Thiruvilla, Kerala
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Engine: 2.2-litre, turbodiesel
Transmission: 6-speed auto
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The Abu Dhabi Awards explained:
What are the awards? They honour anyone who has made a contribution to life in Abu Dhabi.
Are they open to only Emiratis? The awards are open to anyone, regardless of age or nationality, living anywhere in the world.
When do nominations close? The process concludes on December 31.
How do I nominate someone? Through the website.
When is the ceremony? The awards event will take place early next year.
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
Profile of MoneyFellows
Founder: Ahmed Wadi
Launched: 2016
Employees: 76
Financing stage: Series A ($4 million)
Investors: Partech, Sawari Ventures, 500 Startups, Dubai Angel Investors, Phoenician Fund
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Chinese Grand Prix schedule (in UAE time)
Friday: First practice - 6am; Second practice - 10am
Saturday: Final practice - 7am; Qualifying - 10am
Sunday: Chinese Grand Prix - 10.10am
The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
About Krews
Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Founded: January 2019
Number of employees: 10
Sector: Technology/Social media
Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support
THE SPECS
Engine: six-litre W12 twin-turbo
Transmission: eight-speed dual clutch auto
Power: 626bhp
Torque: 900Nm
Price: Dh940,160 (plus VAT)
On sale: Q1 2020