World Cup-winning Germany forward Andre Schurrle has dismissed reports linking him with a move away from Chelsea.
The 24-year-old, signed from Bayer Leverkusen 18 months ago, has been underwhelming for Chelsea since returning from Brazil 2014 with a winners’ medal, sparking reports he could be offloaded in January.
Schurrle, though, has taken to social networking site Instagram to show his allegiance.
“To the top:)) #behappy #blues,” Schurrle posted on Instagram, alongside a photo of him in a Chelsea shirt, pointing to the skies.
Schurrle has completed 90 minutes only twice this term under Jose Mourinho, each time in the League Cup, and the Portuguese has often demanded more of the pacey forward.
Mourinho hinted at his frustrations with Schurrle in early October, after the German had missed a host of chances against Bolton and a key opportunity in the Champions League clash at Sporting Lisbon.
Mourinho said on October 3: “Sometimes he plays phenomenal. Other times plays so-so. But when he plays phenomenal, he is phenomenal.”
Schurrle will be hoping Mourinho, who substituted him at half-time of the Champions League draw at Maribor last week, can help him to overcome what he will hope is merely a post-World Cup lull.
Mourinho is always seeking more from Chelsea, who lead the Premier League after an unbeaten 11-game start and are eight points clear of defending champions Manchester City.
Like Schurrle, Didier Drogba has had a bit-part role this term.
Drogba, who is 37 in March, has hinted this season could be his last, after returning to Chelsea following a two-year absence and stints in China and Turkey.
The striker was always a stop-gap solution for Mourinho, who views Drogba’s influence off the field as significant as the role the Ivorian plays on it.
“This year, the key for me is to enjoy my football and to be with my teammates and to win trophies,” Drogba told Chelsea TV.
“There is one more year to go so let’s do it, let’s win more trophies, let’s make history again.”
Drogba will always be remembered by Chelsea fans, having struck the decisive penalty in the 2012 Champions League defeat of Bayern Munich which earned Chelsea a first European Cup.
He has made 13 appearances this season, the majority off the substitutes’ bench, and netted three goals, to take his overall Chelsea tally to 160.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Boulder shooting victims
• Denny Strong, 20
• Neven Stanisic, 23
• Rikki Olds, 25
• Tralona Bartkowiak, 49
• Suzanne Fountain, 59
• Teri Leiker, 51
• Eric Talley, 51
• Kevin Mahoney, 61
• Lynn Murray, 62
• Jody Waters, 65
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
How to play the stock market recovery in 2021?
If you are looking to build your long-term wealth in 2021 and beyond, the stock market is still the best place to do it as equities powered on despite the pandemic.
Investing in individual stocks is not for everyone and most private investors should stick to mutual funds and ETFs, but there are some thrilling opportunities for those who understand the risks.
Peter Garnry, head of equity strategy at Saxo Bank, says the 20 best-performing US and European stocks have delivered an average return year-to-date of 148 per cent, measured in local currency terms.
Online marketplace Etsy was the best performer with a return of 330.6 per cent, followed by communications software company Sinch (315.4 per cent), online supermarket HelloFresh (232.8 per cent) and fuel cells specialist NEL (191.7 per cent).
Mr Garnry says digital companies benefited from the lockdown, while green energy firms flew as efforts to combat climate change were ramped up, helped in part by the European Union’s green deal.
Electric car company Tesla would be on the list if it had been part of the S&P 500 Index, but it only joined on December 21. “Tesla has become one of the most valuable companies in the world this year as demand for electric vehicles has grown dramatically,” Mr Garnry says.
By contrast, the 20 worst-performing European stocks fell 54 per cent on average, with European banks hit by the economic fallout from the pandemic, while cruise liners and airline stocks suffered due to travel restrictions.
As demand for energy fell, the oil and gas industry had a tough year, too.
Mr Garnry says the biggest story this year was the “absolute crunch” in so-called value stocks, companies that trade at low valuations compared to their earnings and growth potential.
He says they are “heavily tilted towards financials, miners, energy, utilities and industrials, which have all been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic”. “The last year saw these cheap stocks become cheaper and expensive stocks have become more expensive.”
This has triggered excited talk about the “great value rotation” but Mr Garnry remains sceptical. “We need to see a breakout of interest rates combined with higher inflation before we join the crowd.”
Always remember that past performance is not a guarantee of future returns. Last year’s winners often turn out to be this year’s losers, and vice-versa.
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Date: Sunday, November 25
Super Saturday race card
4pm: Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 | US$350,000 | (Dirt) | 1,200m
4.35pm: Al Bastakiya Listed | $300,000 | (D) | 1,900m
5.10pm: Nad Al Sheba Turf Group 3 | $350,000 | (Turf) | 1,200m
5.45pm: Burj Nahaar Group 3 | $350,000 | (D) | 1,600m
6.20pm: Dubai City of Gold Group 2 | $300,000 | (T) | 2,410m
6.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 Group 1 | $600,000 | (D) | 2,000m
7.30pm: Jebel Hatta Group 1 | $400,000 | (T) | 1,800m
The specs: Aston Martin DB11 V8 vs Ferrari GTC4Lusso T
Price, base: Dh840,000; Dh120,000
Engine: 4.0L V8 twin-turbo; 3.9L V8 turbo
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic; seven-speed automatic
Power: 509hp @ 6,000rpm; 601hp @ 7,500rpm
Torque: 695Nm @ 2,000rpm; 760Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.9L / 100km; 11.6L / 100km
