Earlier this year, Manchester United's young Belgian born Brazilian forward Andreas Pereira spoke to his club about his future options. It was agreed that it would be best for him to go out on loan for the 2015/16 season, but while the player who'd arrived from PSV Eindhoven's academy in 2011 preferred to return to his former club, his manager felt he would be better toughening up in the lower leagues of the country where he makes is living. With Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus among others enquiring about Pereira and United not wanting to lose another emerging youngster as they'd done with Paul Pogba, it was a delicate situation, one United played well by giving him minutes as a substitute at Old Trafford in a win against Spurs – a taste of a brighter future.
Read more: Greg Lea on how the weight of mismanagement is too much even for clubs the size of Newcastle and Sunderland
It was also arbitrary, for United would ship out so many players in the summer, including Adnan Januzaj who is on loan, that they decided to keep Pereira. Louis van Gaal spoke publicly of the minutes the 19-year-old would receive and was true to his word as he awarded him a competitive debut in Wednesday night's League Cup tie against second tier Ipswich Town. With their priority being a return to Premier League football for the first time since 2002, Mick McCarthy's side, which was backed by 5,500 travelling fans, were significantly weakened from their last league game.
United were not. They’d lost 4-0 to third tier MK Dons in their last outing in the competition 13 months ago, after which Van Gaal decided that the future of several players was not at Old Trafford. He also told one fan that he wasn’t too concerned to be out of the competition, that his priorities lay elsewhere. That was surprising given United had a large squad who weren’t competing in European competition for the first time in two decades.
Van Gaal has changed his stance this year, saying: “I think you have to fight for every cup and that is what we shall do.”
He played a very strong team and found space for Pereira, who wore the same lurid pink boots with which Antony Martial had scored three league goals in two games.
The decision was vindicated as Pereira, wearing No 44 and starting on the left, buzzed about among United’s forwards. His evening was capped with a fine goal, a 59th minute free-kick which he guided over the Ipswich wall from 25 yards after Juan Mata had stepped over the ball. That doubled United’s lead after captain Wayne Rooney had controlled a sublime 29th minute pass from Daley Blind before scoring his first goal of the season at Old Trafford. Man of the moment Martial came of the bench to made it three, sweeping a shot in time added on past Bartosz Bialkowski.
“It’s very special for me to score my first goal at the Stretford End – I always dreamed of this moment,” said a smiling Pereira.
“He had a big participation in that game,” said Van Gaal of Pereira. “He shoots the free kick in a fantastic way. He’s training on that so that’s why he may take the free-kick. I’m a happy coach.”
“He can play on 7, 10 or 11. That is the right wing, left wing and ten,” added Van Gaal. “His competitors are Young, Memphis Depay, Mata, Herrera, Fellaini, Rooney and Lingard. A lot of players.”
And as United progress on three fronts, Van Gaal has a lot of games to play them in.
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The Book of Collateral Damage
Sinan Antoon
(Yale University Press)
How to increase your savings
- Have a plan for your savings.
- Decide on your emergency fund target and once that's achieved, assign your savings to another financial goal such as saving for a house or investing for retirement.
- Decide on a financial goal that is important to you and put your savings to work for you.
- It's important to have a purpose for your savings as it helps to keep you motivated to continue while also reducing the temptation to spend your savings.
- Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
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Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
Asia Cup Qualifier
Final
UAE v Hong Kong
TV:
Live on OSN Cricket HD. Coverage starts at 5.30am
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
If you go
Flying
Despite the extreme distance, flying to Fairbanks is relatively simple, requiring just one transfer in Seattle, which can be reached directly from Dubai with Emirates for Dh6,800 return.
Touring
Gondwana Ecotours’ seven-day Polar Bear Adventure starts in Fairbanks in central Alaska before visiting Kaktovik and Utqiarvik on the North Slope. Polar bear viewing is highly likely in Kaktovik, with up to five two-hour boat tours included. Prices start from Dh11,500 per person, with all local flights, meals and accommodation included; gondwanaecotours.com
Key products and UAE prices
iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229
iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649
iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
Price: Dh3,179
Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
