Manchester United drew 1-1 for the fourth time in nine games this season, and for the eighth time in those nine games, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side failed to score more than one goal.
United are 10th in the Premier League table, with a third of the goals total of Manchester City. The 20-time champions of England didn’t have a single shot until the 29th minute from Andreas Pereira – it was the longest wait for an attempt on goal in a league game all season.
And it all came on a filthy, wet, Mancunian evening, when the rain had been so heavy that the windows of the buses and trams to the stadium steamed up.
Although there were positives for both United and Arsenal - as Scott McTominay opened the scoring with a superb strike which grazed the underside of the crossbar and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang equalised after a horrendous defensive lapse for the home side - these are not good times for Manchester United.
Post-match debates revolved around VAR, the decline of both clubs and inevitable comparisons with the glories of yore. That United are a pale imitation of their predecessors right now is nothing new. Since Alex Ferguson stepped down in 2013, they have failed on the pitch while Ed Woodward has been the top man, yet they thrive commercially off it.
It’s a strange time to be a United fan, just as it was back in 1989 when Ferguson struggled to find his feet or get out of double points after seven league games. Yet Old Trafford remains full, in marked contrast to plummeting attendances in the 1980s.
There is genuine support for Solskjaer, too, 10 months into one of the most challenging jobs in football. The club is adamant they will stick with him and see this through, but while it’s not pretty, both he and his team were applauded off the field, with fans singing his name. The assessments on social media are even more withering than those of Roy Keane in the television studio, with knee-jerk reactions and apoplexy aplenty.
Some United fans were outraged when the team dropped any points on the way to winning a league title in 2013, so it’s unsurprising that there is now meltdown with every poor performance.
There is no escaping the reality that United are miles behind Liverpool and Manchester City and have been for a while, but the same holds for other big clubs.
Yet, while it’s not always obvious, Solskjaer does have a plan. He let the players who didn’t want to be at the club leave. His own signings so far look like the right ones.
He has disciplined players for any unprofessional antics on social media because he wants them to act like United players at all times. A few more replacements would have helped. Without them he has to play younger players, who are as inconsistent as they can be exciting.
What is not in doubt is that Solskjaer loves United. He has moved his family to Manchester when they were perfectly happy in Norway. He is working harder than anyone because he has lived United as a player and a coach – with success – and he knows how hard he has to work.
Solskjaer’s views don’t always chime with fans, but they don’t need to. He genuinely thinks that United have played well in six of their seven league games. His assessment is not just PR to gloss over the team’s shortcomings. That is something of a stretch, but it is true they have played well in parts of those games. They just don’t have the firepower to finish teams off, or the creative players to open teams up.
“[Against West Ham] was another game when we were 1-0 up, we were 1-0 up at Southampton, at Wolverhampton,” he said, before stating the obvious: “We need to win these games.”
But he is anxious to underline the progress the team is making.
“Six young boys from our academy, plus Mason [Greenwood], that’s a big plus for us. We know that this time is going to be improving and we saw some excellent performances. Scotty [McTominay], Andreas [Pereira] and we can see that Axel [Tuanzebe] is going to be a top player so I saw some very positive things.”
If Solskjaer isn’t positive about a bad situation then who can be? He knows United are way off where they need to be. Despite the calm exterior, those who know him well say he’s “burning on the inside” to get the job done and to see it through.
Although his (now noticeably more subdued than at the start of the season) perkiness may make some fans grind their teeth in frustration, what’s the alternative? Another manager who wants to bring his own players in? More players who only want to come for the money?
Needs must. United need goals, need luck. Marcus Rashford has one goal from open play in 18 games. Jesse Lingard hasn’t scored in 21 games. Paul Pogba hasn’t scored from open play in 25 matches. Pereira doesn’t score enough.
But Solskjaer believes the goals will come with hard work and creating the right spirit and the defence, already creditably stingy, will continue to settle so that United can begin the long slog back towards the top.
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
The specs
Engine: 2.2-litre, turbodiesel
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Power: 160hp
Torque: 385Nm
Price: Dh116,900
On sale: now
How does ToTok work?
The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store
To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.
The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.
Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.
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.”
The specs: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S
Price, base / as tested: Dh74,900 / Dh85,900
Engine: 937cc
Transmission: Six-speed gearbox
Power: 110hp @ 9,000rpm
Torque: 93Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.9L / 100km
MWTC info
Tickets to the MWTC range from Dh100 and can be purchased from www.ticketmaster.ae or by calling 800 86 823 from within the UAE or 971 4 366 2289 from outside the country and all Virgin Megastores. Fans looking to attend all three days of the MWTC can avail of a special 20 percent discount on ticket prices.
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
