Ross Barkley, left, will be part of the Everton team that travels to Anfield for Saturday's Merseyside derby. Dave Thompson / AP Photo
Ross Barkley, left, will be part of the Everton team that travels to Anfield for Saturday's Merseyside derby. Dave Thompson / AP Photo
Ross Barkley, left, will be part of the Everton team that travels to Anfield for Saturday's Merseyside derby. Dave Thompson / AP Photo
Ross Barkley, left, will be part of the Everton team that travels to Anfield for Saturday's Merseyside derby. Dave Thompson / AP Photo

Rested Ross Barkley not fancied by England but starting to fufill expectations at Everton


Steve Luckings
  • English
  • Arabic

While Jurgen Klopp is spitting feathers that a key player has once again reported back to Liverpool with an injury that is likely to rule him out for several weeks, his counterpart the short walk across Stanley Park can have no such complaints ahead of Saturday’s Merseyside derby.

Liverpool will be without the services of Adam Lallana, who was injured in England’s 2018 World Cup qualifying win over Lithuania on Monday, for the match at Anfield. A thigh complaint is expected to rule the midfielder — so integral to Klopp’s high pressing game — out for a month and is the second time Lallana has been crocked while on international duty with England this season, having picked up a groin strain during November’s 2-2 friendly with Spain.

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Read more

■ Richard Jolly: Predicting the final outcome of the top four

■ Podcast: Merseyside derby, Sanchez to Chelsea, Arsenal v Man City

■ Zlatan Ibrahimovic: Looks set to extend Manchester United stay

__________________________________

As England manager Gareth Soutgate sticks his mobile phone on silent to avoid having to answer calls from the incensed German, he could expect a favourable text message from a grateful Dutchman. For while Klopp must shuffle his pack — he also has a jet-lagged Brazilian duo of Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino to contend with — Ronald Koeman, save for the horrific injury to Seamus Coleman that is likely to rule him out until 2018, has no such concerns.

Ross Barkley was called up as a late replacement for Southgate’s most recent squads to face Germany and Lithuania and played precisely zero minutes. Compare that to Lallana, who played an hour of the friendly defeat to Germany last week and the full 90 in the win over Lithuania — despite reportedly complaining of his injury at half time — and it is easy to see which of the two managers is most happy.

But for joyful manager read irked player. Barkley’s latest bout of benchwarming is the seventh England game in succession he has been called up for without so much as getting his boots wet. That is 630 minutes, across three managers (Roy Hodgson, Sam Allardyce and Southgate), while watching the likes of Jake Livermore and James Ward-Prowse get their chance ahead of him. Throw in disquiet grumblings from his club manager about his own performances for Everton this season and all does not augur well for the 23-year-old midfielder.

But maybe the problem isn’t so much about ability as it is expectation. The name Barkley has been on every Evertonian’s lips since he stood out in the club’s youth teams. Tim Cahill, the Australian forward of some renown, said Barkley was the most talented footballer he had worked with.

The pressure of restoring the eight-time English champions among the country’s elite has seen many a manager fall by the wayside, let alone players. For while the Goodison Park club can historically be regarded as an English heavyweight, their recent past suggests they are more feather-fisted than knockout artist.

One of only six teams to contest every season of the Premier League since its inception in 1992/93, the club has a highest finish of fourth (2005), with three fifth-place finishes and as many sixth-place finishes to show in 25 years in England’s top flight. They were last its champions in 1987.

Romelu Lukaku’s 21 goals — including nine in the past six games — have stolen the headlines but the form of a noticeably leaner and fitter Barkley has helped spark Everton’s recent upwards trajectory.

Three points at Anfield would, temporarily at least, lift them above Manchester United into fifth place. A rested, albeit reluctantly, Barkley must show he can rise to the occasion.

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Five hymns the crowds can join in

Papal Mass will begin at 10.30am at the Zayed Sports City Stadium on Tuesday

Some 17 hymns will be sung by a 120-strong UAE choir

Five hymns will be rehearsed with crowds on Tuesday morning before the Pope arrives at stadium

‘Christ be our Light’ as the entrance song

‘All that I am’ for the offertory or during the symbolic offering of gifts at the altar

‘Make me a Channel of your Peace’ and ‘Soul of my Saviour’ for the communion

‘Tell out my Soul’ as the final hymn after the blessings from the Pope

The choir will also sing the hymn ‘Legions of Heaven’ in Arabic as ‘Assakiroo Sama’

There are 15 Arabic speakers from Syria, Lebanon and Jordan in the choir that comprises residents from the Philippines, India, France, Italy, America, Netherlands, Armenia and Indonesia

The choir will be accompanied by a brass ensemble and an organ

They will practice for the first time at the stadium on the eve of the public mass on Monday evening 

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Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Power: 563hp @ 5,000rpm

Torque: 850Nm @ 1,600rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 15L / 100km

LA LIGA FIXTURES

Friday (UAE kick-off times)

Levante v Real Mallorca (12am)

Leganes v Barcelona (4pm)

Real Betis v Valencia (7pm)

Granada v Atletico Madrid (9.30pm)

Sunday

Real Madrid v Real Sociedad (12am)

Espanyol v Getafe (3pm)

Osasuna v Athletic Bilbao (5pm)

Eibar v Alaves (7pm)

Villarreal v Celta Vigo (9.30pm)

Monday

Real Valladolid v Sevilla (12am)

 

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Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?

The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.

Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.

New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.

“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.

The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.

The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.

Bloomberg

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AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street

The seven points are:

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Dhafeer Street

Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)

Salama bint Butti Street

Al Dhafra Street

Rabdan Street

Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)

The lowdown

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Rating: 2.5/5

Produced by: Red Chillies, Azure Entertainment 

Director: Sujoy Ghosh

Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Amrita Singh, Tony Luke

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE v Gibraltar

What: International friendly

When: 7pm kick off

Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City

Admission: Free

Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page

UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)

In numbers: China in Dubai

The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000

Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000

Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent

Bio

Age: 25

Town: Al Diqdaqah – Ras Al Khaimah

Education: Bachelors degree in mechanical engineering

Favourite colour: White

Favourite place in the UAE: Downtown Dubai

Favourite book: A Life in Administration by Ghazi Al Gosaibi.

First owned baking book: How to Be a Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson.

Fund-raising tips for start-ups

Develop an innovative business concept

Have the ability to differentiate yourself from competitors

Put in place a business continuity plan after Covid-19

Prepare for the worst-case scenario (further lockdowns, long wait for a vaccine, etc.) 

Have enough cash to stay afloat for the next 12 to 18 months

Be creative and innovative to reduce expenses

Be prepared to use Covid-19 as an opportunity for your business

* Tips from Jassim Al Marzooqi and Walid Hanna

The specs

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Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

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Price: From Dh117,059

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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Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

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Most wins by a trainer: Godolphin’s Saeed bin Suroor(9)

Most wins by a jockey: Jerry Bailey(4)

Most wins by an owner: Godolphin(9)

Most wins by a horse: Godolphin’s Thunder Snow(2)

The Bio

Amal likes watching Japanese animation movies and Manga - her favourite is The Ancient Magus Bride

She is the eldest of 11 children, and has four brothers and six sisters.

Her dream is to meet with all of her friends online from around the world who supported her work throughout the years

Her favourite meal is pizza and stuffed vine leaves

She ams to improve her English and learn Japanese, which many animated programmes originate in

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