Antonio Conte, manager of Chelsea, right, and Liverpool counterpart Jurgen Klopp during the Premier League match at Stamford Bridge on September 16, 2016 in London, England. Clive Rose / Getty Images
Antonio Conte, manager of Chelsea, right, and Liverpool counterpart Jurgen Klopp during the Premier League match at Stamford Bridge on September 16, 2016 in London, England. Clive Rose / Getty Images
Antonio Conte, manager of Chelsea, right, and Liverpool counterpart Jurgen Klopp during the Premier League match at Stamford Bridge on September 16, 2016 in London, England. Clive Rose / Getty Images
Antonio Conte, manager of Chelsea, right, and Liverpool counterpart Jurgen Klopp during the Premier League match at Stamford Bridge on September 16, 2016 in London, England. Clive Rose / Getty Images

Tactical nous of Conte and Klopp, not Guardiola and Mourinho, is lighting up the Premier League


  • English
  • Arabic

Diego Forlan writes a weekly column for The National, appearing each Friday. The former Manchester United, Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid striker has been the top scorer in Europe twice and won the Golden Boot at the 2010 World Cup. Forlan's column is written with the assistance of European football correspondent Andy Mitten.

For all the attention on the two Manchester clubs and their star managers at the start of this season, neither of them are first and second in the table.

Liverpool and Chelsea are, with eight wins from their first 11 games. They, too, have star managers in Jurgen Klopp and Antonio Conte. Spain may have the best players in the world and the best teams, but England has more of the best managers.

The shifting tactics of Chelsea and Liverpool intrigue me. When I played in England, 4-4-2 was the default formation. Manchester United had been successful with it for years, they won the treble playing it, but I arrived at the club at an interesting time. Alex Ferguson was trialling a 4-5-1 system with Ruud van Nistelrooy as his main striker. That wasn’t always ideal for the other strikers as opportunities were limited, but Ferguson was trying to find a way to move with the times, especially in Europe. It didn’t really work out and United next won the Uefa Champions League again, in 2008, playing a trusted 4-4-2.

See also:

• Steve Luckings: Jose Mourinho has ditched trench warfare and begun turning on his Manchester United troops

• Ian Hawkey: Chelsea's 'Marginal Seven' gunslingers looking to fire reminder of their quality on international duty

• Five Premier League thoughts: Mourinho's malaise, midnight for Leicester and more

• Richard Jolly: Liverpool, thrillingly good, maybe unstoppable, just getting started for Jurgen Klopp

Post-Ferguson United have tried many formations. Under Jose Mourinho they haven't settled on one, but Chelsea and Liverpool are finding more success.

Liverpool have not won the league since 1990, but after Leicester City won the title last season, I see no reason why another side not used to winning it cannot do the same. Liverpool just need to keep going and have luck with injuries. Having no European football helps, and their players have gelled together well. They do not have a player in the class of Luis Suarez, but Philippe Coutinho is very good.

Liverpool have done well against some of the best teams this season, but have struggled in recent years against lower teams. They have games against Southampton, Sunderland, Bournemouth, West Ham United and Middlesbrough coming up after the international break, so we will see if they have overcome their issues about beating sides below the top eight.

Klopp has an advantage over Mourinho and Conte as he has been at his club for longer. His players are confident and have scored more goals than any other team in the Premier League. My only concern for them is that they concede too often – letting in more than any other team in the top seven.

Klopp famously had an image on the wall at Borussia Dortmund showing where all his players should be on the field. He used a 4-2-3-1 system, which is a popular formation now. With players like Robert Lewandowski, Mario Gotze, Ilkay Gundogan and Marco Reus and lots of arrows coming out of them towards the opposition goal, it was enough to unnerve opponents.

This Liverpool are not as good as that Dortmund, but Klopp gets his players very fit, they work very hard and believe in their manager. At Dortmund, the team pressed when they did not have the ball and they were always ready to counter-attack. They twice won the German league-and-cup double and reached the Champions League final as they became one of the best teams in Europe. It makes for exciting football and using similar tactics has made Klopp very popular with Liverpool fans. Playing a 4-3-3 is brave of Klopp, but he alters his tactics depending on the opposition.

After a poor first few results when they drew at Swansea City, lost at home to Liverpool and then 3-0 away at Arsenal, Conte has changed Chelsea to how he wants them with great effect. Since that defeat at Arsenal in September they have won all five league games, scoring 16 and conceding none.

Conte looks settled. His Juventus and Italy sides were built on a brilliant, experienced defence, which knew how to come out with the ball. They played a 3-4-3 or 3-5-2. They also had Andrea Pirlo, a key player, who could see everything and make crucial passes. He rarely lost the ball.

Conte has started to play 3-4-3 in the Premier League and it is working, a surprise to English sides who are used to four defenders. He has played three at the back ever since that defeat to Arsenal. Without changing many of the players, he has got the team looking formidable.

It is important that players have a chemistry with the manager and know what he is trying to do. I had a really good chemistry with Javier Aguirre, the current manager of Al Wahda, who I played under at Atletico Madrid. It is hard to explain, it just happens and if enough players feel the same you start to get a buzz about the squad.

It is not only about formations. As a manager, you need to know which type of players you have because you will not always have the same players to play a particular style of football. It is OK saying that you want to play like a Guardiola side, but you need players like Lionel Messi or Kevin de Bruyne to do that.

As a striker, I like 4-2-3-1 or 4-1-4-1 or 4-4-2. I played these with Sergio Aguero at Atletico. Both of us scored lots of goals and worked hard for each other. I am fine playing up front alone, or as a second striker with the freedom to run either side of the main man.

I do not like 4-3-3 as much, unless you have the best players in the midfield, players who can keep the ball and do the job of four players. It is the most difficult formation to play.

We tried it a few times with Uruguay in friendly matches, but never really in big games. It takes fitness and talent. Klopp thinks he has enough of both, and I admire that. Conte, with his three defenders, believes so too. It is these two foreign manager making waves in England.

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RESULTS

Catchweight 82kg
Piotr Kuberski (POL) beat Ahmed Saeb (IRQ) by decision.

Women’s bantamweight
Corinne Laframboise (CAN) beat Cornelia Holm (SWE) by unanimous decision.

Welterweight
Omar Hussein (PAL) beat Vitalii Stoian (UKR) by unanimous decision.

Welterweight
Josh Togo (LEB) beat Ali Dyusenov (UZB) by unanimous decision.

Flyweight
Isaac Pimentel (BRA) beat Delfin Nawen (PHI) TKO round-3.

Catchweight 80kg​​​​​​​
Seb Eubank (GBR) beat Emad Hanbali (SYR) KO round 1.

Lightweight
Mohammad Yahya (UAE) beat Ramadan Noaman (EGY) TKO round 2.

Lightweight
Alan Omer (GER) beat Reydon Romero (PHI) submission 1.

Welterweight
Juho Valamaa (FIN) beat Ahmed Labban (LEB) by unanimous decision.

Featherweight
Elias Boudegzdame (ALG) beat Austin Arnett (USA) by unanimous decision.

Super heavyweight
Maciej Sosnowski (POL) beat Ibrahim El Sawi (EGY) by submission round 1.

Company profile

Company name: Dharma

Date started: 2018

Founders: Charaf El Mansouri, Nisma Benani, Leah Howe

Based: Abu Dhabi

Sector: TravelTech

Funding stage: Pre-series A 

Investors: Convivialite Ventures, BY Partners, Shorooq Partners, L& Ventures, Flat6Labs

ANATOMY%20OF%20A%20FALL
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJustine%20Triet%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESandra%20Huller%2C%20Swann%20Arlaud%2C%20Milo%20Machado-Graner%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Sarfira

Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad

Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal 

Rating: 2/5

BIRD%20BOX%20BARCELONA
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While you're here
Where to donate in the UAE

The Emirates Charity Portal

You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.

The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments

The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.

Al Noor Special Needs Centre

You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.

Beit Al Khair Society

Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.

Dar Al Ber Society

Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.

Dubai Cares

Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.

Emirates Airline Foundation

Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.

Emirates Red Crescent

On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.

Gulf for Good

Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.

Noor Dubai Foundation

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).

West Indies v India - Third ODI

India 251-4 (50 overs)
Dhoni (78*), Rahane (72), Jadhav (40)
Cummins (2-56), Bishoo (1-38)
West Indies 158 (38.1 overs)
Mohammed (40), Powell (30), Hope (24)
Ashwin (3-28), Yadav (3-41), Pandya (2-32)

India won by 93 runs

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How the bonus system works

The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.

The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.

There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).

All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.

What are NFTs?

Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.

You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”

However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.

This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”

This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.

'Nope'
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction

Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.

Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.

Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.

Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.

Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.

What are the guidelines?

Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.

Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.

Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.

Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.

Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.

Source: American Paediatric Association
2.0

Director: S Shankar

Producer: Lyca Productions; presented by Dharma Films

Cast: Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill

Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.

ANDROID%20VERSION%20NAMES%2C%20IN%20ORDER
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Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes

What is a Ponzi scheme?

A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.

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EXPATS
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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About Seez

Company name/date started: Seez, set up in September 2015 and the app was released in August 2017  

Founder/CEO name(s): Tarek Kabrit, co-founder and chief executive, and Andrew Kabrit, co-founder and chief operating officer

Based in: Dubai, with operations also in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon 

Sector:  Search engine for car buying, selling and leasing

Size: (employees/revenue): 11; undisclosed

Stage of funding: $1.8 million in seed funding; followed by another $1.5m bridge round - in the process of closing Series A 

Investors: Wamda Capital, B&Y and Phoenician Funds 

UAE'S%20YOUNG%20GUNS
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