The National's Sport cover for the Sunday, January 24 issue, featuring Southampton's Charlie Austin as he scored the goal to down Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Richard Jolly writes of, after another dour United performance, Louis van Gaal's culpability in his club's often listless displays:
“Some managers sign specialist goalscorers. Others sell them.
“Louis van Gaal is the man who dispensed with Javier Hernandez and who argued he did not want competition for places in attack. He has spent £285 million (Dh1.5 billion) without buying an out-and-out finisher, perhaps rationalising that his side create them too few chances to flourish.
“How damning that he was condemned to defeat by Southampton’s striking substitute, Charlie Austin, a newcomer flourishing at Old Trafford.
“What a start for Austin, delivering a winner seven minutes and 43 seconds into his debut. What a reward for Koeman, Van Gaal’s protege turned enemy, who signed Austin for a cut-price fee of £4m, and saw the newcomer secure Saints’ second successive win at Old Trafford.
“This provided a microcosm of the problems under Van Gaal.
“Devoid of ideas, invention or incision, lacking ambition or attacking football, failing to excite or entertain, United are barren and boring. They mustered one shot on target. That, from Daley Blind, was tame and saved easily by Fraser Forster.
“They were booed off after the final whistle.”
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
While you're here
The%20specs
I Feel Pretty
Dir: Abby Kohn/Mark Silverstein
Starring: Amy Schumer, Michelle Williams, Emily Ratajkowski, Rory Scovel
Related
COMPANY%20PROFILE
DUBAI WORLD CUP RACE CARD
6.30pm Meydan Classic Trial US$100,000 (Turf) 1,400m
7.05pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,400m
7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas Group Three $250,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
8.15pm Dubai Sprint Listed Handicap $175,000 (T) 1,200m
8.50pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 Group Two $450,000 (D) 1,900m
9.25pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,800m
10pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,400m
The National selections
6.30pm Well Of Wisdom
7.05pm Summrghand
7.40pm Laser Show
8.15pm Angel Alexander
8.50pm Benbatl
9.25pm Art Du Val
10pm: Beyond Reason
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
Why%20all%20the%20lefties%3F
COMPANY%20PROFILE
Company profile
Company: Rent Your Wardrobe
Date started: May 2021
Founder: Mamta Arora
Based: Dubai
Sector: Clothes rental subscription
Stage: Bootstrapped, self-funded
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 290hp
Torque: 340Nm
Price: Dh155,800
On sale: now
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.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:
Ajax 2-3 Tottenham
Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate
Final: June 1, Madrid
The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
Company%20profile
The Internet
Hive Mind
four stars
More from Con Coughlin
Plastic tipping points
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group C
Liverpool v Napoli, midnight
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models

