Michael Laudrup says Swansea City must embrace the burden of expectation going into this month’s Capital One Cup final against Bradford City at Wembley Stadium.
“We have to accept we’re favourites,” Laudrup said.
“We have to be because we’re playing in the Premier League and they’re in League Two. That’s just how it is.
“It’ll be a huge game for everybody.
“Before the quarter-final against Middlesbrough I asked my team who had ever played in a cup final; one player only, Pablo Hernandez, when he was with me five years ago in Getafe.
“So this is about the trophy.
“But it’ll be the same or even more so for Bradford.
“Imagine a fourth division team going to Wembley, with 90,000 fans [in the stadium]. So if we’re talking about being a little nervous before the final it goes for them as well.”
With Swansea on the verge of a first major title, and currently in seventh place in the English top flight, the Danish manager acknowledges that his side have far exceeded all their pre-season predictions.
“When I came in July we talked about ‘second season syndrome’ and then lost key players, so everybody thought we’d struggle,” Laudrup said.
“So to have 37 points after 26 games and be in a final is way ahead of what I could’ve imagined.”
Meanwhile Michu says he remains committed to Swansea City despite rumours linking him with some of Europe's most successful clubs.
The Spaniard, a £2.2 million (Dh12.5m) signing last summer from Rayo Vallecano, is widely regarded as the bargain of the season, scoring 18 goals in 32 matches as the English Premier League side have risen to seventh in the table and reached the final of the Capital One Cup.
Such form has reportedly attracted interest from both Real Madrid and Barcelona, while Atletico Madrid and Chelsea have also been linked with a summer move.
However, Michu last month signed a contract to extend his stay with Swansea until 2016 and, speaking yesterday during his side's mid-season training camp in Dubai, reiterated his desire to continue at the Liberty Stadium.
"I'm happy at Swansea," said Michu, 26. "If we win the final we go into Europe so I'm very happy at the club and not thinking about these teams. I'm enjoying only my time here."
Michu, an attacking midfielder who has been operating this season as a striker, sits behind only Robin van Persie and Luis Suarez in the Premier League's goalscoring charts.
Saturday's brace against Queens Park Rangers increased his top-flight tally to 15, ending a run of six games without a goal.
Michu, though, says he never doubted he would be a success in England.
"I believe in my quality," he said. "It's difficult for the first year as most people need time to acclimatise to the Premier League, but Swansea is a small team, like a family, and that makes it easier.
"We can win, we can lose, but we always try to play good football. We're in a good position in the league and to maybe win a title and get into Europe would be a great season."
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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.”
Fixtures
Friday Leganes v Alaves, 10.15pm; Valencia v Las Palmas, 12.15am
Saturday Celta Vigo v Real Sociedad, 8.15pm; Girona v Atletico Madrid, 10.15pm; Sevilla v Espanyol, 12.15am
Sunday Athletic Bilbao v Getafe, 8.15am; Barcelona v Real Betis, 10.15pm; Deportivo v Real Madrid, 12.15am
Monday Levante v Villarreal, 10.15pm; Malaga v Eibar, midnight
Charlotte Gainsbourg
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