PASADENA, CALIFORNIA // Just a few days into Louis Van Gaal’s latest high-profile job, the media are wasting no time exposing him to the lofty expectations at Manchester United.
Nor is the 62-year-old Dutchman wasting any time exposing the media to his own hardened approach.
“The pressure I put on myself is much bigger than what you can do,” Van Gaal said.
Match on.
His first week on the job has brought him to greater Los Angeles, where his club begin their preseason schedule Wednesday with a friendly against LA Galaxy of Major League Soccer at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
Read more: Manchester United ‘invading’ America like The Beatles before them
His pre-match duties included a 15-minute press conference Tuesday in which he answered a variety of questions from a group of around 40 reporters, and several dozen photographers and television cameras.
This part of the world – best known for a century-old college American football game and a New Year’s Day parade – may be tepid in its appreciation for Van Gaal’s sport, but the heat surrounding Old Trafford has followed him here, anyway.
No matter that he is still introducing himself to his players. Already he is being asked about transfers to fill holes, whether Javier Hernandez, a late addition to the travelling party, will stick with the team, and if the club will keep to a philosophy of developing young talent.
Mostly Van Gaal asked for time.
“At this moment, I can’t say anything about that,” he said when asked what areas he was pinpointing in the pursuit of more players. “I want to learn my players. I want to see how they perform.
“I want all the players to have a chance to show themselves.”
United operate in a high-pressure environment anyway, but this year the squeeze is a bit tighter. A humbling seventh-place finish, their worst in 25 years, in the English Premier League, which left them out of the Champions League, cost Van Gaal’s predecessor, David Moyes, his position after a mere 10 months.
Humility may be a heavenly virtue, but United want no part of it. Mediocrity is not an option at arguably the world’s most recognised sports team, backed by a huge financial operation that recently added Adidas and Chevrolet as major sponsors.
Van Gaal will be expected to clean up the mess quickly. His credentials, of course, are impressive: two stints with Barcelona, another with Bayern Munich, twice the manager of the Netherlands, who finished third at Brazil 2014 earlier this month.
The media, in general, may be approving of his hire, but they will watch him through a microscope as he deals with everything from the team’s performance to his ability to handle United’s travelling circus.
As newly signed Luke Shaw, the 19-year-old left-back, said Tuesday, “When I first turned up at Manchester United, everyone told me how big it is. But until you tour, you don’t understand just how big the fan base is. It’s crazy.”
Van Gaal already seems miffed at United’s pre-season schedule in the United States, which includes at least three more games in the International Champions Cup against Roma (in Denver on Saturday), Inter Milan (in Maryland next Tuesday) and Real Madrid (in Michigan on August 2). If they win their group, that means a final game, in Miami on August 4. Or put another way, United could have five matches in 13 days, broken up by four flights covering more than 6,300 kilometres – and not including the two leaps over the Atlantic.
“When you have a lot of commercial obligations, you have to fly a lot, you have jet lag,” he said. “This is not good for preparations. But Manchester United will do everything to adapt to my rules.”
Including, apparently, agreeing to a less demanding pre-season schedule next summer.
“They have already said that to me,” said Van Gaal. “I am confident the tour will be shorter.”
His immediate concern, of course, is whipping a team into shape in four weeks. His back line has lost three veteran players (captain Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra and Rio Ferdinand) in the off-season, from a side that in 2013/14 often lacked defensive organisation.
Despite the club’s ability to purchase pieces as Van Gaal sees fit, the new manager claims it isn’t as easy as opening up the check book.
“There are a lot of clubs capable of playing at a high level,” he said. “The financial situation – the teams in the Premier League have a much better chance to buy players. It is much more difficult than in the Netherlands or in Germany where not many clubs can give out the money.”
Not that the Old Trafford community, nor the travelling media, will care what the difficulty is. Only that Van Gaal pushes this weighty franchise back to the top.
sports@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter @SprtNationalUAE
Day 4, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Lahiru Gamage appeared to have been hard done by when he had his dismissal of Sami Aslam chalked off for a no-ball. Replays suggested he had not overstepped. No matter. Two balls later, the exact same combination – Gamage the bowler and Kusal Mendis at second slip – combined again to send Aslam back.
Stat of the day Haris Sohail took three wickets for one run in the only over he bowled, to end the Sri Lanka second innings in a hurry. That was as many as he had managed in total in his 10-year, 58-match first-class career to date. It was also the first time a bowler had taken three wickets having bowled just one over in an innings in Tests.
The verdict Just 119 more and with five wickets remaining seems like a perfectly attainable target for Pakistan. Factor in the fact the pitch is worn, is turning prodigiously, and that Sri Lanka’s seam bowlers have also been finding the strip to their liking, it is apparent the task is still a tough one. Still, though, thanks to Asad Shafiq and Sarfraz Ahmed, it is possible.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
The Bio
Favourite Emirati dish: I have so many because it has a lot of herbs and vegetables. Harees (oats with chicken) is one of them
Favourite place to go to: Dubai Mall because it has lots of sports shops.
Her motivation: My performance because I know that whatever I do, if I put the effort in, I’ll get results
During her free time: I like to drink coffee - a latte no sugar and no flavours. I do not like cold drinks
Pet peeve: That with every meal they give you a fries and Pepsi. That is so unhealthy
Advice to anyone who wants to be an ironman: Go for the goal. If you are consistent, you will get there. With the first one, it might not be what they want but they should start and just do it
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.”
Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
- Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
- Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
- Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
On sale: Now
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlmouneer%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dr%20Noha%20Khater%20and%20Rania%20Kadry%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEgypt%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E120%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBootstrapped%2C%20with%20support%20from%20Insead%20and%20Egyptian%20government%2C%20seed%20round%20of%20%3Cbr%3E%243.6%20million%20led%20by%20Global%20Ventures%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The biog:
Languages: Arabic, Farsi, Hindi, basic Russian
Favourite food: Pizza
Best food on the road: rice
Favourite colour: silver
Favourite bike: Gold Wing, Honda
Favourite biking destination: Canada
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5