Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal concedes he feels the significance of Sunday's Premier League match against Liverpool looming.
Liverpool have gone 13 league games unbeaten since losing at United in December – winning eight of their past nine fixtures – and victory on Sunday would lift them above their fierce rivals and into the Champions League places.
United’s own form dipped following the win over Liverpool and although they have been beaten only twice in their 13 games since, manager Van Gaal has come in for criticism over the lack of creativity in his side’s attacking play.
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However, United blew off the cobwebs last weekend with a 3-0 dismantling of Tottenham Hotspur.
And now Van Gaal wants to consolidate those gains against Liverpool and solidify his side’s chances of finishing in the top four, Van Gaal’s stated goal for the club before the season.
The trip to Anfield continues a decisive run of games for United that will also feature encounters with Aston Villa, champions Manchester City and leaders Chelsea.
“I want to win against them again. It’s very important,” Van Gaal said.
“I think every player knows the importance of this game. We are in a very crucial stage and cannot lose.”
Brendan Rodgers believes the periodic criticism of Van Gaal this season has been unjustified.
“He has shown over his career that he is a top-class manager,” Rodgers said. “He will have seen, coming into this country for the first time, the challenges of this football. It is why it is the most competitive league in the world.
“The Premier League is different from the leagues he will have worked in before, but I don’t think you can argue with his credentials.
“There is no question about the philosophies he has put in place at Ajax or Barcelona or his achievements, and when he leaves Manchester United he will still be one of the great managers.”
Sunday’s encounter has gained furhter significance by the fact that all of the two clubs’ rivals for a top-four place – Man City, Arsenal, Tottenham and Southampton – recorded victories on Saturday.
Van Gaal has Angel di Maria available again after a one-game suspension, but the Argentina winger is not certain to return to the starting XI after Juan Mata impressed in the win against Spurs.
Left-back Luke Shaw is out with a hamstring injury, while fellow defender Marcos Rojo is a doubt with a groin complaint and Jonny Evans is serving a ban for spitting at Newcastle United’s Papiss Cisse.
Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva faces a late fitness test, having spent six weeks on the sidelines with a groin problem. Mario Balotelli is back after illness forced him to miss Monday’s 1-0 win at Swansea City.
Captain Steven Gerrard is also in contention to start, having returned as a substitute at the Liberty Stadium following a month-long absence with a hamstring injury.
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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.”
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
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Favourite food: Japanese
Favourite car: Lamborghini
Favourite hobby: Football
Favourite quote: If your dreams don’t scare you, they are not big enough
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