Would winning the FA Cup be enough to save Roberto Mancini's job if Manchester City failed to qualify for the Champions League next season?
I doubt it. Finishing outside the top four in the league is not an option for City.
City's fans may see it differently, but their season will be defined by where they finish in the league. The real currency is not in FA Cups, but league titles and European Cups.
City are desperate to be in the Champions League next season and with good reason. Everything at the club is geared towards getting into that competition partly because the Champions League is, without exception, the competition that all the top players want to be in.
Ask Liverpool's Steven Gerrard if he has enjoyed not playing in the Champions League this season. He will have been mortified by the situation.
Ask Fernando Torres why he wanted to leave Liverpool. The lack of Champions League football will be the main reason.
The Europa League may be a European competition, but it is often rated a joke competition by top players with too many games played in half empty stadiums on a Thursday night.
You saw how leggy Manchester United looked against City in the second half on Saturday after two very hard Champions League games against Chelsea. Champions League football takes a lot out of you.
The extra games and travel can exhaust you. Europa League football can take even more out of you and that would damage City's league plans next year.
I live in Manchester and know a lot of City fans. My son plays for City and I'm often at the club where I'm treated well as a former player, despite being more associated with United.
I'm sure the relief of winning a first trophy in 35 years will be enough for City fans, especially as they beat United on the way to Wembley.
Some have asked me whether the win over United could be the catalyst for a glorious City future. I'm not convinced that it will be as I'm not convinced about City under Mancini.
I've watched them a lot this season. With their resources they should be doing far better against the bigger teams in the league and they should also playing more attractive football.
They have flair players like Adam Johnson who cannot express themselves and are ticked off for neglecting defensive duties.
Did you see James Milner shaking his head at the manager when he was substituted at Liverpool last week?
Then there are the expensive forwards, such as Edin Dzeko, who seldom play.
Carlos Tevez is the main man, but he plays alone up front by himself. It will be a big boost for City having him back for the FA Cup final.
City are progressing, but I can't see them going anywhere in the Champions League if they actually qualify for it. And that's another problem.
Maybe I'll be proved wrong. Mancini has experience managing in the competition but City seem too rigid and defence minded.
I'm convinced that they would be taken apart by Barcelona or Real Madrid if they don't change how they play.
There are bright spots and City have some outstanding players. David Silva can unlock defences from the most negative of formations and while Yaya Toure carries a bit of weight, he's had an excellent season and scored the winning goal against United at Wembley.
That may well be remembered as the highlight of the season for most City fans, a highlight of the last decade even, but I believe that they should have made more progress given the resources spent at the club. I think City could find next season even tougher than this.
Chelsea feel they have a point to prove after being written off this term.
Players like John Terry and Frank Lampard have been written off by some, Torres too.
I don't believe any of it. They will come back stronger, make no mistake.
United are going to buy another two or three players because they will want to keep their title.
Arsene Wenger needs to start producing results at Arsenal, while a much improved Tottenham Hotspur pipped City to the Champions League last season.
Will they do the same this year? After what happened last year their players certainly think so.
Andrew Cole's column is written with the assistance of European football correspondent Andy Mitten
sports@thenational.ae
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Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 178hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 280Nm at 1,350-4,200rpm
Transmission: seven-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: from Dh209,000
On sale: now
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Sunday's Super Four matches
Dubai, 3.30pm
India v Pakistan
Abu Dhabi, 3.30pm
Bangladesh v Afghanistan
South Africa squad
Faf du Plessis (captain), Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock (wicketkeeper), Theunis de Bruyn, AB de Villiers, Dean Elgar, Heinrich Klaasen (wicketkeeper), Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Morne Morkel, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Results
6.30pm: Baniyas (PA) Group 2 Dh195,000 1,400m | Winner: ES Ajeeb, Sam Hitchcock (jockey), Ibrahim Aseel (trainer)
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 1,400m | Winner: Al Shamkhah, Royston Ffrench, Sandeep Jadhav
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh190,000 1,200m | Winner: Lavaspin, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
8.15pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 1,200m | Winner: Kawasir, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi
8.50pm: Rated Conditions (TB) Dh240,000 1,600m | Winner: Cosmo Charlie, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
9.20pm: Handicap (TB) Dh165,000 1,400m | Winner: Bochart, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
10pm: Handicap (TB) Dh175,000 2,000m | Winner: Quartier Francais, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Sub Regional Qualifier
Event info: The tournament in Kuwait this month is the first phase of the qualifying process for sides from Asia for the 2020 World T20 in Australia. The UAE must finish within the top three teams out of the six at the competition to advance to the Asia regional finals. Success at regional finals would mean progression to the World T20 Qualifier.
UAE’s fixtures: Fri Apr 20, UAE v Qatar; Sat Apr 21, UAE v Saudi Arabia; Mon Apr 23, UAE v Bahrain; Tue Apr 24, UAE v Maldives; Thu Apr 26, UAE v Kuwait
World T20 2020 Qualifying process:
- Sixteen teams will play at the World T20 in two years’ time.
- Australia have already qualified as hosts
- Nine places are available to the top nine ranked sides in the ICC’s T20i standings, not including Australia, on Dec 31, 2018.
- The final six teams will be decided by a 14-team World T20 Qualifier.
World T20 standings: 1 Pakistan; 2 Australia; 3 India; 4 New Zealand; 5 England; 6 South Africa; 7 West Indies; 8 Sri Lanka; 9 Afghanistan; 10 Bangladesh; 11 Scotland; 12 Zimbabwe; 13 UAE; 14 Netherlands; 15 Hong Kong; 16 Papua New Guinea; 17 Oman; 18 Ireland
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
Sanju
Produced: Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani
Director: Rajkumar Hirani
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal, Paresh Rawal, Anushka Sharma, Manish’s Koirala, Dia Mirza, Sonam Kapoor, Jim Sarbh, Boman Irani
Rating: 3.5 stars
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
The Bio
Favourite place in UAE: Al Rams pearling village
What one book should everyone read: Any book written before electricity was invented. When a writer willingly worked under candlelight, you know he/she had a real passion for their craft
Your favourite type of pearl: All of them. No pearl looks the same and each carries its own unique characteristics, like humans
Best time to swim in the sea: When there is enough light to see beneath the surface
