Wenger the best option
Some Arsenal fans have turned on their manager, Arsene Wenger. There have been protests at games and a horrible video emerged of the Frenchman being verbally abused by "supporters" while boarding a train with his players.
Arsenal fans have a right to be frustrated, as the club don't seem any nearer to challenging for a title, which they last won in 2004. Their loss at Stoke City on Saturday was worse than the 3-2 scoreline suggested. They were three goals down and it should have been 4-0 after a Bojan Krkic goal was dubiously disallowed. But Arsenal are in the Uefa Champions League knockout rounds. They will more than likely finish in the top four in the Premier League and qualify for Europe again. Every fan wants their club to contend for first, not be content with fourth, but Arsenal supporters should ask themselves – who would do better?
A look at rivals Manchester United should be a warning to them. Held together by Alex Ferguson for 26 years, United dropped seven league places the season after he left.
The club acted fast to remedy the issue – and spent a whole lot of money – but it will be at least another season before they are title contenders.
Arsenal don’t have the same spending power to throw money at their mistakes and if Wenger leaves after 19 years at the helm, the club will be in transition and it might be a long time before they see the top four again.
City’s luck is in
Sergio Aguero is playing the role that Luis Suarez performed for Liverpool last season. Chief goalscorer, major creator, leading from the front inspirationally.
Manchester City are not quite as reliant on him as Liverpool were on Suarez, since they also have Yaya Toure, David Silva, Vincent Kompany and a support act of quality players.
But with Aguero expected to miss at least a month with a knee injury, and Kompany and Silva also out, City enter a key period in which their title challenge could easily falter.
They could not have asked for a better run of games without Aguero. Leicester City, West Brom, Burnley and Sunderland are their next opponents, placed 20th, 19th, 16th and 14th in the table. The luck of champions, perhaps.
Carroll shows a trend
Andy Carroll performs miserably for most of his West Ham United career, then scores twice in a game and is suddenly “unplayable”. It says a lot about just how hard it can be to stop a big striker when you play to his strengths.
Wilfried Bony, Graziano Pelle, Peter Crouch – the target man is back in fashion.
Because, for all your patient build-up and passing football, there is little more devastating than an inch-perfect cross placed on the head of someone who knows how to head the ball.
twoods@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter @SprtNationalUAE
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
