BURNLEY // When Raheem Sterling sped into the Burnley box to deliver Liverpool’s first league win in four attempts, their side consisted of Simon Mignolet, two defenders and eight midfielders shoehorned into roles that, in several cases, they have rarely occupied.
Their performance, some felt, was nearing the levels of wretchedness reached in the away games against Basel and Crystal Palace, which represent the twin nadirs in a miserable season.
Yet once Sterling had rounded Tom Heaton and scored his third goal in as many games, Liverpool secured a result that probably ranks among the best of their campaign.
That is an indictment in itself, given the gulf in resources that separates them from Burnley.
The underfunded underdogs dominated the first half.
Liverpool, as they have done so often this season, looked unprepared, unable to rise to the challenge and incapable of playing their passing game.
Yet they departed Turf Moor with a result that has the potential to prove a turning point, even if the performance indicates it is likelier to be one of the false dawns that have pockmarked Liverpool’s season.
Certainly it is hard to argue that this is a formula for success, even though the match-winner was one of the midfielders chosen out of position.
Not all of Brendan Rodgers’s left-field selections are logic-defying and Sterling has added sharpness to a blunt Liverpool attack since being shifted further forward.
His pace was used on the flanks or between the lines last season; now it is deployed behind opposition defences and Sterling sprung the offside trap to surge on to Philippe Coutinho’s hooked pass.
The scenario was familiar, eerily similar to when Sterling burst clear against Manchester United and was denied by David de Gea.
Sterling, 20, illustrated he has greater composure now.
“He is a quick learner,” Rodgers said. “His pace will take him away from anyone and since that game he has gone away with the coaches and worked on that type of finish, both left side and right side.”
Meanwhile, Mario Balotelli, who has not provided any sort of successful finish for Liverpool in the Premier League, languished on the bench.
Rickie Lambert, who lacks the speed to run in behind defences, made a brief cameo.
In Daniel Sturridge’s absence, Sterling has surged to the front of the striking pecking order.
Goalscorers have a capacity to distort games and camouflage flaws.
Sterling’s strike enabled Rodgers to argue Liverpool were not lucky. “Not at all,” he insisted to a disbelieving audience. “We deserved three points for the character we showed.”
Burnley were not inclined to agree.
“We had our pocket pinched with how they got away with a win,” manager Sean Dyche said. “That was as well as we have played, considering the opposition, since I have been at the club.
“If not totally dominant, we were very dominant.”
Yet their superiority was not reflected in the scoreline.
The margins, as Dyche noted, are narrow.
Danny Ings drilled a shot against the base of the post.
Lucas Leiva got the slightest of deflections to stop Scott Arfield’s shot nestling in the net.
Liverpool kept a clean sheet in a game where not one but two much-maligned goalkeepers were not beaten.
Brad Jones, who scarcely moved for Ings’s shot, went off a minute later with a thigh injury.
The dropped Mignolet’s return came after a three-game exile. “He didn’t have a lot to do,” Rodgers said, crediting his defence.
The back three in question changed at half-time when Rodgers removed Kolo Toure and brought on Emre Can – completing an octet of midfielders – as an auxiliary centre-back.
He left out there Lazar Markovic, the ersatz left wing-back who had been outmanoeuvred and outnumbered by George Boyd and Kieran Trippier, while refusing to alter his 3-4-2-1 system.
“I felt that wasn’t our problem,” Rodgers said.
The manager’s words were no more convincing than his team’s display but, should this prove part of a revival, the result will have an eloquence of its own.
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The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
More on animal trafficking
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.”
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Fixtures
Sunday, December 8, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – UAE v USA
Monday, December 9, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – USA v Scotland
Wednesday, December 11, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – UAE v Scotland
Thursday, December 12, ICC Academy, Dubai – UAE v USA
Saturday, December 14, ICC Academy, Dubai – USA v Scotland
Sunday, December 15, ICC Academy, Dubai – UAE v Scotland
Note: All matches start at 10am, admission is free
More on Quran memorisation:
The bio
Who inspires you?
I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist
How do you relax?
Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.
What is favourite book?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times
What is your favourite Arabic film?
Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki
What is favourite English film?
Mamma Mia
Best piece of advice to someone looking for a career at Google?
If you’re interested in a career at Google, deep dive into the different career paths and pinpoint the space you want to join. When you know your space, you’re likely to identify the skills you need to develop.
Babumoshai Bandookbaaz
Director: Kushan Nandy
Starring: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Bidita Bag, Jatin Goswami
Three stars
