It’s often said that the team with the best defence wins a tournament. Recent evidence might suggest it’s the team with the best midfield – or at least with players able to control a match, dictate the tempo, and choose the right moments to take risks.
That word “control” has been used repeatedly by England’s interim head coach Lee Carsley who, like the rest of us, watched as Spain dominated the Three Lions in the final of Euro 2024 – a match they were never truly in save for a solitary moment of quality from Cole Palmer.
The England team of last summer, Gareth Southgate’s final one in charge, was full of dynamic individuals capable of producing such flashes of brilliance.
What it sorely lacked though was the cohesion or fluency brought by Rodri, or Martin Zubimendi, who seamlessly replaced him at half-time to dash English dreams of a Spanish midfield collapse.
Such hopes were misplaced against a nation who excel in producing technically gifted, high IQ playmakers, the type of which seem to have eluded England since Michael Carrick, whose meagre tally of 34 caps prove the absence of a midfield conductor has been a cultural blind spot as much as it has been a failure of player development.
While the Manchester United man was criminally underused, the debate raged as to how to fit Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard into the same side. The prioritising of Jude Bellingham’s maverick tendencies in Germany at a cost to the overall balance of the team showed that such attitudes still prevail in English football.
However, Carsley, himself an underrated and tactically astute midfielder in his playing days, clearly believes that identifying a different type of player is critical to England’s chances of ending their long wait for silverware. The type of player who can bring calmness and lucid thinking to a high-stakes knockout scenario as an antidote to the anxiety and individualism such games often provoke in English players.
On Tuesday night, Lille's Angel Gomes auditioned for the role with an encouraging full debut in the 2-0 Nations League victory over Finland.
Gomes, formerly a highly rated attacking player in Manchester United’s academy, has reinvented himself deeper in midfield in Ligue 1 and showed just how far he has come as he stylishly knitted things together at Wembley.
He was uncapped prior to Carsley’s arrival in interim charge but was a key member of his successful under-21 side and added a fresh dimension to the England midfield with his 116 completed passes comfortably the most of any player on the pitch.
He earned praise for being “busy” and “always available” from TV pundits Roy Keane and Ian Wright. His manager said the plaudits were fully deserved.
"He's a great person. He loves football, he watches football, he's interested in tactics, he knows all the players in any league,” Carsley said of Gomes. "If you ask him for any feedback, you need to be prepared that he's going to give you some feedback on the session, or how we're going to build up, or the positions.
"He'll often say about some build-ups he's done with other clubs, or what he's played against, because he's obviously playing in France, so he sees different things. He fully deserves it."
Southgate took a player with similar attributes to the Euros in the shape of Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton but the 20-year-old was confined to the bench. With Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City all said to be monitoring his progress, Wharton looks set for a prosperous career in the Premier League and international football as another emerging midfield option.
With Bellingham's world-class ability and Declan Rice's lung-busting qualities, a smart playmaker who can take the ball under pressure and offer continuity would help create a potent blend.
As for Carsley, the future remains unclear. With a run of six games in interim charge it could be viewed as his job to lose. For now, he can only focus on what he can control: squad selection, tactics and, ideally, the midfield.
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
Company profile
Company: Verity
Date started: May 2021
Founders: Kamal Al-Samarrai, Dina Shoman and Omar Al Sharif
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech
Size: four team members
Stage: Intially bootstrapped but recently closed its first pre-seed round of $800,000
Investors: Wamda, VentureSouq, Beyond Capital and regional angel investors
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
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Abu Dhabi traffic facts
Drivers in Abu Dhabi spend 10 per cent longer in congested conditions than they would on a free-flowing road
The highest volume of traffic on the roads is found between 7am and 8am on a Sunday.
Travelling before 7am on a Sunday could save up to four hours per year on a 30-minute commute.
The day was the least congestion in Abu Dhabi in 2019 was Tuesday, August 13.
The highest levels of traffic were found on Sunday, November 10.
Drivers in Abu Dhabi lost 41 hours spent in traffic jams in rush hour during 2019
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
The%20specs
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Banthology: Stories from Unwanted Nations
Edited by Sarah Cleave, Comma Press
Apple product price list
iPad Pro
11" - $799 (64GB)
12.9" - $999 (64GB)
MacBook Air
$1,199
Mac Mini
$799
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ENGLAND TEAM
Alastair Cook, Mark Stoneman, James Vince, Joe Root (captain), Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Craig Overton, Stuart Broad, James Anderson
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Oscars in the UAE
The 90th Academy Awards will be aired in the UAE from 3.30am on Monday, March 5 on OSN, with the ceremony starting at 5am
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
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
Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EHigh%20fever%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EIntense%20pain%20behind%20your%20eyes%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ESevere%20headache%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EMuscle%20and%20joint%20pains%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ENausea%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EVomiting%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ESwollen%20glands%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ERash%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIf%20symptoms%20occur%2C%20they%20usually%20last%20for%20two-seven%20days%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE cricketers abroad
Sid Jhurani is not the first cricketer from the UAE to go to the UK to try his luck.
Rameez Shahzad Played alongside Ben Stokes and Liam Plunkett in Durham while he was studying there. He also played club cricket as an overseas professional, but his time in the UK stunted his UAE career. The batsman went a decade without playing for the national team.
Yodhin Punja The seam bowler was named in the UAE’s extended World Cup squad in 2015 despite being just 15 at the time. He made his senior UAE debut aged 16, and subsequently took up a scholarship at Claremont High School in the south of England.
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Bharatanatyam
A ancient classical dance from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Intricate footwork and expressions are used to denote spiritual stories and ideas.
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Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
UAE%20v%20West%20Indies
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Jawan
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