Q: How are Everton looking in the transfer market under new ownership?
@Mattie.Middleton asks on Instagram
A: I have been critical of the Friedkin Group when it comes to some of their decision making at Roma, the Italian club also under the American group's ownership. It was evident they didn’t understand the culture of Italian football, and I wondered how they would fare in England. But so far, so good; a new stadium, some good results in the second half of the season and Liam Delap potentially on the way. There’s room for optimism at Everton.
When it comes to transfers, a new striker, a right winger and a starting right-back are the priority, but in the words of David Moyes, there’s a lot of work to be done. “We’ve got an awful lot of players out of contract, we’ve got the most players on loan of any club in the Premier League,” he said.
Signing Delap from Ipswich would be a coup, especially with Manchester United showing interest. Even with their problems, it may be hard for him to reject United, but Everton can provide the 22-year-old striker with an intriguing project and the chance to be the team’s leader.
The club have also been linked to Liverpool winger Ben Doak who impressed on loan at Middlesbrough in the Championship. However, he suffered a season-ending hamstring injury at the end of January and it will cost Everton upwards of £30 million to prise him away from Liverpool. Lille midfielder Ngal’ayel Mukau is another target.
Q: Erik Ten Hag has been appointed at Bayer Leverkusen, do you think it will work?
Zeeh107 asks on X
A: Losing Xabi Alonso, who has replaced Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid, was a blow for Leverkusen. However, this is an incredibly well run club, and boast a sporting director in Simon Wolfes that many credit with building the team that Alonso led to victory.
Wolfes understands the football landscape and what is required to win. He brought in players with great potential as well as experience that offered balance. Erik ten Hag, the club feels, is the right manager to continue the project.
The Dutchman might have failed at Manchester United, but let’s not forget that he won the League Cup and the FA Cup during his time there, which is more than they seem capable of doing right now.
Ten Hag has previous experience of German football having been head coach of Bayern Munich reserves under Pep Guardiola in 2013.
His Ajax team overachieved, guiding young players like Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt to the Uefa Champions League semi-finals in 2019.
With good support and quality investments, Ten Hag can build on what Alonso achieved.
Q: Should Tottenham sack Ange Postecoglou. He did win a trophy but surely finishing in 17th should have consequences?
@Natashareith on Instagram
A: It’s been such a poor domestic season for Spurs but the Australian coach did lead them to the Europa League title – their first trophy in 17 years.
I listened to a caller on the radio who argued that Spurs didn’t exactly beat tough opposition in the Europa League, so how impressive was this achievement? Barring Eintracht Frankfurt, Spurs were vastly superior to many of their opponents.
However, it’s also worth noting that winning trophies changes mentalities. Giorgio Chiellini famously said that Spurs’ history has been defined by losing; Guglielmo Vicario made a point of saying that’s all changed now. “It’s the history of Tottenham. We’ve changed history,” Spurs' goalkeeper posted on social media.
I think winning a trophy should result in the coach being given more time and support by way of investing in better and more experienced talent. Postecoglou seems to enjoy the support of the dressing room, too.
I don’t want to disregard the 22 Premier League losses; it’s shocking. However, I doubt many of his potential replacements mentioned to replace him would fare much better.
Q: Will Simone Inzaghi stay at Inter? Italian reports talk of a potential move to Saudi Arabia
@untitledbyMaysa on Instagram
A: According to those reports, the club in question is Al Hilal, who are on the lookout for a new manager, adding that they hope to lure the Italian with a €30m a season salary.
On Tuesday, Inzaghi admitted that he had received offers, from Saudi Arabia and elsewhere, but batted away suggestions he would leave Inter. “It happens every year,” he said. “There are requests from Italy, abroad, Saudi Arabia, but it would be crazy to think about that.”
He is annoyed with the timing of the reports as he prepares for the most important match of his life: Saturday's Uefa Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain.
Inzaghi said he will sit down with Inter at the end of the season and discuss their future together, but I doubt that he will leave. He is happy at Inter and feels he’s well supported and respected, and is eager to keep building. At Lazio, his previous club, he spent 22 years as player, coach of the youth team and then first-team manager. When he’s happy, Inzaghi tends to stay.
Q: It’s clearly not working out at Manchester United, is there a possibility of Sheikh Jassim coming back in with a bid?
@AlYazid on Instagram
A: The Qatari consortium headed by Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani reportedly has no plans to revive its bid to purchase Manchester United, despite the club's share price having dropped significantly.
The fans were hopeful when Ineos billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe came on board and purchased a minority stake, largely because he would take on operational control of football matters. However, the club’s fortunes have worsened rather than eased. The club’s finances are dwindling while cost-cutting measures have left an unpleasant aftertaste.
Following United’s defeat in the Europa League final last Wednesday, the club’s share price plummeted more than 17% compared to the same time last year. As of Wednesday, the club's share price is now $13.46 per share.
Would United be better off if Sheikh Jassim's bid, which was withdrawn, been accepted ahead of Ratcliffe's? It's impossible to know, but it could hardly have been much worse.
'THE WORST THING YOU CAN EAT'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch automatic
Power: 169bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh54,500
On sale: now
TOURNAMENT INFO
Fixtures
Sunday January 5 - Oman v UAE
Monday January 6 - UAE v Namibia
Wednesday January 8 - Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 - Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 - UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid, Darius D’Silva, Karthik Meiyappan, Jonathan Figy, Vriitya Aravind, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Basil Hameed, Chirag Suri
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
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
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LAST-16 FIXTURES
Sunday, January 20
3pm: Jordan v Vietnam at Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai
6pm: Thailand v China at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
9pm: Iran v Oman at Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Monday, January 21
3pm: Japan v Saudi Arabia at Sharjah Stadium
6pm: Australia v Uzbekistan at Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
9pm: UAE v Kyrgyzstan at Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Tuesday, January 22
5pm: South Korea v Bahrain at Rashid Stadium, Dubai
8pm: Qatar v Iraq at Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi
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
Should late investors consider cryptocurrencies?
Wealth managers recommend late investors to have a balanced portfolio that typically includes traditional assets such as cash, government and corporate bonds, equities, commodities and commercial property.
They do not usually recommend investing in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies due to the risk and volatility associated with them.
“It has produced eye-watering returns for some, whereas others have lost substantially as this has all depended purely on timing and when the buy-in was. If someone still has about 20 to 25 years until retirement, there isn’t any need to take such risks,” Rupert Connor of Abacus Financial Consultant says.
He adds that if a person is interested in owning a business or growing a property portfolio to increase their retirement income, this can be encouraged provided they keep in mind the overall risk profile of these assets.
Australia tour of Pakistan
March 4-8: First Test, Rawalpindi
March 12-16: Second Test, Karachi
March 21-25: Third Test, Lahore
March 29: First ODI, Rawalpindi
March 31: Second ODI, Rawalpindi
April 2: Third ODI, Rawalpindi
April 5: T20I, Rawalpindi
MATCH INFO
Manchester United v Brighton, Sunday, 6pm UAE
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
more from Janine di Giovanni
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Fasset%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2019%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mohammad%20Raafi%20Hossain%2C%20Daniel%20Ahmed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%242.45%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2086%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-series%20B%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Investcorp%2C%20Liberty%20City%20Ventures%2C%20Fatima%20Gobi%20Ventures%2C%20Primal%20Capital%2C%20Wealthwell%20Ventures%2C%20FHS%20Capital%2C%20VN2%20Capital%2C%20local%20family%20offices%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Team Angel Wolf Beach Blast takes place every Wednesday between 4:30pm and 5:30pm
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The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
Price, base: Dh1,731,672
Engine: 6.5-litre V12
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm
Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm
Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km
Tales of Yusuf Tadros
Adel Esmat (translated by Mandy McClure)
Hoopoe
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