Louis van Gaal's penchant for fielding Manchester United players out of their natural positions has received a great deal of attention this term.
It was widely noted, for instance, that United's front four towards the end of the 3-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur earlier this month featured one winger at centre-forward and one in a No 10 role, as well as a centre-forward out wide and a No 10 on the other flank.
To underline the point further, many acknowledged the presence of Marcos Rojo, a centre-half by trade, at left-back, and Daley Blind, nominally a midfield player, in the heart of the backline.
Some of Van Gaal’s decisions in this regard have been baffling, but his redeployment of Blind cannot be included in that category.
The use of the Dutchman in defence has been a success, as well as part of a wider trend that has seen many possession-based sides employ midfielders or players with qualities associated with the position at centre-back.
• Read more: Marcus Rashford example is Manchester United way with youth – would Jose Mourinho get it right?
• Also see: Manchester United stall Leicester City celebration, but Chelsea stop Spurs – PL predictions
Blind has demonstrated his versatility ever since moving to Old Trafford in 2014, the former Ajax man used as a left-back, a left wing-back, a central midfielder and a centre-half at various points in the last two seasons.
The majority of his appearances in 2015/16 have come in the middle of United's defence, however, with Blind making more Premier League starts than anyone else at the club.
The 26-year-old’s accurate passing has been important to a side who routinely dominate possession, with Blind’s intelligence, positioning and reading of the game other attributes that have seen him excel in the role.
United regularly face opponents who sit deep and allow them control of the ball – a game plan Leicester City will enact on Sunday – which heightens the need for a player with good distribution to form part of the back four.
Since many teams press United in midfield but are wary of closing down too high up the pitch, the players with the most time in possession are the central defenders, who are often relied upon to build the play and control the tempo – duties usually associated with players further up the park.
Van Gaal made that observation back in 1997, a few years after he had deployed former midfielder Frank Rijkaard in Ajax’s defence.
“In modern football the two centre-backs have really become the playmakers,” he said in The Coaching Philosophies of Louis van Gaal and the Ajax Coaches. “The No 10, behind the strikers, can’t be called a playmaker anymore because the space in which he operates is too restricted.”
It was for the same reason that Barcelona's Javier Mascherano was re-stationed at centre-back by Pep Guardiola, who has also frequently dropped Javi Martinez into Bayern Munich's backline.
Other top teams rely on centre-halves who possess the same technical characteristics as the traditional midfielder. Borussia Dortmund's Mats Hummels, Juventus' Leonardo Bonucci and Paris Saint-Germain's David Luiz are examples of central defenders who are adept at bringing the ball out from the back, thus allowing their forward-thinking teammates to remain in advanced positions.
Those sides who are content to cede possession and defend deep have less need for a centre-back in Blind’s mould, but the Netherlands international has proven himself to be an essential part of United’s approach under Van Gaal.
He has also exceeded expectations with regards to the physical side of the game, Everton's Romelu Lukaku coming off second best in his battle with the Dutchman in a Premier League encounter four weeks ago.
"I feel good in that position ... I've shown it's not only about strength but also quick thinking and being in the right position," Blind told United Review.
“I know my job and that’s why I’m in the middle as well, to play balls into the midfielders and then play from there. It’s about helping the build-up of the game and that’s one of my strengths.”
It may not be the position in which he started his career, but the use of Blind at centre-back has been an overwhelming success.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Hili 2: Unesco World Heritage site
The site is part of the Hili archaeological park in Al Ain. Excavations there have proved the existence of the earliest known agricultural communities in modern-day UAE. Some date to the Bronze Age but Hili 2 is an Iron Age site. The Iron Age witnessed the development of the falaj, a network of channels that funnelled water from natural springs in the area. Wells allowed settlements to be established, but falaj meant they could grow and thrive. Unesco, the UN's cultural body, awarded Al Ain's sites - including Hili 2 - world heritage status in 2011. Now the most recent dig at the site has revealed even more about the skilled people that lived and worked there.
Leap of Faith
Michael J Mazarr
Public Affairs
Dh67
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Off-roading in the UAE: How to checklist
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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Bikes, skateboards or scooters
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder MHEV
Power: 360bhp
Torque: 500Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh282,870
On sale: now
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.
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