Manchester City baffle me. They are brilliant at home and mediocre away in the Premier League. I cannot fully understand why a team goes from being world beaters to nervy a few days later.
If City can fix their away form, the title will be theirs.
They have so much attacking potential, enough to blow away rivals, as Arsenal found out last weekend when they were hit for six.
City have won all eight home league games, with 35 goals scored against just five conceded.
Away from home they have won two, drawn two and lost four, scoring only 12 goals and conceding 13 goals.
I’ve watched many of those games closely and think their main issue is a mental one that comes from a change in manager.
Under Manuel Pellegrini, City’s shackles are off. They attempt to play away as they do at home, with abandon. I like that.
That is a contrast to last season, where Roberto Mancini’s side would attack at home but set up far more defensively away. I could not understand why. City have so many flair players and their defensive style away did not help them. Samir Nasri did not look like the player who had impressed so much at Arsenal under Mancini, and he was substituted frequently. He has been superb under Pellegrini and combines well with City’s other brilliant attackers, yet City’s form is poor.
It should not be.
It has also long mystified me why football teams are far stronger at home than away. In the generation before mine, pitches were varied and usually favoured the home team who were used to them.
Or, in the case of Cambridge United under their manager John Beck, the grass was grown long in the corners of the pitch.
The defenders would pump long balls into the channels, and instead of going out balls would stick in the longer grass like puddings.
Strikers such as my friend Dion Dublin would run onto the balls and attack.
It did not make for attractive football, but it was hugely effective and tiny Cambridge rose up the leagues.
They had a strong advantage over visiting teams and their home form reflected that.
Plastic pitches were also introduced at six English grounds in the 1980s. The teams who used them every week were familiar with the high bounce and speed at which the ball moved. Visitors were not.
This was from two decades ago, when there were far more variables than now.
I am from the first generation of players who played on largely excellent pitches every week.
The rules encourage uniformity not just domestically, but across Europe.
I heard stories from older players about playing in eastern Europe, behind the Iron Curtain, when the pitches were completely different – covered in sand or as hard as ice.
All that has gone.
The pitches are the same, so why is away and home form so different?
There are other factors, such as the crowd, but once a game starts most players are in a zone and don’t get affected by the crowd.
I do not buy the suggestion that some players are “homers”, either, who are more comfortable playing at home.
Not at the top level, anyway.
But the reputation of teams is a factor. Rivals consider City to be one of the best teams, so they are pumped up rather than fearful when City come and visit.
They would never attack at City, but they will attack at home, and if they get the breaks, as they have been doing, that will affect City players mentally, and they need to counter that.
Winning unexpectedly, at Bayern Munich or midweek at Leicester City, will help, but if City cannot beat the mental block away then it could cost them the title.
In 2001, I went to Tottenham Hotspur with Manchester United.
We played our normal game, but they destroyed us in the first half and led 3-0 at the break. I expected a furious manager to rip into us.
Instead, Sir Alex Ferguson sat on a chair and folded his arms. Then he didn’t speak for 15 minutes. He let the players argue and debate among themselves.
The manager’s reaction spooked us a bit. When the referee blew his whistle for the teams to go out for the second half, Ferguson stood up and said: “I think you need to rectify this.”
We did, scoring five second-half goals to win 5-3 in one of the most memorable games of my career.
I still cannot explain why we were so poor in the first half and so good in the second.
That is probably why we all love football so much. Because you just cannot explain it.
Andrew Cole’s column is written with the assistance of Andy Mitten, the European football correspondent.
sports@thenational.ae
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How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Director: Jon Watts
Stars: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon
Rating:*****
'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse Of Madness'
Director: Sam Raimi
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, Michael Stuhlbarg and Rachel McAdams
Rating: 3/5
EMILY%20IN%20PARIS%3A%20SEASON%203
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The Rub of Time: Bellow, Nabokov, Hitchens, Travolta, Trump and Other Pieces 1986-2016
Martin Amis,
Jonathan Cape
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The bio
Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.
Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.
Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.
Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.
FIXTURES
Saturday
5.30pm: Shabab Al Ahli v Al Wahda
5.30pm: Khorfakkan v Baniyas
8.15pm: Hatta v Ajman
8.15pm: Sharjah v Al Ain
Sunday
5.30pm: Kalba v Al Jazira
5.30pm: Fujairah v Al Dhafra
8.15pm: Al Nasr v Al Wasl
Roger Federer's record at Wimbledon
Roger Federer's record at Wimbledon
1999 - 1st round
2000 - 1st round
2001 - Quarter-finalist
2002 - 1st round
2003 - Winner
2004 - Winner
2005 - Winner
2006 - Winner
2007 - Winner
2008 - Finalist
2009 - Winner
2010 - Quarter-finalist
2011 - Quarter-finalist
2012 - Winner
2013 - 2nd round
2014 - Finalist
2015 - Finalist
2016 - Semi-finalist
THE SPECS
Engine: AMG-enhanced 3.0L inline-6 turbo with EQ Boost and electric auxiliary compressor
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 429hp
Torque: 520Nm
Price: Dh360,200 (starting)
The biog
Name: Timothy Husband
Nationality: New Zealand
Education: Degree in zoology at The University of Sydney
Favourite book: Lemurs of Madagascar by Russell A Mittermeier
Favourite music: Billy Joel
Weekends and holidays: Talking about animals or visiting his farm in Australia
Employment lawyer Meriel Schindler of Withers Worldwide shares her tips on achieving equal pay
Do your homework
Make sure that you are being offered a fair salary. There is lots of industry data available, and you can always talk to people who have come out of the organisation. Where I see people coming a cropper is where they haven’t done their homework.
Don’t be afraid to negotiate
It’s quite standard to negotiate if you think an offer is on the low side. The job is unlikely to be withdrawn if you ask for money, and if that did happen I’d question whether you want to work for an employer who is so hypersensitive.
Know your worth
Women tend to be a bit more reticent to talk about their achievements. In my experience they need to have more confidence in their own abilities – men will big up what they’ve done to get a pay rise, and to compete women need to turn up the volume.
Work together
If you suspect men in your organisation are being paid more, look your boss in the eye and say, “I want you to assure me that I’m paid equivalent to my peers”. If you’re not getting a straight answer, talk to your peer group and consider taking direct action to fix inequality.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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3.
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UAE
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4.
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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6.
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
Company%20profile
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday (all kick-offs UAE time)
Hertha Berlin v Union Berlin (10.30pm)
Saturday
Freiburg v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)
Paderborn v Hoffenheim (5.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Borussia Dortmund (5.30pm)
Borussia Monchengladbach v Bayer Leverkusen (5.30pm)
Bayern Munich v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)
Sunday
Schalke v Augsburg (3.30pm)
Mainz v RB Leipzig (5.30pm)
Cologne v Fortuna Dusseldorf (8pm)
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
Bugatti Chiron Super Sport - the specs:
Engine: 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16
Transmission: 7-speed DSG auto
Power: 1,600hp
Torque: 1,600Nm
0-100kph in 2.4seconds
0-200kph in 5.8 seconds
0-300kph in 12.1 seconds
Top speed: 440kph
Price: Dh13,200,000
Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport - the specs:
Engine: 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16
Transmission: 7-speed DSG auto
Power: 1,500hp
Torque: 1,600Nm
0-100kph in 2.3 seconds
0-200kph in 5.5 seconds
0-300kph in 11.8 seconds
Top speed: 350kph
Price: Dh13,600,000
Naga
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