The images seem from another era, a time when it looked as though Manchester United had executed an audacious coup and got one over on their neighbours; perhaps even shifted the balance of power in the Premier League back their way.
It was January 2018 and their latest arrival Alexis Sanchez sat at the piano, pretending to play ‘Glory, Glory Man United.’ It was, it transpired, a better impression than the Chilean subsequently performed of a United No 7 – apart from a declining Michael Owen or an unhappy Angel Di Maria – or even of the Arsenal Sanchez. Arguably the Premier League’s outstanding player became the worst signing in United’s history.
There were FA Cup goals against Arsenal and Tottenham, a dramatic late winner at Newcastle and two assists in a Manchester derby comeback victory, but it is safe to assume there will be no specially commissioned video to mark Sanchez’s proposed departure; just a sigh of relief, particularly from the club’s accountants.
He helped give United the biggest wage bill in England, not the best team. Offloading him to Inter Milan with two years remaining on his deal would count as the finest business of the summer, certainly in terms of the balance sheet.
United had around £55 million (Dh263m) left on that contract; in one respect, giving Sanchez away will bring in more than twice as much money as selling David Beckham did.
Without that drain on their budget, Jadon Sancho becomes more affordable; the Borussia Dortmund winger might be the first worthy inheritor of the famed No 7 shirt since Cristiano Ronaldo left in 2009.
The Englishman also looks the anti-Sanchez, representing what is right about Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s ethos whereas Sanchez highlighted the problems in being blinded by stardust and thinking that bolting on big names was a substitute for proper team-building.
Sanchez’s piano-playing exploits then formed United’s most popular ever Instagram post, but football matches are not won on social media.
Solskjaer sometimes appears on the verge of self-parody with his love of all things United, but he has restored an ethos that there is something special about the club. Some of their more ill-advised recruits did not give that impression. Sanchez seemed to view joining United as a consolation prize after a move to Manchester City broke down. He looked the sullen struggler.
He was a disaster with a domino effect. His signing disturbed the wage structure, causing David de Gea to demand more money and Ander Herrera to leave, and the forward line, restricting the opportunities for Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford on the left until Solskjaer arrived.
United are better off without Jose Mourinho, but his reign took a turn for the worse when Sanchez arrived. Solskjaer only granted him six starts and was quick to make the pecking order more of a meritocracy. Even when United were short of scorers before Bruno Fernandes’ arrival this season, no one could credibly claim they were missing the loaned-out Sanchez.
He will go after winning no trophies and scoring three league goals, a measly tally that puts him level with different generations of bad buys, in Ralph Milne and Di Maria. It amounts to five per cent of his tally for Arsenal. Rarely has anyone gone from being so good to so bad so quickly.
Certainly United did not seem to appreciate that a player who brought up 700 career games before his 30th birthday might lose the dynamism that made him brilliant.
Maybe Antonio Conte’s 2016 Premier League all-stars project can transport him back to a happier time. But if not, United can soon take solace in the thought that Sanchez is now someone else’s problem.
Itcan profile
Founders: Mansour Althani and Abdullah Althani
Based: Business Bay, with offices in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and India
Sector: Technology, digital marketing and e-commerce
Size: 70 employees
Revenue: On track to make Dh100 million in revenue this year since its 2015 launch
Funding: Self-funded to date
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
Classification from Tour de France after Stage 17
1. Chris Froome (Britain / Team Sky) 73:27:26"
2. Rigoberto Uran (Colombia / Cannondale-Drapac) 27"
3. Romain Bardet (France / AG2R La Mondiale)
4. Fabio Aru (Italy / Astana Pro Team) 53"
5. Mikel Landa (Spain / Team Sky) 1:24"
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
BELGIUM%20SQUAD
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How it works
Booklava works on a subscription model. On signing up you receive a free book as part of a 30-day-trial period, after which you pay US$9.99 (Dh36.70) per month to gain access to a library of books and discounts of up to 30 per cent on selected titles. You can cancel your subscription at any time. For more details go to www.booklava.com
Company%20Profile
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Racecard
6pm: The Pointe - Conditions (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,400m
6.35pm: Palm West Beach - Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (T) 1,800m
7.10pm: The View at the Palm - Handicap (TB) Dh85,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
7.45pm: Nakeel Graduate Stakes - Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m
8.20pm: Club Vista Mare - Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,900m
8.55pm: The Palm Fountain - Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,200m
9.30pm: The Palm Tower - Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (T) 1,600m
How Filipinos in the UAE invest
A recent survey of 10,000 Filipino expatriates in the UAE found that 82 per cent have plans to invest, primarily in property. This is significantly higher than the 2014 poll showing only two out of 10 Filipinos planned to invest.
Fifty-five percent said they plan to invest in property, according to the poll conducted by the New Perspective Media Group, organiser of the Philippine Property and Investment Exhibition. Acquiring a franchised business or starting up a small business was preferred by 25 per cent and 15 per cent said they will invest in mutual funds. The rest said they are keen to invest in insurance (3 per cent) and gold (2 per cent).
Of the 5,500 respondents who preferred property as their primary investment, 54 per cent said they plan to make the purchase within the next year. Manila was the top location, preferred by 53 per cent.
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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
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
