Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp bemoaned the fact that his overworked team will be required to play yet another crucial game in January following the 2-2 FA Cup third round draw at Exeter City.
Klopp fielded an unrecognisable, young line-up against the League Two club, blaming a lengthy injury list and the need to rest senior players for what was his team’s fifth game in 14 days.
After Friday’s draw, Liverpool now face an Anfield replay with Exeter before a second leg of their League Cup semi-final with Stoke, as well as a scheduled Premier League meeting against Arsenal on Wednesday.
Next month sees Klopp resurrect his interest in a fourth competition this season when Liverpool face German club Augsburg in the knockout stages of the Europa League.
“We have to play again, I can’t believe that is another game but we will be there,” Klopp said.
“It can’t be the future. I can’t judge the young players after this one game, it doesn’t work like that. However, they certainly helped us in our situation today but it’s obvious what we have to learn in the future. We have to be more robust.
“I think the Exeter players were more robust than us and we have to work on that. But we certainly deserved a draw. And that is what we have got.
“Now we have got another game to play. But I am not complaining. We have more games than most teams because we are still in other competitions.”
Greg Lea: Increased competitiveness in the Premier League should level FA Cup playing field
Klopp made light of a dreadful mistake by his backup goalkeeper Adam Bogdan, leading to Exeter’s second goal, and said that the fact it was shown around the world on live television was sufficient analysis of the incident.
But Bogdan’s display will add to speculation that Liverpool will be in the market for a new goalkeeper in the current transfer window.
“I thought both goals were really unlucky for us,” he said. “The first goal was from their first attack and we weren’t awake.
“The second goal ... OK! The BBC showed it live, the full package, spectacular!”
Klopp changed all 11 players from Liverpool’s last outing, the League Cup first leg victory at Stoke, handing out three debuts among his starting eleven and naming a side in which just two players — Jose Enrique and Christian Benteke — could boast more than four appearances for the club.
Not surprisingly, his young side fell behind to a goal by Tom Nichols and, after Jerome Sinclair quickly equalised, the horrendous mistake by Bogdan gifted a second goal to Lee Holmes, direct from a corner.
Liverpool earned the replay with a 74th minute equaliser from Australian defender Brad Smith, a replay which will be worth an estimated £700,000 to the League Two club.
“It was a great cup tie and I felt we gave it a real go and I am really looking forward to the replay,” Exeter manager Paul Tisdale said.
“I am a tad disappointed because I felt we had a chance to win. Yes, we are going to get a payday and that is important. There will be a lot of discussion where that money goes, but it will go towards helping to maintain what we have.
“Cash flow is always a problem so this is a great boost for the football club. We are very frugal and we are careful with every penny we spend. I just cannot over emphasise how important this could be for us.”
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if you go
The flights
Emirates have direct flights from Dubai to Glasgow from Dh3,115. Alternatively, if you want to see a bit of Edinburgh first, then you can fly there direct with Etihad from Abu Dhabi.
The hotel
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Located in the heart of Mackintosh's Glasgow, the Dakota Deluxe is perhaps the most refined hotel anywhere in the city. Doubles from Dh850
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Events and tours
There are various Mackintosh specific events throughout 2018 – for more details and to see a map of his surviving designs see glasgowmackintosh.com
For walking tours focussing on the Glasgow Style, see the website of the Glasgow School of Art.
More information
For ideas on planning a trip to Scotland, visit www.visitscotland.com
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 194hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 275Nm from 2,000-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: from Dh155,000
On sale: now
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
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Company%20Profile
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The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Power: 575bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh554,000
On sale: now
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
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Anxiety and work stress major factors
Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.
A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.
Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.
One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.
It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."
Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.
“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi.
“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."
Daniel Bardsley
Financial considerations before buying a property
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier.
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
