Manchester United’s Luke Shaw says there are ‘two sides’ to Louis van Gaal and relationship is good

Luke Shaw is eager to make a name for himself at Manchester United after being chosen in the starting line-up against Chelsea, his first appearance in almost six weeks.

Shaw, 19, has not had the smoothest of starts to his Old Trafford career, being in and out of the side after manager Louis van Gaal criticised his fitness levels in pre-season.

But the full-back put in a solid performance in the 1-0 defeat to the Premier League leaders on Saturday and is hoping the period of adjustment following his big-money move from Southampton is at an end.

“I am still young and coming to the biggest club in the world hasn’t been easy for me,” Shaw told various national newspapers. “I haven’t been playing and there has been a lot of negative comments about me.

“It is something that isn’t nice and I’ve tried to ignore it, but hopefully the Chelsea game is the start of me coming back. I am positive. It was my first performance for six weeks, so it was great to be back on the pitch.”

Shaw conceded early in the season that Van Gaal had been right to criticise his fitness levels, with some continuing to question his condition after he was substituted at half time during the FA Cup clash against Arsenal on March 9.

But Shaw insists that was not the reason for his withdrawal and that he is enjoying his relationship with the United manager.

“I saw a comment the other day saying I was taken off at half time against Arsenal because I wasn’t fit enough, but that’s not true at all. This is coming from me and I know what the manager pulled me off for and it was not for my fitness because I could have carried on in the game.

“I spoke with the manager about it. I felt my back a little bit and he just wanted to be careful because I am young and hopefully have a long future ahead of me.

“Over the last three weeks, I have learned a lot from him and credit goes to him for trusting me in a big game like this one. He has two sides to him, but he is genuinely a really nice guy and a great manager.”

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.

The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors

Power: Combined output 920hp

Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic

Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km

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Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl

Power: 153hp at 6,000rpm

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On sale: now

Brave CF 27 fight card

Welterweight:
Abdoul Abdouraguimov (champion, FRA) v Jarrah Al Selawe (JOR)

Lightweight:
Anas Siraj Mounir (TUN) v Alex Martinez (CAN)

Welterweight:
Mzwandile Hlongwa (RSA) v Khamzat Chimaev (SWE)

Middleweight:
Tarek Suleiman (SYR) v Rustam Chsiev (RUS)
Mohammad Fakhreddine (LEB) v Christofer Silva (BRA)

Super lightweight:
Alex Nacfur (BRA) v Dwight Brooks (USA)

Bantamweight:
Jalal Al Daaja (JOR) v Tariq Ismail (CAN)
Chris Corton (PHI) v Zia Mashwani (PAK)

Featherweight:
Sulaiman (KUW) v Abdullatip (RUS)

Super lightweight:
Flavio Serafin (BRA) v Mohammad Al Katib (JOR)

21 Lessons for the 21st Century

Yuval Noah Harari, Jonathan Cape

UAE squad

Rohan Mustafa (captain), Ashfaq Ahmed, Ghulam Shabber, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Boota, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Shaiman Anwar, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Mohammed Naveed, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan

The specs

A4 35 TFSI

Engine: 2.0-litre, four-cylinder

Transmission: seven-speed S-tronic automatic

Power: 150bhp

Torque: 270Nm

Price: Dh150,000 (estimate)

On sale: First Q 2020

A4 S4 TDI

Engine: 3.0-litre V6 turbo diesel

Transmission: eight-speed PDK automatic

Power: 350bhp

Torque: 700Nm

Price: Dh165,000 (estimate)

On sale: First Q 2020

Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE

Flexible work arrangements
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The biog

DOB: 25/12/92
Marital status: Single
Education: Post-graduate diploma in UAE Diplomacy and External Affairs at the Emirates Diplomatic Academy in Abu Dhabi
Hobbies: I love fencing, I used to fence at the MK Fencing Academy but I want to start again. I also love reading and writing
Lifelong goal: My dream is to be a state minister

What the law says

Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.

“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.

“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”

If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.