As a metaphor, it was pretty much perfect. In a promising position, Andy Carroll tripped over his own feet and fell flat on his face. This, it appeared, was his Liverpool career encapsulated in the space of a few seconds.
That, Kenny Dalglish would argue, ignored the burst along the touchline at Manchester City on Wednesday to trouble the league leaders and precede Carroll's unfortunate tumble. Nevertheless, the inability of the most expensive Englishman to score - an early, glorious opportunity was directed rather too close to Joe Hart - means his total for Liverpool stands at six goals in 32 games ahead of today's clash with Stoke City.
It is a wretched return, no matter how Dalglish seeks to deflect attention. "He worked fantastically hard for us and sacrificed himself for the sake of the team," the manager said after the Carling Cup semi-final first leg.
At various points, the Scot has also cited the injuries that have made Carroll's a stop-start introduction to Liverpool life and has refuted suggestions, made by the England coach Fabio Capello, that the striker needs to improve his lifestyle and that he is not fit enough.
The company line formerly had been that Carroll, 23, was signed for the five-and-a-half year duration of his contract at Anfield, not for a game or a month. But as Dalglish approaches the first anniversary of his record-breaking deal, that has disappeared from his rhetoric.
Another of the manager's observations is that Carroll is the "minus £15 million man", a figure he arrived at by subtracting his £35 million (Dh196m) fee from the £50 million Liverpool recouped for Fernando Torres.
Rumours of Newcastle United's interest in re-signing the striker could have offered an exit strategy, except that Carroll's agent denied it and, given Newcastle's owner Mike Ashley's fondness for prudence, any deal would end in embarrassment for Liverpool; the vast majority of Carroll's huge fee would have to be written off.
Yet mention of Newcastle is not coincidental, and not just because Alan Pardew remains an admirer of the forward sold behind his back on transfer deadline day last January. There is a paradox in Carroll's character; a fearless terroriser of defenders during his time on Tyneside is something of a home bird, hankering for his native north-east.
Shyness turns the warrior striker into a more apologetic figure. Dalglish has imbued plenty of players with confidence but not, seemingly, Carroll. His actions can count for more than his words, however, and the attacker has spent some of the season on the bench. Now his reprieve is the result of extenuating circumstances. With Luis Suarez suspended for racially abusing Patrice Evra, Carroll has been thrust back into the side.
Today's game brings Liverpool to the halfway point in Suarez's eight-game ban; so far, Carroll's opportunity to impress has yielded a goal in a brief cameo against Oldham Athletic in the FA Cup, sandwiched by two uninspired outings against City.
He is deemed cumbersome, less suited to Liverpool's pass-and-move game than Newcastle's more direct style last season, even if Dalglish's summer spending appeared to have him in mind. Charlie Adam arrived at Anfield with a reputation as one of the premier set-piece specialists in the country, but he has disappointed from dead-ball situations, finding the tallest target in the penalty area all too rarely.
Stewart Downing seemed the supply down the line, an old-fashioned winger aiming for an old-fashioned striker. Yet their alliance is yet to produce a goal.
Instead, the most encouraging passage of play of the season came in the final half-hour against Newcastle on December 30 when Steven Gerrard seemed to be on a personal crusade to provide Carroll with a goal. The captain's penchant for defence-splitting passes and arcing crosses offers some solace.
Yet a long-term problem persists.
There are precious few signs of any chemistry between Carroll and Suarez and the Uruguayan will be eligible again for Tottenham Hotspur's visit on February 6. Suarez's ability to operate as a one-man forward line means this is far from the conventional big man/small man strike force that Dalglish may have envisaged. It has become a choice, and Carroll's form has made it a simple decision to opt for Suarez.
sports@thenational.ae
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
BIOSAFETY LABS SECURITY LEVELS
Biosafety Level 1
The lowest safety level. These labs work with viruses that are minimal risk to humans.
Hand washing is required on entry and exit and potentially infectious material decontaminated with bleach before thrown away.
Must have a lock. Access limited. Lab does not need to be isolated from other buildings.
Used as teaching spaces.
Study microorganisms such as Staphylococcus which causes food poisoning.
Biosafety Level 2
These labs deal with pathogens that can be harmful to people and the environment such as Hepatitis, HIV and salmonella.
Working in Level 2 requires special training in handling pathogenic agents.
Extra safety and security precautions are taken in addition to those at Level 1
Biosafety Level 3
These labs contain material that can be lethal if inhaled. This includes SARS coronavirus, MERS, and yellow fever.
Significant extra precautions are taken with staff given specific immunisations when dealing with certain diseases.
Infectious material is examined in a biological safety cabinet.
Personnel must wear protective gowns that must be discarded or decontaminated after use.
Strict safety and handling procedures are in place. There must be double entrances to the building and they must contain self-closing doors to reduce risk of pathogen aerosols escaping.
Windows must be sealed. Air from must be filtered before it can be recirculated.
Biosafety Level 4
The highest level for biosafety precautions. Scientist work with highly dangerous diseases that have no vaccine or cure.
All material must be decontaminated.
Personnel must wear a positive pressure suit for protection. On leaving the lab this must pass through decontamination shower before they have a personal shower.
Entry is severely restricted to trained and authorised personnel. All entries are recorded.
Entrance must be via airlocks.
if you go
The flights
Flydubai flies to Podgorica or nearby Tivat via Sarajevo from Dh2,155 return including taxes. Turkish Airlines flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Podgorica via Istanbul; alternatively, fly with Flydubai from Dubai to Belgrade and take a short flight with Montenegro Air to Podgorica. Etihad flies from Abu Dhabi to Podgorica via Belgrade. Flights cost from about Dh3,000 return including taxes. There are buses from Podgorica to Plav.
The tour
While you can apply for a permit for the route yourself, it’s best to travel with an agency that will arrange it for you. These include Zbulo in Albania (www.zbulo.org) or Zalaz in Montenegro (www.zalaz.me).
MATCH INFO:
Second Test
Pakistan v Australia, Tuesday-Saturday, 10am daily at Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Entrance is free
New schools in Dubai
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.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
OTHER IPL BOWLING RECORDS
Best bowling figures: 6-14 – Sohail Tanvir (for Rajasthan Royals against Chennai Super Kings in 2008)
Best average: 16.36 – Andrew Tye
Best economy rate: 6.53 – Sunil Narine
Best strike-rate: 12.83 – Andrew Tye
Best strike-rate in an innings: 1.50 – Suresh Raina (for Chennai Super Kings against Rajasthan Royals in 2011)
Most runs conceded in an innings: 70 – Basil Thampi (for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2018)
Most hat-tricks: 3 – Amit Mishra
Most dot-balls: 1,128 – Harbhajan Singh
Most maiden overs bowled: 14 – Praveen Kumar
Most four-wicket hauls: 6 – Sunil Narine
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Disability on screen
Empire — neuromuscular disease myasthenia gravis; bipolar disorder; post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Rosewood and Transparent — heart issues
24: Legacy — PTSD;
Superstore and NCIS: New Orleans — wheelchair-bound
Taken and This Is Us — cancer
Trial & Error — cognitive disorder prosopagnosia (facial blindness and dyslexia)
Grey’s Anatomy — prosthetic leg
Scorpion — obsessive compulsive disorder and anxiety
Switched at Birth — deafness
One Mississippi, Wentworth and Transparent — double mastectomy
Dragons — double amputee
Bib%20Gourmand%20restaurants
%3Cp%3EAl%20Khayma%0D%3Cbr%3EBait%20Maryam%0D%3Cbr%3EBrasserie%20Boulud%0D%3Cbr%3EFi'lia%0D%3Cbr%3Efolly%0D%3Cbr%3EGoldfish%0D%3Cbr%3EIbn%20AlBahr%0D%3Cbr%3EIndya%20by%20Vineet%0D%3Cbr%3EKinoya%0D%3Cbr%3ENinive%0D%3Cbr%3EOrfali%20Bros%0D%3Cbr%3EReif%20Japanese%20Kushiyaki%0D%3Cbr%3EShabestan%0D%3Cbr%3ETeible%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
