Worst accuracy – Liverpool
When Jordan Henderson hit a lovely shot that bounced back off the crossbar just after 50 minutes of the game against West Bromwich Albion and Dirk Kuyt hit the post 10 minutes later, Liverpool surpassed 30 for the number of times they have hit the woodwork this season.
They say games, and therefore league titles, are decided by the slightest of margins, so where would the Anfield side be if they have managed to hit the net instead?
Well they would have won 2-1 yesterday for a start.
Even with the extra goals they would still be far off the pace of the two Manchester clubs, but they might be challenging Newcastle, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea for the coveted fourth spot. Instead they are battling Everton for seventh and city pride.
Maybe someone needs to explain to Luis Suarez that hitting the woodwork is not good, as the Uruguayan striker, in a recent interview with the club's official magazine, described shooting and hitting the post as thus "as a striker, you can shoot from 25 yards and hit the post with a shot that is technically perfect".
Surely, Luis, technically perfect would be hitting a shot from 25 yards out and hitting the back of the net, no?
Best decision – Ferguson
The Manchester United manager has his detractors, not for his footballing record but for his off-the-field approach. Refusing to speak to the press, criticising referees.
But yesterday the Scot set a fine example.
After "having a word" with the winger Ashley Young earlier this week about his alleged dives to win penalties in United's two most recent home games, Ferguson dropped the England winger to the bench in favour of Nani for the Everton match.
Ferguson had cited Ryan Giggs as a role model for Young – the United great who his manager claimed had won just five penalties in 20 years at Old Trafford because he stays on his feet.
And after being forced to watch yesterday's draw from the sidelines, Young must have got the message.
Worst neighbour – Taarabt
The Moroccan strikes you as one of those players who could start an argument in an empty room.
He walked out of the club's end of season awards night last year in a fit of pique after finishing second in the player of the year poll. He did not wait for the winner to be named.
He was also so sure of his departure from Queens Park Rangers in January he promised to give his BMW X6 to a member of the coaching staff if his move fell through.
So imagine living next door to him? Jack Wilshere, the Arsenal midfielder, has that dubious privilege but Taarabt was the toast of the street in north London on Saturday after his goal helped inflict defeat on Tottenham Hotspur, his former club, and push Arsenal closer to automatic qualification for the Uefa Champions League.
"I ... may give him a kiss when he gets home!", tweeted Wilshere yesterday.
Best scout – Carr
Mike Ashley, Newcastle United's colourful owner, was sporting a smile as wide as the River Tyne on Saturday. And why shouldn't he.
Two years after forking out £500,000 (Dh2.96 million) a week to keep the club afloat, Newcastle now stand on the brink of qualification for the lucrative Champions League.
The retail entrepreneur can take most of the credit for Newcastle's remarkable transformation for boldly hiring Alan Pardew as the manager and squeezing £35m out of Liverpool for Andy Carroll, but one of the unsung heroes is Graham Carr.
The head scout is the father of the comedian Alan Carr but he has ensured Newcastle are no longer a laughing stock by playing a major role in recruiting the likes of Hatem Ben Arfa, Demba Ba, Yohan Cabaye and Papiss Cisse for around half of what Liverpool paid for Carroll.
If Liverpool are looking to replace Damien Comolli, they need look no further than Carr.
Best reception – Newcastle
Not the ovation given to the Newcastle team after they registered a sixth successive league win. No, a wedding reception.
Most football-loving men in England tend to try to plan their big day around the football season to avoid missing a fixture but a groom in the north-east of England had the bright idea of killing two birds with one stone and staging his wedding on a match day at the Newcastle citadel.
Apparently, it is not unusual to hold weddings at the ground. The club website says: "You don't have to be a 'Toon Army' fan to get married at the iconic venue that is St James' Park – just a couple with a taste for a venue with a difference".
It is difficult to imagine a non-fan wanting to stage their wedding at the ground and running the risk of Cabaye upstaging the bride on the biggest day of her life.
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Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: 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
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
Match info
Manchester United 0-0 Crystal Palace
Man of the match: Cheikhou Kouyate (Crystal Palace)
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Astra%20Tech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMarch%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbdallah%20Abu%20Sheikh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20technology%20investment%20and%20development%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20size%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24500m%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Profile of RentSher
Started: October 2015 in India, November 2016 in UAE
Founders: Harsh Dhand; Vaibhav and Purvashi Doshi
Based: Bangalore, India and Dubai, UAE
Sector: Online rental marketplace
Size: 40 employees
Investment: $2 million
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
How to register as a donor
1) Organ donors can register on the Hayat app, run by the Ministry of Health and Prevention
2) There are about 11,000 patients in the country in need of organ transplants
3) People must be over 21. Emiratis and residents can register.
4) The campaign uses the hashtag #donate_hope
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Kamindu Mendis bio
Full name: Pasqual Handi Kamindu Dilanka Mendis
Born: September 30, 1998
Age: 20 years and 26 days
Nationality: Sri Lankan
Major teams Sri Lanka's Under 19 team
Batting style: Left-hander
Bowling style: Right-arm off-spin and slow left-arm orthodox (that's right!)
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
Tuesday's fixtures
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last 16, first leg
Ajax v Real Madrid, midnight (Thursday), BeIN Sports
