Time waits for no man. It was not the argument Sir Alex Ferguson usually makes or even, perhaps, the one he intended to advocate. Nevertheless he said: "Nature catches you eventually in life."
He was discussing Edwin van der Sar's excellence against Arsenal. As Ferguson ruefully conceded, his goalkeeper is pushing 41, not coming up to 21.
The Dutchman, unlike his manager nine years ago, is unlikely to rethink his retirement. He will go out where he deserves to: at the top.
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Which brings us to Ferguson. The Scot enters his eighth decade in December and, in the aftermath of his second Champions League win in 2008, said he would not be the Manchester United manager at 70.
He may be studying the examples of Raymond Goethals, who managed Marseille to European Cup glory when almost 72, and other active septuagenarians like Sir Bobby Robson and Giovanni Trapattoni.
It is not nature that Ferguson has to worry about, however, as much as Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea. A man with an intense dislike of second place would not want to bow out anywhere other than first.
Now he has the opportunity to do just that. Sunday's FA Cup draw offered a Manchester derby in the semi-final. And while United have not won the competition since 2004, City's rather longer wait is more likely to exercise Ferguson's mind.
Think of last season's Carling Cup: winning the trophy itself seemed of secondary importance to stopping City prosper. Ferguson fielded arguably a stronger side against the local rivals than he did in the final itself against Aston Villa. He has won so much he barely needed the Carling Cup. City did.
The parallels with this season are considerable. Should City be overcome at Wembley stadium in a month's time, a final against either Stoke City or Bolton Wanderers would be significant for two reasons: the chance to earn yet another trophy and the likelihood it would ensure a fourth double of Ferguson's reign (one of his many records that is unlikely to be surpassed).
Yet given the nature of relations in Manchester and the delight the manager takes in seeing his rivals fail, the greater pleasure may lie in extending City's wait.
Ferguson did not achieve all he has to exit as the manager of Manchester's second team. And while there is no inevitability to City's advancement, it is a probability nonetheless. With further investment, Roberto Mancini's side should be stronger next season.
Without it, United may not be.
Ferguson has been staving off decline brilliantly. Injuries and a wish to spare players for tonight's Champions League tie with Marseille dictated the choice of a distinctly unusual midfield against Arsenal on Saturday; by fielding the Da Silva twins on either wing, he managed to pull a couple of rabbits out of a hat.
The danger of such magical feats is that it convinces people, whether United's parsimonious owners or Ferguson himself, that he has an enduring ability to perform such tricks. Logic alone dictates that it is not possible.
Moreover, this summer might provide the culmination of a life's work. Unless a somewhat flaky Arsenal side rally, Ferguson will clinch his 12th league title and United's 19th, overhauling Liverpool's long-standing record of 18.
The notion of historical superiority should appeal to Ferguson. If it is augmented by the FA Cup, the fourth double would be all the more impressive because this is a weaker team than the sides of 1994, 1996 and 1999.
All of which would make it an appropriate time to take his leave, with United in the ascendant but the warning signs that their domination might not last much longer.
Ferguson's decision is complicated by his vast emotional investment in United and his reluctance to surrender the reins of power. This guess is he will linger on a little longer, but it might be a rare opportunity to fashion an ideal ending.
***
The first and best of the FA Cup quarter-finals was a tale of two substitutions. Owen Coyle sent on Bolton's eventual hero Lee Chung-yong with half an hour remaining.
Only seven minutes remained when Birmingham City's Alex McLeish traded in a defender, David Murphy, for another forward, Matt Derbyshire.
McLeish is often cautious, but this time he cited the SAS motto, "who dares, wins". On this occasion, daring brought defeat: the winger Jean Beausejour was relocated to left-back in the subsequent reshuffle, and he was outjumped by Kevin Davies to set up Lee for the injury-time decider.
***
As much as Avram Grant may moan about the refereeing decisions in West Ham United's defeat to Stoke, and predictable as his complaints were, credit is due to City's match winner.
Danny Higginbotham's free kick was struck beautifully, but also well thought out: when defensive walls jump as a matter of routine, it can be profitable to drill the ball underneath them.
***
Eliminated from three competitions in a fortnight, the one consolation for Arsenal should come from the fixture list.
After playing 10 games in the space of 35 days, their remaining 10 matches come in as many weeks. It should mean squad rotation is barely required in a concerted attempt to win the title.
sports@thenational.ae
The specs
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Power: 272hp at 6,400rpm
Torque: 331Nm from 5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.7L/100km
On sale: now
Price: Dh149,000
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.
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
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
More coverage from the Future Forum
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Where to submit a sample
Volunteers of all ages can submit DNA samples at centres across Abu Dhabi, including: Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec), Biogenix Labs in Masdar City, NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City, NMC Royal Medical Centre, Abu Dhabi, NMC Royal Women's Hospital, Bareen International Hospital, Al Towayya in Al Ain, NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain
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: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
Company%20profile
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Best Academy: Ajax and Benfica
Best Agent: Jorge Mendes
Best Club : Liverpool
Best Coach: Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Best Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker
Best Men’s Player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Best Partnership of the Year Award by SportBusiness: Manchester City and SAP
Best Referee: Stephanie Frappart
Best Revelation Player: Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid and Portugal)
Best Sporting Director: Andrea Berta (Atletico Madrid)
Best Women's Player: Lucy Bronze
Best Young Arab Player: Achraf Hakimi
Kooora – Best Arab Club: Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
Kooora – Best Arab Player: Abderrazak Hamdallah (Al-Nassr FC, Saudi Arabia)
Player Career Award: Miralem Pjanic and Ryan Giggs
Company name: Farmin
Date started: March 2019
Founder: Dr Ali Al Hammadi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: AgriTech
Initial investment: None to date
Partners/Incubators: UAE Space Agency/Krypto Labs
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
Ukraine
Capital: Kiev
Population: 44.13 million
Armed conflict in Donbass
Russia-backed fighters control territory
Generation Start-up: Awok company profile
Started: 2013
Founder: Ulugbek Yuldashev
Sector: e-commerce
Size: 600 plus
Stage: still in talks with VCs
Principal Investors: self-financed by founder
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Fixture: Ukraine v Portugal, Monday, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
BULKWHIZ PROFILE
Date started: February 2017
Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce
Size: 50 employees
Funding: approximately $6m
Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
