With the start of the 2016/17 Premier League season less than two weeks away, Premier League correspondent Richard Jolly provides his previews for each club. Here he looks at West Ham United.
• More: See all of Richard's previews
West Ham bade farewell to Upton Park, their home of 112 years, in the most dramatic fashion, with a 3-2 win over Manchester United.
They now begin life at the Olympic Stadium, with its 60,000 capacity offering the chance for them to establish themselves as annual top-six finishers.
Slaven Bilic’s hugely encouraging first year in charge actually ended in seventh, courtesy of a final-day defeat, but threatened to qualify for the Uefa Champions League.
That they did not is attributable to their defensive record: fine a centre-back as Bilic was, his team conceded 51 goals, 16 more than fifth-placed Manchester United.
It offers room for improvement, although the loss of the excellent but injured left-back Aaron Cresswell for four months makes the defence weaker.
Another key, after last season’s injuries, will be keeping everyone else fitter. Andy Carroll was among those affected last season but proved potent in the run-in yet West Ham’s ambition is likely to be reflected in big-money attempts to sign a new striker, with Alexandre Lacazette, Christian Benteke and Michy Batshuayi all eluding them.
They have plenty of goalscoring midfielders, in Dimitri Payet, Manuel Lanzini, Michail Antonio and new signing Sofiane Feghouli, and should be very watchable again, especially if they can repeat last season’s away wins at Liverpool, Everton, Arsenal and Manchester City.
• The National's Premier League section: All the latest from the Premier League, including news, interviews, features, and much more
Key Man: Dimitri Payet
The Frenchman’s debut year for West Ham yielded nine league goals, a further 12 assists, a place on the shortlist for the PFA Player of the Year award and a starring role in Euro 2016. The challenge is to repeat that form.
Pivotal Signing: Sofiane Feghouli
The Algerian, recruited from Valencia, has the potential to prove one of the season’s best free transfers, even if his arrival could mean the catalytic Antonio either figures at right-back or is dropped.
Point to Prove: Enner Valencia
A forward with virtually all the attributes, but his second season in East London was underwhelming, interrupted by injuries and spells on the bench. He needs to prove more prolific, especially if no new striker is signed.
Crucial Factor: The Olympic Stadium
Some clubs are galvanised by the move to a new stadium. Others struggled to replicate the atmosphere and their form at their old ground. West Ham’s fate may depend upon which category they fall into.
Predicted finish: 7th
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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
Company%20Profile
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Company%20Profile
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The low down on MPS
What is myofascial pain syndrome?
Myofascial pain syndrome refers to pain and inflammation in the body’s soft tissue. MPS is a chronic condition that affects the fascia (connective tissue that covers the muscles, which develops knots, also known as trigger points).
What are trigger points?
Trigger points are irritable knots in the soft tissue that covers muscle tissue. Through injury or overuse, muscle fibres contract as a reactive and protective measure, creating tension in the form of hard and, palpable nodules. Overuse and sustained posture are the main culprits in developing trigger points.
What is myofascial or trigger-point release?
Releasing these nodules requires a hands-on technique that involves applying gentle sustained pressure to release muscular shortness and tightness. This eliminates restrictions in connective tissue in orderto restore motion and alleviate pain. Therapy balls have proven effective at causing enough commotion in the tissue, prompting the release of these hard knots.
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Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
MATCH INFO
Fixture: Ukraine v Portugal, Monday, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 592bhp
Torque: 620Nm
Price: Dh980,000
On sale: now
Abramovich London
A Kensington Palace Gardens house with 15 bedrooms is valued at more than £150 million.
A three-storey penthouse at Chelsea Waterfront bought for £22 million.
Steel company Evraz drops more than 10 per cent in trading after UK officials said it was potentially supplying the Russian military.
Sale of Chelsea Football Club is now impossible.
The British in India: Three Centuries of Ambition and Experience
by David Gilmour
Allen Lane
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.
More from UAE Human Development Report:
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
UAE Premiership
Results
Dubai Exiles 24-28 Jebel Ali Dragons
Abu Dhabi Harlequins 43-27 Dubai Hurricanes
Final
Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Jebel Ali Dragons, Friday, March 29, 5pm at The Sevens, Dubai
