It was not even the last proper question Jose Mourinho was asked in Ewood Park’s media theatre. That was really about David de Gea. It was only after replying about the rested goalkeeper that he addressed injuries and, in turn, said he was not sure if his captain would be fit to face Southampton on Sunday.
Wayne Rooney out of a cup final: it would have been huge news not just years ago, but months ago. However would Manchester United cope? Now the way it emerged, in an afterthought, highlighted Rooney’s descent into irrelevance. It could be hugely expensive irrelevance from United’s perspective, given that Rooney possesses arguably the worst contract in football and they must hope someone in China takes him off their hands, but it is footballing irrelevance.
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Read more
■ Richard Jolly: Manchester United substitutes Ibrahimovic and Pogba help avert 'a disaster'
■ FA Cup team of the week: Giant-killers Lincoln and Millwall rub shoulders with elites of Chelsea and Spurs
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Rooney lost his place as a starter in September. Recent games have suggested he is superfluous as a squad player, even for a side who may face 67 games this season. Jose Mourinho required an injection of something different against Saint-Etienne on Wednesday: substitutes Jesse Lingard and Marcus Rashford provided it.
He turned to his bench again at Blackburn Rovers on Sunday: the rested duo of Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic obliged by combining for the winner.
When starting, Rashford illustrated he represents the best deputy for Ibrahimovic as the lone striker, offering the incision his pace gives him and which Rooney now lacks. Henrikh Mkhitaryan demonstrated he is the finest No 10 with a lovely pass for the teenager’s equaliser. Juan Mata had offered creativity in that berth earlier in the season.
United have an abundance of attacking options and while Mourinho has tried using their record scorer as a super-sub, there are few scenarios when Rooney appears among the most appealing. Mata, Mkhitaryan and Anthony Martial have all been omitted by Mourinho. They have all countered with reminders of their class. Between them, they offer more speed and more craft than the captain.
Rooney has been replaced by stealth, not in one role but several. Successors abound in most respects: the lone exception is as the wearer of the armband, which is being passed between Michael Carrick and Chris Smalling at the moment.
But it can feel as though Ibrahimovic is the de facto leader of this side. He is the big personality, the top scorer and the talisman, mantles which used to belong to Rooney. Louis van Gaal had installed the Englishman as his first-choice centre-forward, but last season proved his least productive in the Premier League since his Everton days. He ended it in midfield.
He no longer offers the same cutting edge. His last 40 appearances – and, yes, some have been in midfield and some as a substitute – have yielded just six goals; perhaps only one, his record-breaking equaliser at Stoke City, was of any significance.
Comparisons with the Swede are instructive. Whereas Rooney’s body is breaking down, the indestructible Ibrahimovic rolls on, in his 36th year and after 36 games of a campaign. He has already scored 24 times this season, a total Rooney has only twice topped. United used to be defined by Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo. Now the pivotal axis is between Ibrahimovic and Pogba, egos and exuberant characters.
The telling element is that omitting Rooney used to be a cause of controversy. It was when Alex Ferguson benched him against Real Madrid and again on the one time Van Gaal demoted him, at Stoke. Now it passes without mention. When injury rules Rooney out, it is scarcely headline news. Arguably it is easier for Mourinho, who is spared the problem of if and when to introduce him.
Because, while there was an anomaly in Ibrahimovic and Pogba beginning on the bench at Blackburn, the last week has still shown United have game-changing replacements. They have strength in depth and players who are responding to Mourinho’s management.
Rooney’s 2017 has brought him Bobby Charlton’s goalscoring record, but little else other than unwanted illustrations of a decline, in performance, importance and status.
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FROM%20THE%20ASHES
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
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Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Credit Score explained
What is a credit score?
In the UAE your credit score is a number generated by the Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB), which represents your credit worthiness – in other words, your risk of defaulting on any debt repayments. In this country, the number is between 300 and 900. A low score indicates a higher risk of default, while a high score indicates you are a lower risk.
Why is it important?
Financial institutions will use it to decide whether or not you are a credit risk. Those with better scores may also receive preferential interest rates or terms on products such as loans, credit cards and mortgages.
How is it calculated?
The AECB collects information on your payment behaviour from banks as well as utilitiy and telecoms providers.
How can I improve my score?
By paying your bills on time and not missing any repayments, particularly your loan, credit card and mortgage payments. It is also wise to limit the number of credit card and loan applications you make and to reduce your outstanding balances.
How do I know if my score is low or high?
By checking it. Visit one of AECB’s Customer Happiness Centres with an original and valid Emirates ID, passport copy and valid email address. Liv. customers can also access the score directly from the banking app.
How much does it cost?
A credit report costs Dh100 while a report with the score included costs Dh150. Those only wanting the credit score pay Dh60. VAT is payable on top.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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JAPAN SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Masaaki Higashiguchi, Shuichi Gonda, Daniel Schmidt
Defenders: Yuto Nagatomo, Tomoaki Makino, Maya Yoshida, Sho Sasaki, Hiroki Sakai, Sei Muroya, Genta Miura, Takehiro Tomiyasu
Midfielders: Toshihiro Aoyama, Genki Haraguchi, Gaku Shibasaki, Wataru Endo, Junya Ito, Shoya Nakajima, Takumi Minamino, Hidemasa Morita, Ritsu Doan
Forwards: Yuya Osako, Takuma Asano, Koya Kitagawa
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
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THE SPECS
Engine: AMG-enhanced 3.0L inline-6 turbo with EQ Boost and electric auxiliary compressor
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 429hp
Torque: 520Nm
Price: Dh360,200 (starting)
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Despacito's dominance in numbers
Released: 2017
Peak chart position: No.1 in more than 47 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Lebanon
Views: 5.3 billion on YouTube
Sales: With 10 million downloads in the US, Despacito became the first Latin single to receive Diamond sales certification
Streams: 1.3 billion combined audio and video by the end of 2017, making it the biggest digital hit of the year.
Awards: 17, including Record of the Year at last year’s prestigious Latin Grammy Awards, as well as five Billboard Music Awards
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
The Cairo Statement
1: Commit to countering all types of terrorism and extremism in all their manifestations
2: Denounce violence and the rhetoric of hatred
3: Adhere to the full compliance with the Riyadh accord of 2014 and the subsequent meeting and executive procedures approved in 2014 by the GCC
4: Comply with all recommendations of the Summit between the US and Muslim countries held in May 2017 in Saudi Arabia.
5: Refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of countries and of supporting rogue entities.
6: Carry out the responsibility of all the countries with the international community to counter all manifestations of extremism and terrorism that threaten international peace and security
GROUP RESULTS
Group A
Results
Ireland beat UAE by 226 runs
West Indies beat Netherlands by 54 runs
Group B
Results
Zimbabwe tied with Scotland
Nepal beat Hong Kong by five wickets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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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.
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh