Scotland manager Gordon Strachan hailed Saturday’s 1-0 Euro 2016 qualifier win over Georgia as the best performance of his reign.
The Scots kick-started their European Championship qualifying Group D campaign as Shaun Maloney’s deflected strike off defender Akaki Khubutia handed the Scots their first win following a narrow 2-1 opening defeat to world champions Germany.
Strachan has masterminded Scotland’s rise up the world rankings since he took over from Craig Levein in January 2013 leading his side on a six match unbeaten run, which included four wins, before their defeat in Germany last month.
However, the coach said the well-deserved, if not emphatic, win against a stubborn Georgia side was their best showing in his time in charge.
“That was the best hour or 65 minutes we have had as a football team since I have been here,” said Strachan.
“To make that many chances is a manager’s dream and I thought the players were fantastic.
“I imagined it was going to be hard and it could take a scrappy goal to win it but I didn’t know the players could play that type of free-flowing football, with such ease, and break down a good side.
“It was different to Germany when we had to rely on breakaways. The onus is on you to go and do things.
“For the first 25 minutes of the second half we were making chances again and their goalkeeper’s made some good saves.
“We got into areas we were pleased with and we were maybe just a little rusty with some of our shots and we could have got them off earlier. We were maybe trying to walk the ball into the back of the net.”
The Scots will now travel to Poland, one of their main rivals for a qualifying spot in what is a tough group containing Germany and the Republic of Ireland, for their next fixture on Tuesday.
“The game is different but you still pass the ball, move it and play with energy,” added Strachan.
“I imagine there will be one or two changes to the team and the system might change a wee bit. We will enjoy tonight and have a look at the Poland game in the morning to assess it.
“Tactically, it might be a wee bit different but I can’t see it being too much of a difference.”
Georgia, who lost their opening fixture 2-1 to the Republic of Ireland, struggled to create chances at Ibrox but came close to a leveller late on when substitute Dzaria fired just wide.
However, Georgian manager Temur Ketsbaia was philosophical in defeat and admitted his side hadn’t deserved to get anything from the match.
“When you get the ball you have to do something with it but unfortunately I didn’t have the players who could keep the ball and keep their positions and it put us under pressure,” the former Newcastle United player said.
“Scotland played better than we played and created the chances.
“I am happy with the second half but we have to start playing like that from the first minute.
“We had a good chance in the second half but I cannot say we deserved something from the game. In the end Scotland deserved to win and get the three points.
“I am happy with my defenders as they did well under a lot of pressure but we have to improve as a team if we are going to achieve something.”
Poland top Group D after their historic defeat of Germany.
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
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What is cyberbullying?
Cyberbullying or online bullying could take many forms such as sending unkind or rude messages to someone, socially isolating people from groups, sharing embarrassing pictures of them, or spreading rumors about them.
Cyberbullying can take place on various platforms such as messages, on social media, on group chats, or games.
Parents should watch out for behavioural changes in their children.
When children are being bullied they they may be feel embarrassed and isolated, so parents should watch out for signs of signs of depression and anxiety
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Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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