MANCHESTER // Manchester United manager David Moyes is facing the sack after less than one season in charge at Old Trafford. The club’s owners, the Glazer family, are in discussions with vice-president Ed Woodward about the future of the manager they signed on a six-year contract when he was appointed in June 2013 on the strong recommendation of the club’s outgoing, legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
United were Premier League champions last season but they have been in seventh position for most of this term and have won just one of 13 games against opponents in the top eight.
Sunday's 2-0 defeat by Everton was the latest poor performance, the result confirming that United will miss out on Uefa Champions League football for the first time since 1995. United are 13 points off a top-four Premier league finish and, with it, Champions League qualification. They also look set to miss out on the consolation of a Europa League place, which the Glazers considered a competition worth taking seriously.
It is understood that the club are worried about season ticket renewal sales should Moyes remain in charge, with the 75,000 fans who watch games at Old Trafford hugely underwhelmed by the football served up under Ferguson’s successor.
Richard Jolly’s Premier League team of the week in pictures
Though United’s match-going fans have largely stuck by their manager, few will bemoan his departure after a season that started badly and never got going.
They have been unhappy with the results and the quality of the largely defensive football, especially at home, where United have been defeated in six league games. Among those were 3-0 losses to their main rivals Manchester City and Liverpool, plus defeats by Everton, Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United and West Bromwich Albion.
United were also eliminated from both domestic cup competitions in farcical scenes at Old Trafford: on penalties by struggling Sunderland in the League One Cup semi-finals and by Swansea City in the third round of the FA Cup.
Though their form was brighter in European competition, the 2-0 defeat to Olympiakos in Greece saw Moyes’s approval rating among supporters plummet and his dismissal was discussed at boardroom level.
United won the return leg 3-0 to reach the Champions League quarter-finals, with the positive result buying Moyes more time. Elimination followed in the next round by a Bayern Munich side who triumphed 3-1 in Munich after drawing 1-1 in Manchester.
Though he was cut some slack, the expected improvements under Moyes did not come and players have consistently briefed in private how unhappy they are with the new manager.
Upon his appointment, Moyes sought the advice of several club legends, yet veteran players such as Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand, Ryan Giggs and Patrice Evra are set to depart at the end of the season and United will lose much experience.
The club have neither confirmed nor denied Moyes’s departure, but if the Glaswegian leaves, as expected, United will need to replace him ahead of a busy summer rebuilding their squad. Woodward is a known admirer of Borussia Dortmund’s Jurgen Klopp and agreed that the German was a “genius” in his only interview so far.
Atletico Madrid’s Diego Simeone would also be in the frame, as would current player coach and club legend Giggs. The 40-year-old Welshman has completed all his coaching badges and is keen on a step into management, but there has been much room for improvement in his relationship with Moyes.
If Moyes departs, as many are predicting, there may no longer be obstacles to Giggs staying at Old Trafford.
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The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
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On sale: Now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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SERIES INFO
Afghanistan v Zimbabwe, Abu Dhabi Sunshine Series
All matches at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Test series
1st Test: Zimbabwe beat Afghanistan by 10 wickets
2nd Test: Wednesday, 10 March – Sunday, 14 March
Play starts at 9.30am
T20 series
1st T20I: Wednesday, 17 March
2nd T20I: Friday, 19 March
3rd T20I: Saturday, 20 March
TV
Supporters in the UAE can watch the matches on the Rabbithole channel on YouTube
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
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Tips for taking the metro
- set out well ahead of time
- make sure you have at least Dh15 on you Nol card, as there could be big queues for top-up machines
- enter the right cabin. The train may be too busy to move between carriages once you're on
- don't carry too much luggage and tuck it under a seat to make room for fellow passengers
Famous left-handers
- Marie Curie
- Jimi Hendrix
- Leonardo Di Vinci
- David Bowie
- Paul McCartney
- Albert Einstein
- Jack the Ripper
- Barack Obama
- Helen Keller
- Joan of Arc
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
Company profile
Company name: Suraasa
Started: 2018
Founders: Rishabh Khanna, Ankit Khanna and Sahil Makker
Based: India, UAE and the UK
Industry: EdTech
Initial investment: More than $200,000 in seed funding
Museum of the Future in numbers
- 78 metres is the height of the museum
- 30,000 square metres is its total area
- 17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
- 14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
- 1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior
- 7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
- 2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
- 100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
- Dh145 is the price of a ticket
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
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TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
WORLD RECORD FEES FOR GOALKEEPERS
1) Kepa Arrizabalaga, Athletic Bilbao to Chelsea (£72m)
2) Alisson, Roma to Liverpool (£67m)
3) Ederson, Benfica to Manchester City (£35m)
4) Gianluigi Buffon, Parma to Juventus (£33m)
5) Angelo Peruzzi, Inter Milan to Lazio (£15.7m
Boulder shooting victims
• Denny Strong, 20
• Neven Stanisic, 23
• Rikki Olds, 25
• Tralona Bartkowiak, 49
• Suzanne Fountain, 59
• Teri Leiker, 51
• Eric Talley, 51
• Kevin Mahoney, 61
• Lynn Murray, 62
• Jody Waters, 65
Barbie
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Company profile
Company: Rent Your Wardrobe
Date started: May 2021
Founder: Mamta Arora
Based: Dubai
Sector: Clothes rental subscription
Stage: Bootstrapped, self-funded
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
World%20Cup%202023%20ticket%20sales
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What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
