Today will be the moment of truth for Mick McCarthy.
His Wolves side will be firmly in the spotlight when they host Burnley for a game so decisive for the manager that he rested 10 first-choice players for the trip to Manchester United.
It was a decision that saw him become a pariah as a weakened Wolves lost 3-0. The debate has been raging in England since as to whether McCarthy was within his rights to rest so many players.
In particular, the Wolves fans who had paid a handsome sum to travel north for the game, as well as United's title rivals, were not particularly happy. McCarthy has been a model of defiance since Tuesday following a Premier League demand for him to explain the line-up at Old Trafford - and criticism from various quarters.
Arsene Wenger, the Arsenal manager, said McCarthy's move "damaged the international credibility of the Premier League".
But the Wolves coach will hope to use the negative comments to inspire his side - just like he did when he came under fire from Roy Keane during the 2002 World Cup when in charge of the Republic of Ireland.
Instead of wilting under the vitriolic assault from the then Ireland captain, who questioned his ability, McCarthy responded by leading the side to the last 16 where they were defeated cruelly on penalties by Spain.
His current charges are behind him as the striker Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, Wolves' top scorer last season, said: "Decisions like this rest with the manager and when you take that away, you take away a part of the club. As players we are totally behind him and both understand and agree with the decision he has made."
What McCarthy will also need are the Wolves supporters on his side, something not lost on him as he denied any intentional offence.
"My job is to maximise the resources of this club. That is what I am doing and I would do it again," he said. "I am paid to make decisions. I make them and stand by them. I take the heat. Don't think that I don't understand that it has added a bit more pressure to the game, but that is on me."
The heat will be on at Molineux. Burnley, without an away win this season, will have the neutrals in their corner.
They have gained admiration for their attitude as well as their ability upon their top-flight return.
Owen Coyle, the Clarets' manager, did not follow McCarthy's lead in midweek as they gained a point against Arsenal that could be crucial in the final analysis. It is not his style while many of his players know this top-flight experience may not come their way again.
Take the captain Graham Alexander, who scored the penalty equaliser against the Gunners. At 38, he has been on the pitch for all but 46 minutes of Burnley's campaign so far. It is testament to his and the club's character.
Coyle added: "We have some gifted individuals, but our strength is in the group.
"My players are the lowest paid in the Premier League and budget-wise we are a shadow of anyone else, but there is an honesty and a freshness about us."
akhan@thenational.ae
Wolves v Burnley, KO 5.30pm, Showsports 1 & 2
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
THE SPECS
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 275hp at 6,600rpm
Torque: 353Nm from 1,450-4,700rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Top speed: 250kph
Fuel consumption: 6.8L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: Dh146,999
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.
Company%20Profile
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Retail gloom
Online grocer Ocado revealed retail sales fell 5.7 per cen in its first quarter as customers switched back to pre-pandemic shopping patterns.
It was a tough comparison from a year earlier, when the UK was in lockdown, but on a two-year basis its retail division, a joint venture with Marks&Spencer, rose 31.7 per cent over the quarter.
The group added that a 15 per cent drop in customer basket size offset an 11.6. per cent rise in the number of customer transactions.
Company%20Profile
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How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
UAE tour of the Netherlands
UAE squad: Rohan Mustafa (captain), Shaiman Anwar, Ghulam Shabber, Mohammed Qasim, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Chirag Suri, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Mohammed Naveed, Amjad Javed, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Fixtures:
Monday, 1st 50-over match
Wednesday, 2nd 50-over match
Thursday, 3rd 50-over match
Star%20Wars%3A%20Episode%20I%20%E2%80%93%20The%20Phantom%20Menace
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Company%20profile
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SPECS
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
The%20specs
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Sebastian Stefan, Sebastian Morar and Claudia Pacurar
Based: Dubai, UAE
Founded: 2014
Number of employees: 36
Sector: Logistics
Raised: $2.5 million
Investors: DP World, Prime Venture Partners and family offices in Saudi Arabia and the UAE
Company%20Profile
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Company%20Profile
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