Early tensions at PSG as Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe take time to adapt


Ian Hawkey
  • English
  • Arabic

Almost two months after it was patented, ‘MNM’ has yet to take off. The brand MNM is doing well - most of football knows what MNM stands for, almost as readily as they know ‘PSG’ stands for Paris Saint-Germain.

But the club that brought together Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe and encouraged them to be referred to by the acronym of their names has not yet seen the fearsome threesome operate in irresistible, perfect harmony.

Granted, Messi (M) Neymar (N) and Mbappe (M) have started a match together only once, and the real thrill from that belonged to Club Brugge, who tamed PSG and MNM in the drawn opening game of a Champions League group that becomes tougher for the French club from here on, starting with Tuesday’s confrontation with Manchester City.

Messi’s participation from the start at the Parc des Princes is in some doubt because he is still shaking off a knee injury that caused him to miss PSG’s last two Ligue 1 games. It means he has played just 100 minutes of French league football since leaving Barcelona, in the shock move of the summer transfer window, plus his 90 minutes at Bruges.

MNM have had even less time together, Neymar having been substituted for Messi when the new recruit made his PSG debut, at Stade Reims a month ago. Mbappe then left the field, having taken a knock, early in the second half in Bruges. Messi, nursing his sore knee, lasted until the 76th minute in the victory over Lyon.

What these matches all featured were vital contributions from Mbappe, goals and several assists, but no direct exchanges between members of the celebrated trio that led directly to goals. Yes, Messi has had shots come back off the frame of opposition goals, but so far, MNM as a unit could be an abbreviation for ‘minimal’.

Mauricio Pochettino, the manager charged with blending the vision of Messi, the dribbling of Neymar, and the speed of Mbappe - among their many other qualities - urges patience. He also has to ensure the links in the triangle are all equally strong.

Mbappe hinted at tensions in the four-year partnership between he and Neymar at the weekend, when he was caught saying and gesturing, while on the bench, that Neymar had not been providing him with the right sort of passes.

The Brazilian had just set up a Julian Draxler goal, the second in the 2-0 win against Montpellier. Mbappe watched the assist and, turning to colleague Idrissa Gana Gueye, remarked: “He doesn’t pass to me!”

The episode obliged Pochettino yesterday to once again address an Mbappe-generated headline. Last week, the France striker came under heavy criticism for appearing to mock the Metz goalkeeper Alexandre Oukidja during PSG’s 2-1 win there.

PSG player ratings v Club Brugge

Throughout August, Mbappe’s refusal to extend his PSG contract, which expires in June, was the hot topic, and his uncertain future, with Real Madrid keen to sign him, continues to be an issue.

“In football these sorts of things happen between competitive individuals,” said Pochettino of Mbappe’s words - which were caught, close-up, on camera - about Neymar’s not passing to him. “They are both fantastic guys. It was a big issue from outside but internally, it was nothing. They’ve spoken, I’ve spoken to them, and they’ve been happy together in training.”

All the same, a goal set up by Neymar and scored by Mbappe, or assisted by Mbappe and finished by Neymar seems overdue. There has not yet been one in PSG’s season.

Over the four seasons since they became the most expensive attacking pairing in football history - PSG paid over €400m for Neymar and Mbappe combined - they have combined, on average, for a goal every 2.5 matches.

As it happens that’s a shade above the Messi-Neymar rate of shared assists-and-goals when that partnership was flourishing between 2013 and 2017 at Barcelona - an ‘MN’ written in capitals and worth a goal involving both of them every 2.9 matches on average.

What chance the full, feted MNM clicks into place against City? Messi “will be available for the matchday squad,” confirmed Pochettino, refusing to add whether the Argentinian would start the match.

He urged people not to expect Neymar and Messi to resume immediately the complicity they had at Barcelona, or Messi to tune straight into Mbappe’s wavelength. “Leo spent 20 years at Barcelona. Let’s let the players adapt to their new environment, let’s let them feel at home.”

Singham Again

Director: Rohit Shetty

Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone

Rating: 3/5

The specs: 2019 Haval H6

Price, base: Dh69,900

Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder

Transmission: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm

Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km

MATCH INFO

Jersey 147 (20 overs) 

UAE 112 (19.2 overs)

Jersey win by 35 runs

World record transfers

1. Kylian Mbappe - to Real Madrid in 2017/18 - €180 million (Dh770.4m - if a deal goes through)
2. Paul Pogba - to Manchester United in 2016/17 - €105m
3. Gareth Bale - to Real Madrid in 2013/14 - €101m
4. Cristiano Ronaldo - to Real Madrid in 2009/10 - €94m
5. Gonzalo Higuain - to Juventus in 2016/17 - €90m
6. Neymar - to Barcelona in 2013/14 - €88.2m
7. Romelu Lukaku - to Manchester United in 2017/18 - €84.7m
8. Luis Suarez - to Barcelona in 2014/15 - €81.72m
9. Angel di Maria - to Manchester United in 2014/15 - €75m
10. James Rodriguez - to Real Madrid in 2014/15 - €75m

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.”

Company%20Profile
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Coal Black Mornings

Brett Anderson

Little Brown Book Group 

The rules on fostering in the UAE

A foster couple or family must:

  • be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
  • not be younger than 25 years old
  • not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
  • be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
  • have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
  • undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
  • A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Brief scores:

Kashima Antlers 0

River Plate 4

Zuculini 24', Martinez 73', 90 2', Borre 89' (pen)

The%20specs%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.0-litre%204cyl%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E261hp%20at%205%2C500rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E400Nm%20at%201%2C750-4%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E10.5L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh129%2C999%20(VX%20Luxury)%3B%20from%20Dh149%2C999%20(VX%20Black%20Gold)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogenChromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxideUltramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica contentOphiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on landOlivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour

The specs

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Transmission: ten-speed

Power: 420bhp

Torque: 624Nm

Price: Dh325,125

On sale: Now

The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors

Power: Combined output 920hp

Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic

Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km

On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025

Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000

The specs

Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now

Springtime in a Broken Mirror,
Mario Benedetti, Penguin Modern Classics

 

Wicked: For Good

Director: Jon M Chu

Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater

Rating: 4/5

'Saand Ki Aankh'

Produced by: Reliance Entertainment with Chalk and Cheese Films
Director: Tushar Hiranandani
Cast: Taapsee Pannu, Bhumi Pednekar, Prakash Jha, Vineet Singh
Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh590,000

Updated: September 28, 2021, 3:31 AM