Everton’s Gareth Barry, right, has been pivotal to the team’s fortunes in a holding capacity. Andrew Winning / Reuters
Everton’s Gareth Barry, right, has been pivotal to the team’s fortunes in a holding capacity. Andrew Winning / Reuters

Gareth Barry has come into his own and holding Everton together



In English football’s long history, only two teams have completed a top-flight season unbeaten. They have been given the same nickname: “The Invincibles”.

Undefeated records have that impact. And while the Preston side of 1888/89 and the Arsenal team of 2003/04 do not have company yet, the Premier League’s modern-day Invincible aims to extend his personal run today.

The bare facts are that Everton have lost a solitary league game this season. Gareth Barry, who was borrowed from Manchester City, is ineligible to face his parent club and missed that match. His 11 outings have produced 25 points: seven wins, four draws and no defeats.

Yet there is something significant in the identity of today’s visitors to Goodison Park: Fulham overcame Everton in the League Cup in September, the only setback Barry has suffered in the colours of his new club.

But his league record means an unsung hero is finally, in his 33rd year, earning recognition, and not just from a manager who champions his cause relentlessly.

Roberto Martinez believes that perhaps Barry is not exotic enough to excite the English, not dynamic enough to thrill those who love seeing midfielders surge from box to box.

Yet he appreciates the England international for his habit of knitting a team together, for his precise passing and uncanny ability to read the game.

“You always find it difficult to find a No 6, that defensive midfielder, who is tactically aware, in the English game,” he said. “Gareth has developed a continental approach in that role and that’s quite unique.

“If he was a foreigner, then maybe he would be a bit more glamorous for everyone to highlight. Maybe he would be more appreciated.”

The point that Martinez makes is that seemingly slow, holding midfielders do not capture the imagination. Barry gives Everton’s more athletic players a platform to perform, staying deep so the full-backs Bryan Oviedo and Seamus Coleman can surge forward. The English tend to be more accustomed to seeing the men in the middle make the lung-busting breaks.

Speed, however, has never been Barry’s forte. “If you assess every player in the game, you will never find an individual who has got absolutely everything,” Martinez said. “You wouldn’t say that Lionel Messi is great at tackling or tracking back.”

Instead, a manager who emphasises the positive is focusing on what Barry can do and attempting to educate the fans about a very different type of midfielder.

“Historically, we produce very good midfielders, but they’re box to box and play in a different way,” he said. “That’s why I value Gareth so much, because to have an Englishman with the knowledge and football approach of a continental midfielder gives you a real advantage for the other midfielders to learn from.”

Two men at the opposite ends of their careers, James McCarthy and Ross Barkley, are the apprentices to the master. The Ireland international is suspended today, disrupting a midfield axis that proved hugely effective in the win against Manchester United and the draw at Arsenal, and the more seasoned Leon Osman is likely to stand in as Everton look to return to the top four.

And it is not just Barry defending an unbeaten record. Fulham have never won a league game at Goodison Park.

When the London club visits Merseyside, Everton are transformed into Invincibles.

sports@thenational.ae

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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
  • Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
  • Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
  • Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
  • For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
  • Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
  • Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
  • Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
  • Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
  • Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
  • Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.

Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz

Where can I submit a sample?

Volunteers can now submit DNA samples at a number of centres across Abu Dhabi. The programme is open to all ages.

Collection centres in Abu Dhabi include:

  • Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC)
  • Biogenix Labs in Masdar City
  • Al Towayya in Al Ain
  • NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City
  • Bareen International Hospital
  • NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain
  • NMC Royal Medical Centre - Abu Dhabi
  • NMC Royal Women’s Hospital.

The Beach Bum

Director: Harmony Korine

Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Isla Fisher, Snoop Dogg

Two stars

The%20specs
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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

3%20Body%20Problem
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Joker: Folie a Deux

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson

Director: Todd Phillips 

Rating: 2/5

Structural%20weaknesses%20facing%20Israel%20economy
%3Cp%3E1.%20Labour%20productivity%20is%20lower%20than%20the%20average%20of%20the%20developed%20economies%2C%20particularly%20in%20the%20non-tradable%20industries.%3Cbr%3E2.%20The%20low%20level%20of%20basic%20skills%20among%20workers%20and%20the%20high%20level%20of%20inequality%20between%20those%20with%20various%20skills.%3Cbr%3E3.%20Low%20employment%20rates%2C%20particularly%20among%20Arab%20women%20and%20Ultra-Othodox%20Jewish%20men.%3Cbr%3E4.%20A%20lack%20of%20basic%20knowledge%20required%20for%20integration%20into%20the%20labour%20force%2C%20due%20to%20the%20lack%20of%20core%20curriculum%20studies%20in%20schools%20for%20Ultra-Othodox%20Jews.%3Cbr%3E5.%20A%20need%20to%20upgrade%20and%20expand%20physical%20infrastructure%2C%20particularly%20mass%20transit%20infrastructure.%3Cbr%3E6.%20The%20poverty%20rate%20at%20more%20than%20double%20the%20OECD%20average.%3Cbr%3E7.%20Population%20growth%20of%20about%202%20per%20cent%20per%20year%2C%20compared%20to%200.6%20per%20cent%20OECD%20average%20posing%20challenge%20for%20fiscal%20policy%20and%20underpinning%20pressure%20on%20education%2C%20health%20care%2C%20welfare%20housing%20and%20physical%20infrastructure%2C%20which%20will%20increase%20in%20the%20coming%20years.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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Director: Vasan Bala
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Rated: 3.5/5
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The%20specs
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Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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.

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Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4

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