Ever since last September's announcement that Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed had bought Manchester City and smashed the British transfer record to sign Robinho from Real Madrid, things have been hectic at Eastlands.
But even for a club who overnight attained worldwide recognition and interest, the last week has been remarkable.
It began last Saturday morning. Rumours spread that manager Mark Hughes was on his way out with Guus Hiddink and Jose Mourinho emerging as the main candidates to replace him.
An hour or so later, Roberto Mancini, the suave Italian, was made favourite and as soon as the club chairman, Khaldoon al Mubarak, flew into Manchester from Abu Dhabi just before noon UK time, it was clear all was not looking well for Hughes.
The Welshman took charge of the team for the 4-3 win over Sunderland, but was dismissed immediately afterwards with former Inter Milan coach Mancini unveiled as the new man in charge days later.
The departing boss and his backroom team have since portrayed themselves as having been stabbed in the back and were adamant they had successfully been working towards a top six Premier League finish. The hierarchy, it was claimed, had been plotting all along to get rid of them.
The British media are on the side of Hughes, while Garry Cook, the chief executive, is the man they blame. Accused of lying to the fans and of plotting to get rid of Hughes, there is no doubt Cook is feeling the pressure like never before.
But it is understood that the club will indeed stand by their man and that rumours of a replacement being unveiled are "ridiculous".
The board have also been incensed by some newspaper reports suggesting City's Abu Dhabi owners sacked Hughes because they failed to understand the basics of running a football franchise.
The club have gone so far as to ban newspaper journalists from their training ground, believing the players may be unsettled by the negative headlines, and released a statement to combat misleading reports.
"Garry Cook and new manager Roberto Mancini together took to the stage to give journalists and, more importantly, our fans the complete picture of the events of the past few days and weeks," read a statement from the club.
"The outcome was characterised in a way [that] has suggested the football club and Garry Cook has lied to its fans. Manchester City would like to point out that this is absolutely not the case."
The statement makes clear that Cook made known during Monday's press conference that "the decision to look at managerial options was taken only three weeks ago after the Hull game, but I think it is important for people to know that Roberto was only offered the job after the Spurs game; we negotiated on Thursday and finalised his agreement on Friday".
Mancini, when questioned on when he was first contacted by the club, replied: "Two weeks ago, I met Khaldoon for the first time. But they called me the day after the Tottenham game. Not before."
The recent statement adds: "In light of the fact that both Garry Cook's and Roberto Mancini's responses are consistent, it is with some surprise that we and our fans read some [recent] report[s]."
Meanwhile, Nedum Onuoha has intensified Mancini's immediate concerns about City's injury list by being ruled out for up to four weeks ahead of tomorrow's home clash with Stoke. He will join defensive partner Joleon Lescott on the sidelines, while Shaun Wright-Phillips and Emmanuel Adebayor remain doubts.
"You cannot win games without scoring goals and my teams in Italy never played for 0-0 draws, but it is important to defend well too," Mancini, 45, said ahead of the hectic holiday programme, which sees them travel to Wolves on Monday.
Brazilian defender Sylvinho, who was given a torrid time by Tottenham winger Aaron Lennon in their pivotal 3-0 defeat at White hart Lane, has revealed he has already pushed Hughes's shock departure to the back of his mind.
"Sometimes these things happen when you are talking about football at this level and as a player you have to be prepared to adapt quickly," said the former Barcelona left-back.
"We can't be thinking about Hughes. Football changes too quickly. As a professional, you have to work hard for the new coach because you know that in a few days you have another important game, and you must prepare properly."
Mancini has already put the players through their paces, organising double training sessions in a bid to cut out defensive mistakes that have seen the club concede three goals in each of their past three games.
Sylvinho, though, is adamant the Italian coach "doesn't just concentrate on the defence".
"Yes, he is tactical, the Italian League is one of the best in the world," he said.
"He will try to make the team safe, but he wants to get all the positions correct. He will be good for us."
@Email:gmeenaghan@thenational.ae
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More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The rules of the road keeping cyclists safe
Cyclists must wear a helmet, arm and knee pads
Have a white front-light and a back red-light on their bike
They must place a number plate with reflective light to the back of the bike to alert road-users
Avoid carrying weights that could cause the bike to lose balance
They must cycle on designated lanes and areas and ride safe on pavements to avoid bumping into pedestrians
The bio
Who inspires you?
I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist
How do you relax?
Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.
What is favourite book?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times
What is your favourite Arabic film?
Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki
What is favourite English film?
Mamma Mia
Best piece of advice to someone looking for a career at Google?
If you’re interested in a career at Google, deep dive into the different career paths and pinpoint the space you want to join. When you know your space, you’re likely to identify the skills you need to develop.
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 720hp
Torque: 770Nm
Price: Dh1,100,000
On sale: now
Recycle Reuse Repurpose
New central waste facility on site at expo Dubai South area to handle estimated 173 tonne of waste generated daily by millions of visitors
Recyclables such as plastic, paper, glass will be collected from bins on the expo site and taken to the new expo Central Waste Facility on site
Organic waste will be processed at the new onsite Central Waste Facility, treated and converted into compost to be re-used to green the expo area
Of 173 tonnes of waste daily, an estimated 39 per cent will be recyclables, 48 per cent organic waste and 13 per cent general waste.
About 147 tonnes will be recycled and converted to new products at another existing facility in Ras Al Khor
Recycling at Ras Al Khor unit:
Plastic items to be converted to plastic bags and recycled
Paper pulp moulded products such as cup carriers, egg trays, seed pots, and food packaging trays
Glass waste into bowls, lights, candle holders, serving trays and coasters
Aim is for 85 per cent of waste from the site to be diverted from landfill
The biog
Name: Abeer Al Shahi
Emirate: Sharjah – Khor Fakkan
Education: Master’s degree in special education, preparing for a PhD in philosophy.
Favourite activities: Bungee jumping
Favourite quote: “My people and I will not settle for anything less than first place” – Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid.
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Friday (UAE kick-off times)
Levante v Real Mallorca (12am)
Leganes v Barcelona (4pm)
Real Betis v Valencia (7pm)
Granada v Atletico Madrid (9.30pm)
Sunday
Real Madrid v Real Sociedad (12am)
Espanyol v Getafe (3pm)
Osasuna v Athletic Bilbao (5pm)
Eibar v Alaves (7pm)
Villarreal v Celta Vigo (9.30pm)
Monday
Real Valladolid v Sevilla (12am)
Ways to control drones
Countries have been coming up with ways to restrict and monitor the use of non-commercial drones to keep them from trespassing on controlled areas such as airports.
"Drones vary in size and some can be as big as a small city car - so imagine the impact of one hitting an airplane. It's a huge risk, especially when commercial airliners are not designed to make or take sudden evasive manoeuvres like drones can" says Saj Ahmed, chief analyst at London-based StrategicAero Research.
New measures have now been taken to monitor drone activity, Geo-fencing technology is one.
It's a method designed to prevent drones from drifting into banned areas. The technology uses GPS location signals to stop its machines flying close to airports and other restricted zones.
The European commission has recently announced a blueprint to make drone use in low-level airspace safe, secure and environmentally friendly. This process is called “U-Space” – it covers altitudes of up to 150 metres. It is also noteworthy that that UK Civil Aviation Authority recommends drones to be flown at no higher than 400ft. “U-Space” technology will be governed by a system similar to air traffic control management, which will be automated using tools like geo-fencing.
The UAE has drawn serious measures to ensure users register their devices under strict new laws. Authorities have urged that users must obtain approval in advance before flying the drones, non registered drone use in Dubai will result in a fine of up to twenty thousand dirhams under a new resolution approved by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai.
Mr Ahmad suggest that "Hefty fines running into hundreds of thousands of dollars need to compensate for the cost of airport disruption and flight diversions to lengthy jail spells, confiscation of travel rights and use of drones for a lengthy period" must be enforced in order to reduce airport intrusion.
Sunday's Super Four matches
Dubai, 3.30pm
India v Pakistan
Abu Dhabi, 3.30pm
Bangladesh v Afghanistan
The biog
Born: High Wycombe, England
Favourite vehicle: One with solid axels
Favourite camping spot: Anywhere I can get to.
Favourite road trip: My first trip to Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan. The desert they have over there is different and the language made it a bit more challenging.
Favourite spot in the UAE: Al Dhafra. It’s unique, natural, inaccessible, unspoilt.
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre, six-cylinder
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 395bhp
Torque: 420Nm
Price: from Dh321,200
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Williams at Wimbledon
Venus Williams - 5 titles (2000, 2001, 2005, 2007 and 2008)
Serena Williams - 7 titles (2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015 and 2016)
Zayed Sustainability Prize
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 4 (Suarez 27', Vidal 32', Dembele 35', Messi 78')
Sevilla 0
Red cards: Ronald Araujo, Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona)
