Neil Warnock is football management's outspoken anachronism who suffered a modern fate: death by Twitter. A warning by Tony Fernandes, the Queens Park Rangers owner, delivered on the social networking site on Friday, that "no one job is safe" proved prescient. Two days later, Warnock was dismissed.
In all probability, it curtailed the top-flight career of one of the game's more remarkable characters. In an era when some are groomed for greatness and identified at an early age, Warnock's peripatetic playing days took in Chesterfield, Rotherham, Hartlepool, Scunthorpe, Aldershot, Barnsley, York and Crewe.
Having traded in the pitch for the dugout - and after qualifying as both a referee and a chiropodist - he plied his trade for Gainsborough Trinity, Burton Albion, Scarborough, Notts County, Torquay, Plymouth, Oldham, Bury, Sheffield United, Crystal Palace and finally QPR.
No one put as much work into becoming a Premier League manager.
And yet the verdict may be that he is the definitive Championship manager, one with an encyclopaedic knowledge of the division and a rare ability to get results with very different clubs and in very different circumstances. It was there that his bargain hunting is most beneficial, where his sides appear imbued with most spirit.
At a higher level, however, he counts as a nearly man. Two previous tilts at top-flight management ended in relegation; with Notts County in 1991-92, and with Sheffield United five seasons ago.
Aided by the illegal registration of Carlos Tevez, West Ham stayed up at the Blades' expense although this view is that United would have survived anyway but for the season-ending injury sustained by the striker, Rob Hulse, with eight games remaining.
In neither campaign did Warnock have the resources rivals enjoyed.
QPR are different, even if the August takeover by Fernandes necessitated frantic spending at the end of the summer transfer window. Yet Rangers' recent form suggested an unwanted hat-trick of demotions beckoned. The last eight games only produced two points.
Rather than Saturday's 1-1 draw at MK Dons in the FA Cup, what probably cost Warnock his job were home defeats that produced unfortunate conclusions.
One was to Sunderland, highlighting the new-manager effect as they surge away from the relegation zone under Martin O'Neill.
The other, against Norwich City, emphasised how the other promoted clubs have accelerated beyond QPR despite smaller spending. It turned on the controversial sending-off of Joey Barton and illustrated the dangers of relying on the midfielder.
The self-pitying self-publicist has disputed his dismissal at great length - on Twitter, the bane of Warnock's life - but his lack of discipline let the manager down.
Warnock had made Barton his captain, demoting Adel Taarabt, the catalyst in QPR's Championship-winning campaign, to the ranks. That Barton engaged in public sniping at his talented but temperamental predecessor scarcely helped. Taarabt went from a mainstay of the side to a marginal figure.
While their outstanding individuals this season are Heidar Helguson and Alejandro Faurlin, whose arrivals predated Warnock's, the rapid overhaul meant QPR became a team of two halves, part stalwarts of the promotion year, part expensively-remunerated and quickly-recruited Premier League players.
They lacked the cohesion that has helped Norwich and Swansea progress smoothly, but that was scarcely Warnock's fault.
As their form tailed off after November's surprise win at Stoke City, January began to assume huge importance. QPR were hanging on for reinforcements - on the touchline as well as the pitch, it transpired - and Warnock's mixed record at the more exclusive end of the transfer market became an issue. So, too, did the ambition and impatience of Fernandes.
The result is that, for the first time this millennium, Warnock has been dismissed. It is a sign of his staying power and an indication that he changed with the times, a proud Yorkshireman embracing London life and progressing beyond the loud-mouthed scrapper and long-ball merchant of cliche to incorporate flair players in his team.
His past dictates that plenty will take pleasure in his departure.
Warnock has overstepped the mark at times; indeed, the disputes section of his Wikipedia entry is longer than the segment on his management.
Few have been amassed enemies in as entertaining a fashion - the parts of his autobiography about Stan Ternent and Gary Megson are gloriously vitriolic - but there should be sorrow within the footballing fraternity.
Partly because the great enthusiast has shown a devotion to the game that puts many a multimillionaire player to shame. And partly because he may represent a threat to many a manager: while there are rumours that the 63 year old will retire, he has considered it before and returned for more.
After seven promotions, he is sure to figure prominently on shortlists for jobs at Championship clubs. The shame is that his career will not culminate with the ultimate achievement: surviving in the top flight.
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In 2009/10, it was Blackpool and Notts County, this season Crystal Palace and Swindon.
In two of Roberto Martinez's three years in charge of Wigan, both cup exits have been to lower-division sides.
It is why, when they made nine changes, it was no great shock that they exited the competition to Paolo di Canio's League Two side.
sports@thenational.ae
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A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
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If you go
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How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
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.”
The Pope's itinerary
Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial
Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport
THE BIO
Favourite author - Paulo Coelho
Favourite holiday destination - Cuba
New York Times or Jordan Times? NYT is a school and JT was my practice field
Role model - My Grandfather
Dream interviewee - Che Guevara
