So commanding and courageous have been the performances of Roger Johnson this season that there is a Facebook group dedicated to help him gain an England place.
There are 2, 220 members and counting. But, irrespective of the numbers, one man's opinion will ultimately matter. Like Bobby Zamora at Fulham, the Birmingham central defender is an unsung, unfashionable player who Fabio Capello, the England team manager, has been urged to consider.
Johnson, 26, has been a model of consistency since his club's return to the top flight. His partnership with Scott Dann is one of the main reasons why Birmingham have only conceded five goals at home and they have developed a telepathic understanding since being signed in the summer from Cardiff and Coventry respec- tively.
Alex McLeish, the Birmingham manager, saw their potential in the Championship and has proved an astute judge of quality and character.
Wholehearted and no nonsense in their style, Johnson and Dann are Birmingham's backbone and prompted McLeish to compare them with formidable defensive partnerships of the past, such as Alan Hansen and Mark Lawrenson at Liverpool and his own with Willie Miller for Aberdeen and Scotland.
"These guys are showing signs of phenomenal consistency," said McLeish. "They've just got to keep playing at the same level, and they will get recognised [internationally] if they do it for a long time and consistently well."
Today's clash with the rampant Didier Drogba will be a timely test of their credentials. As a youngster, Johnson was a Chelsea season-ticket holder and still attends their home Champions League games when possible. Johnson has studies footage of Chelsea captain John Terry.
"He is a great player and, if I can emulate anything he has achieved, it will be good," Johnson said.
Johnson will also hope to avoid upsetting his family if Chelsea's recent poor run, which stands at one win in six, continues today.
"My dad is a Chelsea fan, as are my brothers, and even my mum, who was a Manchester United fan until she met my dad, follows them," he added.
"It would be great to beat a team of the quality of Chelsea, although I'm not sure most of my family would ever forgive me."
If it helps him towards an England call-up, they probably will.
akhan@thenational.ae
Birmingham v Chelsea, KO 4.45pm, Showsports 1&2
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Sub Regional Qualifier
Event info: The tournament in Kuwait is the first phase of the qualifying process for sides from Asia for the 2020 World T20 in Australia. The UAE must finish within the top three teams out of the six at the competition to advance to the Asia regional finals. Success at regional finals would mean progression to the World T20 Qualifier.
Teams: UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Maldives, Qatar
Friday fixtures: 9.30am (UAE time) - Kuwait v Maldives, Qatar v UAE; 3pm - Saudi Arabia v Bahrain
What drives subscription retailing?
Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.
The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.
The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.
The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.
UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.
That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.
Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Sunday's fixtures
- Bournemouth v Southampton, 5.30pm
- Manchester City v West Ham United, 8pm