Dhaka and Chittagong staged a gallant fightback against their respective opponents on Sunday, the third day of the National Cricket League opening match, while Sylhet were struggling against Rajshahi.
   At the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka wrapped up Khulna for 184 runs in the second innings before scoring 72-2 to stay in contention in a game that appeared to be a one-sided affair at one stage.
   Chittagong scored 307-9 in their second innings to go 209 runs up before going into the final day’s play against Barisal at the Shaheed Chandu Stadium in Bogra. At Rajshahi, Sylhet had only a slender seven-run lead at stumps with four wickets second innings wickets in hand meaning hosts Rajshahi are firm favourites to win the game.
   Dhaka v Khulna
   Habibul Bashar and Tushar Imran shared an 84-run stand in the third-wicket partnership to brighten the chances of Khulna, who resumed the day on 58-2 after already having a 129-run first innings lead.
   Left-arm spinner Mosharraf Hossain gave Dhaka the first breakthrough of the day by removing Tushar for 43 before he trapped Bashar in front. Former national skipper Bashar scored 67 off 166 balls, which became invaluable for Khulna after their tail caved in without much resistance.
   Only Mashrafee bin Murtaza contributed a significant 31 at the lower order. Mohammad Sharif claimed 4-38 to help Dhaka make the comeback. At sumps, Dhaka were 72-2, still needing 242 runs with the remaining eight wickets for an unlikely win.
   Javed Omar was batting on 29 with Mohammad Ashraful, who was unbeaten on three.
   Anwar Hossain and Al Shahriar were the two batsmen to be out after making four and 24 respectively.
   Chittagong v Barisal
   At the Shaheed Chandu Stadium, Nazimuddin made 79 off 129 hitting 11 fours and two sixes after Tamim Iqbal’s uncharacteristic 60 off 134 balls to help Chittagong erase a 98-run first innings deficit.
   The twin half-centuries aided by a few other cameos from Nafees Iqbal (34), Aftab Ahmed (22), Gazi Salahuddin (26) and Ehsanul Haque (28) took the visitors to 307-9 which means they are now well placed in the match with every chance of a win.
   Talha Jubaer and Sajedul Islam shared six wickets between them for Barisal for 76 and 61 runs respectively.
   Rajshahi v Sylhet
   Khaled Mashud played the highest innings of the tournament so far, 82 off 241 balls, as Rajshahi added 72 runs to their overnight 229-8, taking the match virtually out of the grip of Sylhet. Delwar Hossain, unbeaten on 16 overnight, stretched his
   innings to 40 to make his contribution.
   The efforts of Mashud and Delwar gave Rajshahi a huge 160-run lead on the first innings. Sylhet batted well in the second innings to finish the day on 167-4, but that hardly eased the danger.
   Rajin Saleh was batting on 53 at stumps with Mushfiqur Rahim (not out 22).

Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene said on Sunday that winning the Test series in Australia mattered more than ace spinner Muttiah Muralitharan going for the world record.
   Off-spinner Muralitharan needs just nine more wickets in next month’s two Tests in Australia to break the retired leg-spinner Shane Warne’s world mark of 708 wickets.
   ‘I’ve spoken to Murali and his sentiments are that he will break the record whether it will be in Australia or elsewhere,’ Jayawardene told the Colombo-based Nation newspaper.
   ‘For him, the Australian tour is about performing well and winning. Down the line, if he can break the record it will be great, but even if he doesn’t break it, it is not an issue for us.’
   Muralitharan will have three more Tests against England at home in December to achieve the feat in 2007 if he fails to set the record in Australia.
   Sri Lanka may not have won a Test match in Australia but Jayawardene said his side had the bowlers to end the drought.
   ‘The best chance we have got would be right now because we have a good bowling attack,’ he said. ‘We feel that with the attack we’ve got, we can take 20 wickets. That’s the most important thing in winning a Test match.
   ‘The last time (in 2004) we were there, we drew a Test match. I think we are getting closer and closer. Mentally, we are a very strong unit and the guys have developed themselves very well.’
   Jayawardene said his team was better-prepared to test top-ranked Australia since they had tasted successes in away matches in recent years.
   ‘We’ve done that in England and New Zealand. Our next goal would be to do that in Australia,’ he said.
   ‘We have given responsibility to individuals and over a period of time they’ve realised that they are responsible for their performances.
   ‘It is not just oriented around a few players, everyone has to contribute.
   ‘We’ve given them that confidence. That’s why we’ve started performing well overseas on a consistent basis. If we can keep that mentality and a strong mind frame, our chances are very good.’
   The Sri Lankan captain said Australia would still be formidable despite the absence of their match-winning bowling duo of Glenn McGrath and Warne, who quit Test cricket early this year.
   ‘The bowlers they have are a good unit but not as experienced as when they had McGrath and Warne. They are still a very good all-round side. We have to respect that and challenge them in all departments,’ said Jayawardene.
   Sri Lanka leave for Australia on Tuesday with the first Test starting in Brisbane on November 8. The second Test will be played in Hobart from November 16.

A ruthless South Africa punished England’s ill-discipline for a tight 15-6 win over the defending champions in the rugby World Cup final at the Stade de France here on Saturday.
   Full-back Percy Montgomery kicked four penalties, and 20-year-old centre Francois Steyn one, to hand the Springboks their second World Cup triumph after their victory on home soil in 1995.
   Despite holding their own for most of the game, England could not avenge the humiliating 36-0 loss to South Africa in the pool stage barely five weeks ago.
   They again showed the forward grit and determined defence that saw them record upset wins over Australia and France in the quarter- and semi-finals, but could only notch up two penalties from outside-half Jonny Wilkinson.
   ‘It’s important for our country and everyone back home,’ said South Africa coach Jake White.
   ‘I’m sure everyone is rejoicing. Congratulations to the players, they’ve been incredible ambassadors for the country.’
   Skipper John Smit said he was emotional with the win.
   ‘I’m sitting here and trying not to cry. It’s a feeling you can’t put into words,’ said the hooker.
   ‘It’s a reward for four years of dedication and hard work. England gave us a good run.’
   He dedicated the win to his country.
   ‘This is for all of you. Thank you very much for all your support, even in the bad times.’
   England coach Brian Ashton praised the Springboks.
   ‘I’m very proud of my players but obviously we are disappointed with the defeat,’ said Ashton.
   ‘I’m disappointed for the players, not for myself. But South Africa deserved it. They were the best team.’
   Montgomery opened the scoring with his first penalty in the seventh minute when England centre Mathew Tait slipped on the greasy pitch and held on when caught in possession directly in front of the posts.
   England’s early aerial bombardment paid off when the ball was worked wide after Mark Cueto and Mike Catt combined to strip JP Pietersen of the ball after an Andy Gomarsall up-and-under.
   Bryan Habana put in a bone-crunching tackle on Paul Sackey on the right wing but did not roll away, and Wilkinson nailed a tough penalty from close to the touchline.
   But Montgomery restored the deficit after Lewis Moody, in an offside position, needlessy aimed a cynical kick at Butch James.
   Jason Robinson, in his last-ever game, then produced a fine try-saving tackle on James after the outside-half had burst through to gather his own chip over England’s rush defence.
   With both sides seemingly comfortable fielding endless successions of kicks, and physical blanket defences mopping up most darting forwards drives, the game needed a spark from one individual.
   Steyn, the second-ever youngest player in a World Cup final, almost provided that with the first decent break of the game, side-stepping three England defenders with a swarm of green jerseys behind him before Wilkinson hauled the centre down.

South Africa cricket captain Graeme Smith on Sunday led his team in a chorus of praise after the Springboks won their second rugby World Cup title.
   South Africa beat defending champions England 15-6 in the final in Paris on Saturday, a match watched at midnight here by the Proteas who are on a tour of Pakistan.
   ‘I’m glad we were able to watch the match,’ said Smith.
   ‘We’re very proud of the rugby team. We rejoice in their victory along with everyone else in the country. They deserve everything that comes their way.’
   Smith, whose team won the two-Test series 1-0 for their first win in the subcontinent for seven years, was speaking after losing the second one-day international against Pakistan by 25 runs here on Saturday.
   The Springboks’ win was their second World Cup triumph. However, their cricketing counterparts have still to reach a World Cup final in five attempts.
   South Africa coach Mickey Arthur said the Springboks win was a reward for hard work and determination.
   ‘It shows what consistency of selection and planning for four years can do. I am pleased and proud,’ said Arthur.
   Veteran paceman Shaun Pollock, a former skipper, said the win in Paris was ‘fantastic’.
   ‘It’s exciting to be a supporter and to experience the winning of a World Cup. The heroes’ welcome that they get is nothing less than they deserve,’ said Pollock.
   Opening bowler Makhaya Ntini also hailed the success.
   ‘Everybody played the sort of rugby that makes us proud,’ said Ntini.
   Batsman AB de Villiers said he was anxious to join the celebrations back home.
   ‘I was at school with Wynand Olivier and a house-mate of Bryan Habana. I can’t wait to get home and have a beer with them,’ said De Villiers.

Former national footballer Md Elias Hossain, also the chairman of Haridaspur union parishad, was arrested by the joint forces from the local Alia Madrassah area on Sunday. He was elected as the chairman of Haridaspur UP in 1998.
   Elias, who retired from football in 1991, was the president of the Gopalganj Bus Owners Association. He was accused of leading a demonstration on the last day of the BNP-led four-party alliance government on October 28 where several buses were burnt and shops looted.
   He was also a suspect in the murder case of Chhatra League leader Rakib Hossain Tushar, who was killed in 2004. But his family sources said most of the cases filed against him were politically motivated and lodged by the past government as he was an Awami League activist.

Shoaib Malik and the Pakistan team have been fined for slow play, the International Cricket Council said on Saturday, following their 25-run victory over South Africa in their second day-night international at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Saturday.
   Pakistan’s win levelled the series 1-1 with three matches left to play. South Africa had won the first match by 45 runs at the same venue on Thursday.
   Match referee Alan Hurst of the Emirates elite panel of ICC match referees imposed the fines after Malik’s side was ruled to be three overs short of its target at the end of the match when time allowances were taken into consideration.
   And with the shortfall being more than two overs, Malik, as captain, was automatically charged with a level two code of conduct breach.
   Malik missed most of South Africa’s target chase because of cramps. Yunus Khan led the Pakistan cricket team during Malik’s absence.
   Hurst said: ‘The Pakistan team finished three overs short of the required number of overs, although they were fully updated throughout the innings of their progress by the umpires.
   ‘And although captain Shoaib Malik was not on the field for much of the innings because of injury, he is still accountable in these circumstances,’ he added.
   Malik was fined 50 per cent of his match fee for the breach and as he was found guilty, that punishment took precedence over any fine that was imposed on him as part of the Pakistan team.
   The other players were each fined five per cent of their match fees for every over Pakistan failed to bowl in the time allowed. As a result, Malik’s team mates were each 15 percent out of pocket following the match.

Shane Warne says it will be a ‘sad day’ when he loses his world wicket-taking record, but believes Muttiah Muralitharan will take the mark to 1000. Sri Lanka will play the first of two Tests in Brisbane from November 8 and Muralitharan needs another nine dismissals to overtake Warne’s 708.
   ‘Good luck to Murali, but hopefully the Aussie boys can make it a bit of hard work for him,’ Warne said in the Sunday Telegraph. ‘At the end of the day, he probably will get to 1000, so good luck to him.’
   Warne, who retired from Tests in January, said losing the record did not bother him. ‘It will be a bit of a sad day,’ he said, ‘but at the end of it all I am very proud of what I have achieved and if someone breaks your record, then well done.’

Sri Lanka’s former captain Marvan Atapattu said Sunday he was determined to prove himself on the upcoming Australian tour after being dramatically picked through political intervention.
   ‘I have been out of the game for sometime and I know I have to perform and prove myself because I was invited due to my ability,’ Atapattu said in a radio chat show.
   The 36-year-old, who was not selected in the original touring squad, was brought in as the 17th member on Thursday following the intervention of the country’s sports minister Gamini Lokuge.
   The veteran of 88 Tests accused the Sri Lankan selectors of affecting team morale.
   ‘Team spirit decreased because the players became insecure,’ said Atapattu. ‘They were performing for themselves to remain in the team.’

Bangladesh play their third group D match of the Asian U-16 Pre-qualifiers against Turkmenistan in Dubai today.
   Bangladesh were thrashed 9-1 by hosts UAE on Saturday. Earlier in the opening match on Wednesday, Bangladesh made a flying start crushing Palestine by the same margin.
   Bangladesh will play their fourth match against Uzbekistan on Oct 25 and the fifth and last match against Tajikistan on Oct 28.

The second edition of the Citi Cup Golf Tournament tees off at the Kurmitola Golf Club on October 25.
   Sponsored by the Citibank NA, the two-day tournament will be inaugurated by Lt Gen ATM Zahirul Alam and he will also distribute the prizes after conclusion of the meet on October 26.
   Around 400 golfers of the country are expected to participate in the tournament.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni said the Twenty20 victory over Australia would give his team momentum as they prepare to take on Pakistan in a one-day and Test series starting next month.
   ‘This victory, as well as the last ODI victory, will give us a lot of confidence. International cricket is more about confidence than technique,’ Dhoni said after India beat Australia in the one-off Twenty20 International at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.
   ‘Gautam (Gambhir) and Robin (Uthappa) have matured and played aggressively,’ he said while praising his side for coming out with a fearless outlook. ‘They are aggressive but at times they may fail trying for shots and they may be criticised for playing rash shots but that’s how it is.’
   The virgin pitch used for the game helped the spinners; Harbhajan Singh and Murali Kartik did not disappoint despite having to bowl in tough situations. ‘Kartik was preferred over Joginder because of conditions,’ Dhoni said. ‘In India, we have to generally sacrifice the fourth seamer for second spinner. Today we batted well and bowled well but fielding was not good because of the
   bumpy ground. Everyone responded well to responsibilities given to them and that is why we won.’
   Dhoni’s counterpart, Ricky Ponting, felt his team did not get enough runs on the board. ‘We fell short by 15 runs. We gave away too many extras - 23 extras means four extra overs. We did it the other night also and we need to buck up,’ he said. ‘Harabhan and Kartik bowled well. Gambhir batted well. We would like to play more matches against the new generation Indian players.’

South Africa remain uncertain about playing their fifth and final one-day international against Pakistan in Karachi after a suspected suicide bomber killed at least 139 people in the southern city on Friday.
   The tourists have been shaken since the attack on former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s motorcade and team manager Logan Naidoo told reporters that a final decision on playing in Karachi would be made in the next few days.
   ‘We are monitoring the security situation in the country on a day-to-day basis. We are waiting for feedback on the situation in Karachi from high-level Pakistani officials after which we will make a decision,’ Naidoo said on Sunday.
   The South Africans had discussed abandoning the tour on Friday but agreed to continue after assurances from top level security officials and the Pakistan Cricket Board.
   South African skipper Graeme Smith said the security situation was obviously at the back of the minds of the players.
   ‘The thing is we have to manage on a daily basis and rely on our security guys to give us feedback,’ Smith said.
   After splitting the first two one-dayers in Lahore, the teams will play the third match of the series in Faisalabad on Tuesday and the fourth in Multan on Friday.
   The final one-dayer is scheduled for October 29.
   A PCB official said the board would allow the South Africans to make their own decision on the Karachi contest.
   ‘We know they are not comfortable about playing in Karachi after the tragedy. We will give them briefing soon. We have discussed other options with them including playing the final match in Multan or Lahore,’ he told Reuters, while declining to be named.

AC Milan chief Adriano Galliani claimed Sunday that the club’s Brazilian playmaker Kaka deserves to be named world player of the year.
   Kaka has already received one award this season for being the best player during last season’s Champions League, where AC Milan emerged victorious.
   And now he is the big favourite to be awarded the Ballon d’Or in Paris on December 2.
   ‘I don’t think there’s any doubt given what he’s done and what he’s doing. I can’t see anyone else beating him to the trophy,’ Galliani told Sky Sport just before Sunday’s match against Empoli.
   Kaka was not among Carlo Ancelotti’s squad for the game as he is being rested for the midweek Champions League clash with Shakhtar Donetsk.
   ‘He’s won the Champions League, (he was) the top scorer in the competition. Overall, he’s the best player. If he doesn’t win it’s the end of the world, footballistically speaking,’ added Galliani.
   Kaka is one of 50 players nominated for the award that is voted for by a panel of 96 international journalists and organised by France Football magazine.
   His team-mates at AC Milan Genaro Gattuso, Andrea Pirlo, Clarence Seedorf, Paolo Maldini and Filippo Inzaghi have all also been nominated.
   ‘That gives me a lot of pleasure,’ said Galliani of the number of Milan players nominated. ‘It shows that the quality of Milan’s players is reknown throughout the world. We are the most European team and I’m delighted and proud.’

Andrew Strauss says he is still coming to terms with being omitted from England’s Test squad for the tour of Sri Lanka and has yet to decide on his next option. After a poor 12 months he was overlooked in favour of Owais Shah and Ravi Bopara, the first time he has been dropped from the Test side since his debut in 2004.
   ‘To say that it hurts is a massive understatement. In truth it is the culmination of a long, tiring and immensely frustrating 12 months in which little has gone my way,’ Strauss wrote in The Sunday Telegraph. ‘I have been a victim of some poor umpiring decisions, some unfortunate dismissals and a few incredibly good balls delivered at just the wrong moment. But I still have to take responsibility for my less than satisfactory contributions.’
   When the squad was announced David Graveney, the chairman of selectors, said Strauss, who has a central contract, will still come into consideration for the New Zealand tour next February. Strauss is set to have a meeting with Graveney next week to discuss his options, which include being part of the development squad in India or following the same path as Steve Harmison and playing for an overseas team.
   ‘I am determined to take a little time to let the news and disappointment settle in before deciding how best to plan the fight to get my spot back,’ he said. ‘Some further time away from the game, regaining hunger and desire, may be beneficial. But over the longer term the only way I can rediscover the habit of scoring runs is by playing, so I will have to look into the opportunities available.’

International Cricket Council’s cricket committee chairman Sunil Gavaskar has called for a bigger role for the match referee following an acrimonious one-day series between Australia and India.
   The world champions beat the hosts 4-2 in the seven-match series earlier this month, which saw heated exchanges between players of both teams and racial taunts directed towards Australia’s Andrew Symonds by spectators in Baroda and Mumbai.
   ‘While there is no question that the blame rests with the management of both teams for letting it descend to such levels, the ICC match referee and the umpires are no less culpable,’ Gavaskar wrote in his syndicated column on Sunday.
   ‘This protocol of the match referee acting only if the umpires make a report is just not on, for why then have a match referee?’ the former India captain added.
   ‘He is there not just to protect the umpires from the players but also to see that the game goes on without any untoward incidents.’
   Englishman Chris Broad was the match referee for the series and the one-off Twenty20 international on Saturday which the hosts won by seven wickets.
   ‘One is not privy to the report that the match referee may have sent to ICC but the fact that not one player from both sides has been reported and reprimanded shows that the referee and the umpires did not do the job assigned to them.’
   Gavaskar said there had seldom been a series as ill-tempered as the recently-completed one.
   ‘It would be sad if the ICC turns a blind eye to what happened during the series,’ he added.
   ‘While accepting that the game has changed and become far more aggressive than before, what was seen on the cricket field did not do any good to the image of the game.’

Bayern Munich coach Ottmar Hitzfeld says he is delighted with the form of midfielders Franck Ribery and Bastian Schweinsteiger as his side opened a six-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga.
   Bayern had to come from behind at VfL Bochum on Saturday to seal a 2-1 win as French star Ribery and Schweinsteiger scored either side of half-time to maintain their side’s unbeaten record.
   The German giants top the league table with 26 points after ten games and are six-points clear of second-placed Werder Bremen.
   But Bochum took a surprise lead when Germany under-21 striker Dennis Grote scored with a superb shot on 11 minutes.
   It was not the start Bayern wanted with second-string goalkeeper Michael Rensing deputising for captain Oliver Kahn who is recovering from an elbow operation.
   But Bayern were back on level terms after 35 minutes when French star Franck Ribery equalised with a deft touch as he flicked striker Miroslav Klose’s pass past diving Bochum keeper Jan Lastuvka.
   And German international Bastian Schweinsteiger came off the bench to seal the win with a strike on 78 minutes.
   ‘Schweinsteiger’s substitution gave us fresh impetus and we were fortunate in that Ribery has hit peak form again,’ said Hitzfeld.
   ‘Franck was the best player on the field.
   ‘And Schweinsteiger gave his critics the right answer by scoring a good goal.’
   With less than a third of the season played Bayern already look set to pick up their 21st crown as German champions, but Dutch midfielder Mark van Bommel insists his side still have it all to do.
   ‘We’re strong in every area at the moment, even when the pressure’s on,’ he said.
   ‘But we’re not invincible, and apart from the League Cup, we’ve won nothing yet.
   ‘We have to show our ability for a full season, and if we succeed, we can call ourselves a decent team. But I have a good feeling about it.’
   Bayern face Red Star Belgrade away on Thursday in the UEFA Cup.

David Beckham doesn’t have anything to fear from robot players – for now.
   At an indoor field in Tokyo, dozens of robots played soccer while others danced to samba music to cheer them on.
   For the contestants, most of the movements were, well, mechanical and even a little clumsy – far from the acrobatic grace of premier-league soccer stars.
   Several small humanoid robots taking part in ‘Robot Athletic Meet 2007’ toppled over as they collided on the indoor field, their every move buzzing with the sound of their motors.
   In most cases, the robots – some remote-controlled by their owners and others pre-programmed to respond to the ball’s movements – were able to pick themselves up and carry on with the match.
   Ken Senoh, chief organiser of the event, said robots might soon surpass humans with their physical prowess.
   ‘Today’s robots are still toddlers, so to speak, in terms of their physical capabilities,’ said Senoh, a professor of advanced science and technology at the University of Tokyo.
   ‘But it’s only a matter of time that they will catch up with humans and eventually outrun us – just in the same way personal computers, which were slow and not up to par until just a few decades ago, can now perform various tasks much faster than humans.’
   Dozens of ‘AIBO’ robot dogs made by Sony Corp also took part in the event, playing soccer and dancing to samba music dressed in colourful samurai and bikini costumes.
   Some of their doting owners, however, preferred to have their AIBOs watch, not play.
   ‘It was a little scary. They were bumping against each other very hard,’ said Fumiko Kaneyama, 56, of the soccer match.
   ‘I’m not going to let my son play a game like that,’
   she said, referring to her robot dog.

Justine Henin claimed her ninth title of the year on Sunday when she defeated unseeded Tatiana Golovin of France 6-4, 6-4 in the final of the Zurich Open.
   The match was a repeat of their final in Stuttgart just two weeks ago, which the top-seeded Belgian won in three sets. Henin has now won 20 consecutive matches, stretching back to her loss to Marion Bartoli in the Wimbledon semi-finals. The last player to achieve 20 victories was Kim Clijsters who won 21 matches in 2005.
   Despite her defeat, Golovin has earned an impressive 15 victories in her 18 matches played since the US Open, taking her to a career-high ranking of 13.
   She is now the second-ranked player in France, passing Amelie Mauresmo and behind Wimbledon runner-up Marion Bartoli.
   The opening game lasted 10 minutes as Golovin fought off three break points, and Henin also resisted a break point in the second game before Golovin broke her to lead 3-1.
   The French teenager then came close to wrapping up the set when she led 4-2 and came within two points of breaking Henin a second time. Instead, it was the Belgian who earned a break in the seventh game when Golovin hit an awkward backhand wide.
   Henin had looked fragile and inconsistent up until that stage, but she began to play with more confidence and conviction, and a second break left her leading 5-4.
   The trainer was called to the court to bandage Golovin’s left foot and to give Henin a pill, and Henin then served out the set. Three consecutive breaks of serve to begin the second set left Henin leading 2-1, the final break coming when Golovin mis-hit a backhand after Henin’s return hit the edge of the sideline.

Australian world champion Casey Stoner claimed his 10th MotoGP victory at the Malaysian Grand Prix here Sunday with a powerful performance from start to finish.
   The 22-year-old Ducati rider started from second position on the grid but soon took the lead and faced little threat from other riders including five-time world champion Valentino Rossi on a Yamaha who only managed fifth place.
   Stoner finished the 21-lap race with a time of 43 minutes 04.405 seconds.
   The Australian who was in the lead most of the time said the heat and being alone in front were the main challenges of the race.
   ‘Riding conditions was difficult. It was also difficult to be in front all by myself,’ he said.
   Stoner said he made some mistakes and was forced to adopt to ‘different riding techniques’ to maintain the lead.
   Italian Marco Melandri, riding a Honda, finished second, 1.701 seconds behind Stoner while Honda rider Dani Pedrosa—who is vying with Rossi for second place in the championship standings—was third. Frenchman Randy De Puniet came in fourth 3.765 seconds further back.
   Stoner has 347 points. Rival Rossi is on 241 while Pedrosa with 217 points has managed to cut the point difference down to 24 after his podium finish in Sepang.
   It was Stoner’s first MotoGP title at Sepang, a circuit dominated by Rossi in past years. The Australian won here in the 125cc race in 2004 and the 250cc in 2005. Rossi finished 4.773 seconds behind Stoner.

Two Bangladesh Football Federation officials – communications managerAhmed Saeed Al Fatah and manager of B league Abu Naeem Shohag – will attend the FIFA Futuro -3 Refreshers Course in Karachi from October 25 to November 1.
   The course will focus on the development and administration of the game.

The Pakistan Cricket Board has decided to defend Mohammad Yousuf and said that the Indian Cricket Leage cannot stop him from playing for his country after the league organisers sent out a legal notice to the batsman.
   ‘The ICL has no case against Yousuf and they cannot stop him from playing for Pakistan,’ Nasim Ashraf, chairman PCB, told the News. ‘Yousuf did sign a contract with them but later he changed his mind and cancelled it. As a player he had the right to opt for any offer which he thought was better for him.’

Roma blew the lead three times in a disappointing yet scintillating 4-4 home draw against Napoli after 90 spectacular minutes of Italian football league action on Saturday night.
   Second-placed Roma lost the chance to make up ground on Inter Milan, who won 1-0 at Reggina later on Saturday to open up a five-point lead at the top of the table with 20 points to Roma’s 15 after eight matches.
   The match started in a strange atmosphere as only Roma season-ticket holders were allowed into the Olympic stadium, meaning just 25,000 supporters, because of fears of clashes between fans.
   Roma also would have done well to have forgotten their last home match, a 4-1 thrashing by title rivals Inter.
   But they were up against a plucky Napoli side, who, although having lost their last two matches against Genoa and Inter, had played gamely and largely deserved their point in this match.
   Napoli shocked their opponents early in each half when they scored through Argentinian Ezequiel Lavezzi, in the second minute, and then thanks to Slovakian Marek Hamsik in the 46th.
   Napoli continued to attack throughout the whole match and it was an impressively powerful shot by Walter Gargano who brought them back to 3-3 in the 64th minute and a header by Uruguayan Marcelo Zalayeta from a free-kick with five minutes to go brought the score once more level at 4-4.
   Roma had a nail-biting time. Behind after just two minutes, Roma equalised following a penalty by Francisco Totti after half an hour, following a foul on David Pizarro, but then they went on to lead the match three times.
   And just as they did in the 2-2 draws against Juventus and Fiorentina, Roma failed to hang on to their leads.
   Simone Perrotta made it 2-1 in the 40th minute, Daniele De Rossi put them ahead at 3-2 seven minutes after the break before Pizarro put them ahead at 4-3 with 10 minutes to go, but each time their opponents managed to level the score.
   ‘It was an unexpected draw,’ said Roma coach Luciano Spalletti. ‘We could have done better and we should have negotiated the match differently and carelessness cost us dear.
   ‘To score four goals against such a team is surely a good thing but we needed to play better to not concede goals too.
   ‘It is possible we took the wrong approach, as we need to have more strength and focus. The lads are more upset than me and I think it is best to talk about it in the morning.
   ‘I am not angry at the result, just disappointed. The match was there to be played and there was strain, tension all of which add up to mistakes. We could have made better choices today.’
   It was the first match of the season for Inter’s French international Patrick Vieira in their 1-0 win at Reggina thanks to Brazilian Adriano in the 18th minute.
   The Milan club, winning their fourth straight match, have had a great start to the season and are still unbeaten after eight matches.
   Inter coach Roberto Mancini said afterwards, ‘I obviously hope we can break away, but I doubt it. It is going to be a long season. The November 4 match with Juventus will be just like any other, but I believe the title contenders will include Milan, Roma and perhaps also Fiorentina.’
   It appeared Adriano was not happy when substituted but Mancini said of the incident, ‘He didn’t shake my hand? I didn’t even see. In any case, the team comes first and in that moment of the match we were struggling.’

Sir Alex Ferguson has questioned why England expect to qualify for every international tournament when there are more Scots playing in the Champions League than Englishmen.
   Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal are all being tipped to lift club football’s ultimate prize in May - in the same Moscow stadium where Steve McClaren’s hopes of guiding the nation to Euro 2008 were all but extinguished by defeat to Russia last week.
   Yet the laissez-faire foreign policy of the Premier League has left England’s ‘big four’ relying on talent developed abroad – to the extent that the involvement of Celtic and Rangers in the Champions League this season means there are now more Scots than English playing in Europe’s No 1 competition.
   ‘I think it says a lot that there are more Scots playing in the Champions League this season than there are English players,’ Ferguson told the Sunday Mirror. ‘How much influence the number of foreigners playing in England has on the England team I am not so sure of, but I am certain there is at least some impact on the national side.
   ‘We all have our own ideas about the merits of the Academy system in this country and whether it produces enough top-quality players. But the amount of non-European players in the Champions League is worrying for national teams.
   ‘Someone told me this week there are more than 80 Brazilian players in the squads of clubs of the Champions League this season, so of course they are going to benefit from that.’
   But Ferguson, a proud and partisan Scot, added, ‘I wouldn’t be happy if England failed to qualify for Euro 2008.
   ‘Some people might think I’d be glad to see my players take a long rest next summer, but we had 16 players involved in the World Cup last year and that was fantastic for them and for Manchester United as a club.
   ‘That kind of experience can only be good for your players. They are all desperate to play in the top tournaments and I’ll definitely be shouting for England to qualify.’
   United continue their European campaign with a trip to face Dynamo Kiev in the Ukrainian capital this week, having beaten Sporting Lisbon and Roma in their first two fixtures.
   Last season, United fell agonisingly short of the Champions League final when they were beaten by AC Milan in the semis.
   Ferguson insists United were short on stamina rather than quality – at the end of a season where they reclaimed the Premier League title – but he is so confident that his current squad will last the pace that he has vowed not to go spending in the January transfer market.
   Ferguson said, ‘We won’t be strengthening in January, I can absolutely assure everyone of that.
   ‘We brought some good players into the club during the summer and we have also added youngsters like Gerard Pique and Danny Simpson to our squad.
   ‘We’ve had a few injuries in the early weeks of the season, but the squad has proved that we can cope with that. They have all done terrifically well.
   ‘It has been a blessing that the injuries came at the start of the season rather than the end of it and by the turn of the year we will have the likes of Park Ji-sung, Gary Neville, Owen Hargreaves and Michael Carrick back.
   ‘Last season we just couldn’t make that step up to the Champions League final because we ran out of legs. With the squad we’ve got now I don’t think the same thing will happen.’
   English euro stars
   Arsenal - Hoyte, Walcott
   Chelsea - A Cole, Terry, Lampard, J Cole, Bridge, Sidwell, Wright-Phillips
   Liverpool - Gerrard, Crouch, Pennant, Carragher
   Man Utd - Neville, Ferdinand, Hargreaves, Brown, Rooney, Foster, Carrick, Scholes, Eagles
   Celtic - Naylor
   Total: 24
   Scottish euro stars
   Man Utd - Fletcher
   Celtic - Caldwell, S Brown, Hartley, Wilson, Riordan, Pressley, M Brown, Kennedy, McManus, Cuthbert
   Rangers - McGregor, Hutton, Weir, Ferguson, Thomson, Boyd, Adam, Gow, G Smith, Burke, Naismith, Broadfoot, Webster, S Smith, McCulloch, Whittaker Total: 27

Arjen Robben has revealed his regret that he was a diver while playing for Chelsea.
   The Dutch international, sold to Real Madrid for £25 million in August, wants to change his life and career.
   And he told the Sunday Mirror, ‘I hold my hand up now and I admit I have been stupid. It was not the right thing, what I did in England.
   ‘When I look back, I would even say that I was an absolute idiot.’
   Robben insists he has turned over a new leaf, asking, ‘Have you seen me dive yet in Spain? I want the whole diving thing to end. It has been blown out of proportion at times, but I also hold my hand up and blame myself.
   ‘I have listened a lot to people close to me, including my parents and my wife. They have been very critical.
   ‘That’s why I wanted to make a whole new start at Real Madrid. I want to enjoy my football again, I want to play more games, I want to score goals and make assists. People should see the old Arjen Robben again.’
   The winger denies he was forced out of Stamford Bridge by former Blues boss Jose Mourinho, but he admits the time was right to move on.
   Robben added, ‘When I look at the way things went at Chelsea in the last year, it was not a nice time for me. Sometimes we played 4-3-3, sometimes it was 4-4-2.
   ‘And every time he put me on the bench, I was so angry. Before the League Cup final he told me I was substitute again.
   ‘That made me rage with anger. Thank God he put me on, and I was able to be decisive for the team. That lifted my spirit a tiny bit. But when I think about most of our Champions League matches, I get fed up. We were always playing so defensively, there was no room for me. In the end I had just had enough. I wanted to play football again. At Real I am more important as an attacker.’
   Does Robben bear a grudge against Mourinho after everything that has happened? He said, ‘I’ve become a stronger player mentally. Whatever has happened, I do admire Mourinho for the fact that he is a top-class coach.
   ‘I learnt a lot from him. The way he works with players, the way he thinks about football – it is all very impressive and every player must have learnt from Mourinho’s coaching at Chelsea.
   ‘But in the end it is not Mourinho who improves you as a player. I improved myself. Mourinho decided the tactics and the line-up for each match, but it is up to each player to be of more value for the team.
   ‘I just treasure all the good moments I had at Chelsea and I forget the rest.’
   Robben says he has not spoken a word to Mourinho or any of the Chelsea players since he left in a hurry.
   ‘I hardly spoke to anybody at the club. I do regret that. I would have liked to say goodbye properly to a lot of people. But it all happened in a big rush.
   ‘On the Wednesday I heard there was a deal between Real and Chelsea, on the Thursday I was on a plane to Madrid.
   ‘Even if I had wanted, I could not have said goodbye.
   ‘I have always had a good rapport with the fans. This is why I wrote something in the match programme the other day. I wanted to thank them for supporting me in bad times or when I was injured.
   ‘The Chelsea fans only saw the real Arjen Robben in the first season. Not in the second or third year I was at the club.’

Steve McClaren knows the knives are out for him as England stumble towards Euro 2008 failure, but the beleaguered coach believes he is still the right man to lead his country.
   It is a position that reflects badly on McClaren and the tone of the debate after England’s potentially decisive defeat against Russia was that he had been out-witted by opposition manager Guus Hiddink, providing conclusive proof that he was out of his depth.
   A host of potential replacements were already being discussed by fans and pundits, with former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho and Aston Villa’s Martin O’Neill the bookmakers’ favourites.
   If McClaren took to heart the frenzy of criticism that followed his side’s meltdown in Moscow last week, he could have been forgiven for thinking he was out of a job already.
   But he is convinced England have progressed enough during his year-long tenure for him to warrant more time to see his rebuilding process through.
   ‘I thought I was equipped for the job at the beginning, I thought it after five games, half-way through, three-quarters of the way through and I feel that now,’ he said.
   ‘We are building something. People can see that. It is for other people to judge whether I deserve more time.
   ‘I enjoy the job. They are a great set of players to work for and the spirit has been excellent all the way through.
   ‘The momentum has built up as we have gone on. Unfortunately, we have just lost that momentum.’
   McClaren knows he will be ridiculed in some quarters if a England team including the likes of Wayne Rooney, John Terry, Steven Gerrard and Michael Owen are absent from the Euro finals.
   It is an unpleasant prospect but one he insists he can deal with.
   Of course, I will think about it,’ McClaren said. ‘I will deal with it as I have dealt with everything else.
   ‘This is a big job. It is a high pressure job. I feel as if whatever has come at me, I have handled. We have all handled it and we have come through it. You can see that.
   ‘We all want to achieve. It is my job to make sure we do.’
   One of the few players to flourish under McClaren has been Micah Richards.
   The Manchester City defender belied his youth and inexperience at the highest level to give another mature display in Moscow and he insists McClaren has the squad’s total support.
   ‘We are 100 per cent behind the manager. He’s had a lot of injuries and always picks what he thinks is his strongest team,’ Richards told BBC Radio Five Live.
   ‘Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose but he always stands up and takes the criticism and doesn’t blame the players even though we should all share it.’
   Comparisons between the England football and rugby union players have been unflattering in the extreme to Richards and his team-mates, with accusations that the footballers don’t play with pride infuriating the 19-year-old.
   ‘The players do care. We are always proud to pull on the shirt and always up for the game when we go out and cross that white line.’
   McClaren was backed by Hiddink, who insists the England boss should keep his job, but his gratitude at that support may have been tempered by the Dutchman’s unflattering assessment of England’s defending.
   ‘I don’t know if you should hang the coach because of one result,’ Hiddink said. ‘England is a big nation in world football, a leading nation.
   ‘They had good results recently in the five previous games and then had a bad game against us, but let the people who are in charge judge that and let the press judge.
   ‘It was a very close game but we noticed when you put England under a lot of pressure they drop back, a bit like a handball team to their own area.
   ‘We noticed they were panicking and could not get over the ball, could not control, and you felt that at any moment the game could change.’

Francesco Totti is among eight Italians in the 50 candidates for the Ballon d’Or, but the hot favourite remains Milan star Kaka.
   French publication ‘France Football’ on Sunday announced the shortlist of 50 players for the 2007 edition of the World Player of the Year award – voted for by journalists around the globe. It had been only the European Player of the Year trophy until this season, when it went global.
   It is generally considered to be more prestigious than the FIFA World Player of the Year award. Last season, both competitions crowned Italy’s World Cup winning captain Fabio Cannavaro.
   Cannavaro is again nominated, even though he has struggled to maintain the same form since joining Real Madrid.
   Other Italians in the running are Gianluigi Buffon – who finished second last term – Gennaro Gattuso, Filippo Inzaghi, Paolo Maldini, Andrea Pirlo, Luca Toni and Totti.
   Roma captain Totti was reportedly furious to have been left out of the FIFA list despite winning the Golden Boot as top scorer in European Leagues for 2006-07.
   The hot favourite remains Milan’s Brazilian hero Kaka, who was instrumental in their Champions League triumph with 10 goals.
   Also from Serie A are Milan team-mate Clarence Seedorf and Zlatan Ibrahimovic of Inter.
   The winner will be announced in December.
   Ballon d’Or 2007 candidates:
   Eric Abidal (Barcelona), France.
   Daniel Alves (Sevilla), Brazil.
   David Beckham (LA Galaxy), England.
   Dimitar Berbatov (Tottenham), Bulgaria.
   Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Italy.
   Fabio Cannavaro (Real Madrid), Italy.
   Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), Spain.
   Petr Cech (Chelsea), Czech Republic.
   Rogerio Ceni (San Paolo), Brazil.
   Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United), Portugal.
   Deco (Barcelona), Portugal.
   Mahamadou Diarra (Real Madrid), Mali.
   Diego (Werder Bremen), Brazil.
   Didier Drogba (Chelsea), Ivory Coast.
   Michael Essien (Chelsea), Ghana.
   Samuel Eto’o (Barcelona), Cameroon.
   Francesc Fabregas (Arsenal), Spain.
   Gennaro Gattuso (Milan), Italy.
   Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), England.
   Ryan Giggs (Manchester United), Wales.
   Thierry Henry (Barcelona), France.
   Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter), Sweden.
   Filippo Inzaghi (Milan), Italy.
   Kaka (Milan), Brazil.
   Frederic Kanoute (Sevilla), Mali.
   Miroslav Klose (Bayern Munich), Germany.
   Younis Mahmoud (Algharafa), Iraq.
   Paolo Maldini (Milan), Italy.
   Florent Malouda (Chelsea), France.
   Lionel Andres Messi (Barcelona), Argentina.
   Shunsuke Nakamura (Celtic), Japan.
   Guillermo Ochoa (America Mexico), Mexico.
   Andrea Pirlo (Milan), Italy.
   Ricardo Quaresma (Porto), Portugal.
   Raul (Real Madrid), Spain.
   Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich), France.
   Juan Roman Riquelme (Villarreal), Argentina.
   Robinho (Real Madrid), Brazil.
   Ronaldinho (Barcelona), Brazil.
   Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), England.
   Paul Scholes (Manchester United), England.
   Clarence Seedorf (Milan), Holland.
   Carlos Tevez (Manchester United), Argentina.
   Luca Toni (Bayern Munich), Italy.
   Kolo Toure (Arsenal), Ivory Coast.
   Jose Fernando Torres (Liverpool), Spain.
   Francesco Totti (Roma), Italy.
   Ruud van Nistelrooy (Real Madrid), Holland.
   Robin van Persie (Arsenal), Holland.
   David Villa (Valencia), Spain.

Furious Everton manager David Moyes claimed Dirk Kuyt should not have been on the pitch when the Dutchman hit the penalty winner in Liverpool’s 2-1 success at Goodison Park.
   Moyes was angry that Kuyt had earlier escaped with a yellow card from referee Mark Clattenburg for a wild challenge on Everton captain Phil Neville in Saturday’s Merseyside derby. Although Kuyt failed to make contact with his opponent, it was nevertheless a high challenge which Moyes said should have resulted in a red card.
   To rub salt into the wounds, Neville was sent off in stoppage time after using his hands to keep out a shot from Liverpool substitute Lucas which gifted Kuyt the opportunity to step up and hit the winner from the spot to settle an absorbing 177th league derby between the two clubs.
   ‘Is it not the rule that when you challenge someone two feet off the ground you are sent off?,’ said a disgruntled Moyes.
   In a game of high drama, Everton finished with nine men after Tony Hibbert had been dismissed for sending Steven Gerrard sprawling in the home penalty area, which allowed Kuyt to cancel out Everton’s lead which came about when Sami Hyypia scored a bizarre first half own goal.
   Moyes was clearly not impressed with the way referee Clattenburg handled the game.
   ‘Where do I start?,’ he added. ‘I’m not totally convinced Liverpool’s first penalty was a penalty. I’ve seen them given, but I thought Hibbert went for the ball.
   ‘We got to grips with Liverpool but I’m clearly disappointed because of the decisions.’
   Everton fans reacted with anger at the end of a highly charged game at the sight of Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher running the length of the pitch to celebrate a hard-earned win with his side’s supporters.
   The former England international had been given the captain’s armband after Gerrard was surprisingly substituted with 20 minutes to go. Carragher thrust his fists in the air and jumped up and down in front of Liverpool fans.
   But Moyes refused to condemn Carragher for his actions.
   ‘The Merseyside derby is a passionate fixture and his reaction was part of the game,’ said Moyes.
   The Liverpool manager joined Carragher in celebrating a morale-boosting victory on the pitch in front of their travelling fans.
   ‘Our fans were fantastic and I wanted them to know how much I appreciated their support,’ said Benitez. ‘As far as I’m concerned both of the penalties we were awarded were penalties.
   ‘As for whether Kuyt should have been sent off I think that the yellow card was the right decision. I have seen a lot of tackles like this.
   ‘Although I was pleased with the result there is room for improvement. We gave the ball away and had some problems. You could see that some of our players were playing with too much passion at times.
   ‘We need to keep going and creating chances.’

The two remaining unbeaten records were wiped away on Saturday as Real Madrid and Barcelona both tasted their first defeats of the season as Espanyol and Villarreal upset the formbook.
   Real knew they could move five points clear of Barcelona at the top after their rivals lost 3-1 to Villarreal but failed to capitalise on that slip as they fell to their first defeat of the season in a 2-1 loss at Espanyol.
   Despite the defeat champions Real stay top but are just one point ahead of
   Villarreal and Valencia who defeated Deportivo La Coruna 4-2.
   Bernd Schuster had watched his Real team collect 19 points out of possible 21 under his reign but the German coach suffered his first league defeat in charge as Espanyol outclassed his team and could have scored more but for the heroics of Iker Casillas.
   Albert Riera, who scored on his Spain debut against Denmark last weekend, put Espanyol ahead in the very first minute with a free header and Raul Tamudo, who also scored against Denmark, added a second with a brilliant chip after the interval.
   Sergio Ramos scored late on for Real but it was all in vain. Espanyol, now just three points behind the leaders, are proving this season’s giant-killers having beaten Sevilla, Valencia and now Real.
   Real need to pick themselves up for Wednesday’s
   Champions League match with Olympiakos.
   Bojan Krkic made history by becoming Barcelona’s youngest league scorer at the age of 17 years and 52 days, but the celebrations ended there as the title favourites fell to their first league defeat of the season with a 3-1 reverse at Villarreal.
   Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard chose to take a swipe at international commitments claiming they left his team at an unfair disadvantage.
   ‘Perhaps it is just a coincidence that the defeat comes after an international break,’ said Rijkaard.
   ‘The reality is that we hardly trained over the past two weeks and on top of that we faced a team that prepared conscientiously to face us.’
   Barcelona had won their last four league outings to surge up the standings but some
   woeful defending and a spot of deja-vu saw French winger Robert Pires win two penalties and Marcos Senna convert them both.
   Santiago Cazorfa had put Villarreal ahead after just two minutes before Krkic, a star for Spain in the recent Under-17 World Cup, got Barcelona back into the match at 2-1 by becoming the youngest player to score a league goal for the Catalan club, eclipsing Lionel Messi’s mark of 17 years, 10 months and seven days.
   Ironically it was Messi who supplied Krkic, deputising for the dropped Ronaldinho, with the pass to beat his historical landmark.
   Barcelona must now regroup ahead of their Champions League trip to Rangers on Tuesday although they must do without Deco who tore a thigh muscle and is out for up to five weeks.
   Elsewhere Sevilla ended a sequence of four straight league defeats with a 2-0 victory over bottom side Levante.
   Luis Fabiano scored twice inside the first 13 minutes to put Sevilla in control and they cruised to only their third win of the season.

Arsene Wenger saluted Arsenal’s spirit after his Premier League table-toppers maintained their dream start to the season with a 2-0 win over Bolton.
   Second-half goals from Kolo Toure and Tomas Rosicky were enough to consolidate the London club’s two-point lead and provided a timely lift before encounters with Liverpool and Manchester United.
   The Gunners were never allowed to parade their full range of talents against doggedly determined opponents, but their stomach for the fight is not in question and, once they had decided to try and out-play rather than out-scrap Bolton, they proved worthy winners.
   This was Arsenal’s 13th victory in 14 matches this season and, with another eminently winnable home game in the Champions League against Slavia Prague on Tuesday, Wenger had every right to be satisfied.
   ‘We have good momentum and I like that we built the success with patience, a high tempo and handling our nerves,’ he said. ‘The game was hectic so it was important we kept calm and kept playing. That was a good sign of maturity.
   ‘Bolton have upset us in previous years. They were resilient today, and their players have lots of tricks. They know when to foul, when to pull the shirt so it was important not to lose our nerve.’
   Wenger paid fulsome tribute to Theo Walcott following the England striker’s perky performance as a second-half substitute.
   The teenager has endured a troubled spell at the Emirates stadium following his high-profile move from Southampton in 2006. He was controversially elevated into England’s World Cup squad later that year but failed to appear in Germany and then suffered a string of niggling injuries.
   But there are signs that the 18-year-old is at last beginning to find his feet. He impressed in Arsenal’s 3-2 win over Sunderland a fortnight ago and set up Rosicky’s second goal here after bamboozling Riccardo Gardner.
   ‘He has found the injection of pace he had before and he uses his body better,’ Wenger added. ‘When you see what he brings when he comes on, you are very excited.
   ‘He benefited mentally from being picked for the World Cup and maturity-wise it helped him. He came down to the real world…when you don’t perform it hits you hard.
   ‘He saw how little forgiveness there is when you don’t
   perform. As a young kid, you don’t imagine football is like that.
   ‘Everything was new for him last year but he is growing into a man now. It has all happened very quickly and now he has realised things are not always easy in life and football.’
   Arsenal deserved this victory for their polished second-half display but Bolton, too, can take heart from their spirited performance.
   The club is mired in turmoil following the disastrous reign of Sammy Lee, who was sacked last week after an atrocious start to the season, but this represented a marked improvement on recent showings.
   Phil Gartside, the Wanderers chairman, is believed to be ready to turn his attention to Paul Jewell after seeing approaches for Steve Bruce, Gary Megson and Chris Coleman rejected, and Archie Knox, the caretaker manager, has urged him to appoint sooner rather than later.
   ‘The club will want to get someone in place as soon as possible,’ he said. ‘We’re not in a good position – everyone accepts and recognises that.
   ‘But there’s still a good atmosphere in the dressing room, despite all the nonsense that has been spoken about rifts. I have never seen a punch-up in the dressing room – there’s nothing like that.
   ‘Bolton have been a Premiership club for a number of years, we have a lot of experience in the ranks and that will be bolstered when the transfer window reopens.
   ‘Then hopefully whoever comes in will be able to keep their heads above water.’

Alex Ferguson believes Manchester United could not be in better form ahead of their crucial Champions League meeting with Dynamo Kiev on Tuesday after producing their best performance of the season to defeat Aston Villa 4-1 at Villa Park on Saturday.
   The Manchester United manager hailed the victory, sparked by two goals from Wayne Rooney as his side’s best performance of the season and it was achieved with the added luxury of being able to rest Portuguese star Christiano Ronaldo before the trip to Ukraine.
   Ferguson has seen his side score eight goals in their last two Premiership outings and they have strung together a run of seven successive league wins to move within two points of Premier League leaders Arsenal, although they have played a game more and now he wants to make an impact in Group F of the Champions League qualifying stages.
   ‘The European game in midweek is a big game. It is always a special occasion and we are going in there in good form. Against Villa I thought we played the best football we have done all season,’ said Ferguson.
   ‘In the first half in particular I thought our attacking play was excellent and that is very encouraging. It is never easy going to the Ukraine, but if we can win, with Roma and Sporting Lisbon playing back-to-back games, it gives us the chance to go ahead in the group.
   ‘It is good that we are scoring goals too. Obviously it was disappointing earlier in the season when we were not scoring. It was a surprise too, considering all the players we have, but there were reasons for it. Some players missed pre-season, like Tevez and Anderson, while Rooney missed four games injured and Ronaldo was suspended.’
   Ronaldo was left on the substitutes’ bench for 77 minutes after returning late on Friday to United’s Carrington training complex, following Portugal’s 2-1 Euro 2008 qualifying win over Kazakhstan, but he will be restored to the starting line-up against Kiev, probably in place of fellow Portuguese Nani, who took his place against Villa.
   United will have to wait until nearer the game to decide whether Nemanja Vidic is sufficiently recovered from a bout of concussion, that prevented him from taking part against Villa.
   Spanish under-21 international Gerald Pique will continue to deputise if the Serbian defender is not given clearance to play by the United medical staff.
   More importantly for United is the form of striker Wayne Rooney, who has now scored six times in his last five games, after going six months without a competitive goal and he would have improved that impressive record, but for Stuart Taylor’s penalty save at Villa Park.
   Rooney looked impressively fit after England’s disappointment in Moscow last Wednesday and said, ‘It is good to be scoring goals again. It makes up a little bit for the disappointment with England, but the most important thing is that we are playing very well as a team at the and scoring goals.’
   Rio Ferdinand and Ryan Giggs added the other goals, after Gabriel Agbonlahor put Villa ahead, to ensure that Villa are still looking to end a 12-year wait for a league victory over United and their embarrassment was made worse with the sending off of Nigel Reo-Coker,
   the England under-21 international, for two yellow cards in a seven-minute spell in the second half.
   Referee Rob Styles also sent off Scott Carson with a straight red card for bringing down Carlos Tevez for the penalty and both face a one-match suspension, although Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill is the latest Premiership referee to be left exasperated by Style’s decisions.
   Ferguson himself felt that both decisions were unfortunate for Villa, but O’Neill said, ‘I think the two yellow cards for Reo-Coker were very harsh indeed and he has not been helped by the way the players have rolled around after the fouls. Reo-Coker is becoming a bit of a target for referees. They like to give him a yellow card to try to calm games down.’
   In the other matches, Elano kept up third-placed Manchester City’s resurgence as his first half goal sealed 1-0 win over Birmingham at Eastlands.
   The Brazil midfielder shrugged off the draining effects of a long flight back from international duty in South America to open the scoring in the 37th minute and give City their sixth home league win this season.
   Derby climbed off the bottom of the table after a dour 0-0 draw at 10-man Fulham, who Paul Koncheskey sent off on the stroke of half time after an elbow on Craig Fagan.
   Benjani Mwaruwari maintained his impresssive form as Portsmouth staged a late show to win 2-0 at Wigan.
   The Zimbabwean striker scored his fifth goal in three matches in the 81st minute and Glen Johnson wrapped up Portsmouth’s fifth consecutive victory in the 86th minute.
   South Africa forward Benni McCarthy grabbed a double as Blackburn beat Reading 4-2 at Ewood Park. Roque Santa Cruz and Tugay were also on the scoresheet for Rovers, while Kevin Doyle struck twice for the Royals.

Chelsea’s 2-0 win at Middlesbrough may have been very much in the mould of the Jose Mourinho-era, but it appears supporters of the Stamford Bridge club can look forward to winning with style in the future.
   For two seasons Chelsea have faced accusations that their football does little to reflect the so-called beautiful game, but Avram Grant has assured Blues fans that negativity is a thing of the past.
   Pointing to the appointment of Dutch tactician Henk Ten Cate as the catalyst for style over substance, Chelsea’s Israeli manager said, ‘Today football is about entertainment.
   ‘We need to win games but to do it by playing positive football. I do feel an obligation to entertain.
   ‘That’s the right way to play modern football. You need to win games but the way to win is important. I want to play better football but for now we’re on the right track to win games.’
   It was Didier Drogba who demonstrated his true worth to Chelsea after a typically assured finish laid the foundations for a comfortable victory at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday.
   The striker’s eighth-minute goal settled early nerves and Brazilian defender Alex,
   standing in for the injured England international John Terry, set the seal on an invaluable win with a wonderfully executed free-kick 12 minutes into the second half.
   After 24 hours spent desperately backtracking, Chelsea’s outspoken forward Drogba reverted to type against Middlesbrough as the lone forward charged with playing on the shoulder of the opposition defence.
   The Ivory Coast international may regret telling the magazine, France Football, that he wished to leave Stamford Bridge in the wake of Jose Mourinho’s departure but until January, at the earliest, he has no other option but to give his best for the Blues and their increasingly skeptical supporters.
   ‘I think players need to speak on the pitch,’ added Grant. ‘Didier is doing that very well. All I care about is how my players behave on and off the pitch.
   ‘Didier is a very positive guy in every respect. He’s not negative. I don’t see one player who’s not 100 per cent committed. I judge players on what they say to me and what they do in a game.
   ‘With Didier whether it’s in training, in my room, on the pitch – I just don’t see a problem. For me it’s a great honour for any player to belong to a club like Chelsea.
   ‘If a player has problems then the only way for him to deal with them is to come and knock on my door and we’ll find a solution.’
   Drogba required just eight minutes to soften the blow of his ill-judged words as he raced clear of Middlesbrough’s lethargic back line and conjured up the type of cool finish which has turned heads across the continent.
   The athletic African had talked about plying his trade
   in La Liga or Serie A and his third goal of the season,
   following fine work from
   the Frenchman Florent
   Malouda and the Chelsea captain Frank Lampard, was a strike worthy of any of Europe’s leading leagues.
   Alex’s superb free-kick 12 minutes after the restart was far superior and the Brazilian’s touch of genius was a rare moment of brilliance on an afternoon where the mundane outweighed the memorable.
   For Gareth Southgate, the Middlesbrough manager, an unforgiving trip to the Old Trafford home of Manchester United follows hot on the heels of this listless defeat.
   ‘We need a spark,’ he admitted, after watching his team test Petr Cech just twice in 90 minutes. ‘It’s the fourth game in a row where we’ve conceded a goal in the first 10 minutes and we always seem to leave ourselves a mountain to climb.
   ‘Confidence is a bit short and we need some belief. It’s for us to give the fans something to shout about.
   ‘They’re desperate for something to hold onto.
   ‘There’s been a lot of change here already and there will be more change in the future.
   ‘I had hoped to get
   everything done in the close-season but there’s still some way to go.’

Jose Mourinho insists he is not interested in replacing Steve McClaren as England coach.
   McClaren faces the sack if England’s stuttering Euro 2008 qualifying campaign ends in failure and former Chelsea manager Mourinho is the bookmakers’ favourite to take over.
   But the Portuguese wants to stay in club management and, claims even if he did
   consider an international job, the only challenge that appeals to him is leading his own country.
   ‘I couldn’t see myself coaching any national team other than Portugal. If I were coach of another team and had to face Portugal, it would be wrong,’ he told the News of the World.
   ‘I think there are those who adore me in England. I adore English football. But I won’t go back there for now.
   ‘I’d like to come back later.
   ‘I’d like to continue in club management, perhaps in Italy where I can test myself against their tacticians.
   ‘The national team would be for later.
   ‘The Portuguese national team is an ambition but not for the Jose Mourinho of today.
   ‘Being the coach of a national team is not the same as being coach of a club.
   ‘It’s a job for someone who doesn’t like working much.’