Mourinho asks me to play as I did with ?

The 27-year-old completed a move to the Spanish capital for a fee in the region of €40 million during the summer, and Modric says he is delighted to be playing for the La Liga champions under the Portuguese tactician. "Mourinho asks me to play as I did with Tottenham, but at a higher level," he told reporters at a press conference. "My favourite position is as midfielder, playing with Xabi and Khedira. You can't compare it with Tottenham." He continued: "This is the best club in the world. Santiago Bernabeu is the best stadium I have ever played in. I enjoy every minute on its pitch. "I think everything is going well," he added, but also noted that the "Spanish League is very tough, especially away matches." Modric also says that Los Blancos have a good chance of winning the Champions League if they can build on the performance from Saturday when they defeated Atletico Madrid 2-0. "If we continue playing as we did against Atletico Madrid we will be favourites to win the Champions League. We must keep that passion. I feel good and I think I'm improving." Modric added that he expects a tough game when Ajax travel to the Spanish capital on Tuesday for their CL tie. "Ajax are a great team," he said, "and they [will] come to win and get the qualification for the Europa League."

Ricky Ponting says walking away from Australia 'easy decision'

Cicky Ponting says he has no regrets about retiring after his final game for Australia ended in a heavy defeat to South Africa in Perth. Ponting scored eight runs in his final appearance at the crease for his country to end a glittering Test career with 13,378 runs in 168 Tests. "The decision to walk away was a pretty easy one," said Ponting after South Africa's series-clinching 309-run win. Australia captain Michael Clarke said the game had lost a true great. Play media Ricky Ponting's final innings "I'm a realist and I realise now that my best cricket is probably past me," added Ponting, the second highest run-scorer in Test history behind Sachin Tendulkar, after South Africa secured victory on the fourth day. "As hard as I have tried over the last couple of years to find my form again and re-establish myself, I haven't been able to do that." On a highly emotional day at the Waca, Ponting was given a guard of honour by the South Africa team as he walked to the crease, instigated by captain Graeme Smith. The 37-year-old, who announced his retirement before the match, lasted just 23 deliveries and 39 minutes before he was well held by Jacques Kallis as he attempted to force a shot off the back foot from Robin Peterson's bowling. Tributes to Ricky Ponting Former England captain Michael Vaughan on Twitter: "The best batsman I had the privilege to play against was Ricky Ponting. Australian cricket will not be the same without him. Punter played better against me than Sachin Tendulkar did. Both are incredible players, but if I had to pick one it would be Ricky." England wicketkeeper Matt Prior on Twitter: "Congrats to Ricky Ponting on an amazing career. One of, if not the, best batsmen I've ever played against and a fierce opponent." The South Africa players shook Ponting's hand as he left the field, and he turned to wave his bat to the crowd as the big screen showed the words "Thanks Ricky". After the game, he received a standing ovation during a lap of honour as he was hoisted aloft by team-mates Michael Clarke and David Warner. Ponting's wife, Rianna, and daughters Emmy and Matisse, were among the crowd of 7,166. "It would have been nice to have played one more Test but the decision has been made and I'm disappointed not to have contributed more this week," added Ponting, who ended the match with a total of 12 runs. "It's probably been the toughest Test match I have played." Clarke urged Cricket Australia to use three-time World Cup-winner Ponting's vast knowledge and experience to help the country in the future. "He's one of the greatest players I've been lucky enough to play with," he said. Ponting in numbers Born 19 December, 1974, Launceston, Tasmania 168 Test caps & 13,378 runs 375 ODI caps & 13,704 runs 71 international centuries Highest Test score: 257 v India in 2003 Won three World Cups "I've said before I hope Cricket Australia do everything in their power to keep him involved in this great game because he's one of a kind and I think the game needs him." Meanwhile, Smith explained the decision behind South Africa's guard of honour for Ponting. "It was just a sign of respect for someone who has given the game so much," said the South Africa captain. "I'm sure we're all going to miss Ricky as an opponent. "I just told him he deserved everything that comes his way and can be proud of everything he's achieved."

Victoria Pendleton did not expect to make SPOTY shortlist

Venue: ExCel London Date: Sunday, 16 December Time: 19:30 GMT Coverage: Live on BBC One, BBC Radio 5 live and the BBC Sport website Victoria Pendleton said she was not surprised she did not make the BBC Sports Personality shortlist and said compiling it must have been an almost "impossible task". Pendleton, 32, who won Olympic track cycling gold and silver this year, missed out on the final 12, as did double champion Laura Trott. Sports Personality shortlist (in alphabetical order) Nicola Adams Ben Ainslie Jessica Ennis Mo Farah Katherine Grainger Sir Chris Hoy Rory McIlroy Andy Murray Ellie Simmonds Sarah Storey David Weir Bradley Wiggins "I've never made the shortlist so I didn't expect to make it," she said. "I don't know how they've done it. It would've been a near impossible task." She added: "I've got no doubt in my mind that Laura will have another chance at that because there's no way she's going to win fewer than two golds next time around, maybe more." Pendleton won gold in the keirin and silver in the sprint, while Trott, 20, won the team pursuit and omnium titles in London this summer. Meanwhile, British Olympic triathlon gold medallist Alistair Brownlee said he was a "little bit sad" not to make the Sports Personality shortlist. "I think the list is kind of fair on the whole, I think everyone knew it was going to be a very, very hard year for British sport and what a fantastic year it has been so it's hard to pick the list," said the 24-year-old from Leeds. "Of course I'm a little bit sad not to be on it but someone picks that and it's up to them whether they leave you on or off. There's nothing I could have done about it so I'm not bothered." The athletes were speaking at a ball held on Friday for the Britons who competed at London 2012. BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2012 will take place at London's ExCel at 19:30 GMT on Sunday, 16 December. The show will be live on BBC One, the BBC Sport website and BBC Radio 5 live.

Jose Mourinho: Real Madrid boss dismisses quit report in paper

Jose Mourinho: Real Madrid boss dismisses quit report in paper Jose Mourinho has dismissed a report in Spanish paper Marca that he will leave Real Madrid at the end of the season. The Real coach has been jeered by the club's fans following a slow start to the season that has seen them fall 11 points behind Barcelona after 14 games. Marca's report said the relationship between Mourinho and Real president Florentino Perez had become "exhausted" and "cannot continue beyond 30 June". Mourinho said: "I am not speaking about this", adding "there's no story". Madrid-based paper Marca, which is known to have strong links with Real, ran its story under a picture of a broken heart. In it, Marca related that Perez believes Mourinho is "committing suicide" after the Portuguese chose to appear at the side of the Bernabeu pitch to hear the frustrations of supporters 40 minutes before Saturday's 2-0 win over second-placed Atletico Madrid in the Primera Liga. Mourinho's major trophies Porto: Primeira Liga (2002-03, 03-04); Uefa Cup (2002-03); Champions League (2003-04) Chelsea: Premier League (2004-05, 05-06); FA Cup (2006-07); League Cup (2004-05, 06-07) Inter Milan: Serie A (2008-09, 09-10); Coppa Italia (2009-10); Champions League (2009-10) Real Madrid: La Liga (2011-12); Copa del Rey (2010-11) However, Mourinho, who was speaking at a news conference before Real Madrid's Champions League game against Ajax on Tuesday, said: "I came on the pitch before kick-off because I prefer for people to protest at me before the match starts." Perez is also reported to be concerned over Mourinho's handling of Sergio Ramos, who put on Mesut Ozil's shirt under his own in a move that the Spanish defender claimed was showing support for his team-mate but was widely perceived as attempting to undermine his manager. Ramos was later dropped. Mourinho also had a public spat with reserve-team coach Alberto Toril, accusing him of focusing too much on results rather than producing players for the first team. When asked whether he was leaving at the end of the season, Mourinho, who is in his third year at Real, said: "Speak to your colleague about it, the one who has written the story. "Organise a meal with that person. I am not saying a single word." Mourinho went on to say that he had a "good relationship" with Perez and that he would not comment further on the story because he did not want to add to it. The 49-year-old, who has also managed Porto, Chelsea and Inter Milan then batted away questions linking him with French side Paris St Germain, saying: "The only thing I'm thinking about regarding PSG is the fact they could face us in the Champions League. "An assistant of mine is going to watch PSG play Porto on Tuesday. One will be first, the other second in their group. They are both possible adversaries in the last 16." Real have qualified for the last 16 in second place in Group D behind winners Borussia Dortmund, who host Manchester City in their final group game. Meanwhile, in a documentary that will be broadcast on ITV4 on Monday, 3 December at 22:00 GMT, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson says Mourinho has the qualities needed to succeed him at Old Trafford. "I'm not going to put any forecasts on what is going to happen at this club. I won't last forever, but Jose can manage anywhere," said the Scot. However, Mourinho does not expect Ferguson to leave United in the near future. He said: "His succession isn't near. It should be in 10 years or so. He is getting better and better. He is stronger all the time. Why should he retire?"

How Fast Can Cristiano Ronaldo Run in the 100m?

Cristiano Ronaldo, a player who is reportedly worth 130 millions in USD has been said the fastest elite football player in the world. Many observers have been predicting that the Portuguese has a potential to run around 10.6s in the 100m. But some people have claimed he can do 10.5s. Next, they exaggerated the time to 10.3s and then lowered again to 10.2s. But those who don't know track and field or silly guys believe that he could run as fast as the fastest man on the planet, Usain Bolt. Yikes..! However, a study conducted by Germans in 2009 found that Cristiano Ronaldo reaches an average speed of 33.6 kmh. They also indicated Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney and Arseanl’s Robin Van Persie has recorded 32.6kph and 32.1kph respectively, thus slower than Ronaldo. Last time, in a training session I recorded a 5.5s (FAT 5.74) on a flying 60m test which translated to 0.9567s per 10 metres segments. Thus, my average speed in kilometer per hour (Kph) was about 37.63. My fastest time over 100m at the time was 10.6s. Usain Bolt, in the 2009 World Championship in Berlin recorded 9.58s and reached a top speed on the 60-70m segment with +- 0.805s, therefore 44.72kph. How fast can Ronaldo run in the 100m? Okay just a comparison, I was collecting data for a flying 40 meters among junior sprinters for my research entitled “dynamic VS static stretching…” in 2009. One of the sprinters has a PB of 11.17 in the 100m (but my project was held during off season) and he recorded a 4.29s (for dynamic stretching). This equates to about 33.57kph, exactly the same to Ronaldo’s average speed. So, will Ronaldo run an 11.17 or 10.9 in the 100m?

Soccer-Champions League disciplinary situation

LONDON, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Champions League disciplinary situation ahead of the sixth round of group stage matches: Playing on Tuesday Group A Dinamo Zagreb v Dynamo Kiev Misses next match if booked: Arijan Ademi (Zagreb); Betao, Ognjen Vukojevic, Denys Garmash, Artem Milevskiy (all Kiev) - Paris St Germain v Porto Misses next match if booked: Nene, Blaise Matuidi, Marco Verratti (all Paris St Germain); Abdoulaye Ba (Porto) - - Group B Montpellier HSC v Schalke 04 Misses next match if booked: Jermaine Jones, Joel Matip (both Schalke) - Olympiakos Piraeus v Arsenal Suspended: Jose Holebas (Olympiakos); Misses next match if booked: Pablo Contreras (Olympiakos); Santi Cazorla, Laurent Koscielny (both Arsenal) - - Group C Malaga v Anderlecht Suspended: Martin Demichelis (Malaga), Bram Nuytinck (Anderlecht); Misses next match if booked: Sergio Sanchez, Weligton (both Malaga); Guillaume Gillet (Anderlecht) - AC Milan v Zenit St Petersburg Suspended: Philippe Mexes (Milan), Vladimir Bystrov (Zenit) Misses next match if booked: Riccardo Montolivo, Daniele Bonera (both Milan), Roman Shirokov, Viktor Fayzulin, Alexander Anyukov, Bruno Alves (all Zenit) - - Group D Borussia Dortmund v Manchester City Suspended: Yaya Toure (Manchester City) Misses next match if booked: Vincent Kompany, Javi Garcia (both Manchester City) - Real Madrid v Ajax Amsterdam Suspended: Alvaro Arbeloa (Real Madrid) Misses next match if booked: Xabi Alonso, Sergio Ramos (both Madrid), Daley Blind (Ajax) - - Playing on Wednesday Group E Shakhtar Donetsk v Juventus Suspended: Luiz Adriano (Shakhtar), Claudio Marchisio (Juventus) Misses next match if booked: Tomas Hubschman, Olexandr Kucher (both Shakhtar), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus) - Chelsea v Nordsjaelland Misses next match if booked: David Luiz, Ramires (both Chelsea), Patrick Mtiliga, Ivan Runje (both Nordsjaelland) - - Group F Lille v Valencia Suspended: Djibril Sidibe, Benoit Pedretti (both Lille), Roberto Soldado, Antonio Barragan (both Valencia) Misses next match if booked: Lucas Digne, Rio Mavuba (both Lille) - Bayern Munich v BATE Borisov Misses next match if booked: Bastian Schweinsteiger, Javi Martinez, Dante (all Bayern) Maksim Bordachev, Vitali Rodionov, Artem Radkov (all BATE) - - Group G Barcelona v Benfica Misses next match if booked: Alex Song, Javier Mascherano, Pedro (all Barcelona), Bruno Cesar, Andre Almeida (Benfica) - Celtic v Spartak Moscow Suspended: Victor Wanyama (Celtic) Misses next match if booked: Marek Suchy, Kim Kallstrom (both Spartak) - - Group H Manchester United v CFR Cluj Misses next match if booked: Rafael Bastos (Cluj) - Braga v Galatasaray Suspended: Douglao (Braga) Misses next match if booked: Custodio (Braga) - - (Editing by Toby Davis)

Soccer-Ethiopia wants neutral venue for clash with arch foe Eritrea

* Ethiopia says not willing to travel to Asmara * Matches will be first between foes since 1998-2000 war ADDIS ABABA, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Ethiopia has asked African football's governing body to move its African Nations Championship qualifiers with arch-foe Eritrea to a neutral venue, with the neighbouring countries still embroiled in a bitter border row, its FA said. The Horn of Africa neighbours are set to lock horns in the Eritrean capital, Asmara, around January 14-16 with the return tie in Addis Ababa set for two weeks later. But Ethiopia said it would not travel to the Red Sea state. "We want the matches to take place, but we're not willing to travel there and it is obvious their government won't allow their team to visit Addis Ababa," said Melaku Ayele, the Ethiopian Football Federation's spokesman. "So we've proposed an alternative venue, neighbouring Sudan, for both matches to be held in." Ethiopia and Eritrea fought a border war between 1998-2000 that killed tens of thousands of troops. A Hague-based independent border commission ruled that the flashpoint town of Badme belonged to Eritrea but the village remains in the hands of Ethiopia and the spat remains unresolved. Asmara is yet to respond to Ethiopia's request, Melaku said. The African Nations Championship, played every two years, is the continent's second biggest tournament in which only domestic-based players can take part. Ethiopia, nicknamed the Walyas, recently sealed a spot at the more glamorous African Nations Cup finals set for January after a three-decade absence. Ethiopia and Eritrea were last pitched against each other in 1998 in a qualifying round for the 2000 African Nations Cup, just months after fighting broke out along their sun-blasted border. Ethiopia declined to take part in those matches. (Reporting by Aaron Maasho; Editing by Richard Lough and Justin Palmer) Reuters

The very best images from the David Beckham farewell party (aka the MLS Cup final)

LA hosted the Houston Dynamo and came from behind to beat them 3-1 in David Beckham's testimonial match, which also doubled as the MLS Cup final. As he did with Manchester United and Real Madrid, Beckham leaves the LA Galaxy by hoisting a trophy and smirking goodbye to the locals who have grown to adore him. Here are the very best pictures from his most recent special day...

A man who is not David Beckham opened the scoring for a team that is not the LA Galaxy. This confused the situation and some people worried that the match would have to be restarted.

Beckham then decided that since it was his last game in the league, he would just start stomping people to death because why not?

10 most reliable cars

Four years ago, Motor Trend named the Toyota Tundra the 2008 Truck of the Year, calling it one of the biggest, strongest and most capable trucks on the market. Its launch, said the magazine, was “a seismic event for the industry” – a Japanese truck that could finally challenge its Detroit rivals. The coveted award was just one of many accolades that have since been showered on the Tundra. J.D. Power & Associates last year named the 2008 Tundra the most reliable pickup after three years of ownership, and Consumer Reports called the Tundra a “good bet” based on its history of “better than average” reliability. Ask an auto mechanic, however, and you might get a different story. The ’08 Tundra ends up in the shop more often than most vehicles and the repairs typically cost Tundra owners a pretty penny, according to CarMD, which analyzes repair trends on roughly 136 million vehicles up to 10 years old. CarMD gives the 2008 Tundra a “D” grade due to frequent failures and moderately high repair costs. The most common repair on the truck is “Replace Air Injection Pump” at an average cost of $969. Car shoppers have no shortage of resources available when researching which vehicle to buy. But the problem with most vehicle rankings, surveys and awards is that they are usually opinion-based and are typically skewed toward new cars. Consumer Reports comes up with its reliability ratings by asking its subscribers to report serious problems they’ve had with their vehicles in the prior 12 months. It then uses that data to predict how well cars on sale now will hold up. Predicted-reliability scores are based on a car’s track record over the three most recent model years (provided the model wasn’t redesigned in that time). But today’s vehicles are built to last longer – the average age of cars on the road today is almost 11 years — so even three years isn’t long enough to rate the true reliability of a vehicle. CarMD says its Vehicle Health Index, based on actual repair data, looks past the new car ‘honeymoon’ period to help car shoppers get a true picture of what to expect as vehicles age. It looks at real-life repair data for one full calendar year on 10 model years worth of vehicles, weighing the frequency of repairs and the cost of those repairs equally. It gives each vehicle a letter grade for reliability, along with a list of the most common repairs and the repair costs, based on the car’s mileage. This helps buyers anticipate what problems might crop up at a certain mileage, and helps them figure possible repair costs into their budget and even decide whether to buy an extended warranty. The 2007 Honda Civic is another example of a highly rated car that might need costly repairs down the road. Consumer Reports rated the 2007 Civic tops in vehicle dependability for its class. But CarMD gave it a “C”, with frequent failures and average repair costs. The most frequent repair is “Replace ABS Module Assembly” at a cost of more than $942. Where does CarMD get its crystal ball? From your car’s “check engine” light. Since 1996, the U.S. has required each vehicle to have an onboard diagnostic computer to monitor everything from engine to transmission sensors to look for emissions-related problems. The “check engine” light alerts drivers to problems that could be as simple as a loose gas cap or a misfiring spark plug to something far more important – and costly – like a faulty oxygen sensor or catalytic converter. CarMD downloads data from each of these “check engine” incidents, and combines it with repair information uploaded from a network of 3,000 participating service technicians at dealerships and independent repair shops. The result is a rich database about how certain vehicles perform over time. For its newly released 2012 Vehicle Health Index, CarMD analyzed more than 163,000 specific repairs during a one-year period ending Sept. 1, and estimated repair costs, based on several standard sources. To measure the frequency of repairs for a particular vehicle, it compared the percentage of reported check engine failures for that model to its share of all 136 million 2002-2012 model-year vehicles on the road. For example, if 20 percent of check engine light problems reported came from a certain vehicle but it made up only 10 percent of the vehicle population it would have an index of 2.00 (20 percent divided by 10 percent). It’s most likely a car to avoid. An index of 1.00 means that the frequency of failures is matched to its percentage of vehicles on the road, and thus, has average reliability. The most reliable vehicles had an index far less than 1.00, including the 2010 Toyota Corolla (.080), 2008 Ford Taurus (.083), 2010 Subaru Forester (.099) and 2010 Hyundai Sonata (.111). Here’s a look at the 10 Most Reliable Vehicles, according to CarMD: 2010 Toyota Corolla The Corolla consistently ranks high in reliability studies and CarMD's analysis of vehicle repairs confirms it. It has few problems, and the average cost of repairs is $283.13. Despite a rash of highly publicized safety recalls, Toyota is the most reliable of any manufacturer, according to CarMD. 2008 Toyota Yaris The tiny Yaris is a good bet, based on its showing in CarMD's analysis of vehicle repairs. It had a low incidence of "check-engine" problems and the average repair cost was $259.33. 2009 Honda Pilot The Pilot doesn't even show up on J.D. Power's annual Vehicle Dependability Study, but CarMD says it's the most reliable full-size SUV on the road. Average repair costs are just $141. 2009 Honda Accord The Accord is another vehicle that's not included in the J.D. Power dependability rankings, but its low failure rate and modest repair costs ($201.74) earned it a Top 10 ranking at CarMD. 2010 Subaru Forester Subaru has some of the most dependable vehicles on the road, which probably explains why Subaru owners hang on to them longer than most other brands. The Forester rarely needs repairs, and when it does, the average cost is just $116.33. 2007 Lexus ES 350 The Lexus ES 350 is rated the most reliable luxury model on CarMD, with average repair costs of $377.71. But a "check engine" light is fairly rare in this car. 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hyundai had the lowest average repair cost for the Top 10 manufacturers, at $271.86. Toyota's average, by comparison, was $490.72. But Toyotas have fewer repair incidents, so it outranks Hyundai overall. The Sonata, with average repair costs of $336.30, was the top-ranked vehicle from the Korean manufacturer. 2011 Chevrolet Impala GM will introduce a newly redesigned Impala next year. It can only hope it's as reliable as the outgoing one, which had few problems and average repair costs of just $184.30. 2010 Subaru Outback Subaru had two cars in the Top 10. The Outback holds up well, and repair costs average just $110.43. A testament to the longevity of Subarus: the most common repair is replacement of the catalytic converter, a part which fails only after extensive wear and tear.

High marks for Brooks Cascadia 7 running shoes

The first time I ran in these Brooks trail shoes, I launched myself over a rock within the first tenth of a mile. No fault of the shoes, just my own clumsiness. So after surveying my bodily damage, I shook it off and set out again. Shortly, I wasn’t thinking about the onset of swelling, or the stiffness and bruising that would surely greet me later. All I could think about was how very good the Cascadias felt on my foot. Twelve miles and 1,800 feet of ascending later, my love for these shoes was still occupying more headspace than visions of ice packs waiting at home. Seriously, they’re that good. Designed with input from ultramarathoner Scott Jurek, the Cascadia 7′s utilize a breathable, microfiber upper with an asymmetrical anatomical design and a curved lacing system. This design hugs your foot without feeling tight. They’re snug in a way that feels like the shoe was custom-made just for you. In my case, the curved lacing is an added bonus — it puts less pressure on the top of my foot, where I have bone spurs from years of running in shoes that do the opposite. The cushioning system delivers just as much comfort to the bottom of the foot. There was a softness to every foot strike, and it lived up to Brooks’ claim that the liquid midsole and heel technology responds dynamically to the amount of force placed on the foot, dispersing it accordingly. Each step feels more stable, even on irregular terrain. Even though there’s a thermoplastic rock plate in the sole, the Cascadias are more flexible than many other trail shoes I’ve tried. During multiple test runs, my foot felt like it was bending and flexing as naturally as it would in a road shoe, but without the undesirable twisting across the foot that happens when you wear road shoes on the trails. When the Cascadias arrived, I was actually quite pleased with the look of them. The current trend is all about crazy neons, but these were more muted with a nice pop of accent color. They’re heavier than your average trail shoe — my women’s size 8.5 were a substantial 12 ounces — which is noticeable out of the box. But when you lace them up, the snug fit contributes to them feeling much lighter than the numbers would indicate. These shoes are truly all about comfort and stability. I recommend them to everyone (men and women) who likes to run off-road. I don’t gush often, but just writing about the Cascadias makes me want to lace them up and head out one more time. WIRED The asymmetrical anatomical design offers unsurpassed comfort. Fluid-filled cushioning in the heel and sole. Great flexibility, even with the EVA rockplate and the stiff plastic toe protector. You’ll get happy and excited to hit the trails just looking at them. TIRED Toe box may be narrow for those with wider feet. Heavy, even for trail shoes.

LINDSAY LOHAN TO HIRE PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR

By Jon Warech Lindsay Lohan has hired a private investigator to dig in to the life of Tiffany Mitchell, the woman who accused her of assault, according to TMZ. Mitchell has hired attorney to the anti-stars, Gloria Allred, to represent her following an alleged altercation with Lindsay in a New York nightclub. But sources close to Lindsay say that the "Liz & Dick" star feels Mitchell made up the story about Lindsay punching her, so Lindsay has hired a P.I. to look into Mitchell and see if she has any criminal past or if she's done anything like this before.

BRANDI GLANVILLE TELLS LEANN RIMES: MY SONS ARE NOT YOUR BOYS!

Rimes' comments didn't sit well with Glanville, 40, who responded the following day. "Someone is trying to get under my skin by calling my children 'her boys. So transparent!" the "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star tweeted. "They are my boys, Eddie's boys and your stepsons. . .for now." The model also retweeted a fan who asked, "Why is it ok for LeAnn to whore out Brandi's kids on Twitter, but they can't appear on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills?" (Cibrian refuses to let his sons appear on the Bravo reality show.) PHOTOS: LeAnn Rimes and Eddie Cibrian's road to romance Rimes, who performed in Lincoln City, Oregon, chose not to retaliate via the social networking site. She did, however, share pictures of Cibrian, 39, Mason, 9, and Jake, 5. Rimes also retweeted a fan who wrote that "being a stepmom is such a hard role to play, but only the strongest women can handle it." Choosing not to respond to Glanville directly, Rimes decided to focus on the positives in her life. "I'm going to bed as one of the most blessed girls in the world," the musician tweeted. "I am so grateful for all the love I have in my heart and in my life." PHOTOS: LeAnn Rimes' shocking slimdown In August, Rimes, 30, voluntarily checked into rehab for anxiety and stress. The "Borrowed" singer later said she had been the victim of cyber bullying in the wake of her 2009 affair with Cibrian. "I think it's really hard to deal with Twitter and Facebook," Rimes told the Boston Herald. "And it's hard to take it day after day of reading and seeing things that someone you don't even know says about you. As much as you said you don't want it to penetrate, it does, because you're human."

Golf - Flawless McDowell stays in control at Sherwood

The former US Open champion, who despite several close calls has endured a barren title run worldwide since his play-off victory at the World Challenge in 2010, fired a flawless four-under-par 68 on Saturday to post a 13-under total of 203.

"I played very solidly again today," McDowell said after sinking two long-range birdie putts early on to maintain his grip on the tournament. "Bogey free is always nice on any golf course.”

McDowell said he was very happy with the way he has been hitting the golf ball.

"It'll be a nice way to finish the year if I can get a good win tomorrow, but there will be a few guys on that board that will have a little something to say about it for sure," he said.

McDowell's closest challenger was first-round leader Keegan Bradley who matched the day's best round with a six-birdie 67 at a rain-soaked Sherwood Country Club to finish at 11 under.

Tournament host and defending champion Tiger Woods, bidding for his fourth victory this year, was a further three strokes back after narrowly missing a seven-foot birdie putt at the last to card a 69.

Woods failed to birdie any of the five par-fives on the hilly course that winds its way below the Santa Monica mountains as he ended the day level with fellow American Bo Van Pelt, who birdied the par-four last for a 70.

"It was wet out there," Woods said about the saturated Sherwood layout after mixing four birdies with a lone bogey.

"It was a little sloppy early, and overall I thought it was tough to get the ball close today.

"I didn't play the par-fives well and didn't play (hole) eight well again. I missed a few opportunities out there. I felt like I played decent enough to get to 10 under, to get to double digits, and just didn't do it.

"As of right now I'm five back. I'm going to have to shoot a low one tomorrow and see what happens."

On a soggy morning, 2010 US Open champion McDowell began the third round with a commanding three-shot lead but that was swiftly trimmed to just one after the fast-starting Bradley birdied two of the first three holes.

However, McDowell got his putter working in scintillating fashion, sinking birdie putts from 30 feet at the par-five second and the par-four fourth to restore his three-stroke advantage.

Though American Bradley picked up another shot at the sixth to apply early pressure on McDowell, the Northern Irishman maintained his grip on the tournament with further birdies at the ninth and 11th before parring the last seven holes.

"It would have been nice to pick a few more (shots) up on the way in, I guess, finishing with seven straight pars when there are some chances out there," said McDowell, who was runner-up on his debut here in 2009.

"I played disciplined golf to some of those tighter pins, couldn't seem to get anything to drop.

"But two shots ahead going into Sunday, I'll take that any week, anywhere, any time. It's right where you need to be," he added.

Bradley, who became the first player to win a major using a belly putter at the 2011 PGA Championship, was delighted to be in a position to win his first tournament since the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in August.

"I feel really good out there," said the 26-year-old and three-time winner on the PGA Tour. "It's so fun to be back in the hunt again. It's been a while. It's been a few months.

"Graeme loves this place. He just has such an unbelievable record here. I'll be looking forward to playing with him tomorrow. It'll be a good time."

World Challenge leaderboard after third round:

203 Graeme McDowell (Northern Ireland) 69 66 68

205 Keegan Bradley (US) 69 69 67

208 Tiger Woods 70 69 69

Bo Van Pelt 70 68 70

209 Jim Furyk 69 69 71

210 Rickie Fowler 73 67 70

211 Nick Watney 67 73 71

212 Bubba Watson 71 74 67

Steve Stricker 73 71 68

Webb Simpson 70 73 69

214 Zach Johnson 74 70 70

Dustin Johnson 74 68 72

Matt Kuchar 73 69 72

215 Hunter Mahan 71 73 71

216 Ian Poulter (Britain) 73 72 71

Brandt Snedeker (US) 75 68 73

Jason Dufner 73 68 75

Jason Day (Australia) 71 75 72

Tennis - Serena Williams named WTA Player of the Year

The 31-year-old won Wimbledon and the US Open to take her grand-slam haul in singles to 15 while she also won Olympic gold in singles and doubles in London.

After a relatively slow start to the year, Williams was virtually unstoppable from April to October when she won 48 of her 50 matches, culminating in the title at the WTA Championships in Istanbul.

Williams, who ended the year number three in the rankings but was clearly the outstanding player, has now won the WTA award four times, having also taken it in 2002, 2008 and 2009.

The award is voted for by international tennis media

Formula 1 - HRT set to quit F1 after being left off entry list

The 22-car list was published on the governing International Automobile Federation's website after the expiry of a Friday deadline for teams to pay their entry fees.

Under the 2013 sporting regulations, Madrid-based HRT were required to pay entry fees of $500,000.

The owners of HRT, who have not scored a point in their three year existence, announced last month that the team was up for sale and talks were underway with various groups interested in buying them.

FIA sources indicated that HRT could yet be added to the list if they paid up and Spain's AS newspaper reported that HRT had been allowed more time to try and find a buyer.

The team was founded by Spanish ex-Formula One driver Adrian Campos in 2010, when three new teams were invited to enter the championship, as Campos Meta but the outfit hit immediate financial trouble.

It was renamed Hispania in a rescue operation led by Murcia-based businessman Jose Ramon Carabante and Colin Kolles, a former principal of what is now the Force India team, before being taken over by Thesan Capital in July last year.

Spanish veteran Pedro De la Rosa and Indian Narain Karthikeyan were the two drivers this year, with the Cosworth-powered team finishing 12th and last overall after beating Marussia in the two previous seasons.

There has been considerable scepticism within the sport about the prospect of any buyer emerging.

"I hope they find a buyer, an investor, and I hope they don't shut. But clearly there's a good possibility that they might," McLaren principal Martin Whitmarsh had told reporters in Brazil last weekend.

"I think we've got to recognise that after probably the four top teams, all the teams have got really big challenges and costs are escalating."

Japan's Super Aguri were the last Formula One team to fold, during the 2008 season due to financial problems.

Only five of the teams named their full driver lineup, including Williams who announced only this week that Finland's Valtteri Bottas would be racing for them next year in place of Brazilian Bruno Senna.

Sauber and Toro Rosso, who have both finalised their lineups, did not name any drivers.

Premier League - Managers: Allardyce heaps misery on Benitez

West Ham United 3-1 Chelsea

Sam Allardyce: "[Rafael Benitez and himself] don't have sympathy for each other. We compete against each other, toil, play mind games and tactically have to outweigh each other. And we've come out on top.”

Rafael Benitez: "I would say that [his future as Chelsea manager] depends on the things that we can do on the pitch. So, if we improve on the pitch, it will be easier for everyone. No, I am not 100 per cent certain. We didn't win today - that is the main thing."

Arsenal 0-2 Swansea City

Arsene Wenger: "We are in this job to turn things around, and I am confident we will [because of] the quality of the players and the spirit we have in the team. It is a good moment to stick together. I am not so much worried about [league] places, even if that is not the place you want to be, but I believe what is important is we get the quality of our game back. Then the places change."

Michael Laudrup: "There have been three great performances, each better than the (previous) one. The team is playing with a lot of confidence. They put us under pressure for 20 minutes in the second half and you know their players can make the difference at any moment, so you can never sit easy. We looked in quite good shape and were only defending deep a few times."

Fulham 0-3 Tottenham

Martin Jol: "It was a bad result. It was a tight game but the likes of Gareth Bale, Aaron Lennon, Clint Dempsey, Jermain Defoe... we kept them pretty quiet. It was very disappointing to concede three goals out of nothing."

Andre Villas-Boas: "Gareth Bale is so fast so it is very difficult (for refs) to judge situations. He has suffered big, big injuries to his ankles before and sometimes he wants to protect himself a little bit. He might put his body in situations that the referee thinks that he is diving and he is suffering for it in these last two games. He is now very near suspension for two unfair yellow cards and I think you gain a reputation for being a diver unfairly sometimes.”

Liverpool 1-0 Southampton

Brendan Rodgers: "The game should have been put to bed well before it was. There's no question we should have been out of sight, but the most important thing is it was a terrific performance and another win at Anfield. We continue with another three points and moving up the league. The tempo, we shared the ball, everyone was passing and moving, the creativity [was good] in the team throughout the game and it was just getting that little bit of luck with the final ball.”

Nigel Adkins: “We are disappointed in respect of we haven't got anything from the game. We have come away from home in a good run of form of late but Liverpool's movement was very good and we couldn't get a grip of the football. If we could have got to half-time at 0-0 that would have been pleasing but a free header in the penalty area has given them a 1-0 lead. We had to adapt ourselves a little bit. We have defended a lot deeper and looked to counter-attack.”

Manchester City 1-1 Everton

Roberto Mancini: “Everton is always a difficult game because they work hard, they defend very well. In the second half we played better, probably deserved to score another goal. In the end we are not happy but the season is long and this doesn't change anything. If you don't pay attention you can lose three points and it is sometimes better to take one."

David Moyes: "It is not a penalty kick. I don't know how many penalties Manchester City have had in their home games recently, but as far as I know it is quite a few. They got another one today. You can't be giving ones like that. There'd be a penalty every time there's a corner kick."

Queens Park Rangers 1-1 Aston Villa

Harry Redknapp: "We need a win, we need to get a win on the board somehow. We had people out there like Clint Hill and Ryan Nelsen today. Ryan came here and probably felt he was going to be fourth-choice centre-half and he is playing every week and is captain. They gave everything and Shaun Derry came on for us when I lost Stephane Mbia and did a great job. They tried for their life today and I couldn't fault their effort. I was pleased with the performance and there was only one team that was going to win."

Paul Lambert: "I think it was a really tough game for us because of obviously Harry coming in. QPR, with where they are in the league, are fighting for every point and new manager syndrome normally kicks in. But I've got nothing but praise for the team, I thought they were excellent. They defended strongly when they had to and we were also a threat."

West Bromwich Albion 0-1 Stoke City

Steve Clarke: "If anyone said that's why we lost the game [making six changes from midweek], they would be wrong. The changes were made at the end of a difficult week with two long away trips to the north east and south Wales. The boys who played in the two away games put in a lot of effort and I thought it was right time to freshen team up."

Tony Pulis: "Obviously the the monkey [poor away form] is off our back. We've had four draws away from home this season and we could easily have won a couple of those games and it hasn't just fallen for us. It is always nice to get the first win and I'm really pleased."

Reading 3-4 Manchester United

Brian McDermott: "I thought some of the football was terrific - I thought we were going to go on and win the game but they have got massive quality in the team and we know that. I look at that and I remember where we were three years ago, we were just coming up to a game with Plymouth and we got beat 4-1 and it could have been about 10. We were staring League One in the face and where we are now, three years later, is a phenomenal achievement for the club.”

Sir Alex Ferguson: "Nobody competed for the crosses, in fairness Reading have a great delivery of the ball - the boy (Nicky) Shorey whips them in, fantastic crosses but we should be doing better than that. It was terrible."

Real Madrid CF vs Atletico Madrid Report

Real Madrid 2-0 Atletico Madrid footyroom.com by Futbol2101

Jose Mourinho gave los Blancos fans the opportunity to boo him on the pitch 40 minutes before kick-off, but was greeted positively by those supporters inside the stadium, despite coming under criticism for his side's poor start to the Liga campaign that saw them start this match eight points behind their city rivals. It did not take long for his side to take the lead in the match, as Ronaldo made it 1-0 to the reigning Liga champions with an unstoppable free kick in the 16th minute, while Mesut Ozil added a second after the break to seal the win. Atletico's in-form forward Radamel Falcao was allowed his first glimpse at goal in the seventh minute when he got the wrong side of Pepe, but the Madrid centre-back managed to regain his composure and knock the ball behind as the Colombian attacker pulled back his left foot to shoot from the a tight angle. Despite being second-best in the opening exchanges the home side took a 1-0 lead in emphatic fashion through Ronaldo. The Portugal international made Diego Simeone's men pay for Arda Turan's foolish handball 30 yards from the Atletico goal by hammering the resulting free kick past Thibaut Courtois and into the bottom corner. Madrid nearly increased their lead to two from another set piece in the 37th minute when Xabi Alonso set up Ronaldo for a long-range effort but Courtois was able to keep the attacker's strike out on this occasion, diving brilliantly to his right to parry the ball away. The home side were slightly fortunate to end the first half with 11 men on the pitch after Ramos caught Falcao with a stray elbow as the two tussled for possession right in front of the linesman, while Atletico's midfield duo of Gabi and Mario Suarez avoided bookings in the minutes before the break after both went in late on Ronaldo. Half-time failed to calm either team as the second half was punctuated by spats between players from each side, just as the first half had been. Madrid did manage to increase their lead eventually, courtesy of Ozil. Atletico's makeshift left-back Cata Diaz was caught out of position after his team-mate Miranda headed the ball straight into the path of Ronaldo, and the Madrid forward quickly sprayed a pass to Ozil on the right. The Germany international adjusted his body well to meet the ball on the half-volley with his left foot, and his strike flew straight into the bottom left corner. Ronaldo still had time to strike both the crossbar and the post as Madrid controlled the closing stages, in stark contrast to the sluggish start they had made to the match.