THREE AND EASY
England have climbed to third place in the latest Fifa world rankings, their highest ever position. Some stories write themselves, and just have.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
"I don't agree with them. Football should be played on grass, especially at this level. I don't want to make it an excuse but it gives them an advantage" – boss Neil Lennon tries and fails to avoid getting his excuses in early ahead of the Queen's Celtic's Big Cup second-leg qualifying clash on HJK Helsinki's synthetic pitch tonight.
TURNS OUT WE HAD TO WRITE ANOTHER STORY
Brendan Rodgers is a man with a plan. A thinker. A tiki-taka obsessive who, when eating his breakfast, arranges his salt and pepper pots into a defensive midfield formation and plays the tomato ketchup as a trequartista. He's also a staunch optimist. Who else would take on a job that entails trying to get Charlie Adam to stop hoiking the ball towards the nearest corner flag and play a five-yard pass to feet instead?
This utopian line of thought was in evidence today at Anfield when he said that he believes Luis Suarez – who has just signed a new £mproved contract at the club – will not be showered in expletives and spittle at away grounds next season. "If there is a negative reaction towards a player it is normally because they are good," said Rodgers. "We have seen it over time and players can become stronger for sure. Looking at the David Beckham scenario a number of years ago, they were burning effigies of him. Now he is king of the world," honked Rodgers, who is not usually known for his humour.
"I have tried to sell him the vision," he continued, pointing at a board with £100,000-a-week written on it. "There is always uncertainty when there is a change of manager. But he feels secure this club can take a number of steps forward over the next few years." Signing some players would be one step forward. "We've been linked with an incredible amount of players, but I'm very reluctant to speak about other players at other clubs," Rodgers said, much preferring the club's owners to prematurely announce the signing of them on their own website instead.
To be fair to Rodgers, he can be forgiven for any involvement in Liverpool's bungling attempts to transform the club's image, a thankless task that wasn't helped by news that the club's shirt sponsor, the bank Standard Chartered, is fighting accusations of laundering up to $250bn in Iran. But handing Suarez a whopping pay increase after a season in which his every action – rightly or wrongly – became perceived as a dark act, will not help either.
FIVER LETTERS
"Can anyone really be surprised that USA! USA!! USA!!! beat Canada at the death at Old Trafford (yesterday's Fiver) and that the winning goal was scored by someone named Alex?" – Craig Whetstine.
"Congratulations to Sir Steve Redgrave for figuring out that football is more popular than rowing (yesterday's Quote of the Day). I heard he tried his hand at football but was rather oardinary" – David Haikney.
"Since your usual pedants will be criticising Fifa over England's latest ranking, can I thank Fifa for consistency as they are obviously using the same model that vastly overestimates our performance as the Bank of England has done for the past 18 months" – Noble Francis.
Send your letters to the.boss@guardian.co.uk. And if you've nothing better to do you can also tweet the Fiver.
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BITS AND BOBS
Fun and games in South America dept: Fluminense's kit man Denilson Macedo faces a fine and ban of up to 12 matches for trying to attack a linesman at the end of the 0-0 draw with Atletico Mineiro. "He had to be restrained by police," explained Brazil's disciplinary tribunal.
Stoke City have agreed an undisclosed fee with Wolves for midfielder Michael Kightly.
Brazil midfielder Lucas Moura has told Brazilian media he has met with Paris St-Germain over a possible move from Sao Paulo. "I cannot talk about it, I'm focused on the Brazil team," said the 19-year-old, before doing exactly the opposite. "Talks are under way."
The Republic O'Ireland have announced a friendly against Oman at Fulham's Craven Cottage on 11 September.
And former firefighter Rhys Griffiths has left Port Talbot for Plymouth Argyle. "For some reason, it dawned on me in the summer that I've never played league football, and I should have," remembered the 32-year-old.
STILL WANT MORE?
Want to hone your minute-by-minute reporting skills? Then places are still available for our masterclass with Jacob Steinberg, it says here. Yes, you too can get harangued by the Russian media for a throwaway line in an MBM.
Our Premier League previews continue with No5: Fulham and No6 … Liverpool.
And football has nothing to fear from the Olympics' five-ring circus, reckons Paul Wilson.
