Paula Radcliffe, Joe Calzaghe, Justin Rose … don’t you feel proud to be British this morning? Only a cold Ken Bates heart could fail to have been moved by knobbly-kneed Paula clutching baby Isla to her non-existent bosom after victory in the New York marathon.

Then there’s slugger Joe, unbeaten in 44 fights over 14 years and undisputed world super-middleweight champion after beating Mikkel Kessler in Cardiff early Sunday. And that nice Justin Rose tops the European golf rankings after winning at Valderrama.

But back to reality, folks, and those ridiculously overpaid prima donnas who get our pulses racing like no marathon runner or bloke with a putter ever will. And I know football has all but sold out to its TV paymasters, but we haven’t yet had an Arsenal-Man United game kicking off at 2am for the benefit of American subscribers, as in the case of boxing.

'Berbatov's agent says: "I will have coffee with Damien Comolli and we will talk about the future.” Man Utd, Liverpool and Chelsea are all waiting to pounce if Berbatov decides to tell ‘em: “Me for coffee.”


Today is crunch time for Dimitar Berbatov (Daily Mail) as the Tottenham striker faces showdown talks with White Hart Lane sports chief Damien Comolli. Note, no mention of new Spurs boss Juande Ramos being involved. Either Ramos is resigned to letting the Bulgarian sulk go in January … or he’s still looking for the interpreter who failed to show up at Middlesbrough on Saturday.

Berbatov's agent Emil Dantchev says: "I will have coffee with Damien and we will talk about the future.” Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea are all waiting to pounce if Berbatov decides to tell ‘em: “Me for coffee.”

Striker unrest also in the corridors of Eastlands where Rolando Bianchi yearns for la dolce vita (The Guardian). The £8.8m Italian wuss is homesick as a parrot – nothing to do with the fact that he’s rubbish and can hardly get a game at Manchester City who play Sunderland tonight. "Bianchi is trying very hard," insists boss Sven Goran Eriksson. "I think it is getting better and better. He understands more English now and he has friends here." Nothing a good hearty plate of tripe and onions won’t fix.

Breaking news ... Avram Grant has suddenly realised the African Nations Cup could wreck Chelsea’s title hopes this season. Sorry, Avram, but the ANC’s been in the calendar for yonks, and what do you expect if you fill your first team with players from Africa?

"We'll be missing four players and I don't understand why the tournament is played in the middle of the European leagues and not in the summer," says the Blues' gaffer (The Times). Actually, Avram, summer in Africa can be a little bit too hot for playing footie. Didier Drogba, Michael Essien, Salomon Kalou and John Obi Mikel could all be gone for up to a month when the finals begin in Ghana on January 20. Tough.

Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp – normally a keen talent spotter – is keeping tabs on Younes Kaboul's situation at Tottenham (The Mirror).

And this is what we like … real signs of passion in a side fighting for their Premier League lives. Derby’s Dean Leacock was ripping into his goalie Stephen Bywater during Saturday’s defeat at Aston Villa (various), leaving boss Billy Davies to declare, "I want players at each other's throats. It's how to build spirit." Wouldn’t it be better if they were at the opposition’s throats, Billy? Then you might win a game.

Today’s ‘stop me if you’ve heard it’ rumour – Paul Jewell for Boro (Sun exclusive) when Gareth Southgate gets the bullet. So that’s Jewell for Bolton, Derby, Birmingham, Newcastle and Wigan (again). Busy fella.