ITALY made their reservations for the World Cup finals in South Africa last night after a dramatically improved performance against Bulgaria in Turin.

ENGLAND boss Fabio Capello has thanked Slaven Bilic for providing the team-talk ahead of their World Cup qualifier tonight (8pm) and will simply tell his players to remember what the Croatia manager has branded them.

LEEDS have called for possible points deductions for “predator clubs” who poach promising teenagers – on a day when Manchester City became the latest Premier League power to be embroiled in a row over the signing of a French teenager.

DON GIVENS believes James McCarthy avoided the same frustrating fate of Liam Miller by opting to join Wigan ahead of more glamorous Premier League names.

DAMIEN DUFF will this morning unpack a suitcase in his London pad after leaving the Ireland camp, on the back of a 10-day stint away from home, to rejoin his new team-mates at Fulham.

PAUL McGRATH is still treated like a god by Aston Villa fans and the former Ireland defender believes Richard Dunne will soon be the fans’ new hero and Mark Hughes will regret the day he sold him.

“AN OWN-GOAL would be fine,” joked Marcello Lippi yesterday, but behind the smiles, there is some anxiety ahead of their biggest match so far in World Cup Group 8.

ALEX FERGUSON insists form will play no part in what he deems Manchester United’s biggest fixture — a clash with Liverpool tomorrow.

ARSENE WENGER believes the criticism levelled at under-fire Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez is undeserved and “excessive”.

MANCHESTER CITY manager Mark Hughes is more eager than usual to learn the result of tomorrow’s mouthwatering Anfield clash between bitter enemies Liverpool and Manchester United.

CARLO ANCELOTTI is hoping to be back in the dugout today after rushing home to Italy to be with his seriously ill father.

RAFAEL BENITEZ yesterday shrugged off the growing pressure on his position at Liverpool, insisting, “the team is not as bad as people think.”

TONY MOWBRAY is looking past the current turmoil at Parkhead to a time when Celtic can challenge Manchester United at Old Trafford on equal terms.

SUNDERLAND midfielder Andy Reid believes his current impressive form can earn him an international recall.

RAFAEL BENITEZ received the dreaded vote of confidence yesterday as Liverpool co-owner George Gillett backed the Spaniard to turn things around at Anfield.

MANCHESTER UNITED manager Alex Ferguson believes his side are now well on course for the Champions League knock-out stages after edging past CSKA Moscow.

MICHAEL CIANI scored at both ends and Bordeaux missed two penalties as the French champions leapfrogged Bayern Munich to move to the top of Group A last night as the visitors finished the game with nine men.

FRANK LAMPARD ensured his Chelsea team-mates worked their way back into Carlo Ancelotti’s good books after the weekend defeat against Aston Villa with a comfortable win that takes the club to the brink of qualification to the knock- out phase of the Champions League.

ARSENE WENGER will join one of football’s elite clubs today when he turns 60. It should be called the 60-is-the-new-40 club.

JAVIER MASCHERANO has moved to defend his Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez after bookmakers made Kenny Dalglish favourite to replace him at Anfield and offered odds of 10-1 that the Spaniard will have left Merseyside by midnight on Sunday following a potentially season-defining match against Manchester United.