Fabio fumes at relaxed defending

Netherlands 2/ England 2
Thanks to suicide defending from Rio Ferdinand and Gareth Barry, The Three Lions endured a very uncomfortable first half in Amsterdam. Fabio Capello blamed an abundance of confidence, rather than general crappiness, for the unforced errors. Fortunately, Jermain Defoe saved their graces with his one-man rescue operation.

Spoiler bonus: British licence fee payers were outraged last night as the BBC decided to show Scotland’s woeful attempt to qualify for the World Cup. Lowlights after the jump…

Manchester Utd star remains aloof in Portugal

Cristiano Ronaldo is supposed to have his post-summer holiday showdown with Sir Alex Ferguson in Manchester today, and the British press seem to be assuming that the player will acquiesce to his club’s demands and play for another season. The Spanish tabloids, however, are painting a different story.

According to Marca, he will not return to Manchester for the dreaded hairdryer session. Yesterday, they found the tricky winger in a clinic in Lisbon, where he refused to comment and risk the ‘ongoing negotiations’ between Real Madrid and Manchester Utd.

Reportedly, Ronny will soon return to Amsterdam for another ankle consultation, after which he will ‘return to his home and wait’. Marca do not seem too concerned with the trifling detail that his ‘home’ is in Manchester.

UPDATE: Some media outlets are claiming Ronaldo isn’t due back today, but rather later in the week.