Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert says the club has to improve on their 17th-place position and quickly climb the Premier League table.

Image source, AP

Lambert, who will take charge of Villa for the 100th time tonight when his side entertain Southampton, tells the Birmingham Mail:, external "We need to do a lot better.

"It's too big a club and too good a club to keep doing what it's been doing. It needs to be up there. But we need to earn the right to get there.

"There is an incredible expectation level. It's a brilliant club, it's had its hard times but we've got through it."

Reading captain Chris Gunter says sacking manager Nigel Adkins would be a mistake.

The Royals have already lost nine games this season and are only three points above the Championship relegation zone.

There have been calls on social media from some fans for Adkins to go, but Wales defender Gunter believes the club's new Thai owners should stay loyal.

"What this club doesn't need is to make a decision like that, it would be one of the worst things we could do," he told BBC Radio Berkshire.

Image source, Getty Images

A bit more on that breaking news of Maurizio Arrivabene's appointment at Ferrari.

57-year-old Arrivabene (pictured) was previously the vice-president of global communications for Ferrari sponsor Philip Morris.

He replaces Marco Mattiacci after just seven months, with the Scuderia having suffered their worst season in 20 years, finishing fourth in the constructors' championship.

Ferrari F1 have replaced their team principal Marco Mattiacci with Maurizio Arrivabene.

Image source, Getty Images

There are great catches, there are superhuman catches, and then there's this effort from Odell Beckham Jr.

The New York Giants wide receiver seemingly defied physics to haul in Eli Manning's pass and score a touchdown - as you can watch in this video.

Basketball star LeBron James called it "the greatest catch ever possibly" on Twitter,, external but it didn't stop the Giants losing 31-28 to the Dallas Cowboys.

Missed anything? Not been paying attention? Well, never fear, here are the top stories at midday from the BBC Sport website.

Image source, EPA

Formula 1: Lewis Hamilton says winning his second world title will be the start of a run of success for himself and his team Mercedes.

Football: Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers accepts full responsibility for his team's stuttering run of form.

Boxing: Britain's Sandy Ryan and Lisa Whiteside both win silver medals at the AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships in South Korea.

Rugby union: Wales lock Jake Ball says "nothing" about Saturday's opponents South Africa worries him.

Ice hockey: Viktor Tikhonov, who coached the Soviet Union team to gold at the 1984, 1988 and 1992 Winter Olympics, has died at the age of 84.

Image source, Getty Images

Scott Quigg wants to fight Carl Frampton after a unanimous points win over Hidenori Otake saw him defend his WBA world super-bantamweight title.

The Bury boxer has defended his belt five times and wants a bout with IBF super-bantamweight champion Frampton.

"Obviously the Carl Frampton fight is the fight everyone wants to see," Quigg, 26, told BBC Radio Manchester.

"It's the one I want. There is a lot of big fights out there and they're the fights I want to be in."

Time to bring you up to date with some of this morning's hot-off-the-press transfer gossip.

German newspaper Bild is reporting, external that Manchester United are planning to lure Bayern Munich midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri in a swap deal, with Ander Herrera going the other way.

You can find that story and many other transfer-related titbits in today's BBC Sport gossip column.

So it's a big happy birthday to the following people...

Image source, Getty Images

Sir Ian Botham (cricket) - former England and Somerset all-rounder, born 1955.

Dean Ashton (soccer) - former Crewe, Norwich and West Ham striker who won one England cap and retired through injury in 2009, born 1983.

Sean O'Loughlin (rugby league) - Wigan and England captain, born 1982.

We asked you what is going wrong at Liverpool? Here are some more of your reasons for the Reds' poor form.

Paul Bowen:, external Wasted money in the transfer market. We needed a few squad players not a overhaul. And we needed one world-class replacement for Suarez.

Ken Gorry:, external Lack of movement up front leads to many touches in midfield, along with leaving themselves open to counter attack = defeat.

Shuvam Sinha:, external Rodgers has got to go. Never a real deal anyway. All the frailties in the team are so glaringly obvious in Suarez's absence.

Some sad news to bring you now: former Chelsea, Middlesbrough and Wrexham manager John Neal has died at the age of 82.

County Durham-born Neal replaced Geoff Hurst at Chelsea in 1981 and led the club to the 1984 Second Division title.

He took the Blues to sixth place in the First Division in 1985 before retiring due to ill health.

Ian Bell admits that England face the threat of persistent bad weather during their one-day international series in Sri Lanka.

England's second warm-up fixture was a washout at the P Sara Oval, meaning Bell is one of just four England batsmen to have had a competitive innings before the seven-match series begins on Wednesday.

"It's not ideal, is it?" said Bell. "I suppose, on this tour, we're going to get interrupted by rain all the way through."

BBC Radio 5 live

There are a few BBC Radio 5 live podcasts available for you to download and enjoy.

Formula 1: In the final Chequered Flag of the season, Jennie Gow takes an extended look at the Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi, where Lewis Hamilton clinched his second drivers' World Championship with an authoritative, stylish victory.

Image source, Getty Images

Sportsweek: Listen to an interview with England head coach Stuart Lancaster after his side's win over Samoa. There is also a piece with former New Zealand winger Jonah Lomu about the All Blacks win over Wales and he updates us on his health. And there is also football and F1 chat as well.

Sports report: This programme includes reaction to Saturday's football and rugby interviews after the latest autumn internationals.

Right, thinking caps on, this is a tough one.

Today's @QuestionofSport #QSTeaser is: The ten nominees are named later for @BBCSPOTY Since 1980 who are the five winners with a five-letter surname?

The answers will be revealed later today.

England boss Stuart Lancaster has named a 34-man training squad for Saturday's final International against Australia at Twickenham Stadium.

Image source, Getty Images

Exeter Chiefs' in-form number eight Thomas Waldrom, who has scored seven tries in eight Premiership games this season, replaces Billy Vunipola. The Saracens man suffered concussion in Saracens' defeat to Northampton Saints at the weekend will undergo the Graduated Return To Play protocol at his club.

Fly-half Stephen Myler, who kicked 16 points for Saints in that victory, regains a place in the squad after a hamstring strain. Courtney Lawes (also Northampton Saints) continues to be treated in camp for a knee injury suffered against Samoa.

Sale Sharks director of rugby Steve Diamond believes his side's first away win of the season at Harlequins could be a defining point in their season.

Dan Braid scored the only try of the game as Sale won 16-12 - their first league win at the Stoop since 2008.

"Coming away from home and putting in a performance like that, it is a tipping point for a season," Diamond told BBC Radio Manchester.

"You can go on and achieve the goals that you set, and one of the goals that we set is to try and finish in the top half of the division."

Ben Smith
BBC Sport

"Sergio Aguero and Stevan Jovetic sat out training as Manchester City prepared for their must-win Champions League tie against Bayern Munich tomorrow. Both players started Saturday's victory over Swansea.

"Edin Dzeko, David Silva and Aleksandar Kolarov also missed training as they continued their respective recoveries from injury."

Just a reminder that we'll have live text updates on Manuel Pellegrini's Champions League press conference at 12:45 GMT.

Image source, Getty Images

Former England opener Michael Carberry has signed a deal to play defending champions Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash League, Australia's domestic Twenty20 competition.

The 34-year-old last played for England in an ODI against Sri Lanka in May, and has also played six Tests.

"I'm delighted and thrilled to get out there," Carberry said. "It's a fantastic opportunity."

Image source, Getty Images

Stuttgart coach Armin Veh has resigned 12 matches into the Bundesliga season.

Veh stepped down after a 1-0 home loss to Augsburg that left Stuttgart last in the Bundesliga.

He had left Eintracht Frankfurt at the end of last season to return to the club which he guided to the Bundesliga title in 2007.

Here are some of the best videos on the BBC Sport website for your enjoyment.

Formula 1: A mischievous pair from the Mercedes pit crew throw a custard pie in the face of BBC F1 pundit Eddie Jordan live on air.

Football: England women's team are beaten 3-0 by two-time World Cup winners Germany in a historic women's match at Wembley.

Rugby union: Wales lose their 26th consecutive game against New Zealand as the All Blacks triumph 34-16 in Cardiff.

Snooker stars Judd Trump and Shaun Murphy warm up for the 2014 UK Championship with some adrenaline-fuelled driving action at Silverstone.