Paul Dalglish, the son of a certain Kenny Dalglish, has his say on Liverpool's current managerial vacancy... 

Dick Advocaat has admitted his Sunderland squad were not good enough to avoid another relegation scrap.

The 68-year-old head coach parted company with the club on Sunday just eight games into the new league season having failed to lead them to victory in any of them.

Advocaat has told Studio Voetbal: "I already made my decision last week, but the club asked me to do the match against West Ham and I really wanted to finish this in style.

"The struggle against relegation is not my cup of tea. I think it was time for someone else to take over at Sunderland. I became negative and that didn't feel like myself."

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Stuart Lancaster has had better weeks. Not only are his England team already out of the Rugby World Cup, the side are now at their joint-lowest ever position in the world rankings.

Chelsea goalkeeper Asmir Begovic says he and his team-mates need to use the international break to clear their heads before getting back to basics.

The Blues are struggling to find their form and find themselves in 16th place in the Premier League table.

"When things are not going your way it's tough; we're playing against a lot of things at the moment, it's a mental thing as well, but it's just something we've got to keep fighting through," he said.

"Hopefully one result will get the confidence going again and we can kick on. We have to show character and we can't feel sorry for ourselves."

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Compiled by our colleagues at BBC Radio 5 live...

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Essex limited-overs captainRyan ten Doeschatehas extended his contract, keeping him with the county until the end of the 2017 season.

The 35-year-old, who first joined Essex in 2003, became white-ball captain at the start of the 2014 season.

"We've underachieved this year and we will be working harder to improve next year," he told the club's website. , external

Football writer and BBC 5 live contributor Henry Winter on the situation at Stamford Bridge.

A Swiss court has rejected an attempt by one of the imprisoned Fifa officials to be released on bail for medical reasons.

The Federal Criminal Court didn't name the man.

Six men remain in custody in Switzerland after being arrested in May on American charges while in Zurich for the Fifa Congress. 

On Thursday, 15 October the Price of Football study, external will be out across the BBC.

We'd love to hear your stories of how you follow your club and from where in the world.

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Hmm, see what you've done there Tea...

Ben Smith
BBC Sport

Klopp is understood to be open to the idea of a move to Anfield, having sounded out former Liverpool midfielder Didi Hamman about the club, the city and the fans.

But an agreement has not yet been reached. Rodgers, meanwhile, is coming to terms with his dismissal with sources close to the Northern Irishman admitted he has been left devastated by the decision to sack him.

He plans to take some time away before assessing his options but is in no rush to take another job.

Negotiations over his severance package, which could cost Liverpool in excess of £5m, will take place in due course. 

Ben Smith
BBC Sport

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Liverpool have made contact with representatives of Jurgen Klopp as the Anfield club push for a swift resolution to their search for a new manager. 

The German is the clear frontrunner to succeed Brendan Rodgers but Carlo Ancelotti will also be sounded out about the role.

Liverpool’s American owners have no plans to travel to the UK and, at this stage, plan to oversee the recruitment process from the United States.

Wales forwards coach Robin McBryde hopes that avid England fan Prince Harry might be persuaded to wear a Wales shirt as the World Cup heads towards its quarter-final stage. 

Prince Harry's brother, the Duke of Cambridge, is Vice Royal Patron of the Welsh Rugby Union and regularly attends Wales games while his younger brother has a similar role with the RFU.

"The Duke of Cambridge is an avid [Wales] supporter and it was good to see him in the changing room after the Fiji game," McBryde said. 

 "He is going to support Wales and hopefully if he can influence his brother Harry to put on a Welsh shirt, that will be great to see as well."

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Elsewhere at the World Cup, Ireland have booked their quarter-final place but only after having to withstand a strong challenge from a Sergio Parisse-inspired Italy.  

They eventually triumphed 16-9 but will need to improve when they face fellow quarter-finalists France in Sunday's Pool D decider at the Millennium Stadium with the losers probably handed the daunting task of facing New Zealand in the last eight.

The Hit on the BBC Sport website looks at the best of the action from that game and also Argentina's win over Tonga which had footballing great Diego Maradona among the spectators.

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Sam Allardyce and Nigel Pearson, both available, and Burnley manager Sean Dyche remain the bookies favourites to land the Sunderland job though.

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Allardyce, 60, had a season at Sunderland as a player in 1980-81. He has spent most of the past 14 years managing in the Premier League, with Bolton, Newcastle, Blackburn and West Ham, who did not renew his contract this summer.

Pearson, 52, was sacked by Leicester in the summer despite guiding the club to Premier League safety with seven wins from their last nine games.

Dyche guided Burnley into the Premier League two years ago but was unable to keep them there last season.

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Sunderland are considering Real Sociedad manager David Moyes as they look for Dick Advocaat's successor but he is not near the top of their list.

The 19th-placed Black Cats want a wide range of options to replace the Dutchman, who quit on Sunday.

They are hoping to name a new boss before their next Premier League game at West Brom on 17 October.

Available pair Sam Allardyce and Nigel Pearson and Burnley manager Sean Dyche are leading the bookmakers' odds.

Some posts from the BBC Match of the Day Facebook page...

Eel Postino: Sorry to see him go. He's been great for the Southampton FC bank account.

Lee Pennington: Second highest win percentage of any Liverpool manager in the Premier League and yet people are saying go for a manager who last season got Dortmund to 7th in Bundesliga? It's the ' transfer committee' that should have been scrapped, not the manager.

Codey Sharp: Wrong decision, we have made progress. But said progress was hampered massively by fans unrealistic expectations and the loss of key personnel. Liverpool is an impossible job. Every season, if we go for the title, fans want the cups, if we go for the cups, fans want the title. Liverpool are not a side who can win both, we haven't got the squad.

Twelve months ago, Chelsea players had tears in their eyes as the WSL title slipped from their grasp and they missed out on goal difference to Liverpool.

Again, the race went down to the last day, but this time they completed a league and cup double by overcoming Sunderland 4-0 to lift the trophy, 23 years to the day after Chelsea Ladies played their first ever game and there were tears of joy.

BBC Sport looksat how Emma Hayes' side triumphed in arguably the most fiercely contested Women's Super League season yet.

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