From the Back Pages, October 18: FA give Hodgson backing and draw a line under Townsend ‘space monkey’ joke

The Football Association has given Roy Hodgson its full backing after claims that the England manager’s bizarre analogy during half-time of the 2-0 victory over Poland about a monkey and an astronaut to describe how Chris Smalling and Andros Townsend should link up on the right wing caused offence. (The Independent)

Roy Hodgson admits he felt crushed after being accused of making a racist comment during his half-time team talk at Wembley on Tuesday. The England manager has spoken for the first time about the moment he was confronted with the extraordinary claims that he had offended a player in the dressing room by using the phrase ‘feed the monkey’. In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, the country’s manager said: ‘Joy is short-lived in this job. The players are as angry about this as I am. (Daily Mail)

England’s Rio de Janeiro base for World Cup 2014: a beach and a favela. FA hopes to get balance right after extremes of Baden-Baden and Rustenburg but World Cup base is a short walk from a shanty town. (The Telegraph)

CHELSEA boss Jose Mourinho last night admitted he had wondered if skipper John Terry was finished at Stamford Bridge. (The Express)

Arsène Wenger has promised Arsenal fans he is targeting the title this season as the club emerges from a period when its finances were constrained by the move to the Emirates Stadium. (The Guardian)

Jean Todt, the president of the FIA and the most powerful man in motor racing, will be put on the witness stand today to defend himself at an ethics committee investigation into whether he broke the rules of his organisation. (The Times)