ANOTHER three points banked in Baku and we're now sitting on top of the heap with a majestic lead over the Yugoslavs and the Italians.

I cannot believe that, even with our recent results over Finland and Italy, we remain at number 61 in the latest FIFA rankings and even the super Scots are above us at number 57.

With the USA at number 10 in the same list, it makes the guy who does some of the world boxing rankings seem like Einstein!

Every month, FIFA produce these lists and thousands of column inches of coverage are given to something akin to the golf and tennis circuit ratings. Seeing there is no money involved, only prestige and pride, surely FIFA should be able to recognise the success of a tiny nation in one of their own competitions?

I wasn't too worried before the match having seen our Under 21s win for the first time in yonks and having learnt that all competitive football is banned in Azerbijan. Thinking about it, they are not unique as the Scots have got the same thing with a special dispensation for Rangers and Celtic.

Organisation, togetherness and commitment are qualities already becoming bywords with Mark Hughes' sides.

I think John Hartson revels in the lone target man role and, if I was any Premiership manager, I would be pleading with my chairman to make the money available to buy him in January.

With his physical presence and Giggs and Bellamy's reputation and ability to come from deep either side of him, its no wonder that we will be a problem for most sides in the world.

Sure someone like Brazil may throw a few posers back in our direction but, beyond the very top few, I don't see anyone - least of all the over-hyped, under-achieving English - who would give us a game.

I'm glad that Mark Hughes just got on with the job and didn't make a big issue about the lack of FIFA backing for player call-ups. Even though we all know that, had a big nation had the complaint, FIFA would have come down on the clubs like a ton of bricks, all that would have happened is it would have created a festering resentment and suddenly the pre-match 'injury' withdrawals by clubs would have rocketed.

I prefer to think that Ryan Giggs has the nous to be able to tell Fergie that he wants to play for Wales and that he enjoys and looks forward to it. I also think that we should be thankful to Bobby Robson for releasing Craig Bellamy for the Finland game when he had only played 20 minutes in six months.

And given as Craig didn't play on Saturday, we have to respect Newcastle's medical assessment that he wasn't fit enough for the trip.

Its nice to have a bit of honesty in the game when we've had years of cynical manipulation of the rules by the big guns. Now it's big time fans who are creating the stink.

Not only are the Leeds fans revolting over TV and wanting their licence money back, but even King Fergie is looking like a tomcat on his way back from the vets.

You now not only have ruthless index-related performance judgement in the boardroom, you now get it from the stands as well. The supporters of the top clubs should realise how lucky they are with the glow of success, a regular diet of trophies and fancy players from all corners of the globe.

Look at a club like Swansea where a draw is like getting the bonus number in the lottery, a win is hitting the jackpot and two wins on the trot as probable as the second coming of the Messiah! And yet, the faithful souls still turn up.

I've heard Old Trafford regulars saying it's a bit boring and the atmosphere isn't the same.

Well, 99 per cent of other clubs fans would like to be bored rigid every week forever ever if there's some spare Old Trafford boredom going.

Everton and Man City fans know that it will take miracles for them to ever keep up with their posh neighbours and yet a little notable victory once in a while is all they ask for. And when this rare achievement happens, do the posh neighbours react with grace? Of course not!

I hope the United fans hound Fergie out and, in years to come, when they're just another side with only proper fans supporting them on a Wednesday night match against

Colchester away, some misty-eyed anorak talks about the 'good old days'. The problem is that, when in the living memory of many United followers, there has been no bad old days, human nature is to wish it upon yourself.

Well, it is nearly Xmas and the turkeys are about to vote again.

Training has been going great and early December is the time when the Press start looking in their diaries and A-Z maps of South Wales to find out where they are going and sales go through the roof at their offices in Wapping. I'll start telling you my thoughts of the build up to my latest fight from next week .