‘It’s nothing serious’ – West Ham boss Bilic cools Andy Carroll injury setback fears
West Ham striker Andy Carroll 1 West Ham manager Slaven Bilic has cooled fears over the fitness of Andy Carroll, after reports suggested the striker suffered an injury setback this week.Carroll was thought to be nearing a return from a ligament injury which has kept him out since February, only for the England international to roll his ankle while putting on a pair of shoes.Bilic confirmed the rumours were accurate, but insisted the unusual injury will only add a week to the forward’s recovery time.“It’s true, but it’s not a big setback, it’s just one week,” the Hammers boss said.“It’s nothing serious, nothing major.”Bilic’s comments came after West Ham suffered defeat in a seven-goal thriller top flight newcomers Bournemouth, who won 4-3 at Upton Park.Back-to-back defeats, following last week’s 2-1 loss to Leicester, means the brilliant opening day victory at Arsenal seems a long way off.And while Bilic is disappointed with his players’ performance, he insists he can make a long-term impact at the Hammers helm.“I don’t like it, I’m concerned but I’m not panicking,” he added.“I knew it was going to be a long, hard job here, but if you ask me if I’m happy or ok, of course I’m not ok.“I’m really disappointed but I’m sure I will turn it around.“It is not time for alarms, I don’t like the approach that it is still early days, I have to change it. We had that togetherness, that brotherhood [at Arsenal].“We have to start playing from the first minute, not from the 46th minute.“I congratulate Bournemouth, they deserve it, they were good. Bournemouth scored goals – for every goal you have to give credit to the opponent. First, second goal and fourth goal – the ball was at our feet, it was our ball, it wasn’t them making a move.“If you do those kinds of mistakes, individual errors in front of your own goal, the outcome is going to be defeat.”
Former Chelsea striker Tony Cascarino believes Blues owner Roman Abramovich may not to be too far away from pulling the plug on Jose Mourinho’s second tenure in charge at Stamford Bridge.Mourinho and his players have endured an uncharacteristically disastrous start to the season, with the English champions languishing in 15th after losing five of their opening ten league games.The embattled Portuguese manager has faced numerous FA charges for his behaviour too, including his latest indictment following the 2-1 defeat to West Ham at the weekend, with talkSPORT presenter Dietmar Hamann suggesting the 52-year-old is ‘begging for the sack.’And Cascarino appeared to echo Hamann’s sentiment, while also claiming Abramovich’s mercilessness with his managers in the past points to a parting of ways.“If history has taught us anything, it’s that Roman has sacked people for a lot less,” Cascarino told Drivetime.“It’s a strange one because Abramovich is doing something he’s never done – he’s never supported a manager. If he ever felt that they were losing games he got rid of them, so this is a first.“He cannot like it. He cannot like seeing his football club and manager portrayed like this.”
1. Goalkeeper: Simon Mignolet (Liverpool) – click the arrow above, right, to see the combined XI based on current form and fitness – Asmir Begovic has been one of few players at Chelsea whose performances and commitment hasn’t been called into question. However, with the Blues leaking so many goals and Mignolet having kept four clean sheets, this decision was simple. 11 11 11 2. Right back: Nathaniel Clyne (Liverpool) – Branislav Ivanovic was one of the first names to make it into last year’s Premier League team of the season; what a contrast this campaign has been for the Serb. Nathaniel Clyne has easily brushed Ivanovic aside to make our combined XI, despite having not yet hit top form for the Reds. 11 11 6. Centre midfield: Ramires (Chelsea) – As much as this position should be commanded by Cesc Fabregas or Nemanja Matic, the pair simply haven’t been performing to the standard expected to earn a place. Ramires has been limited in his appearances since the start of the campaign, yet has impressed in Chelsea’s last few games, with Jose Mourinho turning to the Brazilian to divert pressure away from Fabregas and Matic. 9. Attacking midfield: Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool) – On form, Cesc Fabregas, or even Oscar, may be the favoured option ahead of Coutinho. Right now, however, the Liverpool midfielder is the superior option in the No.10 role. 11 Chelsea host Liverpool on Saturday afternoon, and with just three points separating the sides, it’s anticipated to be a full-blooded encounter.Jose Mourinho has an excellent Premier League record over Liverpool, while Jurgen Klopp boasts the better of the head-to-head results with the Portuguese manager – so this is an incredibly challenging fixture to call.CHELSEA VS LIVERPOOL: FIVE KEY BATTLES THAT COULD PROVE CRUCIALAnd to increase excitement ahead of the 12.45pm kick off, we’ve put together a combined XI.This was no easy task given a number of big-name players from both sides are suffering for form and fitness – does Eden Hazard make it? Cesc Fabregas? Philippe Coutinho?To find out our selection, click the yellow arrow above, right. 11 11 11 11. Striker: Christian Benteke (Liverpool) – This was one of the toughest battles, with Diego Costa difficult to leave out. However, Benteke, despite his fitness concerns, has been the more threatening in front of goal. The question is, will he start against Chelsea? 10. Left wing: Willian (Chelsea) – In May, it would have been unfathomable to imagine PFA Player of the Year Eden Hazard missing out on a place to any other player in the Premier League. However, with the performances of the Belgian having been described by some as ‘pathetic’, he hasn’t earned a spot. Willian still has much to prove, with his defensive work poor, but he has been a rare spark for Chelsea in the final third. 11 5. Left back: Cesar Azplicueta (Chelsea) – Jose Mourinho has retained faith in Azpilicueta this season, with the left back one of few that hasn’t been dropped by the Portuguese manager. The Spaniard is far superior in his defensive capabilities than compatriot and Liverpool defender Alberto Moreno. 11 8. Right wing: James Milner (Liverpool) – Milner has settled into life quickly at Liverpool, becoming one of the first names on the Reds’ team sheet. While he favours a central role, as he proved at Manchester City, he is at his most influential in a wider midfield position – and Jurgen Klopp seems to have quickly taken this view. 4. Centre back: Mamadou Sakho (Liverpool) – Sakho has been excellent for Liverpool this season and is expected to only improve under new manager Jurgen Klopp. Skrtel has been a clear weak link at the back for the Reds, and Sakho is quickly outshining the performances of his defensive partner. 3. Centre back: Kurt Zouma (Chelsea) – With Gary Cahill, John Terry and Martin Skrtel to contend with, this was no simple choice. Zouma, however, has grasped his opportunity in Chelsea’s first-team with both hands, not shying away from the pressure in west London at present, and thoroughly deserves his place. 7. Centre midfield: Lucas Leiva (Liverpool) – While Emre Can often makes the headlines for his performances in the Liverpool midfield, Lucas’ influence must not be underestimated. The Brazilian is key to the Reds, with his ability to break up the play essential, and was perhaps undervalued by former manager Brendan Rodgers. 
1 Forster could move to Leeds Fraser Forster could be back in action with Southampton before the turn of the year, some four months ahead of schedule.The England goalkeeper has already started light training as he continues his recovery from patellar tendon knee surgery in March.Southampton boss Ronald Koeman believes the former Newcastle and Celtic custodian could be back in full training “in four or five weeks”.Saints initially thought Forster may be sidelined for an entire year, but the 27-year-old has made impressive progress through arduous rehabilitation.“He’s doing very well, everything is going to plan and it is fast,” said Koeman.“I don’t want to say he will be back in four weeks but it’s going good.“He could be part of the group in four or five weeks.”Forster joined Southampton from from Celtic in a £10million deal in August 2014, establishing himself as a mainstay under Koeman before his long-term injury.Forster’s impending return to fitness will prove a boost to country as well as club, with the three-cap keeper’s availability bolstering boss Roy Hodgson’s resources.Should Forster return to top form across the second half of the Premier League campaign, then he will fight for a spot in England’s Euro 2016 squad.“He has worked very hard and is already training with Dave Watson, and that’s real goalkeeper sessions,” said Koeman.“Everybody is happy with how he is and that he’s recovering well.“We know it takes a long time to recover to 100 per cent but he will come back.“He’s coming back from April which is a long time.“He needs continued training and his first game will be in the Under-21s.“That’s the same for everybody, goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders; everybody plays in the Under-21s first.”
21 21 19. West Ham should be 19th with nine points, according to Lawro’s predictions – The Hammers are actually seventh with 23 points 14. Sunderland should be 14th with 14 points, according to Lawro’s predictions – The Black Cats are actually 19th with 12 points 21 21 11. Swansea should be 11th with 17 points, according to Lawro’s predictions – The Swans are actually 15th with 14 points 6. Man United should be sixth with 28 points, according to Lawro’s predictions – The Red Devils are actually fourth with 29 points 17. Leicester City should be 17th with 10 points, according to Lawro’s predictions – The Foxes are actually first with 32 points 10. Newcastle should be 10th with 20 points, according to Lawro’s predictions – The Magpies are actually 18th with 13 points 7. West Brom should be seventh with 27 points, according to Lawro’s predictions – The Baggies are actually 13th with 19 points 21 21 21 18. Watford should be 18th with nine points, according to Lawro’s predictions – The Hornets are actually 10th with 22 points 21 13. Everton should be 13th with 14 points, according to Lawro’s predictions – The Toffees are actually ninth with 22 points 8. Tottenham should be eighth with 24 points, according to Lawro’s predictions – Spurs are actually fifth with 26 points 21 21 21 16. Norwich City should be 16th with 13 points, according to Lawro’s predictions – Which is exactly what they are! Bravo, Mark. 21 20. By Mark Lawrenson’s Premier League score predictions so far this season, Aston Villa should be in 20th place… which they are! So far, so good for Lawro. To find out where the former Liverpool defender has predicted your club should currently be in the Premier League – and how it compares to where they actually are – click the arrow above – Mark Lawrenson’s score predictions for the Premier League so far this season would mean Villa have just five points, which is only one less than they have actually achieved. The only victory he’s predicted for Villa was a 2-0 win over Sunderland in August (a match that ended 2-2). 21 21 21 Predicting Premier League scores is good fun, but it’s difficult to be deadly accurate.TV pundit Mark Lawrenson (pictured below) has been predicting Premier League scores for the Beeb for some years now, but how well is he getting on this season?Take a look at the slideshow above to find out. 21 2. Chelsea should be second with 34 points, according to Lawro’s predictions – The Blues are actually 14th with 15 points 3. Arsenal should be third with 33 points, according to Lawro’s predictions – The Gunners are actually second with 30 points 21 5. Southampton should be fifth with 29 points, according to Lawro’s predictions – The Saints are actually 12th with 21 points 15. Bournemouth should be 15th with 14 points, according to Lawro’s predictions – The Cherries are actually 17th with 13 points 4. Liverpool should be fourth with 31 points, according to Lawro’s predictions – The Reds are actually eighth with 23 points 12. Stoke should be 12th with 15 points, according to Lawro’s predictions – The Potters are actually 11th with 22 points 21 And if you fancy your chances at this score prediction lark, why not try our Premier League predictor game?If you’re any good, you might even win a prize!Check it out, here: talksport.com/predictor 21 21 21 9. Crystal Palace should be ninth with 23 points, according to Lawro’s predictions – The Eagles are actually sixth with 23 points 1. Manchester City should be first with 39 points, according to Lawro’s predictions – City are actually third with 29 points
WATCH: Valencia’s David Pascual performs outrageous dive against Celtic in youth match We do not condone a dive of the season award, but if there was, David Pascual would definitely be a contender.The Valencia man was being chased down by a Celtic forward in a UEFA Youth League meeting and bad control put him under further pressure on the edge of his box. So he feigned contact and the referee bought it, awarding the free-kick. The number 14 soon got up, limping shamefully past the match official as danger on his team was averted. See below! 1
LAS VEGAS – A second co-defendant in the O.J. Simpson armed-robbery case said Monday that he will plead guilty to a reduced charge and testify against Simpson and three others in what prosecutors say was the theft of sports collectibles from two memorabilia dealers in a hotel room. Walter Alexander, 46, of Mesa, Ariz., told a judge he will plead guilty of conspiracy to commit robbery, a felony that could bring one year to six years in prison. Clark County District Attorney David Roger said prosecutors might seek a suspended sentence and ask the sentencing judge to give Alexander probation. Outside the courtroom, Alexander and his lawyers declined to say what testimony he will provide or whether Alexander carried a gun into the hotel room. Earlier Monday, Charles Cashmore, 40, of Las Vegas said he would plead guilty to a lesser felony, accessory to robbery, and testify. Cashmore could get probation up to five years in prison. 160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set! AD Quality Auto 360p 720p 1080p Top articles1/5READ MOREGame Center: Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, 10 a.m.The sudden plea agreements up the ante in the Simpson prosecution. Cashmore can testify that Alexander and co-defendant Michael McClinton had guns in the Sept. 13 confrontation with two sports memorabilia dealers in a hotel room, Cashmore’s attorney, Edward Miley, said. “He can establish who was in the room, what was said, who had guns, who didn’t have guns, potentially who may have seen guns, who didn’t see guns,” Miley said outside court. “I think he wishes he would have never met O.J.” Simpson and his lawyers have denied that guns were in the room at the Palace Station hotel-casino in Las Vegas. Simpson lawyer Gabriel Grasso said Monday that he and defense attorney Yale Galanter expected Cashmore and Alexander to take plea deals, but realize that the deals make Simpson’s defense more difficult. Grasso pointed to what he called “inconsistencies” in accounts about whether guns were present or wielded.
• For full fire coverage vist the Special Section. ABOVE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA – Just after 7 a.m. the helicopter lifts off and we head east over San Diego into a blood red sun and a sheen of smoke so thick the horizon seems to have vanished. We are 12 miles north of the Mexico border, at the edge of the first of more than a dozen fires that have turned much of Southern California into a hellish inferno – “Armageddon,” as one firefighter described it. Armageddon, on this Tuesday morning, is Sweetwater Reservoir reflecting a fiery orange sky in its once pristine blue waters. A snake of flames curling its way around Mount San Miguel, deserted of the hikers and bikers who would usually dot its slopes. Columns of smoke painting the sky an alarming rainbow of colors, jet-black turning to white and finally gray, even green. AD Quality Auto 360p 720p 1080p Top articles1/5READ MOREGame Center: Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, 10 a.m.Even from our vantage point, some 400 feet above the flames, I can feel the heat from the ground below and hardly fathom how unbearable it must seem to the thousands of firefighters hard at work around the region on a day when temperatures approached 100 degrees in some places. There is one bit of hope as another daunting day begins. The fierce Santa Ana winds that turned sparks from downed power lines and possible arsons into monster fires are calm, for now, blowing at just about 6 mph. “Yesterday it was howling up to 60,” says Tim Sears, our pilot on this tour of nature’s wrath. Still, the day is young – and we know such a precious gift is hardly likely to last. We turn north, toward the blaze so appropriately called the Witch Fire, and soar over interstates that should be clogged with rush-hour traffic. Instead, they are virtually empty, tens of thousands of evacuees having fled the night before to fairgrounds, hotels and San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium. Many others who weren’t forced to leave heeded a call to stay home so roads would remain clear for emergency personnel. Indeed, this bustling area renowned for its beaches and theme parks seems to have shut down. A lone fishing boat sits on Mission Bay. A few determined sunbathers recline on Pacific Beach. Golf courses across town are empty, but provide a few rare patches of green between mountain slopes reduced to blackened moonscapes. “Pretty thick in here,” says Sears, as he steers us into layers of gray smoke hovering over Rancho Bernardo and Poway, upscale communities of sprawling estates 22 miles northeast of San Diego and at the heart of the Witch Fire, which has burned more than 145,000 acres and demolished hundreds of homes. The destruction is immediately apparent. On one cul-de-sac, nine homes that once sat side-by-side lay in piles of white ash and crumbling red roof tiles. Chimneys and a few patio chairs remain, but little else. In the same neighborhood, a lone firefighter aims his hose at thin wisps of smoke from yet another flattened house. At a nearby nursery, others armed with hoses work to douse a burning eucalyptus tree while one crew of about a dozen lay sprawled by their fire truck, catching a nap. From the air, more action: Along the northern edge of a popular recreational area called Lake Hodges, a helicopter sweeps by and drops a sheet of water onto a blazing ridge that sits only a few feet from vulnerable homes. Sears’ radio crackles as other air support heads to and from active areas, some not even sure of their location because of the thick smoke to the north, and the burning sun to the east. “I have no clue where I am,” one says. The destruction, in numbers, is stunning: More than 370,000 acres, or 580 square miles, burned across Southern California since Sunday. From the sky, at first, it seems less so. We see no endless walls of flames, at least from our perspective, but rather spot fires here and there licking mountains and eating through palm trees. The sight comes as a relief to Sears, who’s flown over his share of fires in his 10 years as a pilot. He was in the air for several hours Monday, and saw towering flames eating through multimillion- dollar homes in nearby Rancho Santa Fe. Still, many other homes in the area stood Tuesday, the only noticeable damage swimming pools and hot tubs blackened by ash. Not everyone was so lucky. Not Poway. And certainly not the white stucco house with the red tile roof and palm trees swaying out front. It starts right before our eyes: just a flicker of flames peeking up through the roof tiles. The winds had picked back up, unpredictable as ever. The helicopter rocked to one side, dipped low and then roared back into position. Estimated wind speed now: up to 20 miles per hour, maybe 30. We circle the white stucco house and stare, the helicopter rocking and dipping. “Wow,” Sears says. The flames quickly grow to two or three feet, devouring stucco and tiles with an unstoppable hunger. For six minutes, we stare – noticing yet another house on the hill in flames, and yet another not far from that. But it takes only six minutes for the white stucco house to become engulfed – another damage statistic to some, another lost dream to someone else. “It’s a goner,” says Sears, whose own home in nearby Solana Beach, close to the coast, is safe for now. Perhaps 400 yards away, I see a figure clad in a green T-shirt walking outside a still-standing home, examining the scene around him. The homeowner? A neighbor? There’s no telling. But all around him, homes are in flames. He, like us, just stares. We saw some of the multi- million-dollar homes of Rancho Santa Fe diminished to ash and, in nearby Ramona, a mobile home still standing. We saw entire mountains turned black, where once dense brush stood almost 10 feet high. We also saw the horses, grazing calmly outside of Ramona. And the American flag blowing in the breeze in front of one preserved house. Armageddon was all around us, no doubt. But so were signs of life.160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set!
AD Quality Auto 360p 720p 1080p Top articles1/5READ MOREGame Center: Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, 10 a.m.Another official speaker for the week, Christina Hoff Sommers, has made her name attacking feminism for exaggerating the problem of domestic violence and eliminating opportunities for boys. These are the people who are going to save us from purdah? Another disagreeable feature of jihadism – anti-Semitism – is also represented on the list of speakers for Islamo-Fascist Awareness Week, again by the multi-faceted Coulter. Earlier this month on CNBC she referred to America as a “Christian nation.” Asked where this left the Jews (not to mention the Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Wiccans, and atheists), she said they could be “perfected” by converting to Christianity. You might imagine that this view of Jews as “imperfect” would bother Horowitz, who is famously alert to any hint of anti-Semitism on the left. But no, he defends Coulter, writing that “If you don’t accompany this belief by burning Jews who refuse to become perfected at the stake why would any Jew have a problem?” Sure, David, and if that’s the threshold for intolerance, Osama bin Laden could probably win an award for humanitarianism. As for the anti-feminism of Islamo-Fascist Awareness Week: This fits in neatly with the thesis of Susan Faludi’s brilliant new book, “The Terror Dream: Fear and Fantasy in Post-9/11 America.” She shows that, in the wake of an attack by the ultra-misogynist al-Qaida, Americans perversely engaged in an anti-feminist campaign of their own, calling for an immediate restoration of traditional gender roles. Coulter was part of that backlash, opining in 2002 that “feminists hate guns because guns remind them of men.” Let me set the record straight. American feminists do not condone, defend, or ignore jihadist misogyny. In fact, we were warning about it well before Washington turned against the Taliban and have been consistently appalled by the gender dictatorships of Saudi Arabia and Iran. To cite just one example, in 2004 I wrote a column in The New York Times stating that Islamic fundamentalism aims to push one-half of the Muslim world – the female half – “down to a status only slightly above that of domestic animals.” But if the facts don’t fit in with Islamo-Fascist Awareness, they have to go. Yes, feminists tend to hate war and sometimes even guns, and this may be why Horowitz and company hate us. They should know, though, that we especially hate a war that seems calculated to inflame Islamic fundamentalism worldwide. If many Muslim women around the world willingly don head scarves today, it’s in part because our war in Iraq has, tragically, pushed them to value religious solidarity above their feminist instincts. Or maybe I’m missing the point of Islamo-Fascist Awareness Week. Maybe it’s really an effort to show that our own American anti-feminists (and anti-Semites) are just as nasty as the ones on the other side. If so, good job, guys! No need to continue with the trick-or-treating, you’ve already made your point. Barbara Ehrenreich is the author of “Nickel and Dimed.”160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set! I’VE never been able to explain Halloween to the kids, with its odd thematic confluence of pumpkins, candy and death. But Halloween is a piece of pumpkin cake compared to Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week, which took place over the last six days. In this special week, organized by conservative pundit David Horowitz, we have a veritable witches’ brew of Cheney-style anti-jihadism mixed in with old-fashioned, right-wing anti-feminism and a sour dash of anti-Semitism. A major purpose of this week is to wake up academic women to the threat posed by militant jihadism. According to the Week’s Web site, feminists and particularly the women’s studies professors among them have developed a masochistic fondness for Islamic fundamentalists. Hence, as anti-Islamo-Fascist speakers fan out to the nation’s campuses this week, students are urged to stage “sit-ins in Women’s Studies Departments and campus Women’s Centers to protest their silence about the oppression of women in Islam.” Leaving aside the obvious quibbles about feminist pro-jihadism and the term “Islamo-Fascism,” which seems largely designed to give jihadism a nice familiar World War II ring, the klaxons didn’t go off for me until I skimmed down the list of Islamo-Fascist Awareness Week speakers and found, incredibly enough, Ann Coulter, whom I last caught on TV pining for the repeal of women’s suffrage. “If we took away women’s right to vote,” she said wistfully, “we’d never have to worry about another Democrat president. It’s kind of a pipe dream; it’s a personal fantasy of mine.” Coulter is not the only speaker on the list who may have a credibility problem when it comes to opposing oppression of women in Islam or anywhere else. Another participant in the week’s events is former Sen. Rick Santorum, whose book, “It Takes a Family” blamed “radical feminism” for pushing women into the work force and thus destroying the American family. 
“So, yeah, that’s tricky. It’s not boring, thankfully.” Stars turning out to support writers The writers strike is getting pretty depressing now that we are finding out that many of our favorite shows will have shortened seasons, and some, like “24,” won’t have a season at all. Big stars are showing support in growing numbers: America Ferrera,Vanessa Williams Felicity Huffman, William H. Macy, Ray Romano and his former “Everybody Loves Raymond” leading lady, Patricia Heaton, all marched in L.A. on Thursday. “I won’t cross the picket line,” Romano told The Hollywood Reporter. “I was in the writers room every day for nine years (on `Raymond’). … Without the writers, (co-star) Brad (Garrett) and I would have been sitting on the couch looking at our feet for 22 minutes.” The Rev. Jesse Jackson walked the picket line arm in arm with WGA West President Patric Verrone. In New York, the famous faces walking the picket lines included Robin Williams, David Duchovny, Tim Robbins, Julianne Moore, “SNL” star Seth Myers, and “Law and Order: SVU” stars Chris Meloni and Richard Belzer. Surprise: J.Lo makes pregnancy official Jennifer Lopez is pregnant! Officially! Sheesh! I thought she was gonna wait until the kid was in kindergarten before she confirmed she was with child. C’mon, we know the sexy star wouldn’t have made all those public appearances recently looking big as a parade float if she wasn’t preggers. J.Lo addressed the crowd at a Miami concert with her hubby, Marc Anthony, saying, “Marc and I are expecting.” Well, glad it’s official so we can say … CONGRATULATIONS! For an extended version of the Michael C. Hall interview and other celebrity news, go to Greg Hernandez’s Hollywood Joe blog at blogs.dailynews.com/hollywoodjoe160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set! It takes one heck of an actor to be able to portray a serial killer on television each week and still have the audience rooting for him not to get caught. But that’s what Michael C. Hall manages to do each week on the Showtime series “Dexter,” a Sunday night show that I found out last night will be returning for a third season next year. Michael took on the role after the end of his five-year run on HBO’s acclaimed “Six Feet Under,” in which he played David Fisher, a gay man dealing with his partner and running a funeral home with his brother. “`Six Feet Under’ ended and I thought, `Well, that’s it for TV.’ I’d been spoiled rotten and lightning doesn’t strike twice,” he said. “The last thing I thought I’d do was another television series. I feel like I left David behind by nature of the way `Six Feet Under’ ended where we all got to simulate our own deaths.” AD Quality Auto 360p 720p 1080p Top articles1/5READ MOREStriving toward a more perfect me: Doug McIntyre When we talked last night, he was a bit jet-lagged after flying in from a film set in Australia for an Academy of Television Arts and Sciences event, where most of the cast of “Dexter” gathered for a screening of an upcoming episode and a discussion. I didn’t mention to Michael what I was thinking: How ironic to be interviewing him at the Academy headquarters in North Hollywood, given that he was overlooked for a much-deserved Emmy nomination this year. Not only should he have been nominated, but he should have won. Sorry, James Spader! So I wondered if it’s been tougher to play Dexter this season now that the show has moved beyond establishing his character. He continues to juggle his dual roles as serial killer and forensics specialist for police in Miami as his personal issues continue to aggressively percolate inside. “It’s all been a challenge and one that I’ve welcomed as an actor,” Michael said. “I think some of the twists and turns that the character has taken this season have presented new challenges for me because as he experiences himself in more what could be called human ways, it’s my responsibility to honor the fact that he does remain, fundamentally, sociopathic, or compelled to kill. 