McClaren's greatest critics are suddenly his greatest fans

Betfacts / Editor / 13 September 2007 / Leave a comment Free £25 Bet

Betfair's Top Dog sniffs around the truth behind the latest tabloid tales.

Top Dog

Betfair's top dog sniffs around the truth behind the latest tabloid tales.

• Cruft's champion - Top stories that can dominate the news agenda
• Pedigree chum - Insights that tell you something you don't know
• Dog's dinner - Speculation, guesswork, or ideas that just don't come off.

Top Dog says:

No room for much apart from England and a lot of selective memories this morning - some of Steve McClaren's sternest critics have suddenly decided he was the right man for the job all along. Brian Woolnough in the Daily Star is particularly gushing just a few weeks after wanting McClaren to either quit or be sacked. England are now 1.36 to qualify and as short as 3 to win the group - and down to 9.6 to win the whole tournament next summer.

Cruft's:

Daily Mail - Chimbonda arrested in fraud probe - Charles Sale names the player arrested by City of London police as Tottenham's Pascal Chimbonda, and says the questions put to the French international revolved around his transfer to Wigan from Bastia in July 2005. Sale is a dog with a bone on the corruption probe story and is ahead of the game again.

Pedigree Chum:

Daily Express - Malouda's feeling blue at the Bridge - Interesting little piece from Florent Malouda, clearly translated from an interview given in France, on how he's finding it hard to adapt to the dressing room culture at Chelsea. Worth keeping an eye on whether that affects the form of the £13.5million midfielder.

Daily Mirror - Three more losses and title's over - The Mirror finds a page for club news and Gary Neville's warning that Manchester United can't let the gap to the top grow any bigger. The Champions have already drifted to 4 to retain their title behind Chelsea (2.96) and Liverpool (3.4). Rooney coming back this week could make that a good bet.

The Sun - Get Theo playing says Stu - Theo Walcott is in danger of drifting out of the Under 21 reckoning as well as the senior squad after a couple of indifferent games, and Stuart Pearce says it's because he isn't getting enough first team football with Arsenal. Worrying that a top talent might not be fulfilled.

Dog' s dinner:

Daily Mirror - Costa-curtains for Gregory - Highly speculative piece warns QPR boss John Gregory that new owner Flavio Briatore fancies bringing Alessandro Costacurta to Loftus Road as his boss. Don't expect instant change, but it is a little sign of the ambition as well as wealth of Rangers' new backers. And it makes odds of 26 for promotion or 150 to win the Championship an interesting punt.

Today's other stories:

The Sun - Super Tsar Owen - More England analysis - Eight page pull out with yet more international reports

Daily Express - Our Hero - More international reports - Ian Porterfield tribute

Daily Star - Ow Ow Heaven - More England detail - Tosh hails Bell magic - Wenger's a sore loser says Tottenham's Damien Comolli

Daily Mirror - Let's get ready to rouble - More international reports - Chelsea chase Portugal wonder kid Kaby

Daily Mail - Roaring 40 for Owen - Barry the man for the middle - Wales, Scotland, Irish reports

Tags: Betfair's Top Dog, Euro 2008, Michael Owen, Steve McClaren