Mourinho's Chelsea sabotage comes to light

Betfacts / Editor / 24 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:

Five Premiership fixtures on a Sunday means even with big pull-outs there's not too much space for other stories - or spare reporters to go hunting for them. But the Mail still has a great twist on the Chelsea saga while The Sun chased down Michael Owen's injury problems. Everybody used Martin Jol's quotes that even Special One Jose Mourinho couldn't handle the Spurs job. Will he keep it, though? He and Sammy Lee are joint even money favourites in the new next boss to go market.

Cruft's:

Daily Mail - Mourinho leaves Blues in dark - Neil Ashton claims that Jose Mourinho sabotaged Avram Grant's first game in charge by walking out of Chelsea's training ground with the spying reports on Manchester United. A sign of backroom unrest left by The Special One's departure - if you think it will get worse you can lay sixth placed Chelsea finishing in the top four at 1.29.

Pedigree Chum:

Daily Mail - We're Happier without Henry - Cesc Fabregas claims Arsenal's surge to the top of the table has been helped not hindered by the absence of Thierry Henry. "He intimidated us" says Fab. Top of the table Arsenal are 3.9 to still be there at the end of the season.

The Sun - Hernia op KO for England - North East man Steve Brenner is on the ball with the medical reports after Michael Owen limped out of the win against West Ham. The others say Owen might need a hernia op, Brenner says he definitely will do, and will miss the key Euro 2008 qualifiers. Leaves Steve McClaren short of goalscorers again - and 1.37 England to qualify a very short price.

Daily Express - Sven still in frame - Tony Banks claims Chelsea are still watching Sven Goran Eriksson as a potential next boss if Avram Grant doesn't cut the mustard. He's on a list with Guus Hiddink. Banks claims some Chelsea players have been told a big name boss is lined up. Grant's just 3.5 to be the next Premier boss to leave his job - Sven's on offer at 15.

The Sun - Ron: Buy me Rom - Eric Beauchamp claims Ronaldinho wants to check out the chances of joining Chelsea in January after a row with Frank Rijkaard. Beauchamp, the only staff man still based in Spain after David Beckham's departure, quotes Ronaldinho's brother Roberto de Assis. Barca are favourites for the Champions League - trouble with their biggest star could make them a good lay at 6.

Dog' s dinner:

Today's other stories:

The Sun - I am the Guv'nor says Fergie - 28 page Super Goals pullout - Defoe axed again

Daily Express - Clueless Grant - Owen setback - Weekend match reports

Daily Star - Avram moans like Jose - Owen in new crock shock - Coppell hopes to get Sidwell back - 20 page weekend football pull-out

Daily Mirror - Fans turn on Grant - Jose couldn't boss Spurs any better - Ashton not ready for England says Curbishley - Stan Collymore column - 20 page football pull-out

Daily Mail - Roman ruins - Weekend Premiership match reports

Tags: Betfair's Top Dog, Jose Mourinho, Michael Owen injury, sack race