AJ may be partnering Owen instead of Heskey

Today's Papers / Top Dog / 06 September 2007 / Leave a comment Free £25 Bet

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

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:

The FA's publicity machine is throwing out red herrings to make sure Israel can't be sure of Saturday's Wembley team. The Daily Star, Express and Sun all suggest Andy Johnson might partner Michael Owen and not Emile Heskey. But nobody has a clue who the goalkeeper will be yet, and still you can lay an England clean sheet at 1.74

Cruft's:

Daily Mirror/Daily Mail - Take your boots - All the papers report Owen Hargreaves' injury and that Steven Gerrard will play, but the Mirror and Mail sum up the injury crisis best with headline advice to Wembley fans. Gareth Barry of Aston Villa has emerged as favourite to take the holding role and after his performance against Chelsea that might be good news. Despite Steve McClaren's problems Israel are now out to 14 to win at Wembley.

Pedigree Chum:

Daily Mirror - Sheva on warpath - Andriy Shevchenko has finished a charity match in Kiev then claimed he doesn't know why Jose Mourinho won't pick him. The Mirror's Martin Lipton is spot on to point out that will mean more pressure from Roman Abramovich for the Special One. Mourinho's now a shorter price at 16 than Wigan's Chris Hutchings (22) to be the next manager to lose his job.

Dog' s dinner:
Daily Mirror - Fergie: My Big Stam mistake - Somebody has smuggled out a tape of Sir Alex Ferguson talking candidly at a dinner in Glasgow, in which Fergie admits selling Stam was wrong. But the quotes don't back up the Mirror's idea that Fergie is admitting the decision to sell was personal. Reporter David McDonnell had better brace himself for the hairdryer!

The Sun - Wenger pens new deal - The Sun catches up with yesterday's Daily Star confirmation that Arsene Wenger would sign his new contract tomorrow - and tries to add a twist that he'll be on £75,000 a week with only skipper William Gallas earning more at £80,000. No by-line on the story suggests the figures might just be guesswork

Daily Express - Crouch is target for refs says Poll - The Express picks up Graham Poll's Radio Five interview when he claimed FIFA refs were told to penalise Peter Crouch for more fouls. Good story, but a day late. The Sun and Daily Star both ran it yesterday.

Today's other stories:

The Sun - John Terry talks about his mood swings when England lose - Micah Richards interview - Harry Redknapp on how to beat Israel

Daily Express - Micah Richards spotlight - Steven Taylor is Under 21 captain - Wayne Hennessey interview - Luke Young on kids at Middlesbrough

Daily Star - Micah Richards - Hargreaves laughs off Tal taunts - Yossi Benayoun on using the Wembley boo boys - Wayne Hennessey profile - Rivaldo on Anderson - Patrick Vieira on Gunners' youngsters

Daily Mirror - Shaun Wright-Phillips profile - Kirkland on Emile

Daily Mail - Jamie Redknapp on the club v country debate - Fans protest over sleepy Saturday - Fergie says Becks' career went pop when he married Posh - Micah Richards on Gary Neville

Tags: Andriy Shevchenko, Andy Johnson, Betfair's Top Dog, Steve McClaren