Today's Papers / Top Dog / 28 December 2007 / Leave a comment " class="free-bet-btn" rel="external" onclick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/G4/inline-freebet');" target="_blank">Free Bet

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:

Oh dear. After all those interviews Joey Barton gave about players who don't do their jobs properly, and giving commitment to your club, he's dropped Sam Allardyce right in the brown stuff. Big Sam's first big signing was arrested at 5.30am yesterday morning on suspicion of assault after an incident in Liverpool City Centre. Even if he'd not been in any trouble at all, what was he doing out at that time? Meanwhile all the papers report Newcastle fans who sat near chairman Mike Ashley in the away end at Wigan were demanding he sack Big Sam. The Toon are [9.6] to win at Stamford Bridge tomorrow. Can Sam get a reaction against injury-hit Chelsea in time to save his job? Top Dog thinks probably not!

Cruft's:

Daily Mirror and others - Lamps out as Chelsea hit a crisis - Frank Lampard has torn a thigh muscle and will be out for a month after the Boxing Day game with Aston Villa. That's the complete spine of Chelsea's team gone with John Terry and Didier Drogba also injured and Petr Cech suddenly making schoolboy mistakes! Chelsea out to [13] for the title now with Manchester United clear favourites at [1.6].

Pedigree Chum:

Daily Mirror - £25m if you want to net Arteta - John Cross reports that Valencia have tried and failed in a bid to buy Everton's Mikel Arteta. Quotes from Valencia's sporting director Miguel Angel Ruiz back the story up and suggests that David Moyes is determined to maintain his team's challenge on four fronts. Tough to beat Everton are [5.7] to lift the Carling Cup and win some silverware.

The Sun - Fab no-go - For once the Sun have handled one of Antony Kastrinakis' European stories properly. He's picked up that Real Madrid chairman Ramon Calderon has claimed on TV that Cesc Fabregas wants to move to the Bernabeu. Fabregas' agent says his man is absolutely committed to Arsenal and there's no chance he wants to move.

The Sun - King for a Year - Ledley King tells Ben Kinsella that his aim for 2008 is to stay injury-free all year. Top Dog heard many rumours that the Spurs and England defender would never play again so is delighted to see him back and hopes he gets his wish. King at the heart of Tottenham's defence could help them make a late charge for Europe - they are now down to [5.0] a top six finish having been as long as [12.0] at one point.

Daily Express - City head £20m Modric race - Dinamo Zagreb's Luka Modric is the player in biggest demand this transfer window and here's more evidence that Manchester City are the club with the big buying power. They are the only ones who'll match Zagreb president Zdravko Mamic's asking price according to Matt Law. If that gets their man ahead of Chelsea you'll have to start taking City's chances of a top four finish seriously. Last night's draw left them in fifth place at odds of [7.6] to be one better at the end of the season.

Dog's dinner:

Daily Star - Bent exit plea - Danny Fullbrook claims Marcus Bent is desperate to be sold by Spurs and to go to West Ham, a move he turned down in the summer. No quotes to back it up and Bent has talked only a few days ago about staying to fight for his place.

Today's other stories:

The Sun - I don't trust you lot says Sam - Lamps out - The finger points at Sam - I'm no diver says Ballack - Santa claws Eriksson - Bruce backs his fighters - Focus on two-footed tackles - Karren Brady's diary

Daily Express - Shear hell for Sam - Joey is held over 'assault' - Alan Curbishley on January window shopping - Fans tell Ashley that Sam must go - Grant blow as Lampard tears thigh - Gerrard and Torres need help says Babel - Just let me off the McLeish pleads Forssell - Santa still on his rounds for Blackburn

Daily Star - Sack Big Sam now - Lamps in KO shock - Carrick on title charge - Good to be back says King - Ballack's warning to Chelsea - We'll keep our heads says Cahill

Daily Mirror - Roque horror for Sven - Sam: Back me or they'll sack me - Shear hell for Sam - You're cracking up United tell Arsenal - Refs want crackdown on horror tackles

Daily Mail - Barton shamed - Ronaldo the rocket man - Santa unwraps two gifts for Blackburn - Lampard blow piles on Chelsea woe - Graham Poll on danger tackles - O'Neill's brave new world - Huddlestone in shape for a bright future - Joey adds to Allardyce problems - Lehmann on verge of return to Dortmund

Tags: Chelsea, Newcastle, Premier League Betting