Today's Papers / Top Dog / 15 November 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:

Steven Gerrard's view that the foreign invasion is damaging England's football gets massive coverage in the this morning's papers. Top Dog thinks it's an easy excuse. The Daily Mail recalls we failed to get to major tournaments under Sir Alf Ramsey in 1974, Ron Greenwood in 1978, Bobby Robson in 1984 and Graham Taylor in 1994. How many foreigners were around in the top flight then?

Cruft's:

The Sun - We Won't fight to save Mac - The Sun picks up on a key quote from the middle of Michael Owen's long press conference in which he says there has NOT been a player delegation to the FA to try to keep Steve McClaren in his job. It's [1.84] he won't still be England boss on January 1.

Daily Mirror - The Devil wears Tartan - Alex McLeish with a rallying cry that would have made Rob Roy proud. The Italians are looking worried, he says. Betfair punters taking a less dewey eyed approach - they make Italy [1.2] second favourites to qualify from Group B.

Daily Mail - Mickey Mouse club - Charles Sale reveals that Derby's new chairman Adam Pearson has been negotiating with the Walt Disney family for them to buy the Premier League's bottom club. Would that wealth save Billy Davies' team from relegation? They are [1.08] favourites to go down.

Pedigree Chum:

Daily Mail - Jewell added to the Republic shortlist - Colin Young reveals that Paul Jewell's motives for turning down a return to Wigan might just have included the chance to become an international boss. FAI officials want to meet him. Jewell is a healthy [8.8] to get the job.

Daily Star - Wigan's Brucie bonus - The Star's Dave Armitage claims Wigan have already put £1million on the table for Birmingham just to talk to Steve Bruce - and will negotiate more if they convince him to join them. Bruce is [1.51] favourite to get the job at the JJB but Top Dog thinks there might be a way to go yet. Birmingham's board don't want him to leave.

Daily Star - We'll Dudu our best - clutching at straws department, but Israel's goalkeeper David 'Dudu' Aouate tells Danny Fullbrook he's determined to shut out Russia on Saturday night. Fingers crossed he's right - it's [6.4] an Israel clean sheet.

The Sun - I'll save Rom £2m - Clutching at straws chapter two, as Tal Ben-Haim reckons he can save his Chelsea boss Roman Abramovic the bonus payments he's due to give Russia's players for qualifying for Euro 2008.

Daily Star - Juve got no hope warns Harry - Portsmouth's leading scorer Benjani is going to get a new contract to keep him out of the clutches of Juventus. You can still get a tasty [18.5] for the Zimbabwe international to stay top of the Premier League scoring charts.

The Sun - You softies - Russia striker Alexander Kerzhakov says England's rich stars were too mollycoddled when it came to the Group E crunch, while Russia's players had the right spirit.

Daily Mirror - Becks, Lamps in and Barry out - John Cross gets a leak on the likely line-up for Friday night's game in Israel and it looks like a return to the old midfield of Beckham, Gerrard, Lampard and Joe Cole. England [1.75] a warm-up win.

Daily Express - Macca's £1bn disaster - Matt Law has been getting the economists to add up the cost to England's wealth if we don't qualify and it comes to a billion pounds. There's a million England shirts Umbro won't sell through Mike Ashley's Sports Direct company, for a start.

Dog' s dinner:

Daily Star - Cech Barca bombshell - The Star make the most of some Petr Cech quotes that look as if they've been dragged out of context from a foreign magazine article in which he says he might be tempted to join Barcelona if they ever wanted him. No need for Chelsea fans to panic about this one.

Daily Express - Spurs eye £16million Carrick - Tony Banks is not likely to be wrong when he claims new Spurs boss Juande Ramos thinks there isn't enough creativity in Tottenham's midfield. Whether he really thinks he can persuade Michael Carrick to return to White Hart Lane is another matter.

Today's other stories:

The Sun - Stevie Plea on foreign stars - Moses (that's Remi) on Israel's bid for a miracle - Latics wait on OK for Bruce talks - Failure will kill me says Gerrard - We'll beat Italy say Scots - Chris Kamara column

Daily Express - Foreign legions threaten England says Gerrard - Owen puts on a brave face - Miller aims at double top - Toshack was right to have a go - Top players go for media careers rather than management

Daily Star - Gerro's home groan - Owen on England failures - Russian ace will show no mercy - We can be legends says McLeish - It's Fab being a Gunner

Daily Mirror - Owen: Mac's for chop if we fail - £1m battle for Bruce - Becks is back and hungry for success - I hope we miss out says Paul Parker - Berba's red hot says Carrick

Daily Mail - Stop the foreign invasion says Gerrard - We believe in McClaren - Building for the future is Pearce's goal - Our spirit beat your wealth say Russians - Bruce the battler can hold his head high

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