Today's Papers / Top Dog / 06 November 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:

You'd think Stephen Ireland would try to keep himself out of trouble after the Grandmothergate saga. But after scoring a cracker of a goal for Manchester City to beat Sunderland he then dropped his shorts and revealed a pair of superman pants to celebrate. Setanta's TV coverage missed it, but one sharp snapper got the photo and wired it all round Fleet Street. The pants looked like they could have been a present from granny! Third placed City are still (8.2) to finish the season in the Champions League places.

Cruft's:

Daily Mirror - Wigan go for Scotland boss - Top Dog scoffed when the Mirror's North West man said Gary Megson was Bolton's number one target. So you can't ignore Alan Nixon's exclusive that Scotland manager Alex McLeish is first choice for Wigan. Betfair punters make Graeme Souness (1.97) favourite this morning but Stuart Pearce (7.2) is Nixon's tip for next in line - and the Daily Mail tip a return for Paul Jewell (6.6).

Daily Express - Dimitar: the real story - Harry Harris has got hold of a few pages from Martin Jol's new book that tell the full story of Dimitar Berbatov's refusal to warm up in the game at Newcastle that got him the sack. Meanwhile Matt Law reveals pressure is growing on sporting director Damien Comolli if his choise of Juande Ramos doesn't work out.

Pedigree Chum:

The Sun - Maccy Mouse - The Sun reveal that Steve McClaren didn't even attend the LA Galaxy friendly that he flew 6,000 miles to see. Beckham scored twice in a 12-4 win against a team that included Def Leppard guitarist Viv Campbell and a 48-year-old goalkeeper with a plastic hip. Why was Mac there? Galaxy want a new manager. He's (1.68) not to be England boss by January 1.

Daily Mail - Coach crash - Football Correspondent Matt Lawton gives a good assessment of the four bosses sacked so far and looks at who might be next. Steve Bruce, Billy Davies, Gareth Southgate and Sam Allardyce are his four in danger.

Daily Mirror - Neill to try his luc for a pay rise - Top Dog hopes this story really belongs in Dog's dinner, but fears it's probably right. Neil McLeman says Lucas Neill, who joined the Hammers last season as the top earner on £60,000 a week, wants a new contract because Scott Parker and Freddie Ljungberg have both arrived earning £75,000.

Dog' s dinner:

Daily Star - Torres turn-up - Rafa Benitez says Fernando Torres is in contention tonight just seven days after he was ruled out for three weeks with a groin problem. The striker's return would be a boost for Reds - but this sounds more like a bit of propaganda to try to get Besiktas in a spin about exactly how Rafa will rotate his team this time. Should out of form Liverpool really be as short as (1.28) to win?

The Sun - Derby eye Hudd boy - Mark Irwin says Derby boss Billy Davies wants to take Tom Huddlestone back to Pride Park for £4million in January. Top Dog is sure he does. But why would Spurs sell? And why would Huddlestone go? And why would he take the drop in wages? It's not going to happen.

Daily Star - A Tresor hunt for Wenger - Steve Goodman is a freelance who reads and translates websites from round the world. If he says Arsenal want to sign Congo striker Tresor Mputu it probably just means somebody else is trying to sell him.

Daily Mirror - I'll never quit - Oliver Holt quotes a friend of Steve McClaren insisting he will fight to cling on to his job even if England fail to qualify for Euro 2008. He might well want to stay, but the knives are out for him already and will get sharper if Russia win both their last two games.

Today's other stories:

The Sun - Carra fired up for D day - Psycho is Wigan target - Heat's on if Rafa Kops it - Fergie's 21 years - O'Neil begs fans to back Southgate

Daily Express - Ireland over the moon - Chris chop for Souey - We'll see out crisis vows Carragher - Lampard could have saved day - Alan Curbishley column - O'Neil defends Schwarzer - Gunners all foreign taunts Fergie

Daily Star - Ireland bum rap - Torres turn-up - Home rule will hurt our rivals says Fergie - Mac messed up on Frank - Toon get a video nasty - Royle rescue act for Wigan

Daily Mirror - Blue Moon - Go for the jugular says Gerrard - Grant on Lampard - Big Sam says back to basics - Foxes go for Dowie

Daily Mail - Blame us, not Rafa - Wigan plotting a Jewell heist - Sven all smiles at Ireland's Blue Moon - Rafa needs a Stevie storm - Frankly it's time to lay that ghost - Barnsley go fourth

Tags: Betfair's Top Dog, next Wigan manager, Premiership betting, Stephen Ireland