Today's Papers / Top Dog / 15 October 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:

Jonny Wilkinson has kicked football off the back pages - only the Daily Mirror leads with an England football story. Wilko and his mates went out to 275 on Betfair to win the World Cup after their opening game shambles against South Africa - they are now 3.4.

Cruft's:
Daily Mail - Barnet make a quiet point - Interesting piece from Ivan Speck about Barnet's decision to outlaw all protests to referees and how they have been unbeaten since introducing the policy. They got a draw against Mansfield and manager Paul Fairclough claims they'd have lost if they'd started focusing on bad decisions instead of their own performance. The draw lifted them into the play-off places and they are 6.6 for promotion

Daily Mail - Grant on course - Avram Grant has used international week to pop home to Israel and sign on for a UEFA Pro Licence course. That will mean he'll meet the Premier League rules to stay boss of Chelsea. He's drifted to 9.8 to be next manager to lose his job.

Pedigree Chum:

Daily Mirror - Terry: Let me at'em - The Mirror is the only tabloid that doesn't lead on the Rugby, instead John Cross reports that John Terry will be fit for Moscow and wants to play. Good news for England who are 2.48 to win on Wednesday night.

Daily Star - Mac fears dirty tricks - Steve McClaren says Russia's plastic pitch shouldn't be a problem - but still wants UEFA to check they don't try the same stunt they pulled on Celtic when the surface was bone dry on training night then flooded on match day!

Daily Star - Becks on way beck - Jonny Wilkinson might be the new Golden Balls - but the original is still chasing his 100th cap and the Star reports he'll make his comeback for LA Galaxy on Thursday.

Daily Mirror - Tosh: I'll stay - On Saturday John Toshack asked the question many Welsh fans have wondered: is he the right man for the job? But after talks with the Welsh FA he's vowed to stay on. Surely even they can't fail to get back on the right track against San Marino. They are 1.09 to win against Europe's weakest side.

Daily Express and others - Robbo pitch perfect - Paul Robinson might have nine clean sheets in ten qualifying games but he still didn't look too safe at Wembley. Now he says he won't use the plastic pitch as an excuse. If he's that confident an England clean sheet at 2.88 is good value.

Dog' s dinner:

The Sun - Lamps in, Ashley out - The Sun claim the team news as an exclusive but it's pretty much what everybody expected after watching the last 20 minutes at Wembley. Lampard will come into midfield alongside Steven Gerrard with Gareth Barry holding. The big question is who will be left out?

Today's other stories:

The Sun - Tel slams boo-boys - Russia want revenge - 12 page Super Goals - Estonians blast 'dirty' Rooney - Only Brazil scare us now say Scots - soon time to deliver - Bolton bust-up - Blues seal Cate deal - Warnock's wit and wisdom - Stu backs Owen in Sam row

Daily Express - McClaren must now complete the job - Cole out and Terry back - Scotland heroes - Tosh stunned by woeful Wales

Daily Star - Let's make history - NINE pages of rugby - 16 page football pull-out - Finish the job in Moscow - Robinson says no excuses - Joe Cole interview - Scotland and Wales reports - Four pages of Leagues One and Two

Daily Mirror - Now we must deliver says Gerrard - Lots more Rugby - We'll turf Russia out - Lamps will tough it out - 12 page football pull out - Stan Collymore column

Daily Mail - Nine pages of Rugby - Now Lampard must step in - Jamie Redknapp column - Alexey Smertin on Russia's chances - Toshack will stay - Faddy power has Scots rocking

For more information about the England team go to:

www.thefa.com

Tags: England clean sheet, Euro 2008, football betting, John Terry