Today's Papers / Top Dog / 18 October 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

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:

So who's next England manager? The writers who were just starting to give McClaren a chance have all turned on him savagely and the money men at the FA will have been whispering to encourage that. Not going to Euro 2008 will cost millions in TV money and kit sales. The Sun goes the whole hog and calls for Mac's sacking on the front page with the headline: Kick Him into Touch. Amazingly England are still as short as 2.96 to qualify for Euro 2008 which sadly looks a sure fire lay at 3.15. Martin Lipton in the Mirror says the FA will go back to a foreign coach with Jose Mourinho among the favourites. All of a sudden the three successive quarter-finals under Sven looks like a golden age. Black Wednesday for the Scots too - their fate is in their own hands but they are 3.45 to qualify now.

Cruft's:

The Sun - Great time to bury bad news, Bolton - North West man Martin Blackburn hears Howard Wilkinson's views on the cynical timing of the decision to sack Sammy Lee. Some 11 pages of football in the Sun mean the bad news can't be buried so easily, though. He's also the only man to reveal that Birmingham turned down permission for Bolton to talk to Steve Bruce. Bolton now 3 for relegation, 3.15 to lay.

Pedigree Chum:

The Sun - I'll prove my worth - Good news for Manchester United as Owen Hargreaves confirms he's fit and available to play at Aston Villa on Saturday. United are 1.84 to notch another three points.

Daily Express - Sale talk still nags at Spurs - Harry Harris quotes an unnamed "City insider" suggesting that vice chairman Paul Kemsley's departure means Tottenham's owners have agreed a deal to sell the club to a Far East consortium. Record profits make Martin Jol's place no safer.

Dog' s dinner:

Daily Mirror - Lightning Bolt - Alan Nixon is good on North West gossip but Top Dog finds it hard to believe any of the three men he says are on Phil Gartside's short list - Gary Megson, Graeme Souness and John Collins - are serious contenders to replace Sammy Lee.

Today's other stories:

The Sun - It's Iron Curtain - Gerro: I'm to blame - A kick in the Gulags - Mac's flops lack guts - Harry Redknapp column - Alex tells Scots to keep faith - Chris Kamara column

Daily Express - Does this miss sack Mac? - Roman ruins it for England - Resignation only result for McClaren - So solid Sol can't inspire young crew - Welsh make hard work of minnows - Georgia spill Scots claret -Jewell tops list as Lee is sacked

Daily Star - Mac on brink - Fury at Russian penalty howler - Another fine mess - Troubled Tosh in a wobbler - Scots on the edge - Paul Yours at Bolton

Daily Mirror - Plastic bullet - Nyet Mare - Simple truth is Macca wasn't up to job - Pull off Italian job or dream will die - Heskey on mend

Daily Mail - Belly flops - Game's up for you now, Mac - Jamie Redknapp column - McLeish we're still in hunt - Bolton want Coleman

Tags: Betfair's Top Dog, Euro 2008 qualification, football betting, Sammy lee, Steve McClaren