Today's Papers / Top Dog / 08 May 2008 / Leave a comment Free £25 Bet

Betfair's newshound 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:

Kevin Keegan has been a short price in the managerial change market before, so think twice before rushing to back him. But there are clear signs of another explosion happening on Tyneside and it's not guaranteed he'll even still be in charge when Newcastle go to Everton on Sunday. The Mail and the Sun both report that he has been summoned to London for showdown talks with owner Mike Ashley and director of football Dennis Wise tomorrow. Ashley is said to be fuming at Keegan's post match comments on Monday that the Toon couldn't be a top four club in the next three years. Significantly, the stories in both papers have been written by senior London based reporters, suggesting the leak is coming from Ashley's camp. Keegan's odds to be next boss to lose his job before the market closes on Sunday have trimmed to [15.5].

Crufts:

Daily Mail - Sven in talks with Benfica - Hard to feel sorry for Sven about what's happening at Manchester City for too long. There's another fat compensation cheque and another job coming fast. Ian Ladyman reports he met Benfica president Luis Filipe Vieira to discuss a move to Portugal yesterday. Eriksson is [3.9] to go out with a win at Middlesbrough on Sunday

The Sun - Roon's fit for crunch - Gossip from Old Trafford that Wayne Rooney came through a tough training session yesterday and will play at Wigan on Sunday. Top Dog is inclined to believe this. The Daily Mirror upset United last Saturday with a back page story that Rooney needed a hernia operation. What better way to get revenge for that than to leak the story of his fitness to the Mirror's biggest rival? A fit Rooney improves United's Champions League chances too. They are [2.66] to win in Moscow in 90 minutes

Pedigree Chum:

The Sun - Blues eye Mic again - Shaun Custis reports that Chelsea are looking at a fresh move for Micah Richards to solve their problem right back position. This could happen because of the chaos at Eastlands

Daily Express - Fergie in the hunt - Matt Law claims that Manchester United will move for Holland striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, dubbed the new Ruud Van Nistelrooy, if Spurs create an auction for Dimitar Berbatov that pushes the price beyond £25million. First shot in the summer transfer war

Daily Express/Daily Mirror - Chelsea fight for Ramos - Madrid based British journalist Graham Hunter reports that the Blues have made a move for Real's defender Sergio Ramos. Martin Lipton, who has been close to Chelsea transfer dealings, has the same story. Blues want to pay £20million, but the 22-year-old has a buy-out clause in his contract worth £124million.

Daily Star - Mart: I'll never flog Bazza - Top Dog isn't sure when Gareth Barry suddenly started being called Bazza, but the substance of the Star's back page story is correct. Martin O'Neill is determined to fight to keep his captain at the club and has rubbished Liverpool's £10million offer as grossly undervaluing his star player. Villa are [2.26] to get the win they need for European football at West Ham on Sunday, despite having Barry unsettled by the transfer talk

Daily Star - Brum's high price for letting Bruce go - Birmingham legend Trevor Francis fears his old club are doomed as the price of grabbing £3million compensation for letting Steve Bruce leave. Birmingham are [2.12] to beat Blackburn on Sunday, and Top Dog is tempted to lay it

Daily Star - Jamo fit for final - The Star suggested yesterday that David James could give Portsmouth a boost for the FA Cup final. Even better than that he can play against Fulham on Sunday after a scan yesterday showed he's fit. Portsmouth are an incredible [4.4] to keep a clean sheet against Fulham on Sunday.

Daily Mirror - Flamin' greed - Arsene Wenger has a dig at Mathieu Flamini for joining Milan claiming he only went for the money. His big fear is that other Arsenal stars will follow the same path - but then that's the downside of signing foreign players who are more aware of the European market.

Dog' s Dinner:

Daily Mail - A tale of two pitches - The Mail have a stunning back page picture of Wigan's pitch when Chelsea played there in January, and turn inside to a superb looking piece of JJB stadium grass now that Manchester United are arriving. It implies a conspiracy - but the truth is it's just much easier to grow grass when the sun's shining. United are [1.27] to get the win they need to be sure of the title

The Sun - Avram's attacked because he's a jew - Super agent Pini Zahavi claims Avram Grant has only failed to win respect from English fans because he's Jewish. The charge is ridiculous, and the Sun shouldn't have given Zahavi a two page platform to make it.

The Sun - Stay here - While Arsene Wenger fumes over losing top players, the Sun quotes Gael Clichy telling the other players the club can win major trophies if the team sticks together. The paper claims it as an exclusive, but the quotes look suspiciously like some from an Arsenal magazine interview from a couple of weeks ago

Daily Mirror - I'm staying - Simon Bird reckons Kevin Keegan will come out fighting today to ease fears over his future at St James' Park. Keegan will indeed do his pre-match press conference today, but that's so he can have talks with Newcastle's owners tomorrow about his future.

Today's Other Headlines:

The Sun - Tyne bomb - Avram's racist torment - Manu's 'no' to Barca - We'll stop United says Paul Scharner - Vicic comeback bid

Daily Express - FA launch match fixing probe on Euro games - Last day battle is blue murder says Fergie - Grant confident he will be given the thumbs up before Moscow - We'll fight to keep Barry says O'Neill - Leaving out my signings has cost you, Bruce tells Birmingham

Daily Star - Fergie £40m spree - Leon on to a loser - Red hot Ron can fire us to double says Wes Brown - Weng slams cash chase - Kenny: Stop Kop chaos eng in fight to keep Fab - Scud fires back at Kev

Daily Mirror - Sir Alex on the title race - Megson vow to take it to the Bridge - McLeish McLashed - Port facing storm from fired up Erik - Eto'o set to be hot Spur

Daily Mail - Berbatov move to trigger a deals spree - Barry 'undervalued' - United stick to racism claims - Keegan wrong to use 'boring' tag says Scudamore - Capello hit with perjury probe - Chris Coleman interview

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