Betfair Official Blog

Top Dog: 'Ronaldo must do it on the biggest stage to be considered a great'

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:

The Sun's Manchester man Neil Custis is risking another row with Sir Alex, but he's raised a good point. Cristiano Ronaldo, now an unbackable [1.05] to be PFA player of the year, might have rolled over yet another Premier League club with that brilliant goal against Villa on Saturday night, but it's in Rome tomorrow and then in Germany or Spain in the Champions League semi-finals that he'll prove if he's really ready to be acclaimed as one of the greats of the game. United are [2.72] favourites to win in Rome, and [1.44] to reach the semi-finals.

Crufts:

Daily Mail/Daily Star - What a hOWLer - Curious that only the Mail and the Star seem to have picked up on the significance of Sheffield Wednesday naming six loan players in their 16 man squad that drew with Stoke. League rules allow only five. That means Stoke will try to claim the three points, the other relegation zone clubs will want Wednesday deducted the one they did get, and another Carlos Tevez style summer when the promotion and relegation issues could get decided by lawyers! Stoke have drifted to [4.9] to win the Championship. Two extra points would make a difference

Pedigree Chum:

Daily Star - Ince: I'm staying - MK Dons landed the Johnstone's Paint trophy and Paul Ince insists he wants to stay and help the club keep growing. Dons now [1.74] to win League Two.

Daily Star - Gilberto is a true Brit - Former Arsenal skipper Gilberto might not be quitting England this summer after all. He tells David Woods that he's passed his UK citizenship test so he can qualify for a British passport in a year's time.

Daily Mirror - What a Fix - The Mirror goes big on Avram Grant's complaints about being forced to play away at Everton on a Thursday night. Grant says it's handing Manchester United an unfair advantage in the title race. He doesn't mention the advantage he's giving them himself by refusing to play Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka together!

Daily Mirror - I want to play in the Champions League final, not the Community Shield - Paul Scholes famously missed out on United's 1999 European Cup final triumph, but is taking no notice of Sir Alex Ferguson's promise that he'll guarantee him an appearance in Moscow if they get there this season. Scholes wants to win the shirt on merit. The Mirror also reveal that Francesco Totti is a big injury doubt

The Sun - Little miracle - Arsenal's Robin Van Persie talks at length about Saturday's win at Bolton being a potential turning point. Gunners are still [15.5] for the title, but [2.48] a top two finish

Daily Mail - Zarate's our Tevez - Mauro Zarate's two goals have lifted Birmingham four points clear of the relegation zone (make that five given their better goal difference). Alex McLeish reckons the Argentine will help make sure they stay up. Blues now as long as [5.7] for relegation while Bolton are [1.47] and Fulham [1.18]

Dog' s Dinner:

Daily Star - Eu can do the double, Fergie - The headline has Martin O'Neill tipping Manchester United to win the Premier League and in Europe too. The quotes don't actually say that. He reckons any of the four English clubs could yet win the Champions League, including United.

The Sun - Named 'n shamed - The Sun get a lip reader in to tell us what we already knew: Premier League players swear a lot.

Today's other headlines:

The Sun - You Av it in for us - Gerro silences vile taunts - What would Jose do? - 28 page Super Goals pull-out - Flippin Eck Kev

Daily Express - Owen earns his Spurs - Grant slams 'unfair' fixtures - Torres is new Mersey king - Touch wood, Grant still in title race - Coppell calls for action in ref rant - Zarate blows bring City to their knees

Daily Star - Jeer we go - Av's had a telly full - Kev's men are flipping great - Moyes is done four - Roo sets sights on Roma - Fab must make Roo his smiling assassin - 20 page Seriously Football pull-out - We're staying up say Toon - Zarate kid show's he's top dollar

Daily Mirror - Torr de 4th - Are you watching Fabio? - Fourmality - Grant gets a Boro load of luck - 20 page Football Mania pull-out - Ramos ready to axe flops - Falling Fulham are not fooling anyone - Stan Collymore column

Daily Mail - Heads we win - G&T the toast of Anfield - Chelsea living dangerously - King Keegan back in the old routine - Double vision for United - End of an error for Derby - James bounces back to save Pompey's day