Today's Papers / Top Dog / 18 January 2008 / 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...

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:

It's fantasy football time for Kevin Keegan this morning with a whole host of players linked as his first signing. What's clear is he will have big money to spend. What's unclear is who will tell him the best targets when by his own admission he's not watched a game live in more than two years. Can he work his magic that quickly on a squad that's still unbalanced and in the great Newcastle tradition can't defend? Newcastle are [2.5] to keep a clean sheet against Bolton. With no Anelka or Diouf, who's going to score a goal for them?

Cruft's:

Daily Express and others - Don't make the mistake I did says Anelka - Chelsea's new signing Nicolas Anelka talks with surprising honesty about his past moves and why Didier Drogba needs to think twice before leaving such a big club. Anelka's a changed man from the 20-year-old who caused such a fuss trying to get away from Arsenal. He's [2.12] to finish among the top four Premier League goalscorers and [10.5] to top the list.

Daily Mail guide to African Cup - Reporter Ivan Speck sets the scene for the African Cup of Nations which kicks off on Sunday, and the BBC's Mark Bright gives a group by group guide to the form. All the games are being covered live on Eurosport with highlights on BBC3. Bright tips Ivory Coast [4.7] to win it. Hosts Ghana are the [4.5] favourites with home advantage, but only Michael Essien and Sulley Muntari of any real quality in their squad. And their goalkeeper Richard Kingson looked a bundle of nerves when he made his Premier League debut a few weeks ago. He was dropped after one match. Senegal [17.5] are the pick of the outsiders.

Pedigree Chum:

Daily Mirror - Jermain heading for Villa - Top Dog has been tipping Jermain Defoe to end up at Villa Park for the last few weeks, and now the Mirror's James Nursey claims Defoe has been to Villa's training ground for talks with Martin O'Neill. Ambitious Villa play Liverpool on Monday, are on level points, and are [6.6] a top four finish. Could be a good outside bet

Daily Mirror - Hey, Stevie G . . . have YOU won the cup at Wembley - The Mirror's Mike Walters finds that Havant's skipper Jamie Collins has got one over Steven Gerrard. He lifted a cup for his Sunday League team at the old stadium just before it was knocked down. Nice read for the rest of us Sunday morning football dreamers

Daily Express - Danger trip for Rooney - Richard Tanner flags up a concern for Manchester United. They are going ahead with a tour to Saudi Arabia next week despite Foreign Office warnings on terrorism.

Daily Mail - Irish eyes are smiling on Houllier - If the Newcastle manager market was confusing, the Irish one is just . . . well, Irish! Gerard Houllier has emerged as a contender according to Colin Young who's done his best to keep up with it all. The Frenchman has come in to [1.84] favourite

Daily Star - Robbo goes in for Ugo - Sheffield United are recruiting ambitiously. Having brought Gary Speed to the club, Bryan Robson is now chasing more experience with big defender Ugo Ehiogu from Rangers. They are still not a bad outside bet for promotion at [8.2]

Dog' s dinner:

The Sun - Come and get us - Shaun Custis reckons Jermain Defoe and Shaun Wright-Phillips are queueing up to join the Toon revolution. Defoe, maybe. Wright-Phillips? If he's not left Chelsea yet why would he want to leave Champions League football behind? Especially at a time when he's playing and scoring.

Today's other stories:

The Sun - Kamikaze Keegan - Hicks fights £150m new Kop bid - Keegan's dream - Shearer warns it will be a rollercoaster - Don't make a Drog's dinner of your career like me says Anelka - Havant's £75 Kop win bonus - Roy's £5m King - Taylor's vow to Megson

Daily Express - Spend, spend, spend - Hicks won't walk away - What's next for Keegan - McFadden deal a coup for McLeish - Havant keeper Scriven will paint the town red

Daily Star - Kev's Toon spree - Anelka plea to Drogba - Kev's dream factory - I won't be here for long says Lassana Diarra - Havant hero back to work on building site - Brum close in on £5.7m McFadden - Roy nets his £5m Marlon

Daily Mirror - Wad on the Tyne - Hicks bid to keep control - Kevin Keegan interview - Anelka tells Drogba to stay - King's £5m move to Fulham

Daily Mail - You can break the bank, Kev - New look Toon, same old magic - Havant hero has stars in his eyes - Don't make the same mistakes as me, Didier - McLeish digs in to sign McFadden - Steve Staunton interview - Chris Coleman's last column from Spain - Hicks has no plans to sell - English refs are Europe's most lenient

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