Today's Papers / Top Dog / 05 February 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:

You wonder whether the FA could have saved a few million and put former referee and Harrow housemaster David Elleray in charge of England instead of Fabio Capello. Rio Ferdinand says it was like the first day at school as Don Fabio unveiled his new rule book and called all the players only by the surnames. No friends, agents, WAGS or other visitors at the team hotel, no mobile phones, strict joint meal times, and suits and ties to be worn to games. All sounds good, but how long before the naughty kids at the back of the class start to undermine it all? Steven Gerrard and Rio Ferdinand were the players put up to talk about the new regime with Rio (or Ferdinand as Capello calls him) hoping to get the armband and telling the assembled media it wasn't him who organised the infamous Manchester United players' party. Gerrard remains [1.23] favourite to be captain, but Ferdinand's in to [2.5].

Cruft's:

Daily Mail - Revealed: How United tried to cash in on Munich tribute - Charlie Sale reports a grubby little row between United and the BBC over a £5,000 demand for the rights for TV footage of their Munich memorial service. Many United fans are already uncomfortable at the way the club's commercial people seem to be dragging some mileage out of the 50th anniversary of the tragedy. This story will add to those fears.

Pedigree Chum:

Daily Express - Capello's party will be for a select few - Tony Banks hears Ray Wilkins, who played under Capello for six months at AC Milan, talk about the new England manager's way of working.

Daily Mail - Irish offer £1m bonus to tempt Trapattoni - The search for a new Irish boss has been long and confusing, and isn't much clearer now. The Mail's Colin Young, who has been as close to the story as anybody, says the job is Giovanni Trapattoni's if he wants it and the FAI will offer a £1million bonus for reaching the World Cup finals to help make up his mind. Trapattoni is [3.3] favourite in a rapidly changing market. Terry Venables is [3.35] and last night odds on Billy Davies crashed to [4.7] when Sky Sports reported he was in line for the job.

Daily Mail - Jumping Jim ready to reach new heights - Simon Cass writes a smashing piece on Jimmy Bullard and his fight for fitness. Fulham are [4.5] to follow Sunday's win over Villa with another three points at Middlesbrough on Saturday

Daily Mirror - Sir Alex: I hate using the hairdryer - Interesting piece by David McDonnell with Fergie explaining the mechanics of a half time team talk: When to go quietly, and when to give it both barrels. Required reading for Sunday morning bosses. Top Dog once played for one whose idea of a pre-match motivational speech began: 'We've got people not turned up and this isn't the team I wanted to pick, but . . . '

Dog' s dinner:

Daily Star - AJ: We were reffin' robbed - The Star sets out to show that Andy Johnson's goal for Everton against Blackburn should have been allowed. Not much doubt about that from the TV pictures, except the Star's picture desk have used a picture of Johnson receiving the ball when he was offside instead of one of him onside at the moment the ball was played!

Today's other headlines:

The Sun - Capital punishment - Half price Benji deal - Back to school - Owen insists he's back in the goal routine - Ian Wright column - Martin Keown says Theo Walcott must grow up - Munich survivor Kenny Morgan's story

Daily Express - Every One a Winner - Like first day at new school - Gerrard warns to Fabio's winning mentality - Owen on first name terms - Alan Curbishley column - Two page Munich tribute - Toshack hopes to wing it with kids - Benjani gets City switch

Daily Star - Fab: No room for losers - Capello to blazer trail of respect - Gerrard: It's time to deliver - City want a Benji bargain deal

Daily Mirror - Campioni - Headmaster Fabio - Rio says after Becks no-one is safe - David Bentley interview - More Munich tributes - City get cut price Benjani

Daily Mail - Back to school - On their best behaviour - Benjani cut price deal back on - Pearce eager to learn - Munich remembered day three

Tags: Englandcaptain, Fabio Capello, football betting, Munich disaster