Today's Papers / Top Dog / 01 February 2008 / 1 Comments " 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:

A midnight transfer deadline is a nightmare for the national newspapers who all print first editions at around 10pm. They're all on the ball with Jermain Defoe's late move to Portsmouth but think Benjani was going to sign for Manchester City. Interestingly only The Sun embraces modern multi-media thinking by taking the chance to plug their own website as the place to go for a complete list of completed deadline day deals. The Sun also has the best summary of what the smaller clubs were doing.

Cruft's:

Daily Mirror - Becks: I will bounec back - Top Dog chided Oliver Holt for joining the Beckham celebrity circus in Brazil for an interview earlier in the week. Turns out he was in the right place at the right time, and the only tabloid newspaperman to talk directly to Beckham about being dropped from England's squad as a result. Poor Becks was odds-on to be Capello's first captain for ages. Now Steven Gerrard is [1.62] to be the man handed the armband.

Pedigree Chum:

Daily Star - Ballack: We'll Bridge the gap - Chelsea's record equalling run of nine wins keeps them in touch with the title race. Michael Ballack says their home games with Manchester United and Arsenal will be the key to winning it. Blues are still the value bet at [6.2] in the race. But [1.79] could be a tight price for them to make it ten wins in a row at Portsmouth tomorrow and might be worth laying.

Daily Express - Go fourth and multiply - The Express spotlights Liverpool's problems and the other teams chasing fourth spot and a place in the Champions League. Their stats expert forecasts Liverpool will still make it ahead of Everton with a point to spare. Betfair's latest odds a top four finish are Liverpool [1.73], Everton [4.6], Aston Villa [7.4] and Manchester City [15]. Portsmouth who now have extra strike power with Jermain Defoe and Benjani are as long as [30].

Daily Mirror - Euro axe falls on Blues duo - Chelsea must name their squad for the remaining European campaign today and Martin Lipton says Steve Sidwell and Claudio Pizarro will be left out of it to make way for fit again Michael Ballack and new boy Nicolas Anelka. Chelsea are [8.6] to win the Champions League, [3.25] to be the last surviving British club.

Daily Mail - Rotating Rafa ruining my club says McMahon - Former Liverpool midfield man Steve McMahon explodes the myth that all Kop fans love Rafa Benitez. McMahon blames his rotation policy for the Reds' struggling Premier League form in a heartfelt interview.

Dog' s dinner:

Daily Star - The Sexy photos that finished Becks - Top Dog loves the Star's sports coverage but sometimes the news pages let them down. A screaming front page headline and story talks about 'pictures of the hunky star larking about half-naked'. Turn to page eight and surprise, surprise it's the same pics of Becks on the beach that have gone the rounds for two days. The Sun said yesterday that those pictures had made up Capello's mind to axe him. Trying to run the same story today is not news and the front page headline is a con

The Sun - Roze raps Kev - Czech defender David Rozenhal leaves Newcastle to join Lazio with a pop at Kevin Keegan: 'I did not expect to be sitting on the bench'. No, David, and Newcastle fans didn't expect you to be so rubbish when you did play, either.

Today's other headlines:

The Sun - Hardman Fabio gives two fingers to Beckham - Defoe's blow - Is it any wonder Becks was axed? - Peter Shilton on why Becks will never join the 100 club - Now Owen fears England axe - Megson's £7m Lita bid fails - Last day transfer bulletin board

Daily Express - Cruellest cut - Redknapp's Defoe joy - Evolution leaves Becks behind - Pearce keeping tabs on Gabby - Defoe rejected by first love Spurs - Ballack: We are homing in on title

Daily Star - I'll be Beck - Cheers, Curtis - Carra shock as Kop fight for 4th spot - The great Becks debate - Fab will drive us to glory says Stuart Pearce - Freesy does it for Ronaldo - Crafty Harry grabs Defoe

Daily Mirror - Becks: I will bounce back - The Red Lion to Three Lions - Defoe on go in Spurs shake-up - Bend it like Ronnie

Daily Mail - Arrivederci! Ruthless Capello axes Beckham - No sentiment from Capello - Jamie Redknapp on Capello's first squad - Ballack banks on home comforts - Practice makes Ronaldo 'Mr Perfect' - Harry lands Defoe - The £100m scramble

Tags: Benjani, Jermaine Defoe, Rafa Benitez rotational, transfer window