Today's Papers / Top Dog / 18 March 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

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:

Top Dog can't decide if his breakfast bowl is half full or half empty this morning. Michael Owen's goal at Birmingham is hailed by all the papers as rescuing Kevin Keegan from another crisis. But the Sun hits the bitter truth that it is now nine games without a win since KK came back from his Soccer Circus to be the Toon's ringmaster. Newcastle are [2] favourites to beat Fulham in the game that decides whether they get away from trouble or not on Saturday but will Keegan still be in charge? He's shortened to [2.82] in the managerial change market

Cruft's:

The Sun - Capello is as scary as Cloughie - Stuart Pearce makes an interesting comparison between the new England boss and the manager who should have got the job years ago but didn't. Hope he's right - England are [12.5] to win the World Cup under Capello in 2010. Brazil, not surprisingly, are [5.7] favourites

The Sun - Deal or no Steele - Barnsley's FA Cup hero Luke Steele is back at West Brom after the clubs failed to reach agreement on extending his loan. Don't let it put you off backing the Yorkshire outsiders to win the trophy at [8], though. One of two things will happen - either a compromise will get done and Steele goes back to Barnsley, or they might just end up borrowing Ben Foster for the rest of the season. Either way it strengthens their chance of going past Cardiff in the semis. Portsmouth stay [1.99] favourites to win the trophy, West Brom are [4.7] and Cardiff [5.8]

Pedigree Chum:

Daily Mail - Sky are TV champions - Charlie Sale, named last night as top Sports Diarist in the industry awards, reveals that Sky TV have paid £80million to take control of Tuesday night Champions League matches and will be bidding hard for the Wednesday ones too. Bad news if you haven't got a dish

Daily Mail - Clattenburg gets Bridge showdown - Columnist Graham Poll picks up the curious appointment of Mark Clattenburg to Sunday's explosive Chelsea v Arsenal game - the ref who made a muck-up of the Merseyside derby earlier this season. Howard Webb, agreed to be the best ref, doesn't get either of the Grand Slam Sunday games because Keith Hackett wants somebody tough in charge. It's [2.02] a red card at Stamford Bridge at the moment but Top Dog reckons it would be worth putting up [4] and seeing if it's matched

Daily Express - Cech's bouncing back - Tony Banks reveals that Petr Cech is in line for a comeback in the clash with Arsenal thanks to special heat treatment on his damaged ankle. If he makes it in time for Sunday it's a massive boost for Chelsea who are [2.26] the home win.

Daily Mirror/The Sun - £120,000 strip strop - Darren Lewis in the Mirror and Pat Sheehan in the Sun say Robbie Keane's tantrum when he was taken off at Manchester City will cost him two weeks wages. Spurs boss Juande Ramos will treat his skipper exactly the same as Pascal Chimbonda who did the same thing at Wembley. Tottenham are as long as [3.95] to win a home game against Chelsea tomorrow now

The Sun - Ian Wright column - Ex Arsenal star Ian Wright says Chelsea are now the big title threat because of their strength in depth. He reckons they will win at Tottenham [2.14] to go level with Arsenal then win again on Sunday [2.26] to go ahead of them

Daily Mirror - Technically I'm still the boss says Curbs - Clever headline on Neil McLeman's piece about West Ham's new technical director Gianluca Nani. Curbs says he's still got overall control of transfers, the gossips will suggest he is starting to be undermined. He's [5.9] in the managerial change market.

Dog' s dinner:

Daily Mail - Home has been a fortress until now - Okay, so it's vaguely interesting that for the first time in 120 years one of the Football League divisions could end up with more away wins than home wins. But is it really worth 600 words?

Daily Express - Lamps' £10m fee to stay - Harry Harris stretches the Frank Lampard contract story by suggesting he wants a £10m signing on fee to stay - but it all looks like a figment of Harry's imagination.

Daily Mirror - United to tie down Foster - John Cross reckons one good game at Derby has convinced Sir Alex to give Ben Foster a new contract at Old Trafford. But this is just guesswork, nobody knows what Fergie has in mind but him.

Today's other headlines:

The Sun - 999 - One and Owenly - Deal or no Steele - £120ind out Gunners - Joe Cole says Chelsea are ready to pounce - £20m Villa on his way - Persie gives Gunners double target - Fergie's boys revved up - Eyes wide shut

Daily Express - Owen blow for Brum - Keegan's gamble pays dividends - Go for the kill says Ferguson - Javier caught in friendly fire - Alan Curbishley column

Daily Star - Owen the Toon hero - Mess or Messiah? - We can't end up with nothing says Robin Van Persie - Make sure we're bang on target warns Fergie

Daily Mirror - I owe(n) you one - If we blow it our beautiful football will have been for nothing says Van Persie - We must be more ruthless says Fergie - Fabio nose he must deliver

Daily Mail - Pain relief - Owen's bonus for Kevin - I don't fear Nani state says Curbishley - Steele's Wembley bid in the balance

Tags: Frank Lampard contract, Kevin Keegan, Michael Owen goal, Premiership relegation