Today's Papers / Top Dog / 22 August 2007 / 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:

Martin Jol is still in charge of Spurs for now and all the papers carry pictures of him shaking hands with chairman Daniel Levy after his reprieve. Humiliation, says the Daily Mail, Shambles, says the Mirror. Jol's now 2.76 to be next Premiership boss to lose his job with Bolton's Sammy Lee favourite again at 2.52. But as the Mirror's Betfair sponsored columnist Derek McGovern asks, how long after this fiasco can Jol last?

Cruft's:

Daily Star - I want Jose's job not Jol's - David Woods gets a lead on the rest by suggesting why Juande Ramos turned down Tottenham - he thinks he might get the Chelsea job next summer. Good background from contacts in Spain.

The Sun - It's van der Ah! - Janine Self, on duty with Wales, has heard gossip from Switzerland where Edwin Van Der Sar has hurt himself training with Holland and could miss Sunday's clash with Spurs. Could that make Tottenham at 6.8 to win at Old Trafford worth backing?

Pedigree Chum:

Daily Mirror - Heinze: I'm finished - Daily Mail - I won't give up - Mail man Peter Ferguson and the Mirror's David McDonnell have both managed to get Gabriel Heinze's reaction to the tribunal decision that has stopped him joining Liverpool while the other papers merely report the decision. Ferguson says Lyon are likely to rescue him.

Daily Mail - Hurst and Hans still at odds - Will we ever tire of talking about that goal back in 1966? Well it seems the Mail won't, their veteran reporter Steve Curry, who covered the most famous final in English football history, brings Sir Geoff Hurst and Hans Tikowski together and they still can't agree whether the whole of the ball crossed the whole of the line.

Dog' s dinner:

Daily Mail - Pompey chase Anelka - The Mail says Harry Redknapp has tried to up his bid for Nicolas Anelka after failing to hi-jack Yakubu's move to Everton. The Sun reckons Yakubu has already turned the move down, while the Daily Star says Harry Redknapp believes he could yet bring the former Fratton striker back to the South Coast. The papers aren't sure who Harry will buy, but one thing is certain - Pompey, at 6.8 for a top six finish, have significant cash to spend.

Today's other stories:

Daily Mail - Steve's walking wounded - Portsmouth chasing £12million Anelka - England Under21 match reports - Micah Richards profile

The Sun - Jet heeled Beckham is flying says McClaren - Jens Lehmann on goalkeeping blunders - more on the Spurs farce

Daily Express - McClaren looks to Owen for goals - Terry told to make some noise - debate on club v country - Bale fit enough to play for Wales - Martins gets £13m price tag from Newcastle

Daily Star - Robbo faces England axe - Gabbidon is new Wales captain - Sam Allardyce on Brazilian new boy Cacapa - Pompey try to hijack Yakubu deal

Daily Mirror - Spurs shambles - pressure on McClaren - Anelka on leaving Bolton - tribute to Woking manager Frank Gray's sportsmanship

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