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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 liked The Sun's April Fool's Day effort - a back page story claiming that Fabio Capello has ordered England's players to learn to speak Italian so they don't misunderstand his half time team talks any more! Meanwhile the Mail has gone big on Capello facing possible charges in Italy for withholding information from a court (and that's NOT an April Fool). The story comes with a reminder that he's still under investigation for tax affairs. Stand by for the FA to turn to Harry Redknapp after he's won the FA Cup so as to bring a new climate of respectability to the position of England Head Coach!

Cruft's:

Daily Mail - There are rows at Chelsea training now - Matt Lawton gets a fascinating interview with former Chelsea striker Mateja Kezman, who lifts the lid on problems he's heard about behind the scenes at Stamford Bridge since Jose Mourinho went. Chelsea are as short as [2.16] to win in Turkey tomorrow night and that could be worth laying, especially with Petr Cech still not fit and left behind in England

Pedigree Chum:

Daily Mail - Lack of Tottie shouldn't spoil the show - Ian Ladyman looks in depth at Roma's record in the other games this season when their captain and talisman Francesco Totti has been missing. And finds that they've lost only one of 12 without him, amid suggestions in Italy that he's no longer their key player. United are [2.66] to win and could be worth laying.

Daily Express and others - Reds don't like to Rome - If you need more reasons to bet against United, they are provided by Roma boss Luciano Spalletti and reported by all the papers. He points out that while United might have sploshed his club 7-1 at Old Trafford last year they actually lost 2-1 in the first leg and their away results in general are merely average.

The Sun - keep up if you can, Ron - On the other hand the boy Ronaldo is unstoppable at the moment!! A week or so ago Sir Alex Ferguson suggested the Portuguese superstar still had some way to go to beat his own record for goals in a season. The Sun's snapper in Rome has captured both of them doing keepy-ups and it makes a great back page picture montage. Ronaldo tonight is [3.05] to extend his sequence of scoring in all of United's last four matches

Daily Mail - Shape up, City chief tells Sven - Ian Ladyman has been on the ball with the movements and thoughts of Manchester City owner Thaksin Shinawatra and says he's beginning to have worries over how quickly Sven Goran Eriksson can deliver success. City are as long as [5.4] to win a home game against Chelsea on Saturday

Daily Mirror - Everton fury at Rafa fans attack - So much for the 'friendly' Merseyside derby. After Rafa Benitez went on TV moaning about crowd chants aimed at Steven Gerrard, Everton have hit back with a list of complaints that Phil Neville was punched by a fan at Anfield, and also referred back to being labelled a 'small club' by the Liverpool manager. On reflection Benitez might have had a point. A big club would just ignore an insult and move on

Daily Star - What a waste - David Bentley has been signed up as a Sun columnist, so they won't be pleased to read his interview from after Blackburn's game at Reading. He says England's players only played at 50 per cent in France, holding themselves back for big Premier and Champions League games.

Dog' s dinner:

The Sun - Mensah's dream - Rennes defender and Ghana captain John Mensah wants to join Portsmouth, but there's no evidence in Gary Payne's story that the feeling is mutual

Daily Star - The boys are back in Town - Ian Murtagh faithfully reports Newcastle chairman Chris Mort's claim after the win at Tottenham that he 'really can't remember us playing any better away from home than that, even in the good old days under Keegan'. How many games did the London lawyer ever see before he became chairman, though?

Today's other headlines:

The Sun - Red alert - Party like it's 1999 - Losing to Liverpool would wreck our season says Fabregas - Ian Wright column - Zico is my screen idol says Joe Cole

Daily Express - Capello jail threat in transfers case - Grant needs trophy to win players over - Fergie's strictly business - Friendly fire from Bentley - Alan Curbishley column - I've dreamt of this a Brazilian times says Joe Cole - Tuncay warning for Chelsea - Woodgate warns Spurs slackers - Brooking on FA Cup giant-killers

Daily Star - Fergie: The game's up - No Fab panic say FA - Go and Ron 'em ragged - Spaelletti: No place like Rome for United - We'll stun Guns and go all the way says Gerrard - I can't wait to face Carlos says Joe Cole

Daily Mirror - Roma coach taunts Sir Alex - Rome alone - No-fear Stevie warns Gunners - Joe the giant killer - Michael Owen on Newcastle's prospects - Woodgate predicts Tottenham changes

Daily Mail - Tell us the truth, Fabio - We want revenge, United warned - Fergie tells United stars Europe's at your feet - Bentley lament - We're all believers now says Gerrard

Tags: Bentley interview, Champions League betting, football stories, Totti injury