The Guardian`s Vendetta Continues

Bolton fans are used to the Guardian`s ‘journalists` spouting tripe. The infamous Louise Taylor, reporting on a Carling Cup tie at the Reebok, once claimed that West Ham`s team was ‘liberally sprinkled` with products of their youth academy. There was in fact, one player on the pitch who had come via that route.

Paul Doyle was effusive in his praise for Abdoulaye Meite at the end of last season. This was something of a change of heart as he`d previously described him as a ‘sluggish centreback who couldn’t even secure a place in Marseille’s ramshackle defence` and compared the Ivorian unfavourably with Raidi Jaidi. He also predicted the Wanderers to be relegated last season. They qualified for Europe.

The latest recruit to the anti-Bolton squad is Daniel Taylor. Taylor`s piece, published today, is a masterpiece of lies and unsubstantiated rumour and shows such a basic lack of research that it makes you wonder if the Guardian`s recruitment policy consists of the editor standing in the street and shouting, “Oi, you. Do you wanna job,” at passers by.

‘Lee has made some courageous decisions, not least abandoning Allardyce’s policy of bringing in high-profile players, on high wages, at the end of their careers`, writes little Dan.

Allardyce himself gave up that idea a long time ago as the likes of Youri Djorkaeff and Jay Jay Okocha were no longer available. The last player signed matching that description was Fernando Hierro, back in 2004.

The training methods have changed too apparently. ‘Some of the foreign players are said to be unhappy about the greater emphasis that has been placed on bulking up rather than ball work`, continues the desperate one. Anyone who has seen the pre-season matches will have noticed a concerted effort to improve Bolton`s passing game. That doesn`t quite fit in with the theory.

Taylor finishes with the usual lies about Nicolas Anelka and El Hadji Diouf wanting out and adds in Ivan Campo for good measure. Is that the Campo who played a blinder against Espanyol? You really should get up to the Reebok, Dan. We promise not to beat you up and steal your dinner money.

The Guardian`s obsession with Bolton Wanderers is really quite strange. At a guess, they`re a bunch of limp-wristed Arsenal fans, bitter that their team have been consistently derailed by the Reebok`s finest. Bolton may well be in for a tough time, in what is a transition season. Relegation isn`t on the cards though. No doubt that will leave the worst writers in football sobbing into their Campari and sodas. Again.