Click here to view this media A 24-year-old Oregon man — who told police that he was a “Christian warrior” — has been charged with a hate crime for allegedly firebombing a mosque last November. Cody Crawford faces 10 to 30 years if convicted of firebombing the Salman Alfarisi Islamic Center, which is about 200 feet from his house. Although his DNA has been connected to the crime scene, Crawford has maintained that he’s “100 percent innocent.” In an unrelated incident, Crawford had ranted to police about Muslims, according to court documents . “You look like Obama,” he said to a McMinnville officer in December. “You are a Muslim like him. Jihad goes both ways. Christians can jihad too.” The documents reveal that Crawford also told authorities that “only Christians could understand him, that he was a Christian warrior that they were persecuting.” “You will never know the truth about the mosque,” he allegedly said. The firebombing came just two days after Mohamed Osman Mohamud, who had occasionally attended the mosque, was arrested in connection with a plot to bomb a Christmas tree lighting ceremony Portland. Mohamud’s plot was reportedly uncovered with help from the Muslim community. Mozafar Wanly, who also worships at the Corvallis Mosque, believes that Crawford’s alleged crimes were based on a ignorance. “I would say to him, ‘I think you misunderstand Islam. Islam is the religion of the love. We love everybody. You are misunderstanding us,’” Wanly said .
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ESPN has come down on one of its golf analysts for publicly criticizing President Obama. It all began Thursday when former golf great Paul Azinger tweeted the following: That was followed by: According to USA Today, ESPN responded Friday: On Friday ESPN 'reminded” Azinger his venture into political punditry violates the company's updated social network policy for on-air talent and reporters. “Paul's tweet was not consistent with our social media policy, and he has been reminded that political commentary is best left to those in that field,” spokesman Andy Hall told Game On! in a statement. Yet ESPN seems to be rather inconsistent about political commentary from its employees. As NewsBusters reported in April 2007: Even so, it came as something of a shock to observe that one ESPN personality is turning his on-screen appearances into an opportunity to promote the candidacy of a Dem presidential contender. Many sportscasters have their signature calls. From Stuart Scott's “boo-yah!” to Chris Berman's “back-back-back gone!,” several of the ESPN announcers utter idiosyncratic phrases to underline signal athletic accomplishments. Fair enough. But watching ESPN's Kenny Mayne over the course of the last few days, I was surprised to notice that he has coined a new call. Home run at a crucial moment? Three-pointer to take the lead in a basketball game? “Obama!”, exclaims Mayne. Mayne has continued making political comments without any rebuke from ESPN as Dana Loesch noted at Big Journalism Friday: Further making my case for their cherry-picked policy enforcement, check out the Tweets of on-air talent Mayne: Loesch also noted that another ESPN personality, Adam Shefter, has made numerous political tweets including this one in May: As Loesch pointed out, it's okay at ESPN to hype Obama since corporate owner Disney gave more of its 2008 campaign dollars to the junior senator from Illinois than anyone or anything else that year. You just better not say anything bad about him. Got that, Zinger?
Continue reading …A senior US official claims al-Qaida’s second in command, Atiyah Abd al-Rahman, has been killed in Pakistan Al-Qaida’s second-in-command, Atiyah Abd al-Rahman, has been killed in Pakistan, delivering another big blow to a terrorist group that the US believes to be on the verge of defeat, a senior Obama administration official has claimed. The Libyan national who was the network’s former operational leader rose to al-Qaida’s number two spot after the US killed leader Osama bin Laden during a raid on his Pakistan compound in May. US defence secretary Leon Panetta said last month that al-Qaida’s defeat was within reach if the US could mount a string of successful attacks on the group’s weakened leadership. “Now is the moment, following what happened with bin Laden, to put maximum pressure on them,” Panetta said, “because I do believe that if we continue this effort we can really cripple al-Qaida as a major threat.” Rahman was killed on 22 August in the lawless tribal region of Waziristan in Pakistan, according to the official, who insisted on anonymity. The official would not say how Rahman was killed, but his death came on the same day a drone strike in Waziristan was reported. Such strikes by unmanned aircraft are Washington’s counter-terrorism weapon of choice in the mountainous, hard-to-reach area along the border with Afghanistan. Rahman, believed to be in his mid-30s, was a close confidant of bin Laden and once served as his emissary to Iran. Rahman was allowed to move freely in and out of Iran as part of that arrangement and had been operating out of Waziristan for some time, officials have said. Born in Libya, Rahman joined bin Laden in Afghanistan as a teenager to fight the Soviet Union. US officials have said that after bin Laden’s death, the US navy found evidence of Rahman’s role as operational chief. al-Qaida Global terrorism Pakistan guardian.co.uk
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• Email your thoughts to scott.murray@guardian.co.uk • Press F5 to refresh this page or use our auto-refresher • Click here for all the latest scores from across Europe • And click here for live league tables and stats 31 min: Skrtel’s first act is to toe-poke the ball out for a corner, with Klasnic threatening down the left. From the corner, Davies meets with his head, but blazes Petrov’s ball over. Anfield has gone slightly quiet, a suggestion that Liverpool have lost a wee bit of momentum. 30 min: Kelly is replaced by Skrtel, who goes straight to right back. 28 min: Kelly is off the pitch getting treatment on his left leg. He’s going to have to go off. 26 min: Muamba is replaced by Mark Davies. Not sure whether that’s an injury or tactical. 24 min: From the centre spot, Henderson pings a first-time pass down the inside-right channel to release Suarez. He’s clear, and chips the ball over the advancing Jaaskelainen from 30 yards, but gets a wee bit too much on his shot and the bar twangs the very top of the crossbar and out for a goal kick. Close, but in the final analysis a bad miss. “Can we have the Liverpool of August 2010 back please?” begs Everton’s Gary Naylor. “Surely, in these recessionary, riotous and, well, rubbish times, they added some much needed levity to the nation.” 23 min: Henderson curls a low ball through the six-yard box from the right. Kuyt is inches from making contact, but can’t convert. Liverpool are playing superbly here, but then they did this against Sunderland too, and look what happened there. 21 min: A long ball down the middle by Adam so nearly finds Suarez, cutting into the box from the wing, clear in the centre. Jaaskelainen is off his line quickly to deny the excellent Uruguayan. 20 min: A raking ball down the left by Suarez releases Downing, who crosses into the centre for Kuyt. The striker shapes to shoot from the edge of the area, but the ball’s robbed off his toe before he can connect. This is a wonderfully open game. 18 min: Nearly a picture-book response from Bolton. Muamba finds Eagles down the right. Eagles swings one across to Petrov, level with the far post, ten yards out. Petrov creams a superlative volley goalwards, which Reina does marvellously well to parry. Excellent play. 15 min: GOAL!!! Liverpool 1-0 Bolton Wanderers. So nearly a picture-book goal. From the left wing, Suarez curls one with the outside of his boot into the area for Downing, who hits it first time for the right of goal. Jaaskelainen parries brilliantly. But no matter! The ball finds its way to Henderson in the right-hand side of the area. He drops a shoulder, moves the ball to the left, and curls a fantastic effort into the top left. The £16m man has found it difficult to win over the fans so far; that should help a wee bit. 13 min: Bolton are struggling to put anything together, though they’re looking strong enough at the back so far. Kuyt nearly releases Suarez down the inside right, but a combination of Robinson and Cahill clears the danger. 11 min: Liverpool still enjoying the majority of possession, but mainly in their own half at the moment. A couple of times they try to spring forward with long balls down the channel, but nothing sticks. 8 min: Petrov wins a corner after twisting and turning Kelly down the left. From it, Liverpool break upfield, Suarez releasing Downing down the inside-right channel. He should tear clear and get a shot on goal, but takes a heavy touch and must settle for a corner. Agger gets a head to Adam’s kick from the right, but can’t direct it goalwards. Bolton hack out for another corner, which is wasted. This is a bright opening. 5 min: Liverpool have started very strongly. Suarez wins the ball down the left from Steinsson while sat on his arse, springing up and nearly breaking free down the wing. Then Adam overhits a pass down the left for Downing, who reaches the ball nevertheless to win a corner. The set piece comes to nothing, but this is a decent opening period for the hosts. 4 min: Suarez tears down the inside-right channel and is clumsily brought to ground by Reo-Coker. The free kick is 25 yards out, just to the right of the D. Adam takes it, and I have no idea what he was trying to do; the ball clanks straight into the wall. Aiming to get the ball up and over and into the bottom-right corner, perhaps? 2 min: Liverpool happy to pass it around the back for a minute or so, giving all their defenders a touch. It’s just like the 1980s. Sort of. And we’re off! Liverpool set the ball rolling, and they’re kicking towards the Anfield Road end. The ball’s pumped down the right, where Henderson nearly finds Suarez one on one with Knight, but the big defender manages to clear. The teams take to the pitch. Liverpool in their all-red strip, Bolton in their white shirts and navy shorts. It won’t be long now. “I’m sorry to say it but I think Liverpool-Carroll=bad news for Bolton,” opines Rob Cobourne. “Saying that, has Dalglish forgot about Maxi’s hat-tricks at the end of last season? Surely Henderson could make way for one match: 4-1 to Liverpool.” Kick off: 5.30pm. Referee: Lee Probert (Wiltshire) Bolton Wanderers unchanged from the side who lost to Manchester City: Jaaskelainen, Steinsson, Cahill, Knight, Robinson, Eagles, Reo-Coker, Muamba, Petrov, Kevin Davies, Klasnic. Subs: Bogdan, Sanli, Mark Davies, Blake, Pratley, Wheater, Riley. Liverpool drop the generally misfiring Andy Carroll to the bench: Reina, Kelly, Carragher, Agger, Jose Enrique, Adam, Lucas, Kuyt, Henderson, Downing, Suarez. Subs: Doni, Carroll, Maxi, Spearing, Shelvey, Skrtel, Robinson. In fact, Bolton haven’t taken a single point off the Reds since September 2006, when Sam Allardyce single-handedly when Gary Speed and Ivan Campo gave them a 2-0 win at the Reebok. Moreover, they haven’t won a league game at Anfield since 1954. Though there is that FA Cup win on Liverpool’s patch in 1993, at least. Even so, with that sort of track record, a Bolton win today would be a coupon buster. Do people still do coupons? Perhaps the only highlight of former Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson’s painful reign last season came when his side did the double over Bolton Wanderers. But even those slim pickings, secured on New Year’s Day with a late Joe Cole goal at Anfield, not long before Roy was told to do one, can be put into context: it was Liverpool’s fourth double in a row over the Trotters. Ho hum. Oh Roy! Premier League 2011-12 Liverpool Bolton Wanderers Premier League Scott Murray guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …• Email your thoughts to scott.murray@guardian.co.uk • Press F5 to refresh this page or use our auto-refresher • Click here for all the latest scores from across Europe • And click here for live league tables and stats 31 min: Skrtel’s first act is to toe-poke the ball out for a corner, with Klasnic threatening down the left. From the corner, Davies meets with his head, but blazes Petrov’s ball over. Anfield has gone slightly quiet, a suggestion that Liverpool have lost a wee bit of momentum. 30 min: Kelly is replaced by Skrtel, who goes straight to right back. 28 min: Kelly is off the pitch getting treatment on his left leg. He’s going to have to go off. 26 min: Muamba is replaced by Mark Davies. Not sure whether that’s an injury or tactical. 24 min: From the centre spot, Henderson pings a first-time pass down the inside-right channel to release Suarez. He’s clear, and chips the ball over the advancing Jaaskelainen from 30 yards, but gets a wee bit too much on his shot and the bar twangs the very top of the crossbar and out for a goal kick. Close, but in the final analysis a bad miss. “Can we have the Liverpool of August 2010 back please?” begs Everton’s Gary Naylor. “Surely, in these recessionary, riotous and, well, rubbish times, they added some much needed levity to the nation.” 23 min: Henderson curls a low ball through the six-yard box from the right. Kuyt is inches from making contact, but can’t convert. Liverpool are playing superbly here, but then they did this against Sunderland too, and look what happened there. 21 min: A long ball down the middle by Adam so nearly finds Suarez, cutting into the box from the wing, clear in the centre. Jaaskelainen is off his line quickly to deny the excellent Uruguayan. 20 min: A raking ball down the left by Suarez releases Downing, who crosses into the centre for Kuyt. The striker shapes to shoot from the edge of the area, but the ball’s robbed off his toe before he can connect. This is a wonderfully open game. 18 min: Nearly a picture-book response from Bolton. Muamba finds Eagles down the right. Eagles swings one across to Petrov, level with the far post, ten yards out. Petrov creams a superlative volley goalwards, which Reina does marvellously well to parry. Excellent play. 15 min: GOAL!!! Liverpool 1-0 Bolton Wanderers. So nearly a picture-book goal. From the left wing, Suarez curls one with the outside of his boot into the area for Downing, who hits it first time for the right of goal. Jaaskelainen parries brilliantly. But no matter! The ball finds its way to Henderson in the right-hand side of the area. He drops a shoulder, moves the ball to the left, and curls a fantastic effort into the top left. The £16m man has found it difficult to win over the fans so far; that should help a wee bit. 13 min: Bolton are struggling to put anything together, though they’re looking strong enough at the back so far. Kuyt nearly releases Suarez down the inside right, but a combination of Robinson and Cahill clears the danger. 11 min: Liverpool still enjoying the majority of possession, but mainly in their own half at the moment. A couple of times they try to spring forward with long balls down the channel, but nothing sticks. 8 min: Petrov wins a corner after twisting and turning Kelly down the left. From it, Liverpool break upfield, Suarez releasing Downing down the inside-right channel. He should tear clear and get a shot on goal, but takes a heavy touch and must settle for a corner. Agger gets a head to Adam’s kick from the right, but can’t direct it goalwards. Bolton hack out for another corner, which is wasted. This is a bright opening. 5 min: Liverpool have started very strongly. Suarez wins the ball down the left from Steinsson while sat on his arse, springing up and nearly breaking free down the wing. Then Adam overhits a pass down the left for Downing, who reaches the ball nevertheless to win a corner. The set piece comes to nothing, but this is a decent opening period for the hosts. 4 min: Suarez tears down the inside-right channel and is clumsily brought to ground by Reo-Coker. The free kick is 25 yards out, just to the right of the D. Adam takes it, and I have no idea what he was trying to do; the ball clanks straight into the wall. Aiming to get the ball up and over and into the bottom-right corner, perhaps? 2 min: Liverpool happy to pass it around the back for a minute or so, giving all their defenders a touch. It’s just like the 1980s. Sort of. And we’re off! Liverpool set the ball rolling, and they’re kicking towards the Anfield Road end. The ball’s pumped down the right, where Henderson nearly finds Suarez one on one with Knight, but the big defender manages to clear. The teams take to the pitch. Liverpool in their all-red strip, Bolton in their white shirts and navy shorts. It won’t be long now. “I’m sorry to say it but I think Liverpool-Carroll=bad news for Bolton,” opines Rob Cobourne. “Saying that, has Dalglish forgot about Maxi’s hat-tricks at the end of last season? Surely Henderson could make way for one match: 4-1 to Liverpool.” Kick off: 5.30pm. Referee: Lee Probert (Wiltshire) Bolton Wanderers unchanged from the side who lost to Manchester City: Jaaskelainen, Steinsson, Cahill, Knight, Robinson, Eagles, Reo-Coker, Muamba, Petrov, Kevin Davies, Klasnic. Subs: Bogdan, Sanli, Mark Davies, Blake, Pratley, Wheater, Riley. Liverpool drop the generally misfiring Andy Carroll to the bench: Reina, Kelly, Carragher, Agger, Jose Enrique, Adam, Lucas, Kuyt, Henderson, Downing, Suarez. Subs: Doni, Carroll, Maxi, Spearing, Shelvey, Skrtel, Robinson. In fact, Bolton haven’t taken a single point off the Reds since September 2006, when Sam Allardyce single-handedly when Gary Speed and Ivan Campo gave them a 2-0 win at the Reebok. Moreover, they haven’t won a league game at Anfield since 1954. Though there is that FA Cup win on Liverpool’s patch in 1993, at least. Even so, with that sort of track record, a Bolton win today would be a coupon buster. Do people still do coupons? Perhaps the only highlight of former Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson’s painful reign last season came when his side did the double over Bolton Wanderers. But even those slim pickings, secured on New Year’s Day with a late Joe Cole goal at Anfield, not long before Roy was told to do one, can be put into context: it was Liverpool’s fourth double in a row over the Trotters. Ho hum. Oh Roy! Premier League 2011-12 Liverpool Bolton Wanderers Premier League Scott Murray guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …• Email your thoughts to scott.murray@guardian.co.uk • Press F5 to refresh this page or use our auto-refresher • Click here for all the latest scores from across Europe • And click here for live league tables and stats 31 min: Skrtel’s first act is to toe-poke the ball out for a corner, with Klasnic threatening down the left. From the corner, Davies meets with his head, but blazes Petrov’s ball over. Anfield has gone slightly quiet, a suggestion that Liverpool have lost a wee bit of momentum. 30 min: Kelly is replaced by Skrtel, who goes straight to right back. 28 min: Kelly is off the pitch getting treatment on his left leg. He’s going to have to go off. 26 min: Muamba is replaced by Mark Davies. Not sure whether that’s an injury or tactical. 24 min: From the centre spot, Henderson pings a first-time pass down the inside-right channel to release Suarez. He’s clear, and chips the ball over the advancing Jaaskelainen from 30 yards, but gets a wee bit too much on his shot and the bar twangs the very top of the crossbar and out for a goal kick. Close, but in the final analysis a bad miss. “Can we have the Liverpool of August 2010 back please?” begs Everton’s Gary Naylor. “Surely, in these recessionary, riotous and, well, rubbish times, they added some much needed levity to the nation.” 23 min: Henderson curls a low ball through the six-yard box from the right. Kuyt is inches from making contact, but can’t convert. Liverpool are playing superbly here, but then they did this against Sunderland too, and look what happened there. 21 min: A long ball down the middle by Adam so nearly finds Suarez, cutting into the box from the wing, clear in the centre. Jaaskelainen is off his line quickly to deny the excellent Uruguayan. 20 min: A raking ball down the left by Suarez releases Downing, who crosses into the centre for Kuyt. The striker shapes to shoot from the edge of the area, but the ball’s robbed off his toe before he can connect. This is a wonderfully open game. 18 min: Nearly a picture-book response from Bolton. Muamba finds Eagles down the right. Eagles swings one across to Petrov, level with the far post, ten yards out. Petrov creams a superlative volley goalwards, which Reina does marvellously well to parry. Excellent play. 15 min: GOAL!!! Liverpool 1-0 Bolton Wanderers. So nearly a picture-book goal. From the left wing, Suarez curls one with the outside of his boot into the area for Downing, who hits it first time for the right of goal. Jaaskelainen parries brilliantly. But no matter! The ball finds its way to Henderson in the right-hand side of the area. He drops a shoulder, moves the ball to the left, and curls a fantastic effort into the top left. The £16m man has found it difficult to win over the fans so far; that should help a wee bit. 13 min: Bolton are struggling to put anything together, though they’re looking strong enough at the back so far. Kuyt nearly releases Suarez down the inside right, but a combination of Robinson and Cahill clears the danger. 11 min: Liverpool still enjoying the majority of possession, but mainly in their own half at the moment. A couple of times they try to spring forward with long balls down the channel, but nothing sticks. 8 min: Petrov wins a corner after twisting and turning Kelly down the left. From it, Liverpool break upfield, Suarez releasing Downing down the inside-right channel. He should tear clear and get a shot on goal, but takes a heavy touch and must settle for a corner. Agger gets a head to Adam’s kick from the right, but can’t direct it goalwards. Bolton hack out for another corner, which is wasted. This is a bright opening. 5 min: Liverpool have started very strongly. Suarez wins the ball down the left from Steinsson while sat on his arse, springing up and nearly breaking free down the wing. Then Adam overhits a pass down the left for Downing, who reaches the ball nevertheless to win a corner. The set piece comes to nothing, but this is a decent opening period for the hosts. 4 min: Suarez tears down the inside-right channel and is clumsily brought to ground by Reo-Coker. The free kick is 25 yards out, just to the right of the D. Adam takes it, and I have no idea what he was trying to do; the ball clanks straight into the wall. Aiming to get the ball up and over and into the bottom-right corner, perhaps? 2 min: Liverpool happy to pass it around the back for a minute or so, giving all their defenders a touch. It’s just like the 1980s. Sort of. And we’re off! Liverpool set the ball rolling, and they’re kicking towards the Anfield Road end. The ball’s pumped down the right, where Henderson nearly finds Suarez one on one with Knight, but the big defender manages to clear. The teams take to the pitch. Liverpool in their all-red strip, Bolton in their white shirts and navy shorts. It won’t be long now. “I’m sorry to say it but I think Liverpool-Carroll=bad news for Bolton,” opines Rob Cobourne. “Saying that, has Dalglish forgot about Maxi’s hat-tricks at the end of last season? Surely Henderson could make way for one match: 4-1 to Liverpool.” Kick off: 5.30pm. Referee: Lee Probert (Wiltshire) Bolton Wanderers unchanged from the side who lost to Manchester City: Jaaskelainen, Steinsson, Cahill, Knight, Robinson, Eagles, Reo-Coker, Muamba, Petrov, Kevin Davies, Klasnic. Subs: Bogdan, Sanli, Mark Davies, Blake, Pratley, Wheater, Riley. Liverpool drop the generally misfiring Andy Carroll to the bench: Reina, Kelly, Carragher, Agger, Jose Enrique, Adam, Lucas, Kuyt, Henderson, Downing, Suarez. Subs: Doni, Carroll, Maxi, Spearing, Shelvey, Skrtel, Robinson. In fact, Bolton haven’t taken a single point off the Reds since September 2006, when Sam Allardyce single-handedly when Gary Speed and Ivan Campo gave them a 2-0 win at the Reebok. Moreover, they haven’t won a league game at Anfield since 1954. Though there is that FA Cup win on Liverpool’s patch in 1993, at least. Even so, with that sort of track record, a Bolton win today would be a coupon buster. Do people still do coupons? Perhaps the only highlight of former Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson’s painful reign last season came when his side did the double over Bolton Wanderers. But even those slim pickings, secured on New Year’s Day with a late Joe Cole goal at Anfield, not long before Roy was told to do one, can be put into context: it was Liverpool’s fourth double in a row over the Trotters. Ho hum. Oh Roy! Premier League 2011-12 Liverpool Bolton Wanderers Premier League Scott Murray guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …• Email your thoughts to scott.murray@guardian.co.uk • Press F5 to refresh this page or use our auto-refresher • Click here for all the latest scores from across Europe • And click here for live league tables and stats 31 min: Skrtel’s first act is to toe-poke the ball out for a corner, with Klasnic threatening down the left. From the corner, Davies meets with his head, but blazes Petrov’s ball over. Anfield has gone slightly quiet, a suggestion that Liverpool have lost a wee bit of momentum. 30 min: Kelly is replaced by Skrtel, who goes straight to right back. 28 min: Kelly is off the pitch getting treatment on his left leg. He’s going to have to go off. 26 min: Muamba is replaced by Mark Davies. Not sure whether that’s an injury or tactical. 24 min: From the centre spot, Henderson pings a first-time pass down the inside-right channel to release Suarez. He’s clear, and chips the ball over the advancing Jaaskelainen from 30 yards, but gets a wee bit too much on his shot and the bar twangs the very top of the crossbar and out for a goal kick. Close, but in the final analysis a bad miss. “Can we have the Liverpool of August 2010 back please?” begs Everton’s Gary Naylor. “Surely, in these recessionary, riotous and, well, rubbish times, they added some much needed levity to the nation.” 23 min: Henderson curls a low ball through the six-yard box from the right. Kuyt is inches from making contact, but can’t convert. Liverpool are playing superbly here, but then they did this against Sunderland too, and look what happened there. 21 min: A long ball down the middle by Adam so nearly finds Suarez, cutting into the box from the wing, clear in the centre. Jaaskelainen is off his line quickly to deny the excellent Uruguayan. 20 min: A raking ball down the left by Suarez releases Downing, who crosses into the centre for Kuyt. The striker shapes to shoot from the edge of the area, but the ball’s robbed off his toe before he can connect. This is a wonderfully open game. 18 min: Nearly a picture-book response from Bolton. Muamba finds Eagles down the right. Eagles swings one across to Petrov, level with the far post, ten yards out. Petrov creams a superlative volley goalwards, which Reina does marvellously well to parry. Excellent play. 15 min: GOAL!!! Liverpool 1-0 Bolton Wanderers. So nearly a picture-book goal. From the left wing, Suarez curls one with the outside of his boot into the area for Downing, who hits it first time for the right of goal. Jaaskelainen parries brilliantly. But no matter! The ball finds its way to Henderson in the right-hand side of the area. He drops a shoulder, moves the ball to the left, and curls a fantastic effort into the top left. The £16m man has found it difficult to win over the fans so far; that should help a wee bit. 13 min: Bolton are struggling to put anything together, though they’re looking strong enough at the back so far. Kuyt nearly releases Suarez down the inside right, but a combination of Robinson and Cahill clears the danger. 11 min: Liverpool still enjoying the majority of possession, but mainly in their own half at the moment. A couple of times they try to spring forward with long balls down the channel, but nothing sticks. 8 min: Petrov wins a corner after twisting and turning Kelly down the left. From it, Liverpool break upfield, Suarez releasing Downing down the inside-right channel. He should tear clear and get a shot on goal, but takes a heavy touch and must settle for a corner. Agger gets a head to Adam’s kick from the right, but can’t direct it goalwards. Bolton hack out for another corner, which is wasted. This is a bright opening. 5 min: Liverpool have started very strongly. Suarez wins the ball down the left from Steinsson while sat on his arse, springing up and nearly breaking free down the wing. Then Adam overhits a pass down the left for Downing, who reaches the ball nevertheless to win a corner. The set piece comes to nothing, but this is a decent opening period for the hosts. 4 min: Suarez tears down the inside-right channel and is clumsily brought to ground by Reo-Coker. The free kick is 25 yards out, just to the right of the D. Adam takes it, and I have no idea what he was trying to do; the ball clanks straight into the wall. Aiming to get the ball up and over and into the bottom-right corner, perhaps? 2 min: Liverpool happy to pass it around the back for a minute or so, giving all their defenders a touch. It’s just like the 1980s. Sort of. And we’re off! Liverpool set the ball rolling, and they’re kicking towards the Anfield Road end. The ball’s pumped down the right, where Henderson nearly finds Suarez one on one with Knight, but the big defender manages to clear. The teams take to the pitch. Liverpool in their all-red strip, Bolton in their white shirts and navy shorts. It won’t be long now. “I’m sorry to say it but I think Liverpool-Carroll=bad news for Bolton,” opines Rob Cobourne. “Saying that, has Dalglish forgot about Maxi’s hat-tricks at the end of last season? Surely Henderson could make way for one match: 4-1 to Liverpool.” Kick off: 5.30pm. Referee: Lee Probert (Wiltshire) Bolton Wanderers unchanged from the side who lost to Manchester City: Jaaskelainen, Steinsson, Cahill, Knight, Robinson, Eagles, Reo-Coker, Muamba, Petrov, Kevin Davies, Klasnic. Subs: Bogdan, Sanli, Mark Davies, Blake, Pratley, Wheater, Riley. Liverpool drop the generally misfiring Andy Carroll to the bench: Reina, Kelly, Carragher, Agger, Jose Enrique, Adam, Lucas, Kuyt, Henderson, Downing, Suarez. Subs: Doni, Carroll, Maxi, Spearing, Shelvey, Skrtel, Robinson. In fact, Bolton haven’t taken a single point off the Reds since September 2006, when Sam Allardyce single-handedly when Gary Speed and Ivan Campo gave them a 2-0 win at the Reebok. Moreover, they haven’t won a league game at Anfield since 1954. Though there is that FA Cup win on Liverpool’s patch in 1993, at least. Even so, with that sort of track record, a Bolton win today would be a coupon buster. Do people still do coupons? Perhaps the only highlight of former Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson’s painful reign last season came when his side did the double over Bolton Wanderers. But even those slim pickings, secured on New Year’s Day with a late Joe Cole goal at Anfield, not long before Roy was told to do one, can be put into context: it was Liverpool’s fourth double in a row over the Trotters. Ho hum. Oh Roy! Premier League 2011-12 Liverpool Bolton Wanderers Premier League Scott Murray guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …• Email your thoughts to scott.murray@guardian.co.uk • Press F5 to refresh this page or use our auto-refresher • Click here for all the latest scores from across Europe • And click here for live league tables and stats 31 min: Skrtel’s first act is to toe-poke the ball out for a corner, with Klasnic threatening down the left. From the corner, Davies meets with his head, but blazes Petrov’s ball over. Anfield has gone slightly quiet, a suggestion that Liverpool have lost a wee bit of momentum. 30 min: Kelly is replaced by Skrtel, who goes straight to right back. 28 min: Kelly is off the pitch getting treatment on his left leg. He’s going to have to go off. 26 min: Muamba is replaced by Mark Davies. Not sure whether that’s an injury or tactical. 24 min: From the centre spot, Henderson pings a first-time pass down the inside-right channel to release Suarez. He’s clear, and chips the ball over the advancing Jaaskelainen from 30 yards, but gets a wee bit too much on his shot and the bar twangs the very top of the crossbar and out for a goal kick. Close, but in the final analysis a bad miss. “Can we have the Liverpool of August 2010 back please?” begs Everton’s Gary Naylor. “Surely, in these recessionary, riotous and, well, rubbish times, they added some much needed levity to the nation.” 23 min: Henderson curls a low ball through the six-yard box from the right. Kuyt is inches from making contact, but can’t convert. Liverpool are playing superbly here, but then they did this against Sunderland too, and look what happened there. 21 min: A long ball down the middle by Adam so nearly finds Suarez, cutting into the box from the wing, clear in the centre. Jaaskelainen is off his line quickly to deny the excellent Uruguayan. 20 min: A raking ball down the left by Suarez releases Downing, who crosses into the centre for Kuyt. The striker shapes to shoot from the edge of the area, but the ball’s robbed off his toe before he can connect. This is a wonderfully open game. 18 min: Nearly a picture-book response from Bolton. Muamba finds Eagles down the right. Eagles swings one across to Petrov, level with the far post, ten yards out. Petrov creams a superlative volley goalwards, which Reina does marvellously well to parry. Excellent play. 15 min: GOAL!!! Liverpool 1-0 Bolton Wanderers. So nearly a picture-book goal. From the left wing, Suarez curls one with the outside of his boot into the area for Downing, who hits it first time for the right of goal. Jaaskelainen parries brilliantly. But no matter! The ball finds its way to Henderson in the right-hand side of the area. He drops a shoulder, moves the ball to the left, and curls a fantastic effort into the top left. The £16m man has found it difficult to win over the fans so far; that should help a wee bit. 13 min: Bolton are struggling to put anything together, though they’re looking strong enough at the back so far. Kuyt nearly releases Suarez down the inside right, but a combination of Robinson and Cahill clears the danger. 11 min: Liverpool still enjoying the majority of possession, but mainly in their own half at the moment. A couple of times they try to spring forward with long balls down the channel, but nothing sticks. 8 min: Petrov wins a corner after twisting and turning Kelly down the left. From it, Liverpool break upfield, Suarez releasing Downing down the inside-right channel. He should tear clear and get a shot on goal, but takes a heavy touch and must settle for a corner. Agger gets a head to Adam’s kick from the right, but can’t direct it goalwards. Bolton hack out for another corner, which is wasted. This is a bright opening. 5 min: Liverpool have started very strongly. Suarez wins the ball down the left from Steinsson while sat on his arse, springing up and nearly breaking free down the wing. Then Adam overhits a pass down the left for Downing, who reaches the ball nevertheless to win a corner. The set piece comes to nothing, but this is a decent opening period for the hosts. 4 min: Suarez tears down the inside-right channel and is clumsily brought to ground by Reo-Coker. The free kick is 25 yards out, just to the right of the D. Adam takes it, and I have no idea what he was trying to do; the ball clanks straight into the wall. Aiming to get the ball up and over and into the bottom-right corner, perhaps? 2 min: Liverpool happy to pass it around the back for a minute or so, giving all their defenders a touch. It’s just like the 1980s. Sort of. And we’re off! Liverpool set the ball rolling, and they’re kicking towards the Anfield Road end. The ball’s pumped down the right, where Henderson nearly finds Suarez one on one with Knight, but the big defender manages to clear. The teams take to the pitch. Liverpool in their all-red strip, Bolton in their white shirts and navy shorts. It won’t be long now. “I’m sorry to say it but I think Liverpool-Carroll=bad news for Bolton,” opines Rob Cobourne. “Saying that, has Dalglish forgot about Maxi’s hat-tricks at the end of last season? Surely Henderson could make way for one match: 4-1 to Liverpool.” Kick off: 5.30pm. Referee: Lee Probert (Wiltshire) Bolton Wanderers unchanged from the side who lost to Manchester City: Jaaskelainen, Steinsson, Cahill, Knight, Robinson, Eagles, Reo-Coker, Muamba, Petrov, Kevin Davies, Klasnic. Subs: Bogdan, Sanli, Mark Davies, Blake, Pratley, Wheater, Riley. Liverpool drop the generally misfiring Andy Carroll to the bench: Reina, Kelly, Carragher, Agger, Jose Enrique, Adam, Lucas, Kuyt, Henderson, Downing, Suarez. Subs: Doni, Carroll, Maxi, Spearing, Shelvey, Skrtel, Robinson. In fact, Bolton haven’t taken a single point off the Reds since September 2006, when Sam Allardyce single-handedly when Gary Speed and Ivan Campo gave them a 2-0 win at the Reebok. Moreover, they haven’t won a league game at Anfield since 1954. Though there is that FA Cup win on Liverpool’s patch in 1993, at least. Even so, with that sort of track record, a Bolton win today would be a coupon buster. Do people still do coupons? Perhaps the only highlight of former Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson’s painful reign last season came when his side did the double over Bolton Wanderers. But even those slim pickings, secured on New Year’s Day with a late Joe Cole goal at Anfield, not long before Roy was told to do one, can be put into context: it was Liverpool’s fourth double in a row over the Trotters. Ho hum. Oh Roy! Premier League 2011-12 Liverpool Bolton Wanderers Premier League Scott Murray guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …• Email your thoughts to scott.murray@guardian.co.uk • Press F5 to refresh this page or use our auto-refresher • Click here for all the latest scores from across Europe • And click here for live league tables and stats 31 min: Skrtel’s first act is to toe-poke the ball out for a corner, with Klasnic threatening down the left. From the corner, Davies meets with his head, but blazes Petrov’s ball over. Anfield has gone slightly quiet, a suggestion that Liverpool have lost a wee bit of momentum. 30 min: Kelly is replaced by Skrtel, who goes straight to right back. 28 min: Kelly is off the pitch getting treatment on his left leg. He’s going to have to go off. 26 min: Muamba is replaced by Mark Davies. Not sure whether that’s an injury or tactical. 24 min: From the centre spot, Henderson pings a first-time pass down the inside-right channel to release Suarez. He’s clear, and chips the ball over the advancing Jaaskelainen from 30 yards, but gets a wee bit too much on his shot and the bar twangs the very top of the crossbar and out for a goal kick. Close, but in the final analysis a bad miss. “Can we have the Liverpool of August 2010 back please?” begs Everton’s Gary Naylor. “Surely, in these recessionary, riotous and, well, rubbish times, they added some much needed levity to the nation.” 23 min: Henderson curls a low ball through the six-yard box from the right. Kuyt is inches from making contact, but can’t convert. Liverpool are playing superbly here, but then they did this against Sunderland too, and look what happened there. 21 min: A long ball down the middle by Adam so nearly finds Suarez, cutting into the box from the wing, clear in the centre. Jaaskelainen is off his line quickly to deny the excellent Uruguayan. 20 min: A raking ball down the left by Suarez releases Downing, who crosses into the centre for Kuyt. The striker shapes to shoot from the edge of the area, but the ball’s robbed off his toe before he can connect. This is a wonderfully open game. 18 min: Nearly a picture-book response from Bolton. Muamba finds Eagles down the right. Eagles swings one across to Petrov, level with the far post, ten yards out. Petrov creams a superlative volley goalwards, which Reina does marvellously well to parry. Excellent play. 15 min: GOAL!!! Liverpool 1-0 Bolton Wanderers. So nearly a picture-book goal. From the left wing, Suarez curls one with the outside of his boot into the area for Downing, who hits it first time for the right of goal. Jaaskelainen parries brilliantly. But no matter! The ball finds its way to Henderson in the right-hand side of the area. He drops a shoulder, moves the ball to the left, and curls a fantastic effort into the top left. The £16m man has found it difficult to win over the fans so far; that should help a wee bit. 13 min: Bolton are struggling to put anything together, though they’re looking strong enough at the back so far. Kuyt nearly releases Suarez down the inside right, but a combination of Robinson and Cahill clears the danger. 11 min: Liverpool still enjoying the majority of possession, but mainly in their own half at the moment. A couple of times they try to spring forward with long balls down the channel, but nothing sticks. 8 min: Petrov wins a corner after twisting and turning Kelly down the left. From it, Liverpool break upfield, Suarez releasing Downing down the inside-right channel. He should tear clear and get a shot on goal, but takes a heavy touch and must settle for a corner. Agger gets a head to Adam’s kick from the right, but can’t direct it goalwards. Bolton hack out for another corner, which is wasted. This is a bright opening. 5 min: Liverpool have started very strongly. Suarez wins the ball down the left from Steinsson while sat on his arse, springing up and nearly breaking free down the wing. Then Adam overhits a pass down the left for Downing, who reaches the ball nevertheless to win a corner. The set piece comes to nothing, but this is a decent opening period for the hosts. 4 min: Suarez tears down the inside-right channel and is clumsily brought to ground by Reo-Coker. The free kick is 25 yards out, just to the right of the D. Adam takes it, and I have no idea what he was trying to do; the ball clanks straight into the wall. Aiming to get the ball up and over and into the bottom-right corner, perhaps? 2 min: Liverpool happy to pass it around the back for a minute or so, giving all their defenders a touch. It’s just like the 1980s. Sort of. And we’re off! Liverpool set the ball rolling, and they’re kicking towards the Anfield Road end. The ball’s pumped down the right, where Henderson nearly finds Suarez one on one with Knight, but the big defender manages to clear. The teams take to the pitch. Liverpool in their all-red strip, Bolton in their white shirts and navy shorts. It won’t be long now. “I’m sorry to say it but I think Liverpool-Carroll=bad news for Bolton,” opines Rob Cobourne. “Saying that, has Dalglish forgot about Maxi’s hat-tricks at the end of last season? Surely Henderson could make way for one match: 4-1 to Liverpool.” Kick off: 5.30pm. Referee: Lee Probert (Wiltshire) Bolton Wanderers unchanged from the side who lost to Manchester City: Jaaskelainen, Steinsson, Cahill, Knight, Robinson, Eagles, Reo-Coker, Muamba, Petrov, Kevin Davies, Klasnic. Subs: Bogdan, Sanli, Mark Davies, Blake, Pratley, Wheater, Riley. Liverpool drop the generally misfiring Andy Carroll to the bench: Reina, Kelly, Carragher, Agger, Jose Enrique, Adam, Lucas, Kuyt, Henderson, Downing, Suarez. Subs: Doni, Carroll, Maxi, Spearing, Shelvey, Skrtel, Robinson. In fact, Bolton haven’t taken a single point off the Reds since September 2006, when Sam Allardyce single-handedly when Gary Speed and Ivan Campo gave them a 2-0 win at the Reebok. Moreover, they haven’t won a league game at Anfield since 1954. Though there is that FA Cup win on Liverpool’s patch in 1993, at least. Even so, with that sort of track record, a Bolton win today would be a coupon buster. Do people still do coupons? Perhaps the only highlight of former Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson’s painful reign last season came when his side did the double over Bolton Wanderers. But even those slim pickings, secured on New Year’s Day with a late Joe Cole goal at Anfield, not long before Roy was told to do one, can be put into context: it was Liverpool’s fourth double in a row over the Trotters. Ho hum. Oh Roy! Premier League 2011-12 Liverpool Bolton Wanderers Premier League Scott Murray guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …• Email your thoughts to scott.murray@guardian.co.uk • Press F5 to refresh this page or use our auto-refresher • Click here for all the latest scores from across Europe • And click here for live league tables and stats 31 min: Skrtel’s first act is to toe-poke the ball out for a corner, with Klasnic threatening down the left. From the corner, Davies meets with his head, but blazes Petrov’s ball over. Anfield has gone slightly quiet, a suggestion that Liverpool have lost a wee bit of momentum. 30 min: Kelly is replaced by Skrtel, who goes straight to right back. 28 min: Kelly is off the pitch getting treatment on his left leg. He’s going to have to go off. 26 min: Muamba is replaced by Mark Davies. Not sure whether that’s an injury or tactical. 24 min: From the centre spot, Henderson pings a first-time pass down the inside-right channel to release Suarez. He’s clear, and chips the ball over the advancing Jaaskelainen from 30 yards, but gets a wee bit too much on his shot and the bar twangs the very top of the crossbar and out for a goal kick. Close, but in the final analysis a bad miss. “Can we have the Liverpool of August 2010 back please?” begs Everton’s Gary Naylor. “Surely, in these recessionary, riotous and, well, rubbish times, they added some much needed levity to the nation.” 23 min: Henderson curls a low ball through the six-yard box from the right. Kuyt is inches from making contact, but can’t convert. Liverpool are playing superbly here, but then they did this against Sunderland too, and look what happened there. 21 min: A long ball down the middle by Adam so nearly finds Suarez, cutting into the box from the wing, clear in the centre. Jaaskelainen is off his line quickly to deny the excellent Uruguayan. 20 min: A raking ball down the left by Suarez releases Downing, who crosses into the centre for Kuyt. The striker shapes to shoot from the edge of the area, but the ball’s robbed off his toe before he can connect. This is a wonderfully open game. 18 min: Nearly a picture-book response from Bolton. Muamba finds Eagles down the right. Eagles swings one across to Petrov, level with the far post, ten yards out. Petrov creams a superlative volley goalwards, which Reina does marvellously well to parry. Excellent play. 15 min: GOAL!!! Liverpool 1-0 Bolton Wanderers. So nearly a picture-book goal. From the left wing, Suarez curls one with the outside of his boot into the area for Downing, who hits it first time for the right of goal. Jaaskelainen parries brilliantly. But no matter! The ball finds its way to Henderson in the right-hand side of the area. He drops a shoulder, moves the ball to the left, and curls a fantastic effort into the top left. The £16m man has found it difficult to win over the fans so far; that should help a wee bit. 13 min: Bolton are struggling to put anything together, though they’re looking strong enough at the back so far. Kuyt nearly releases Suarez down the inside right, but a combination of Robinson and Cahill clears the danger. 11 min: Liverpool still enjoying the majority of possession, but mainly in their own half at the moment. A couple of times they try to spring forward with long balls down the channel, but nothing sticks. 8 min: Petrov wins a corner after twisting and turning Kelly down the left. From it, Liverpool break upfield, Suarez releasing Downing down the inside-right channel. He should tear clear and get a shot on goal, but takes a heavy touch and must settle for a corner. Agger gets a head to Adam’s kick from the right, but can’t direct it goalwards. Bolton hack out for another corner, which is wasted. This is a bright opening. 5 min: Liverpool have started very strongly. Suarez wins the ball down the left from Steinsson while sat on his arse, springing up and nearly breaking free down the wing. Then Adam overhits a pass down the left for Downing, who reaches the ball nevertheless to win a corner. The set piece comes to nothing, but this is a decent opening period for the hosts. 4 min: Suarez tears down the inside-right channel and is clumsily brought to ground by Reo-Coker. The free kick is 25 yards out, just to the right of the D. Adam takes it, and I have no idea what he was trying to do; the ball clanks straight into the wall. Aiming to get the ball up and over and into the bottom-right corner, perhaps? 2 min: Liverpool happy to pass it around the back for a minute or so, giving all their defenders a touch. It’s just like the 1980s. Sort of. And we’re off! Liverpool set the ball rolling, and they’re kicking towards the Anfield Road end. The ball’s pumped down the right, where Henderson nearly finds Suarez one on one with Knight, but the big defender manages to clear. The teams take to the pitch. Liverpool in their all-red strip, Bolton in their white shirts and navy shorts. It won’t be long now. “I’m sorry to say it but I think Liverpool-Carroll=bad news for Bolton,” opines Rob Cobourne. “Saying that, has Dalglish forgot about Maxi’s hat-tricks at the end of last season? Surely Henderson could make way for one match: 4-1 to Liverpool.” Kick off: 5.30pm. Referee: Lee Probert (Wiltshire) Bolton Wanderers unchanged from the side who lost to Manchester City: Jaaskelainen, Steinsson, Cahill, Knight, Robinson, Eagles, Reo-Coker, Muamba, Petrov, Kevin Davies, Klasnic. Subs: Bogdan, Sanli, Mark Davies, Blake, Pratley, Wheater, Riley. Liverpool drop the generally misfiring Andy Carroll to the bench: Reina, Kelly, Carragher, Agger, Jose Enrique, Adam, Lucas, Kuyt, Henderson, Downing, Suarez. Subs: Doni, Carroll, Maxi, Spearing, Shelvey, Skrtel, Robinson. In fact, Bolton haven’t taken a single point off the Reds since September 2006, when Sam Allardyce single-handedly when Gary Speed and Ivan Campo gave them a 2-0 win at the Reebok. Moreover, they haven’t won a league game at Anfield since 1954. Though there is that FA Cup win on Liverpool’s patch in 1993, at least. Even so, with that sort of track record, a Bolton win today would be a coupon buster. Do people still do coupons? Perhaps the only highlight of former Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson’s painful reign last season came when his side did the double over Bolton Wanderers. But even those slim pickings, secured on New Year’s Day with a late Joe Cole goal at Anfield, not long before Roy was told to do one, can be put into context: it was Liverpool’s fourth double in a row over the Trotters. Ho hum. Oh Roy! Premier League 2011-12 Liverpool Bolton Wanderers Premier League Scott Murray guardian.co.uk
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