Tag Archives: groove

Alan Pardew backs Papiss Cisse to break scoring duck soon

Posted on by

Pardew backs Cisse to end drought and rediscover goalscoring form

|

UPDATED:

09:23 GMT, 24 September 2012

Alan Pardew believes Papiss Cisse needs to find the back of the net just once before the goals start to flow.

The Senegal international made a major impact when he joined Newcastle in January, scoring 13 goals in 14 games, but he is yet to score this season.

On Sunday he missed a number of chances on Sunday against Norwich, including a penalty which he blasted over the bar.

Firing blanks: Papiss Cisse fired his penalty over the bar

Firing blanks: Papiss Cisse fired his penalty over the bar

But Pardew has no fears that his striker will come good and start to put away the chances.

Pardew said: ‘He is one of those players who doesn’t really carry too much baggage, if I am honest.

'I don’t see an overriding problem there. I just know with Papiss that one goal, one moment will get him back into the groove.

'He’s a great player, and like all great players you have got to stand by them.

'We stood by Hatem when he was not at his best and look at him now. In a kind of forgettable game, I am guessing for most people, especially neutrals, there were four or five moments from Hatem that you could put in a World Cup.

'They were really special and that’s where he is at the minute, he really is playing well.'

Tiger Woods wins AT&T title at Congressional

Posted on by

Woods' takes honours at Congressional as Van Pelt's challenge fades to lift AT&T title

|

UPDATED:

00:15 GMT, 2 July 2012

Tiger Woods held firm to beat Bo Van Pelt to the AT and T National title at Congressional and move second on the all-time list of PGA Tour winners.

Woods began the day one shot back of overnight leader Brendon de Jonge, but went two under for an eight-under-par total as the Zimbabwean fell apart.

De Jonge had a nightmare round of six over par to finish in a share of 11th on one under, leaving Van Pelt, the other member of the final threesome, as Woods' closest challenger.

In the groove: Woods is back to winning ways at Congressional

In the groove: Woods is back to winning ways at Congressional

AT&T National

Click here for final leaderboard

And after both men bogeyed the 16th, it was neck and neck with two holes to play.

But Van Pelt could not hold it together, dropping a further shot at each of the final two holes, allowing Woods to seal a Tour-leading third title of the year by two strokes with a pair of pars.

Swing the zone: Woods held off the challenge posed by Van Pelt

Swing the zone: Woods held off the challenge posed by Van Pelt

Swing the zone: Woods held off the challenge posed by Van Pelt

It was Woods' 74th PGA Tour win, moving him clear in second and ahead of Jack Nicklaus.

The only man ahead of him is Sam Snead, who won 82.

Van Pelt was level for his final round to finish second on six under, one clear of Australia's Adam Scott.

Put it there: van pelt congratulates Woods on victory

Put it there: van pelt congratulates Woods on victory

Martin Brundle set for Le Mans with son, Alex

Posted on by

Brundle rolls back the years for Le Mans as F1 pundit teams up with son for blue-riband race

|

UPDATED:

12:57 GMT, 16 June 2012

Martin Brundle spends more time behind a microphone than behind the wheel these days but despite turning 53 earlier this month the need for speed is still running through his veins.

Over the next 24 hours Brundle senior will partner son Alex and Spanish youngster Lucas Ordonez in a Greaves Motorsport Zytek-Nissan in the LMP2 class as he aims to roll back the years in the gruelling Le Mans endurance race.

Centre of attention: Brundle will race alongside son, Alex (right) and Ordonez

Centre of attention: Brundle will race alongside son, Alex (right) and Ordonez

But returning to the scene of one of his greatest triumphs in motorsport – he won the race in 1990 driving a Jaguar XJR12 – Brundle is adamant that having another crack at one of motorsport's most prestigious events does not represent a last hurrah.

'I would have said that in 2001, when I got out of the Bentley at Le Mans,' said Brundle, the star attraction of Sky's Formula One coverage.

'I sat in the drivers' briefing the other day and I couldn't believe I sat there, to be honest, at my age.

'But when I went out on the track the years just rolled back. It took me a few laps to get used to it, to realise how fast you can go into corners around here.

On track: Brundle will roll back the years this weekend in Le Mans

On track: Brundle will roll back the years this weekend in Le Mans

'And then it all came back to me. You get in the groove and you start flowing and attacking and my pace has been great. I feel like I was in the late 90s in the Toyota when I stuck it on pole.

'If you go into a breaking zone at 200 mph the car starts to slide and if you grit your teeth and press on you've still got it.

'But if you say “I didn't like the feel of that, I'm going in the pits” then you might as well stop. But I haven't got that feeling.

Veteran: Brundle won the race in 1990

Veteran: Brundle won the race in 1990

'Here you're doing about 160mpoh between two concrete walls and there are two quite sharp left-handers and for me that is the barometer of whether you've still got the desire or not.

'And if you can go flat through those two left-handers, as I did in qualifying, then you've still got the need.'

Even so, it is next generation of Brundles who is aiming to ensure the family name continues to be represented in top-level motorsport, the ultimate aim of course being Formula One.

As well as competing in the Nissan powered machine in the European Le Mans Series, Alex Brundle is also driving in the GP3 this year – the single-seater feeder category two rungs below Formula One.

Taking on the challenge of Le Mans is sure to add more strings to his bow.

'I learn every time I exit the pit lane,' said Alex. 'There is an unbelievable amount to learn around such challenging race track. If you want to learn about sports car racing you come to Le Mans. It's a huge event and hopefully this will make me a better single-seater driver as well as a beginnings of a sports car driver.'

Pointing out just how much of a test of skill and concentration Le Mans provides, Brundle senior added: 'It's an incredibly complex challenge, 30 scheduled pit stops, any number of opportunities per lap to drop out of the race.

'If we get to the end of the race we'll have done the equivalent of 16 F1 races in a day. That's how tough it is.'

Tough enough to entice Brundle back out onto the track.

London 2012 Olympics: Usain Bolton plans to shock world

Posted on by

Bolt plans to shock the world with record-breaking performance in London

|

UPDATED:

18:10 GMT, 1 June 2012

Usain Bolt is aiming to wow the world with his performances at the Olympics.

Bolt got back into the groove on Thursday night with victory in the Rome Diamond League 100metres in 9.76 seconds, the fastest time in the world this year.

It was his fourth fastest time ever, with the previous three all world records.

Sharp: Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt wearing the 2012 Jamaican Olympic kit with Cedella Marley

Sharp: Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt wearing the 2012 Jamaican Olympic kit with Cedella Marley

Bolt will draw inspiration from London's Jamaican community during the Olympics, and he warned rivals like Tyson Gay and Yohan Blake that his Italian job was just the start

'I know I can go faster because this is the start of the season. I have a long way to go,' Bolt said.

'I'm really looking forward to competing here. I haven't competed in London for a while so I'm really looking forward to it.

'I know all the Jamaicans living here are looking forward to it also so I'm just preparing to put on a great show.

'At the end of the day I just want to wow people after this Olympics so I'm looking forward to it.'

Bolt was in London today to launch Jamaica's Bob Marley-inspired Puma kit for the Olympics.

Asked whether he will need to improve on 9.76secs to win gold, and whether he can go faster, Bolt said: 'That's what I do.

'The season is still early. Everybody is running 9.8 so that's good competition. 9.7 is also good so for me.

Sharp: Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt wearing the 2012 Jamaican Olympic kit with Cedella Marley

'I'm happy with the way it is and just want to continue working hard and run faster so I'm looking forward to it. I'm ready to go.'

Bolt's performance in Rome put to bed any questions about his form after he ran 10.04secs in Ostrava last week.

'I never doubt my ability, never. People forget, and I keep explaining to people, that athletes have bad days,' he said.

'Every athlete can – cricket, football, any sport – you have bad days and that was just one of mine and I got past it and now I'm just moving forward.”

Bolt decided after Ostrava that he needed a few early nights, which clearly did the trick.

His triple Olympic triumph in Beijing was fuelled on a diet of chicken nuggets – but there will be no repeat of that in London.

'The good thing about the fact we are in London is there will be a lot of Jamaican food – the only thing I have to worry about is putting on weight,' he said.

'There will be no chicken nuggets this year.'

Bolt briefly experienced the immigration problems for which Heathrow has been roundly criticised by a member of the International Olympic Committee.

Sharp: Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt wearing the 2012 Jamaican Olympic kit with Cedella Marley

Barbara Kendall, 1992 Olympic windsurfing champion, wrote on Twitter: “Heathrow Airport Immigration is a nightmare!! took me 2 hours to get through and it is not Olympic time yet.”

But being the fastest man ever to have walked the earth has its perks.

'I came in today on an Italian airline today just behind a flight from Asia. I think it was from India and there were so many people on the flight and I was at the back of the queue,' Bolt said.

'Surprisingly, somebody recognised me so I got to the front of the line.

'So, so far it's been pretty good!'

The Jamaican kit was designed by Cedella Marley, who drew inspiration for the outfits from her father and his music.

'We took the fit of what my dad would wear and updated it to 2012,' Marley said.

'You have the Iron Lion military jacket, the Buffalo Soldier shirt. I tried to incorporate the Bob Marley fit in as many pieces as possible where we were able to accommodate that.

'You did see dad on the jacket, right So that's a little piece of him that's going to be in London.'

Manchester City will struggle to break Premier League title duck, says Bryan Robson

Posted on by

Man City will struggle to break Premier League title duck, says United legend Robson

|

UPDATED:

00:01 GMT, 23 March 2012

Former Manchester United captain Bryan Robson believes Barclays Premier League rivals City may feel the pressure of trying to win the title for the first time.

City came from behind to beat Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday and can now go back ahead of United if they win at Stoke City on Saturday evening.

Nevertheless, Old Trafford ambassador Robson believes the pressure of trying to win the league for the first time may yet tell on City.

In the groove: United are going for title number 21 this season

In the groove: United are going for title number 21 this season

Robson said: 'I do think the race has just swung slightly to United now.

'Because of their experience over the years Manchester United will not take it for granted. They will not ease off.

'United are definite favourites now. You can never do anything in football by looking down at fixture lists but on paper, City have the worst of it.

'The other thing in Man United's favour is that they have been there, seen it, done it, year in, year out for the last 20 years. The manager is so experienced. He knows how to handle it.'

Robson was part of the first United team to win the Premier League back in 1992-93. That team missed out narrowly on a couple of occasions before they did win it, though.

He added: 'Certain City players will have it in the back of their mind that they are never going to do it. Some will be really positive. Others won't have the same character.

'Once you have achieved it, the whole squad know what you have done and you get confidence from it. It makes it easier to win it again.

'Our greatest win was the first. It took the shackles off. The players started to relax because it wasn't 26 years without a league title anymore.

'Everybody had the confidence to win. That was a big thing.

'With Manchester City, it is still going to take a bit of time. United have been there, seen it, done it for so many years.

Spirit: City showed great fight to come back from a goal down against Chelsea

Spirit: City showed great fight to come back from a goal down against Chelsea

Spirit: City showed great fight to come back from a goal down against Chelsea

'City are building. Over the last three years they have come a long way. Winning the FA Cup was a big thing. At least they have a trophy in the cabinet.

'You can't dismiss them for this season. They still have a great chance. They believe that. We will only be able to assess where they are at the end of the season.

'But the first time, you do feel pressure. As soon as you slip up, that pressure is on you. It looks like it won't be your year.”

Now recovered from the throat cancer that he suffered a year ago when working in Thailand, Robson is heavily involved once again at Old Trafford and believes manager Sir Alex Ferguson continues to give United the edge over their rivals.

The former England skipper said: 'Another little downturn for City is the little bit of negative publicity; the Tevez saga, Balotelli on a couple of nights out.

'Those little things…Sir Alex Ferguson always keeps right on top of them and doesn't allow them to happen.

'Sometimes that is because he knows the character of the players and doesn't allow it to happen.

Red alert: United currently have a slender lead at the summit of the table

Red alert: United currently have a slender lead at the summit of the table

Red alert: United currently have a slender lead at the summit of the table

'The manager has a massive influence on all the boys. He has this winning mentality. He does man-management really well. That can be the biggest difference.

'The boss isn't interested in one individual. He is interested in the whole group. Not just his first-team squad, all the kids in the youth team, the reserve boys.

'He just says: “I am not standing for that type of behaviour”.'

Ferguson did face a test of his authority when Wayne Rooney arrived for training worse for wear after a night out over Christmas. The United manager immediately dropped his star player.

'That is why he will always clamp down,' added Robson. 'When you look at certain managers, you ask whether they would have left Rooney out.

'United had a million injuries going into that game. He is fielding depleted team and then he says: “I am not having him” and Wayne is left out.

'A lot of managers might have fined him but put him in because it was an important game and they didn't want to slip up. The boss saw the bigger picture.

'It is not just that. It is the other side of it as well. Does Wayne think he can get away with it because he is one of the top players in the world The boss has shown the answer to be no.'

Breaking the duck: United ended their 26-year wait for a title in 1993

Breaking the duck: United ended their 26-year wait for a title in 1993

Bryan Robson was speaking ahead of the Soccerex European Forum to be held in Manchester next week.

LONDON 2012: Tonia Couch and Sarah Barrow claim diving bronze for Britain

Posted on by

British duo in sync after snatching diving bronze at World Cup

Tonia Couch and Sarah Barrow claimed Great Britain's first ever women's international diving medal after snatching bronze in the platform synchro at the FINA World Cup on Wednesday night.

The duo looked dead and buried with a dive to go but nailed their back two-and-a-half somersault half twist to jump from eighth to third.

A Brit of all right: Couch (left) and Barrow celebrate with their bronze medals

A Brit of all right: Couch (left) and Barrow celebrate with their bronze medals

It meant a first medal for Britain at this week's meet at the Olympic Aquatics Centre and was a stunning breakthrough for the duo after they agonisingly finished fourth at last July's World Championships.

The pair had qualified for the final in second place, with a score of 319.86, and while they just failed to better that in the final they did enough to reach the podium.

In the groove: The British duo snatched a bronze to the delight of the home crowd

In the groove: The British duo snatched a bronze to the delight of the home crowd

'We are very, very happy,' Barrow said. 'We went into the final knowing we could get a medal. There were little ups and downs but the last dive proved that we're definitely capable of being in the medals.'

Couch added: 'We knew we had to nail that last dive. We knew we had to score 80, we've done that before.

Pure delight: The British duo celebrate their historic dive

Pure delight: The British duo celebrate their historic dive

'I said to Sarah “let's do this”. I could see in her face she was confident, I was confident. We just did it.'

They were shocked to hear they were the first British women to ever win a FINA-event medal.

Water result: The pair will go into this summer's Olympic Games buoyed by tonight's achievement

Water result: The pair will go into this summer's Olympic Games buoyed by tonight's achievement

Bad day at the office: Laugher

Bad day at the office: Laugher

'It's a little bit crazy,' Barrow said.
'It's really good for us. We've put in a lot of work over the past two
years. 'It put us in a good place for the Olympics.'

Earlier, rising star Jack Laugher's hopes of a 3m springboard medal were dashed when he completely missed a dive he unveiled for the first time in international competition.

The 17-year-old had been third with two dives to go, after earning the first 10 of the evening, but immediately fell back after he badly over-rotated the forward four-and-a-half somersault.

It was a mistake he could not afford in a high-class final and he had to be content with matching the eighth place he managed at last year's World Championships in Shanghai.

'I think that was the highest-scoring
final I've ever seen in my entire life,' he said. 'I'll have to work on
it (the missed dive) with my coach though.

'I
was taking a big risk in doing it but the risk could have potentially
paid off. 'It didn't so I'll just take it as experience and move on from
it. 'If I work on it maybe it will be good for the Olympics.'

Liverpool ace Andy Carroll: I"m starting to look like a 35m striker

Posted on by

I'm starting to look like a 35m striker, says Carroll

A more confident Andy Carroll feels his Liverpool career is starting to take off 12 months after arriving at Anfield.

Since becoming the most expensive
British player when he moved from Newcastle in a 35million deal on
transfer deadline day of January last year the striker has not enjoyed
the best of times.

Back in the groove: Andy Carroll

Back in the groove: Andy Carroll

His debut was delayed by a thigh injury sustained prior to his switch and he never regained full fitness before further problems ended his season a few games early.

The 23-year-old returned in better shape after a full pre-season but circumstances beyond his control, namely another untimely injury to captain Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez's eight-match ban, meant his chances of playing in a properly full-strength team were restricted.

Sunday's 6-1 FA Cup win over npower Championship visitors Brighton – in which Carroll scored the decisive goal to make it 3-1 in the second half – was in fact the first time he, Gerrard and Suarez had started a game together.

He got his captain's man-of-the-match nomination but there had been signs over the last month that Carroll was starting to look like he could deliver on the expectations his hefty transfer fee produced.

And the striker is feeling much better about himself after two goals in four matches, and three since the turn of the year which has doubled his tally to six for the season.

Contribution: Carroll provides an assist for Luis Suarez against Brighton

Contribution: Carroll provides an assist for Luis Suarez against Brighton

'I feel like I am doing well. I have just started scoring goals and I am doing well in games. I think it has all come together,' said the England international.

Asked whether this was now the best he had felt since moving to Merseyside he added: 'Without a doubt and I think it shows in my performances.

'(I'm) getting around the pitch a bit more, getting involved. I am happy, more confident and things are going all right.

'The whole team played well (against Brighton) and I was delighted to get a goal and obviously so for Luis (who also scored after missing a penalty) as well.'

More championship opposition awaits next weekend in the form of Cardiff when Liverpool travel to Wembley for their first final in five years.

The team could not have had better preparation for the Carling Cup showpiece, having bounced back from a league defeat at arch-rivals Manchester United, and Carroll knows competition for places in the final will be fierce.

One of the boys: Carroll with Luis Suarez, left, and Dirk Kuyt

One of the boys: Carroll with Luis Suarez, left, and Dirk Kuyt

'It is a massive game and I think all the lads are looking forward to it. Hopefully we can get the win,' he said.

'I have never been to a cup final. That is all I am looking forward to, getting there. It is a great feeling and hopefully we can win it.

'We have got a massive squad and everyone can play a part in it. We are such a good team that you could pick anyone.

'You have just got to work hard. The manager picks the team at the end of the day. “If we can get the trophy it would be great.”'

Victory over Cardiff would guarantee a return to European competition after a year's absence but Liverpool are still holding out hopes of a top-four finish to get back into the Champions League.

'We have been playing well in the last couple of weeks and have been putting the performances in' added the striker.

'We have been lacking goals but we have shown there we can bang them in.

'It is nice to see those teams (Arsenal and Chelsea) struggle a bit and obviously us putting performances like that together, it is great.'

Ricky Ponting feels confidence flowing after ending hundred drought

Posted on by

I'm back! Ponting feels confidence flowing after ending ton drought

Ricky Ponting warned India his confidence has returned following his first century in two years in Australia's victory in the second Test in Sydney and claimed there were more to come.

The former Australia captain hit 134 to rack up his first ton since scoring 209 against New Zealand in January 2010.

And the 37-year-old was not concerned by suggestions from India bowler Zaheer Khan that he had lost his natural flair and become a 'grinder' of a batsman.

Grinding it out: Ponting celebrates his ton against India

Grinding it out: Ponting celebrates his ton against India

'There's more than one way to skin a cat,' Ponting said ahead of the third Test in Perth which starts on Friday.

'You probably say the same thing about Sachin (Tendulkar) as well, the way that he's been able to accumulate runs over the years and someone like (Jacques) Kallis and (Rahul) Dravid.

'I've had to work really hard with my game the last few months and I felt that I made a bit of progress the last few weeks.

'I think the biggest challenge for me was the technical flaws that I've been working on (and) getting enough quality time in the middle and starting to feel that bit more free again.

Back in the groove: Ponting says he feels the confidence flowing

Back in the groove: Ponting says he feels the confidence flowing

'For the first 30 or 40 runs in Sydney last week, probably, I was still battling myself a little bit, but I think the start of day two was probably as free as I've felt in a long time.

'The way I moved, hit most of the balls in the middle, I might have played and missed one ball I think on that second morning. So when you're making as few mistakes as I did for the second part of that innings you can start to take some confidence from that.'

And Ponting insisted he was determined to push now for more centuries, having recorded only one at the WACA, 197 against Pakistan in 1999.

'Confidence is everything in our game as we all know and understand,' he said.

Double trouble: Clarke and Ponting are both back in the runs

Double trouble: Clarke and Ponting are both back in the runs

'But I'm not going to rest on one hundred.

'I've said it for a while now that if I got to those three figures then hopefully it's the start of something big for me again, so that's the way I'm looking at it.

'I train the same way this week, I trained hard again the last couple of days and I'll get everything done tomorrow that I need to get down to give myself the best chance to perform again.

'We're certainly not resting on our laurels of what we've done as individual players or what we've achieved as a team so far.

'Individual players have got room for improvement and the teams got room for improvement and we're not going to rest until we're at our peak.'