Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish anger at Rooney appeal

Kenny Dalglish has said the Football Association did not set a good example by appealing against Wayne Rooney's three-match Euro 2012 ban.

The Liverpool boss said: "I find it a bit strange the FA are supposed to be setting an example for things yet they appeal against Wayne Rooney's ban."
Rooney's ban, imposed after being sent off against Montenegro, has been reduced to two games by Uefa.

He is now free to play against the Ukraine on 19 June.

However, the 26-year-old will still miss the Group D fixtures against France and Sweden.

It was a victory of sorts for the FA's delegation, who travelled to Nyon in Switzerland to present Rooney's case, but Dalglish is unhappy at the FA's treatment of his striker Luis Suarez.

Suarez is facing a racism charge dating from October and has also been charged with misconduct after allegedly making an obscene gesture to fans following the Reds' 1-0 defeat at Fulham on Monday.

Dalglish is unhappy that no date has been set for the Uruguayan international to answer the racism charge.

"The fact it has taken nine weeks to get a decision on one of the other charges is a bit of a joke as well," the Scot told a press conference.

"I don't think that has helped as well. The circus which is around about him has been caused mainly by that."
A screen was lowered at the Liverpool press conference on which the club played what they said was a series of unpunished infringements against Suarez during the Fulham game.

Dalglish has already indicated he thought referee Kevin Friend did not give his team the benefit of 50-50 decisions during Monday's match.

He said he fully supported 24-year-old Suarez: "The people at Liverpool and anyone who has any leaning to the club - be it staff, players, supporters - they will stand by him and they know what the truth is.

"If anyone wants to see the truth from the other night it is on the screen."

Suarez faces the charge after allegedly using racist language during an on-field clash with Manchester United's Patrice Evra on 15 October.

Dalglish contrasted the situation with the FA's appeal to Uefa over Rooney's ban, imposed after a red card for kicking Miodrag Dzudovic during England's 2-2 draw in Montenegro in October.

"I don't think it's a good example to set," he concluded.

Responding to Dalglish's comments, the FA's director of communications Adrian Bevington tweeted that it was "important to clarify Uefa has completely different set of disciplinary regulations to the FA".

Chelsea 0-2 Liverpool Carling Cup quarter final, outline match and all goals

Maxi Rodriguez and Martin Kelly both scored in a five-minute spell after the break to maintain Dalglish's unbeaten record against Chelsea in 13 matches as Liverpool manager.

Liverpool's win was fully deserved, even with the inspirational Luis Suarez rested, as they were able to recover from the setback of Andy Carroll's missed first-half penalty to secure their third straight victory at Stamford Bridge.



Tuesday, 29 November 2011 Carling Cup

Chelsea 0-2 Liverpool

Maxi 58
Kelly 63

Liverpool 1-1 Manchester City outline match and goals

Joleon Lescott's own goal cancelled out Vincent Kompany's effort as 10-man Manchester City restored their five-point lead at the top of the Premier League.
Mario Balotelli was sent off for two yellow cards in the space of 18 minutes after coming on as a substitute.

But City, who dropped points for the second time this term, held on to draw.

Liverpool's Wales forward Craig Bellamy was left out following the death of Gary Speed.

Video\Liverpool 1-1 Manchester City match outline and goals:



Sunday, 27 November 2011
Premier League

Manchester City " Kompany " 31

Liverpool " Lescott " og 33

Formula 1 drivers want DRS rethink, Mark Webber said

Formula 1 drivers want a rethink on the use of the controversial DRS overtaking aid for next season.

They feel allowing free use in practice and qualifying is a safety risk and want it restricted, like in races.

Red Bull driver Mark Webber said: "There have been a few incidents where people have gone off because they were pushing the boundaries of using DRS.

"So the drivers are almost unanimous that they would prefer its use outside of the race to be limited."

The DRS - or Drag-Reduction System - was introduced this season in an attempt to make overtaking easier.

The move was a reaction to the belief that passing had become too difficult.
In races, drivers are allowed to use the DRS in a specified 'zone' on one or more straights, but only if they are within a second of the car in front at a pre-ordained 'detection point'.

Drivers are given a signal in their cockpits when they have fulfilled the criteria, and press a button to activate the system.

This lifts the upper rear wing flap, which reduces downforce and drag and therefore gives a straight-line speed boost of between 12-20km/h (8-12mph).

Because use is free in practice and qualifying, drivers try to open the wing as much as they can to gain lap time.

But if they apply it too soon it can cause an accident, because they would be left with less downforce and grip than they need to stay on the track at the speed they are going.

Webber, who was writing in his BBC Sport column, said there had been at least three incidents this year caused by this issue.

"Renault's Bruno Senna had a crash in Suzuka [in Japan], I had one on Friday in Hungary, and one of my team-mate Sebastian Vettel's practice crashes was caused by that too," Webber said.

He added that the drivers would like the regulations to be changed so the system can be used in practice and qualifying "just in the DRS zone and perhaps a couple of the key straights, and with a restriction on the point at which you can deploy it so you're not too close to the exit of a corner".
Introducing the DRS was a controversial move because some feel it is interfering with the 'purity' of racing, and risks diminishing the importance of an overtaking move.

There has also been criticism that it has resulted in overtaking being too easy at some races, where governing body the FIA has erred in its calculations.

Webber, a key player in the Grand Prix Drivers' Association, said: "Inevitably, there have been some races where overtaking has been a bit too easy, such as China, Belgium and Turkey, others where it has still been too hard, such as Valencia, Barcelona and Korea, and others where it has been bang on. That's to be expected."

Bosses are unanimous in wanting to persevere with DRS in the future but acknowledge that it has been too easy to overtake at some races and will make refinements to the way the system is used next year, aided by a year's data.

Webber added: "We are approaching each race this year 'blind', so inevitably there is a bit of trial and error involved, along with a lot of science.

"It is a difficult subject to get right - and I'm sure with all the information gathered this season, it will be a lot closer to perfect next season.

"DRS is a controversial issue, not least because a lot of it depends on your point of view.

"Some people will like to see cars passing and re-passing all the time. Nascar stock-car racing in America is founded on that. But for some who have a more purist point of view about F1 - like me - overtaking should mean more than that.

"They've done a good job so far and I'm sure the teams and the FIA will get the balance a bit better at some of the tracks next year."

Liverpool beat Stoke 2-1 in the Carling Cup fourth round

Luis Suarez capped a superb individual display with a late winner as Liverpool came from behind to beat Stoke in the Carling Cup fourth round.

The hosts went ahead just before the break when Kenwyne Jones headed a low cross from Jon Walters into the corner.

Liverpool hit back when Suarez nut-megged Ryan Shotton and curled a stunning strike past Thomas Sorensen.

And four minutes from time, Jordan Henderson volleyed a cross to the far post where Suarez headed home.

Maria Sharapova vs. Samantha Stosur - WTA Championships Match

Sharapova is the most experienced player of the entire lot and has the calibre of capitalising it to the fullest. Unfortunately, the recent injuries she picked up in Asia have surfaced as a concern over her requirements of being able to bring the title-winning form. Sharapova had an impressive year with two premier level titles in Rome and Cincinnati besides a final finish at Wimbledon, where she was a heavy favourite. Despite her momentous rise from the injury hiatus, Sharapova has never been my favourite. Her shaky, nervy play, high error count and a flurry of double faults weaken her chances at the Championships which is a field full of Kvitovas and Stosurs of the game.
Sharapova's opponent, and reigning US Open champion Samantha Stosur is one of the most unpredictable players on tour at the moment. Where she is capable of bringing a Serena-taming form on the most important day of her life, she also finds ways to succumb to a Marion Bartoli in a final (HP Open, Osaka) that changed the course of her career two years ago. Stosur has won three WTA singles titles to her name but also has the game, which is worthy of destroying the most ferocious warriors on court, only on a given day. And here, we are talking about an entire WEEK.

Both players have met nine times and Sharapova has an overehelming 9-0 lead in the head-to-head. In the pair's three meetings earlier this year, Sharapova recorded comfortable victories to eventually claim titles in Rome and Cincinnati besides a runner up finish to Azarenka in Miami.

Sharapova's key to success today will be her percentage tennis. Stosur, on the other hand, can emulate her US Open final performance if she makes a good enough start.

Stosur does have an upper hand in this contest and is likely to emerge victorious in two closely contested sets. However, if the match goes into a third set, things might go in Sharapova's favour as well.

New Jersey Grand Prix for 2013 set to be announced

Formula 1 will hold a Grand Prix in New Jersey in 2013, West New York mayor Felix Roque has claimed.

The United States will feature on the Formula 1 calendar for the first time since 2007 with next year's race in Austin, Texas.

New Jersey governor Chris Christie could announce the deal at a press conference scheduled for Tuesday.

Roque said: "It's incredible. This is going to be an economic boom for this whole region."

It has been claimed that the race will take place on a four-lane motorway that runs alongside the Hudson River in Weehawken, West New York.

"It will provide a very challenging course," West New York attorney Joe DeMarco said.

"They compare it to Spa in Belgium but it will have the feel of Monaco."

Lewis Hamilton won the last US Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2007.

The event's eight-year run there came to an end when F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone failed to agree new terms with the circuit's owners.

Ecclestone's plans to take a race to the New York area were first revealed when he began talks with representatives of Monticello Motor Club (MMC) in New York in 2009.

Austin-based promoters Full Throttle Productions overcame competition from MMC to stage a race at a purpose-built track with a deal through to 2021.

But, two years on, a deal has now been reached with a consortium of investors and city and state governments for a race to take place in New Jersey.