Could Liverpool be a better team without him?
Liverpool’s Uruguayan frontman Luis Suarez, has been a footballing sensation since joining the Premier League club back in 2011. But after a series of high profile incidents, is he too much of a liability for the Merseyside club?
The forward was prolific for the Reds in the league last season netting 23 goals. His talents are undeniable and he has been inundated with much footballing praise as a result of it. If you were to compile a list of footballing greats to grace the Premier League it would be difficult to omit someone of Suarez’s calibre.
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Unfortunately for the hordes of people that praise him, there is a matching number that rightly condemn him for his behaviour both on and off the pitch. Exhibitions of diving and cheating are now seemingly tolerated in modern football; racism and biting are fortunately not. The Uruguayan was rightly found guilty and punished on both charges.
Liverpool may currently reside in the shadow of their previous footballing achievements, but their world appeal is largely unrivalled. You only have to travel to recognise the attraction and status that a club like Liverpool has. Famed for its history, playing style and overall club ethos, Liverpool are recognised the world over. A player like Suarez does more damage in tainting this reputation than he does add to it with his football.
Can Liverpool cope without a talent like Suarez? Many would argue that he alone has carried the team of late to the league position they find themselves in. Aside from Suarez and an ailing Gerrard there really isn’t much world-class talent to be found in the squad. This does not mean Liverpool should keep hold of the troublesome Uruguayan however. A club with a strong view to youth development cannot function when the role models in the dressing room include a man of his character. If he is to be the key man at the club he has to behave with that in mind. I think most Liverpool fans would rather a harmonious squad of prodigious talent than a squad that bows to the beck and call of one particularly distasteful individual.
Aside from racism and biting, the very character of the man was highlighted by his recent media outbursts. He recently stated that he wanted to leave Liverpool because he was: “not prepared to continue suffering at the hands of the English journalists.”
While this suffering is to a degree self-inflicted, let’s assume this was his reason for a transfer request. This led to speculation that a move to Madrid was in the offing, with a £30-£40million fee being touted.
Unfortunately, now Arsenal have been linked with a move for the forward. Few have moved to downplay the interest, and clearly Arsenal feel Suarez is open to a stay in England. Does Suarez really think the club and fans that invested so much in him both financially and emotionally are stupid enough to not see through the hypocrisy here?
Again I reiterate my view that Suarez is one of the best players to ever play in our country. However, there comes a point when a player’s worth is exceeded by the cost he forces the club to bare. I think Liverpool would be wise to sell their man quickly before he destroys the credibility of the club as a whole.
Liverpool are no longer the great footballing power that they once were. Which means they cannot attract the talents of big name stars that say a Champions League outfit perhaps could. However, playing for Liverpool still means something to most footballers in our game. If the £30-£40m cold be made directly available to Brendan Rodgers I believe that the squad can be reshaped and actually made better for the future. Feasibly that figure would present the club with opportunity of bringing in three quality footballers.
Luis Suarez is a one-off genius who would be irreplaceable for any club, but this does not mean that Liverpool cannot rebuild if they lose him. Daniel Sturridge is not the direct replacement for Suarez. In Sturridge you have a footballer to complement an incoming attacking midfielder/deep lying frontman but not to be one. A couple of names being bandied around of late could easily be captured with the money from a potential sale of Suarez. Christian Eriksen looks to be on the move this summer and would add attacking flair and goals from an advanced midfield role. Similarly, the club have been crying out for a Jamie Carragher replacement in the heart of defence. Investment in someone like Kyriakos Papadopoulos may be a shrewd move for a club with a focus on youth.
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My main point is that Liverpool fans should look to embrace the departure of Luis Suarez and try to see it as a great opportunity for the club. It should, if FSG allow it, give Rodgers the necessary tools to overhaul the squad in certain areas and push them back towards the pinnacle of Europe.
Do you think Liverpool should sell Luis Suarez?
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