From the outside looking in, the return of your best player, top goalscorer and arguably only world class player currently in his prime can only be a positive. However in the case of Liverpool's talisman striker Luis Suarez, honestly, its difficult to find too many to point to. 5 games in the reds sit 5th in the premier league table, only outside their ultimate goal for the season, the champions league places on goal difference. Striker Daniel Sturridge is off to a fine goal scoring start, new signings Simon Mingolet and Kolo Toure have slotted in relativity comfortably and they've even seen off fierce rivals Manchester United 1-0 at Anfield. Since few have the kop side down as a team likely to qualify for europes top competition, its difficult to see what Suarez's return could bring the reds they havent already had this season. Even with the Uruguayan's net finding abilities, are Liverpool better than at least one of Manchester City, United, Chelsea, Arsenal or Tottenham? On paper certainly not. So if he cant bring them Champions league football, what can he bring them? A player to be proud of? lets be honest could that be further from the truth? Has any other player done more to drag the name of his club through the mud that Suarez? Having already served bans for racially abusing an opponent, and biting another, the former Ajax man isn't exactly a role model. But what are the negatives of his return? allow me to explain.
He's very high up on the premier leagues most hated list. Liverpool were always a club neutrals could cheer for. If your team weren't a premier league contender, the chances were you would be happy to cheer on Liverpool, in the hope they could prevent Alex Ferguson and his Manchester United claiming yet another league title. Even though they are no longer even a favorite to run the title race close, they were still far from a team you actively rooted against. Their was so little to dislike, a glorious past, a modern day great in Steven Gerrard and factoring in the post Hillsborough sympathy, everyone's second club. Those days are gone. left long behind when he sent a racial slur in the general direction of United left back Patrice Evra. Things got even worse at Old Trafford when Suarez refused to shake the handshake of that same player, who showed incredible composure to extend a hand in the first place. Admittedly, Kenny Dalglish's post match interview also poured gas on the fire that had now been set to Liverpool's reputation, but ultimately, he would have never had to make those comments if Suarez hadn't put him in that position in the first place.
While still running around carrying the tag of punished racist, he then decided to sink his teeth into Chelsea's Branoslav Ivanovic, earning him a further 10 game ban. Former Liverpool players came out quickly in damnation of his actions. criticism varied from calls for his immediate placing on the transfer list, to perhaps sad acceptance that the club were in no position to buy a replacement of Suarez's quality, and would have to accept his flaws. More or less an acceptance of his position as "bigger than the club".
That whole mess in the summer.You'll remember this. Arsenal made two bids for the striker in the summer, the second of which was 40 million pound, and one pence. They, and Suarez thought this activated a clause in his contract forcing Liverpool to sell him, Liverpool did not. Basically this now means either Suarez be leaves the manager, Brendan Rogers backed out of a promise to him about what this clause would mean when he agreed to stay at the club last summer, or the club have mislead him and his agent when they placed it in his contract in the first place. That's messy, very messy, and isn't a problem that's going away. Suarez wanted to leave and firmly be leaves he should have been allowed to, so what now? What if Liverpool are cut well adrift of the top four comes January, one of Europes top clubs come calling? What if they miss the champions league all together and clubs start queuing up again in the summer?
Getting him into the team wont be easy. Liverpool and Daniel Sturridge's form without Suarez has been very good, this on the England man's part is largely due to being able to play through the middle as a main striker. He was sold by Chelsea after struggling mightily to find form as a wide player their, and while admittedly showing the occasional flash of class, was far from the sort of player he is now, playing in a wider berth with Suarez up front for Liverpool last year. Getting technical for a moment, if Liverpool continue with their current 4-3-3 formation, it would be most likely see one of the teams star strikers forced into those wide positions. Sturridge has previous of struggling playing there and with Suarez Liverpool's best talent, surely they wouldn't wish to mess with his role in the team. A secondary option would be some variation of 4-4-2/4-4-1-1/4-2-3-1 with Suarez playing deeper than, or in support of Sturrdige. Again their's issues here, Assuming Steven Gerrard is an automatic pick in center midfield, Rogers would have to select between Joe Allen or Lucas to partner his captain, is that enough cover for a back four? 4-4-2 itself comes with problems, again the midfield looks worryingly thin, with the potential to be overrun, but more to the point, where do the likes of Phillipe Countinho play when he returns from injury? Surely even at Anfield a midfield of Henderson Gerrard Lucas Countinho is far too flimsy, showing defensive weakness through the middle and wide area's. All in all, when Liverpool head into theirs biggest games this season, to include Suarez and Sturrdige, Rogers must pick between moving one of his best goalscorers out of position, or hanging his midfield out to dry, not ideal.
In a day and age where Liverpool's owners are trying desperately to improve the popularity of the club around the world, it has probably rarely been lower in the Uk itself. Suarez, while not souly, has been hugely responsible for this. The question was often asked of Manchester City, when was enough enough with Mario Balotelli, when would his needless red cards, and multiple training ground bust ups be too much to ignore, given his limited goal scoring record for the club. Suarez has certainly been far more important to Liverpool on the pitch than the enigmatic Italian was for City (Though he has a Fa cup and Premier League winners medal...) but it could easily be argued Mario's antics were not nearly as damming to the clubs image. Has time come for them to move away from him? Well they cant now, the windows shut, several other top class strikers only recently moved clubs this summer and their not leaving those clubs to join Liverpool, who don't play in europe at all this season. I once compared Liverpool fans to a abused house wife in this situation. Clearly the victim of undeserved abuse from the one they love, far to willing to forgive in the hope of change, when everyone around can see it inst coming. Now i think they are far more like a desperate boyfriend, well aware his glamour girlfriend is cheating on him, but unwilling to cut the cord as they know how long they'll be single after, and that they'll never do better. Liverpool are British football's most successful club in Europe, second best in league wins, a genuine force in the game, however they are currently at the mercy of a player clearly undeserving of the loyalty and protection. If the expression "no one is bigger than the club" still means anything at Anfield, then the return of their top scorer from last season shouldn't be hailed as the return of a messiah, but that of a prodigal son, who realistically, cant take them any further than he already has.
Richard Lewis
