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Liverpool signed the mercurial Uruguayan striker three years ago in the January window and gave him Dalglish’s famous No. 7 shirt to wear. That was a statement of massive trust on the part of the club. The trust was invested in a player who had made himself notorious for a handball in a World Cup quarter-final that prevented Ghana from reaching the semi-finals.
Ajax had, back then, asked Liverpool to return with a more ‘respectful’ bid when the Merseyside club offered a sum close to £13m. And while no Liverpool supporter would wish to part with Suarez, they can be sure that he will fill the coffers if he does depart.
That, however, is no measure of the footballing success that Suarez has enjoyed at the club and neither does it indicate the significance of his contribution in the last year and a half. Liverpool had hit rock-bottom under Roy Hodgson and were ironically haunted by the transfer dealings of the Dalglish era that also brought Suarez to the club. The arrival of Brendan Rodgers and his definite footballing philosophy and his desire to create a team around the talents of Suarez have lifted Liverpool in such a manner that now it will be a massive disappointment if they are not in Europe next season.
The relationship has been a bitter-sweet one, to be honest. The past is littered with the ruins of avoidable controversies amidst which sublime structures of magnificence stand to create a picture of stark ambivalence. Suarez never gave less than 100% for the Reds but his climb to the elite of world football began only under the Rodgers regime, and the Northern Irishman deserves much credit for that.
Suarez has the versatility of a No. 10, the predatory instincts of a top striker and a footballing brain that allows him to adapt to different formations, but what makes him a truly standout player is that he always has that element of surprise, that one extra push of power and desire that allows him to come up with moments of pure magic.
Looking back on Suarez’s stint at Liverpool is a matter of perspective. His critics will point to the numerous controversies that have established him as the proverbial bad boy of the club, but the club supporters will direct you to his ability on the footballing field. We are highlighting all aspects of this three-year journey that will soon reach a threshold in the summer when both parties will review their relationship.
Here is a list of six moments that have defined the Luis Suarez/Liverpool relationship so far.
6. Patrice Evra and Racism Allegations
Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra
There is no defense for racism in football. The sport fosters and nurtures contests, rivalries but there is a limit to it all and every individual must recognize that there are certain boundaries you cannot cross. Patrice Evra clearly stated his allegations after Liverpool and Manchester United played out a fiercely contested derby in October 2011. He said, “I was very upset. In 2011 you can’t say things like this. He knows what he said, the ref knows it, it will come out. I won’t repeat what he said, but it was a racist word, and he said it more than 10 times.”
Liverpool backed the player after having questioned Suarez and their stance was widely criticized in the media and by the opposition camp lead by Sir Alex Ferguson. Kenny Dalglish tried to shield his player and he came in for a huge amount of criticism but the club stood by Suarez in his time of need and that was to define much that would transpire later on in the relationship. He was penalized with an eight-game ban for the entire affair after he was found guilty for racially abusing the defender.
He returned to Old Trafford in February 2012 clearly harbouring a bitterness for the way events transpired and refused to shake Evra’s hand before the match. The event was much anticipated, and the media was buzzing with questions whether the shake of hands would happen but none perhaps expected Suarez to refuse it. Suarez was attacked by Ferguson again calling Suarez “a disgrace to Liverpool FC” and many found it difficult to disagree.
5. Norwich Hat-Tricks
Suarez took his time to settle down at the club playing the major portion of the second half of 2010-11 season with success, but not exhibiting the same goal-scoring ability that he has come to be associated with now. He turned a corner at the Copa America in 2011 where he was the player of the tournament and he brought that form to England. The season was disrupted due to the racial abuse controversy but he proved that he would be a vital cog in the wheel with his insatiable appetite. He won his first trophy with Liverpool in 2011-12 when Liverpool and while Suarez was perhaps the most unlucky player that season hitting the post with an astonishing frequency.
He scored three of his 11 league goals at Carrow road against Norwich and made the fixture his own in the coming seasons. He repeated the feat in Liverpool’s first season under Brendan Rodgers and how! Steven Gerrard assisted him like he once used to assist Fernando Torres allowing Suarez to drive in the first with his left-foot. He made the second one for himself, as he so often does, stealing the ball on the right wing and racing away to slot the ball into the low with his right-foot.
Luis Suarez of Liverpool scores his first goal against Norwich with a long range effort.
He caused what you can only call a footballing orgasm when he caught the keeper off his line from half-line lifting the ball over his head to complete an unforgettable hat-trick. He made it even more special in December 2013 when he struck a forty yard screamer with similar instinctual ability. That was a part of his third-hat-trick against Norwich and they must wonder what he has against them.
It was evident that Rodgers’ system allowed Suarez to express himself in a way that he wasn’t able to under Dalglish. His role expanded from being a goal-poacher to the lone-striker who drops into the midfield to create and score goals. He was running the channels with greater mobility, was more clinical and added a deadly dead ball ability to his game that had remained under covers before. Suarez scored 30 goals in all competitions under Rodgers missing out to Gareth Bale for the player of the season award but that could have turned out very differently if not for “the bite”. It’s difficult to see how he anyone can stop him from grabbing that accolade this season.4. The Diving Celebration
Luis Suarez dives in front of the Everton bench
Earlier in October 2012, Luis Suarez was coming under pressure for allegations of diving. The theatricality that comes along with Suarez can indeed be a matter of annoyance for the most rigid and blind of Kop supporters but Suarez wouldn’t digest any remarks from David Moyes without reply. It seems that Moyes was playing a few mind games prior to the Merseyside derby when chose to comment upon Suarez’ diving antics.
Moyes had remarked that such theatricality was driving fans away from the game, but it came to bite him in the back when Suarez decided to floor himself in front of Moyes after scoring a typical striker’s goal. It was hilarious and probably within the bounds of the acceptable! It reminded one of Robbie Fowler’s ‘eating the grass’ celebration when Fowler pretended to snort to respond to rumours circulated by Evrton fans that he was on drugs.
The celebration exhibited Suarez’s fighting spirit as well as his immersion in a celebrated rivalry and that is exactly what a club demands from its players.3. Ivanovic Bite
Liverpool striker Luis Suarez (R) clashes with Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic
Suarez was in red-hot form when this unfortunate incident happened that almost drove the Uruguayan away from Anfield. The club had supported the troublesome striker through the Evra controversy, but this was purely inexcusable. Suarez made a clear attempt to bite Ivanovic in the penalty area in order to get away from his marking in a game against Chelsea. The cameras managed to capture the incidents well enough to provide incriminating proof that led another 10-game spell on the sidelines for Suarez.
It earned him deplorable epithets like “the cannibal” etc. but more importantly the club was left with no choice but to rebuke the player. They ran great risks in supporting him through the Evra controversy, but there was no way of defending this. Suarez did score post that incident in the same match to earn a 2-2 draw for Liverpool that only went on to show what a curious mix of malice and magic this man was.2. Arsenal‘s Pursuit
Liverpool’s Luis Suarez competes for the ball with Arsenal’s Laurent Koscielny
Suarez had scored 30 goals in a complete season, and Arsenal needed those goals. They tried to intervene in a relationship that was visibly turning sour as Suarez called for a transfer move through media columns registering his disillusionment with the English media. The appeal was clearly meant as an invitation to Spanish or German clubs, but Arsenal were the first to react. Suarez agitated for the move, but Liverpool took the call that they wouldn’t let go such an asset to a domestic competitor.
Arsenal made a cheeky bit of £40,000,001 believing that that would invoke a release clause only to be rebuked by Liverpool owner in an even cheekier manner. Arsenal’s pursuit led to a hardening of the Liverpool stance on the player as Suarez was disallowed from training with the squad. Arsenal would rue their failure to up their bid at that critical stage (and in fact Arsene Wenger has conceded that it was a mistake) which might have allowed them to catch a top player on the cheap!
Given that Suarez has now signed a new long term contract and is even more lethal (already approaching the 30 goal tally), it would take a Gareth-Bale-type bid to lure the player away from Anfield. 1. Formation of the “SAS”
Luis Suarez and Danie Sturridge – Liverpool’s SAS
Liverpool signed Daniel Sturridge in the January window of 2013 to add to their striking ammunition. Suarez had effectively been the lone striker at the club till then with Andy Carroll being loaned out to West Ham and Fabio Borini failing to make an impact. Brendan Rodgers showed admirable courage in putting both Suarez and Sturridge on the same field to reignite the fashion of a striking partnerships that has been one of the defining elements of the 2013-14 season so far.
They were able to establish a telepathic understanding from the very beginning: a Sturridge dummy set up Suarez on goal against Norwich in early 2013. They have been lethal ever since combining to create goals for each other and making life miserable for defenders in the Premier League. They share almost 35 goals between them this season only and have regularly assisted each other.
The most recent Merseyside derby was an exhibition of how they have tactically benefited from each other’s presence. Sturridge and Suarez alternated as the striker at the head of the pitch with the other always shifting to the wing to find space which makes marking extremely difficult for the defending team. However, the slight spat at the end of that game also opened up the possibility of a chink in the dream partnership. However, nobody really notices when two defenders shout at each other for a lapse. In any case, the future will deliver its judgment on that aspect.
Liverpool and Suarez are driving towards a common aim: Champions league football. The success or failure of that quest will have a major consequence for the future of this relationship but in the light of that new long-term contract, one can be sure that if they part ways it will be in a mutually beneficial manner.
