So, what happens when two Evertonians get together? They talk about Liverpool of course.... I have first hand experience of this all year round, but this week they're justified in doing so as it's Derby week!
Our neighbours have had a good season, they've been consistent, hard to beat and difficult to score against. They've proved wrong all the critics who say players don't try when they're not sure if their manager will be there the following season and whoever is in charge at Goodison next season will have something to build on.
We're missing our star striker through suspension (just in case you hadn't heard...) but January signing Daniel Sturridge stepped up to the mark at Newcastle and Liverpool fans have every faith he can do so again in his first taste of Merseyside Derby action.
I'm not the most optimistic of supporters when it comes to predictions and it bothers me somewhat that we haven't lost this fixture for over a decade, though I know come kick off on Sunday previous results, good or bad, count for nothing. It will be hard fought, passionate and intense, as it always is. Coming so close to the end of the season with the teams right next to each other in the league table it has all the makings of a classic Derby.
Last season we won the game 3-0 (see match review here) thanks to a hat-trick from Superman, captain Steven Gerrard. More of the same would be very welcome this time round.
I'll put a few posts on here over the course of the week in the build up to the game so keep checking back. Let the excitement build and let's hope we keep the bragging rights where they belong for another season.
Monday 29 April 2013
Friday 26 April 2013
Why I Feel Wronged By The Whole Luis Suarez Saga
This last week since Luis Suarez bit Branislav Ivanovic has been difficult for rationally minded people, it's been hard, it's been tiring, it's been frustrating and most of all it's been exasperating. The whole thing has left a bad taste in my mouth (excuse the pun) that I'm not convinced I'll ever fully get rid of.
Let's start at the beginning.
I feel cheated by Luis Suarez. Our talented Uruguayan is probably the most exciting player that someone of my generation has seen in a Liverpool shirt. His skill, work rate, love of the game and desire to win is unbelievable, he's almost like Fowler, McManaman, Barnes, Owen, Torres and Kuyt all rolled into one. When he was banned for racially abusing Patrice Evra I continued to support him. I'm not going to go over old ground but the evidence was never 100% substantial, and as long as there was even a tiny bit of doubt I wasn't willing to give up on him and hang him out to dry. On the occasion of his most recent indiscretion I felt let down by one of my favourite Liverpool players. Yes, I feel angry about the inconsistencies in the FA disciplinary procedures that mean he will miss ten games, but what is in no doubt at all is his guilt. Only he and Evra really know exactly what was or wasn't said when they squared up in the six yard box in front of the Kop, but when he inexplicably chose to bite Ivanovic on almost the exact same blade of grass the whole world saw him do it. I can have my opinions on the severity of his punishment, but I can do nothing at all to defend his behaviour. I hope he stays at Liverpool and I will continue to give him my full support, but my trust in probably the most dynamic player I've ever seen play for us isn't completely there anymore and for that I feel cheated.
I feel cheated by the general public. For all it's problems I'm proud to be English and live in England. I love English food, the English sense of humour, English beer and certainly English football. The reaction of the English public to Suarez' bite left me in despair. Yes, he bit him. But it wasn't exactly a full blooded assault, my eight month old son regularly causes me more physical pain than Suarez caused Ivanovic. The reaction of the public was as if they'd seen a different incident. All of a sudden biting became the worst sin a person could commit. Had Suarez grabbed Ivanovic by the throat with one hand and punched him unconscious with the other he couldn't possibly have been more strongly condemned than he was for what was actually, in terms of how painful it was, a very minor scrape on a football pitch. The public reaction was nothing short of hysteria, there was nothing even remotely approaching a measured verdict, just a demand for the death penalty. People actually telephoned the police to complain about the 'assault'. Talk about wasting police time. It's just people wanting to see someone else get in trouble because they obviously haven't got enough excitement in their own lives and I pity them. And as for the lady who called radio 5 to blame Suarez for her son being bitten in school, don't even get me started on that one! I want to live in a society where at least the majority of people are right minded, even handed and not bitter about others making a success of themselves but it seems I don't, and for that I feel cheated.
I feel cheated by the media. Seriously, some of these football journalists have been reporting on the game for decades and have seen things happen on a pitch that you wouldn't believe. They've seen all sorts of manner of violent conduct, all kinds of injuries and more dramatic confrontations than you can count. They're bound to put what was a very minor (but still very wrong) act of physical violence into perspective aren't they? They know what they're talking about. But I forgot, controversy sells papers. Nobody wants to read that what Suarez did was naughty but in the grand scheme of things it wasn't that bad, so nobody wrote that. People wanted a public execution so that's what the papers gave them. Jamie Redknapp and Graeme Souness, two former Liverpool captains who have seen a lot in the game and, one much more than the other, been involved in violent altercations, often of their own making. Claiming to have never seen anything like it on a football pitch when a high profile Premier League star had done the same thing only a few years previous smacked of hyping things up to get themselves noticed. It comes to something when you eventually find the voice of reason in Gary Neville. I respect the written word and the tradition of impartially reporting the facts, but now there's no way I can form an opinion of something I haven't seen with my own eyes by reading the trusty old back pages, and for that I feel cheated.
I feel cheated by the FA. When the ban came through as ten matches I was shocked. I completely expected it and had predicted ten games, but only because I felt the FA would bow to the mass hysteria rather than actually look at what happened and reach an outcome that reflected what the crime was, not the over-hyped version of the crime doing the rounds on Facebook, Twitter etc... On 'Judgement Day' I'd somehow convinced myself that the ban would be in proportion to the offence so when it came through as more than double what John Terry received for calling Anton Ferdinand a f**king black c*nt I lost all faith in the organisation that presides over the sport I love, and for that I feel cheated.
I feel cheated by Liverpool Football Club. After the negative press we got for the handling of the last Suarez saga I was very impressed with how we responded on Sunday evening. Lessons had clearly been learned. And then the charge was announced. All sense of a measured approach was lost. We stated that a three game ban was sufficient, why was that allowed to happen, never mind be made public? Yes, a three game ban for violent conduct is the norm, but whether you feel this incident was particularly serious or not it was certainly different and would be treated as such. There are four games to go in a season that is already over for us, keep your mouths shut and the logical four game ban will surely follow. Then the ban length was made public by the FA. It was clear that in attempting to tell the FA not to ban him for more than three matches we'd angered them and it had hurt Suarez' case. So what did we do? Criticised them, publicly. Ruining any chance of an appeal. Seriously, how hard would it have been to say 'I'd rather make no further comment on the matter until it is concluded'? I wanted a sensible response to the matter from LFC and they failed spectacularly and for that I feel cheated.
I feel cheated by the Prime Minister. This morning David Cameron stepped in to condemn Luis Suarez' behaviour as an appalling example for children. This coming from a man who left his own daughter in a pub. Well firstly Mr Cameron, since you've been in power you've cut funding in several cultural areas and as a consequence my girlfriend lost her job, so Suarez will not be a bad example to my son as I can't afford to take him to football anyway, thank you. And secondly, I know you've been trying to make childcare more affordable, but having Luis Suarez bring up my kid is not a route I'm going to go down. There are two people who will be responsible for teaching my son what is right and what is wrong, HIS PARENTS. A few weeks ago Mr Cameron was asked his opinion on whether or not the Formula 1 Grand Prix should take place in Bahrain despite the country's deplorable human rights record - his response? 'That's for Formula 1 to decide'. So in summary, human rights = not for me to comment on, a little bite = where's the nearest microphone? I haven't voted for you before and I won't be voting for you in future. I believe politicians should run the country and focus on what is important but on this evidence it seems they don't, and for that I feel cheated.
I feel cheated by the FA again. I'd just got my head around the ten match ban. I'd rationalised it. Suarez accepted a seven game ban for a similar offence a couple of years back, he repeated offended so yes, I can see the logic in giving him the same ban again with a few games added on as he clearly hadn't learned his lesson. But then came the FA report with their reasoning. I'm not going to take it apart in great detail as I'm sure several other websites will be doing that. But in short biting somebody is more serious than tripping over a referee because it got more mentions on Twitter. So it has to be ten matches. The Jermaine Defoe bite cannot be considered a precedent as the referee saw it, and the other biting incident (Chester's Sean Hessey receiving a 5 game ban) won't be looked at in any way, shape or form as part of deciding what punishment is appropriate. I'm convinced Suarez' decision not to appeal was not based on him thinking the punishment was fair but on him expecting his ban to be extended if he did. And this extension would come from the same FA who appealed Wayne Rooney's red card for England when his guilt was as obvious as Suarez' in this case. I can't quite believe how far out the FA have got their priorities and I have no faith at all anybody will be punished fairly by them in future, and for this I feel cheated.
It can't be all doom and gloom. I don't want to be bitter and angry so I'm looking for good in this whole situation too, and it's not hard to find. For a start the Hillsborough Family Support Group has an extra £200,000 to help it's cause. And surely now the FA (with it's new Man Utd supporting chairman, assisted by his Man Utd supporting vice chairman) will come under intense pressure to reform it's disciplinary procedures which currently seem to follow the 'we make it up as it suits us' rule and not a lot else. And also this week Man Utd won the title for the 20th time and it has slipped totally under the radar so every cloud......
That's it from me for now, I'm off to watch some rugby.
Let's start at the beginning.
I feel cheated by Luis Suarez. Our talented Uruguayan is probably the most exciting player that someone of my generation has seen in a Liverpool shirt. His skill, work rate, love of the game and desire to win is unbelievable, he's almost like Fowler, McManaman, Barnes, Owen, Torres and Kuyt all rolled into one. When he was banned for racially abusing Patrice Evra I continued to support him. I'm not going to go over old ground but the evidence was never 100% substantial, and as long as there was even a tiny bit of doubt I wasn't willing to give up on him and hang him out to dry. On the occasion of his most recent indiscretion I felt let down by one of my favourite Liverpool players. Yes, I feel angry about the inconsistencies in the FA disciplinary procedures that mean he will miss ten games, but what is in no doubt at all is his guilt. Only he and Evra really know exactly what was or wasn't said when they squared up in the six yard box in front of the Kop, but when he inexplicably chose to bite Ivanovic on almost the exact same blade of grass the whole world saw him do it. I can have my opinions on the severity of his punishment, but I can do nothing at all to defend his behaviour. I hope he stays at Liverpool and I will continue to give him my full support, but my trust in probably the most dynamic player I've ever seen play for us isn't completely there anymore and for that I feel cheated.
I feel cheated by the general public. For all it's problems I'm proud to be English and live in England. I love English food, the English sense of humour, English beer and certainly English football. The reaction of the English public to Suarez' bite left me in despair. Yes, he bit him. But it wasn't exactly a full blooded assault, my eight month old son regularly causes me more physical pain than Suarez caused Ivanovic. The reaction of the public was as if they'd seen a different incident. All of a sudden biting became the worst sin a person could commit. Had Suarez grabbed Ivanovic by the throat with one hand and punched him unconscious with the other he couldn't possibly have been more strongly condemned than he was for what was actually, in terms of how painful it was, a very minor scrape on a football pitch. The public reaction was nothing short of hysteria, there was nothing even remotely approaching a measured verdict, just a demand for the death penalty. People actually telephoned the police to complain about the 'assault'. Talk about wasting police time. It's just people wanting to see someone else get in trouble because they obviously haven't got enough excitement in their own lives and I pity them. And as for the lady who called radio 5 to blame Suarez for her son being bitten in school, don't even get me started on that one! I want to live in a society where at least the majority of people are right minded, even handed and not bitter about others making a success of themselves but it seems I don't, and for that I feel cheated.
I feel cheated by the media. Seriously, some of these football journalists have been reporting on the game for decades and have seen things happen on a pitch that you wouldn't believe. They've seen all sorts of manner of violent conduct, all kinds of injuries and more dramatic confrontations than you can count. They're bound to put what was a very minor (but still very wrong) act of physical violence into perspective aren't they? They know what they're talking about. But I forgot, controversy sells papers. Nobody wants to read that what Suarez did was naughty but in the grand scheme of things it wasn't that bad, so nobody wrote that. People wanted a public execution so that's what the papers gave them. Jamie Redknapp and Graeme Souness, two former Liverpool captains who have seen a lot in the game and, one much more than the other, been involved in violent altercations, often of their own making. Claiming to have never seen anything like it on a football pitch when a high profile Premier League star had done the same thing only a few years previous smacked of hyping things up to get themselves noticed. It comes to something when you eventually find the voice of reason in Gary Neville. I respect the written word and the tradition of impartially reporting the facts, but now there's no way I can form an opinion of something I haven't seen with my own eyes by reading the trusty old back pages, and for that I feel cheated.
I feel cheated by the FA. When the ban came through as ten matches I was shocked. I completely expected it and had predicted ten games, but only because I felt the FA would bow to the mass hysteria rather than actually look at what happened and reach an outcome that reflected what the crime was, not the over-hyped version of the crime doing the rounds on Facebook, Twitter etc... On 'Judgement Day' I'd somehow convinced myself that the ban would be in proportion to the offence so when it came through as more than double what John Terry received for calling Anton Ferdinand a f**king black c*nt I lost all faith in the organisation that presides over the sport I love, and for that I feel cheated.
I feel cheated by Liverpool Football Club. After the negative press we got for the handling of the last Suarez saga I was very impressed with how we responded on Sunday evening. Lessons had clearly been learned. And then the charge was announced. All sense of a measured approach was lost. We stated that a three game ban was sufficient, why was that allowed to happen, never mind be made public? Yes, a three game ban for violent conduct is the norm, but whether you feel this incident was particularly serious or not it was certainly different and would be treated as such. There are four games to go in a season that is already over for us, keep your mouths shut and the logical four game ban will surely follow. Then the ban length was made public by the FA. It was clear that in attempting to tell the FA not to ban him for more than three matches we'd angered them and it had hurt Suarez' case. So what did we do? Criticised them, publicly. Ruining any chance of an appeal. Seriously, how hard would it have been to say 'I'd rather make no further comment on the matter until it is concluded'? I wanted a sensible response to the matter from LFC and they failed spectacularly and for that I feel cheated.
I feel cheated by the Prime Minister. This morning David Cameron stepped in to condemn Luis Suarez' behaviour as an appalling example for children. This coming from a man who left his own daughter in a pub. Well firstly Mr Cameron, since you've been in power you've cut funding in several cultural areas and as a consequence my girlfriend lost her job, so Suarez will not be a bad example to my son as I can't afford to take him to football anyway, thank you. And secondly, I know you've been trying to make childcare more affordable, but having Luis Suarez bring up my kid is not a route I'm going to go down. There are two people who will be responsible for teaching my son what is right and what is wrong, HIS PARENTS. A few weeks ago Mr Cameron was asked his opinion on whether or not the Formula 1 Grand Prix should take place in Bahrain despite the country's deplorable human rights record - his response? 'That's for Formula 1 to decide'. So in summary, human rights = not for me to comment on, a little bite = where's the nearest microphone? I haven't voted for you before and I won't be voting for you in future. I believe politicians should run the country and focus on what is important but on this evidence it seems they don't, and for that I feel cheated.
I feel cheated by the FA again. I'd just got my head around the ten match ban. I'd rationalised it. Suarez accepted a seven game ban for a similar offence a couple of years back, he repeated offended so yes, I can see the logic in giving him the same ban again with a few games added on as he clearly hadn't learned his lesson. But then came the FA report with their reasoning. I'm not going to take it apart in great detail as I'm sure several other websites will be doing that. But in short biting somebody is more serious than tripping over a referee because it got more mentions on Twitter. So it has to be ten matches. The Jermaine Defoe bite cannot be considered a precedent as the referee saw it, and the other biting incident (Chester's Sean Hessey receiving a 5 game ban) won't be looked at in any way, shape or form as part of deciding what punishment is appropriate. I'm convinced Suarez' decision not to appeal was not based on him thinking the punishment was fair but on him expecting his ban to be extended if he did. And this extension would come from the same FA who appealed Wayne Rooney's red card for England when his guilt was as obvious as Suarez' in this case. I can't quite believe how far out the FA have got their priorities and I have no faith at all anybody will be punished fairly by them in future, and for this I feel cheated.
It can't be all doom and gloom. I don't want to be bitter and angry so I'm looking for good in this whole situation too, and it's not hard to find. For a start the Hillsborough Family Support Group has an extra £200,000 to help it's cause. And surely now the FA (with it's new Man Utd supporting chairman, assisted by his Man Utd supporting vice chairman) will come under intense pressure to reform it's disciplinary procedures which currently seem to follow the 'we make it up as it suits us' rule and not a lot else. And also this week Man Utd won the title for the 20th time and it has slipped totally under the radar so every cloud......
That's it from me for now, I'm off to watch some rugby.
Wednesday 24 April 2013
So Just How Fair Is Luis Suarez' Ten Game Ban?
Before I get into exactly what I think of the ten game ban handed out to Luis Suarez today I need to make something clear. This article is NOT in any way, shape or form a defence of Suarez. What he did was wrong and he thoroughly deserves to be fined and banned. The problem with talking about Suarez seems to be that unless you say you want him hung, drawn and quartered you're accused of defending him. When I arrived in work on Monday morning I was met by three Man Utd fans who, let's say, 'asked' for my opinion and told me he should be chucked out of the Premier League. I replied that he was bang out of order and deserves a big fine and ban, but as long as they supported Cantona then they couldn't really say Suarez had to be sold or sacked. And I was immediately told 'I can't believe you're defending him after that!'. Honestly.
Anything other than demanding the Uruguayan be shot seems to be taken the wrong way, any attempt at a balanced discussion falls flat as soon as the over reaction of the nationwide lynch mob rears it's head. So, again, this is not a defence of Suarez, it's a look at the length of his ban. And for the record I'd like to point out two things. Firstly I predicted on here yesterday a ten game ban. And secondly I'm acutely aware of the fact that had our number seven not bitten anybody there would be no ban and no condemnation, so despite whatever you or I think of the ban, he still has only himself to blame for the whole situation.
On to the length of the ban itself - ten games. Well, the three man independent panel watched the video footage and came up with a punishment. What they saw in that incident that led them to conclude ten games was the right length of ban I'm not sure. Yes, he bit him, but it wasn't a hard bite and it was never in any way, shape or form going to endanger his opponent. It was petulant, childish and disgusting, but that it was any worse than spitting, or at least seven more games worse than spitting, I just can't agree with.
If you're undecided on how you feel about the ten game ban I've got a couple of things for you to think about. Against Stoke this season Marounanne Fellaini headbutted, punched and elbowed an opponent in three separate incidents and landed himself with a three game ban. Would you rather be on the receiving end of Suarez' bite or Fellaini's actions? In my opinion most sane people would not choose the Everton man's treatment. This is not me passing judgement on Fellaini, or trying to excuse Suarez, this is me saying if you consider Suarez' bite less harmful then surely you'd have to conclude his ban being over three times the length of the Belgian's simply doesn't make sense.
My next point I feel is an important one. There have only been two bans in the Premier League era of equal length or more that were handed our for a single on field incident. Joey Barton got twelve matches but that was for an accumulation of three separate acts. Only Paolo Di Canio and David Prutton have been banned for as long as Suarez, both of them for pushing the referee. So I ask you this, aside from pushing the referee, was Suarez' bite of Branislav Ivanovic on Sunday the worst thing you have seen happen on the football pitch in England over the last twenty three years? Remember the leg breaking tackles, the heatbutts, players being left unconscious, the swearing, the racial abuse, was Suarez' bite honestly worse than anything else? I doubt anybody can truly, honestly say it was.
I disagree with Suarez claiming he didn't deserve anything more than a three game ban, it was an unusual situation but an unsavoury one and certainly not normal behaviour for a professional footballer, and it deserved to receive a stronger than usual punishment. But ten games is too harsh for what it actually was.
Yes, he has previous, but not this season. Under current rules if a player reaches ten yellow cards he gets a two match ban, but the following season everything starts from scratch again. What a player does one season has no bearing on what happens to him the following season. I'm not saying that this is necessarily right, but it's the rules. I'm all for the FA taking a tougher stance when it is appropriate, but I don't think bringing this in mid-season can be right on any level.
There's the Jermaine Defoe factor. He did the same thing to Javier Mascherano in 2006 and got nothing more than a yellow card. This has been brushed over by saying the FA were powerless to do anything as the referee dealt with it at the time, but this isn't true. The FA had the option to view this an an exceptional incident and take further action against the England centre forward but they chose not to. For this reason alone Suarez is within his rights to feel aggrieved at the ten games that have been dished out to him.
Several people are advising Liverpool and Suarez not to appeal as the ban may end up being increased. This is the same FA who appealed the length of Wayne Rooney's suspension when he kicked a player on England duty. If the FA extended Suarez' ban because he appealed it would be hypocrisy of the highest order. So I expect that to happen.
What the FA have done in banning Suarez for such a ridiculous amount of time is turned him into a victim. He's the guilty party, even his staunchest supporters were disgusted by what he did and a section of Liverpool fans had even begun to think he should be sold. But by handing out an unjust level of punishment they have given people a reason to support the Uruguayan again, to fight his corner and to get behind him.
Banning him is right, banning him for more than three games is right, but banning him for longer than you get for a leg breaking challenge, for longer than you get for spitting, longer than you get for headbutting, longer than you get for racially abusing someone, that's just nonsensical.
Anything other than demanding the Uruguayan be shot seems to be taken the wrong way, any attempt at a balanced discussion falls flat as soon as the over reaction of the nationwide lynch mob rears it's head. So, again, this is not a defence of Suarez, it's a look at the length of his ban. And for the record I'd like to point out two things. Firstly I predicted on here yesterday a ten game ban. And secondly I'm acutely aware of the fact that had our number seven not bitten anybody there would be no ban and no condemnation, so despite whatever you or I think of the ban, he still has only himself to blame for the whole situation.
On to the length of the ban itself - ten games. Well, the three man independent panel watched the video footage and came up with a punishment. What they saw in that incident that led them to conclude ten games was the right length of ban I'm not sure. Yes, he bit him, but it wasn't a hard bite and it was never in any way, shape or form going to endanger his opponent. It was petulant, childish and disgusting, but that it was any worse than spitting, or at least seven more games worse than spitting, I just can't agree with.
If you're undecided on how you feel about the ten game ban I've got a couple of things for you to think about. Against Stoke this season Marounanne Fellaini headbutted, punched and elbowed an opponent in three separate incidents and landed himself with a three game ban. Would you rather be on the receiving end of Suarez' bite or Fellaini's actions? In my opinion most sane people would not choose the Everton man's treatment. This is not me passing judgement on Fellaini, or trying to excuse Suarez, this is me saying if you consider Suarez' bite less harmful then surely you'd have to conclude his ban being over three times the length of the Belgian's simply doesn't make sense.
My next point I feel is an important one. There have only been two bans in the Premier League era of equal length or more that were handed our for a single on field incident. Joey Barton got twelve matches but that was for an accumulation of three separate acts. Only Paolo Di Canio and David Prutton have been banned for as long as Suarez, both of them for pushing the referee. So I ask you this, aside from pushing the referee, was Suarez' bite of Branislav Ivanovic on Sunday the worst thing you have seen happen on the football pitch in England over the last twenty three years? Remember the leg breaking tackles, the heatbutts, players being left unconscious, the swearing, the racial abuse, was Suarez' bite honestly worse than anything else? I doubt anybody can truly, honestly say it was.
I disagree with Suarez claiming he didn't deserve anything more than a three game ban, it was an unusual situation but an unsavoury one and certainly not normal behaviour for a professional footballer, and it deserved to receive a stronger than usual punishment. But ten games is too harsh for what it actually was.
Yes, he has previous, but not this season. Under current rules if a player reaches ten yellow cards he gets a two match ban, but the following season everything starts from scratch again. What a player does one season has no bearing on what happens to him the following season. I'm not saying that this is necessarily right, but it's the rules. I'm all for the FA taking a tougher stance when it is appropriate, but I don't think bringing this in mid-season can be right on any level.
There's the Jermaine Defoe factor. He did the same thing to Javier Mascherano in 2006 and got nothing more than a yellow card. This has been brushed over by saying the FA were powerless to do anything as the referee dealt with it at the time, but this isn't true. The FA had the option to view this an an exceptional incident and take further action against the England centre forward but they chose not to. For this reason alone Suarez is within his rights to feel aggrieved at the ten games that have been dished out to him.
Several people are advising Liverpool and Suarez not to appeal as the ban may end up being increased. This is the same FA who appealed the length of Wayne Rooney's suspension when he kicked a player on England duty. If the FA extended Suarez' ban because he appealed it would be hypocrisy of the highest order. So I expect that to happen.
What the FA have done in banning Suarez for such a ridiculous amount of time is turned him into a victim. He's the guilty party, even his staunchest supporters were disgusted by what he did and a section of Liverpool fans had even begun to think he should be sold. But by handing out an unjust level of punishment they have given people a reason to support the Uruguayan again, to fight his corner and to get behind him.
Banning him is right, banning him for more than three games is right, but banning him for longer than you get for a leg breaking challenge, for longer than you get for spitting, longer than you get for headbutting, longer than you get for racially abusing someone, that's just nonsensical.
Tuesday 23 April 2013
What Length Ban Is Suarez Facing?
For me there are three questions.
Firstly, how long a ban should the FA give Suarez? That one for me is quite straightforward – 3 matches. When Defoe bit Mascherano the ref saw it, no retrospective action was taken therefore the FA didn’t class it as an exceptional case. If it’s a normal violent conduct case then it’s a 3 game ban. A headbutt = 3 games. A punch = 3 games. An elbow = 3 games. A kick = 3 games. Using logic I’d say the FA's hands are tied by their own rules and their own precedents, it HAS to be 3 games.
The second question is how long does Suarez deserve? It’s not the first time he’s done this and he doesn’t seem to have learned his lesson. He lost his head and has to pay for it. Last time he did this he got a 7 match ban and I think this is fair, I think he deserves the same again.
Thirdly I’d ask how long will he actually be given? This is anybody’s guess. Consistency of punishment is not the FA’s strongpoint. One player this season managed to headbutt, punch and elbow a player on three separate occasions during the same game and only got a 3 game ban. In truth I expect a 10 match ban, but this is based on nothing other than me expecting the FA to set down a marker as a deterrent for future offenders.
Monday 22 April 2013
Suarez Must Clean Up His Act - But Football Fans Must Follow Suit
After Luis Suarez latest indiscretion yesterday it’s become even clearer that the Uruguayan needs to clean up his act, but do we have to clean up our own as well? As football fans are we just a big bunch of hypocrites?
Looking at the response of the public in general you can’t escape the feeling that those who condemn football’s latest ‘despicable act’ the most strongly are actually happy that it happened. He’s a naughty boy and will deservedly be punished and the reputation he has earned for himself will stay with him for life, but this isn’t about Suarez, it’s about us – the football supporters.
Fans of Liverpool’s rivals, Man Utd, Everton, Chelsea etc will talk about how long the ban should be and how the player should be sacked or sold, he’s a disgrace to football and the game would be better off without him. But if you could freeze time immediately before those famous teeth sunk themselves into Branoslav Ivanovic’s arm and ask those same people if they would like to see Suarez bite the Serb or not we all know what they’d say. It’s not about the good of the game, it’s about wanting to see controversy. Watching others do things they shouldn’t entertains us.
And Liverpool fans shouldn’t play all innocent either. How many of us, myself included, were pleased to see Eric Cantona get himself a lengthy ban, the same with Rio Ferdinand, and on smaller scales people like Wayne Rooney and Marouanne Fellaini banned on video evidence? We want to see people we dislike misbehave so they can be punished and we can all feel justified in hating them, when realistically the only thing they’ve ever done to us is wear the wrong colour shirt.
Seriously, compare Cantona and Suarez, two players who can both lay claim to being amongst the best of their generation, and who both courted controversy throughout their careers. How can any Man Utd fan realistically vote for Cantona as their clubs best ever player and say Liverpool have to get shut of Suarez? And how can any Liverpool fan say Cantona got what he deserved and then get all high and mighty about how Suarez is just misunderstood? It just doesn’t work. Get your own house and your own morals in order before you start so strongly hammering someone else’s.
Remember Fellaini at Stoke earlier this season? A headbutt, a punch and an elbow all in the same game. How many Liverpool fans said he was a disgrace? How many of us can honestly say we’d rather he hadn’t done it? So how can we want to see something like that in the game because it entertains us and then get all defensive when one of our own does it?
This all goes for fans of all teams, I’ve just used Liverpool, Everton and Man Utd as examples as I know them best, working mainly alongside people who support these teams.
And the way we talk about footballers, what is it actually based on? Suarez is scum. Well, that’s what people say anyway. From everything I’ve heard he’s a dedicated, conscientious family man who lives a quiet life. But once he gets onto a football pitch his competitive edge takes over and he’ll do anything to win, including crossing the line when it comes to his behaviour towards opponents. On the occasion of his 1000th appearance recently Ryan Giggs was described as a ‘wonderful human being’ by his manager. Giggs has hardly put a foot wrong on the pitch over his entire career, both with his talent and behaviour. What he has done off the pitch has ripped a family apart and caused far more hurt to far more people than one overpaid footballer biting another, and yet thousands of fans pay to have his name proudly displayed across their back. That’s their choice and down to their own morals.
If we’re going to judge players as footballers then that’s fine, if we’re going to judge them as people based purely on what they do when they cross the white line then we’re getting into dangerous territory. Look around you at work, somewhere in your office is a person who will take whatever edge they can to get an advantage in their job, maybe break a company rule or two, or call a colleague something they shouldn’t. If you don’t see anybody who fits that description then it’s you.
Whichever members of the public reported Suarez’ bite to the police need to take a good hard look at themselves. What did you hope to achieve? As I’ve already mentioned, one overpaid footballer bit another, if there’s any need for police involvement it’s for those two footballers to decide. It’s just another example of someone trying to get someone else in trouble for their own entertainment.
We all need to get a sense of perspective on what happened yesterday. One man bit another man in an attempt to gain an advantage in a football match. If somebody said to you that the team you support would have a better chance of beating a rival if you bit one of the rival supporters would you do it? Some would, some wouldn’t. I suspect the majority of those who took to social media sites to brand Suarez as scum probably would.
Yesterday was one man’s petulant act that will cost him public humiliation and a fine of probably more than the value of the house you live in. And he deserves it. But as for the majority of the vile things written about him, or about any footballer, is it really necessary? Football is the beautiful game, and we, as fans, are a massive part of football. If we’re going to behave like children, telling tales and calling people names, then do we really have a right to complain when one of the heroes we worship acts like a child too?
Sunday 21 April 2013
Let's Put A Little Perspective On Luis Suarez' Misdemeanors
During the second half of today's 2-2 draw with Chelsea at Anfield Luis Suarez bit Branislav Ivanovic on the arm. I'm not putting the word 'allegedly' in here, it's quite clear he did it, he's guilty and he should be banned. But yet again I've no doubt it will be blown out of proportion by the media and fans of rival clubs, while many Liverpool fans will attempt to defend a man who, not for the first time, was in the wrong.
In the immediate aftermath of today's indiscretion the commentary team and thousands of people on social networking sites were very quick to criticise, and they can't really be blamed, the video evidence was pretty conclusive. But one question I didn't see properly asked was why did he do it? It's very possible it was just a heat of the moment thing, an instinctive action with the sole aim of winding up an opponent and gaining an edge. But it's also very possible Ivanovic (certainly no angel) had done or said something to make the Uruguayan react how he did. Suarez needs to come out with a pretty honest, very public statement in the near future, making clear his regret and offering sincere apologies, but also explaining why he did it. If he was wound up or feels he was provoked into it by his opponent then he needs to make it known. And if Ivanovic did nothing wrong then Suarez needs to make this clear too in order to stop so many people pointlessly defending him.
The referee today spoke to both men straight after they tangled, so it looks like he saw them clash. He obviously didn't see the bite otherwise he would have shown Suarez a red card, but he clearly did see the overall incident. I've long argued the FA's rule that they cannot apply retrospective punishment unless the officials completely miss something is daft but it remains in place. The only way action can be taken is if none of the officials see something, it's purely down to whether or not an incident was seen and not how it was interpreted. There is one get out clause for the FA though, they can take action in 'exceptional circumstances'. That's where they can choose if they would like to punish Suarez or not, and I think it's not overly difficult to guess which option they will choose..........
It all comes down to whether or not the bite should be classed as an exceptional circumstance. Well, I think it should, and it shouldn't, it's a tricky one. Why should it be an exceptional circumstance that deserves a punishment? Well, he bit him. Plain and simple really. Why shouldn't it be? He didn't really hurt him, and he didn't particularly endanger his opponent. The FA recently chose not to take extra action against Callum McManaman of Wigan after his shocking challenge against Newcastle despite him causing serious injury to his opponent, and on that basis any action against Suarez seems incredibly harsh.
A few months back Eden Hazard kicked a ballboy at Swansea (not very hard, but he still kicked him). My first reaction at the time was that Hazard was lucky because the ref sent him off. The red card carried a mandatory three game ban and meant he was already dealt with, there was no need for a witch hunt as the match officials dealt with it correctly and promptly. The danger for Suarez is that a pantomime will develop, with him in his familiar role as the villain. The FA will be forced to react because the referee missed it.
Do I think Suarez should face a ban? Yes I do, he bit his opponent. How long should the ban be? In my opinion three matches, the standard ban for a red card. I think banning him for longer than Hazard received for kicking a ballboy would be grossly unfair.
Is there any reason for Suarez to feel aggrieved if he is punished? No there isn't, he bit his opponent. And yes there is, there is a precedent for this exact incident in recent Premier League history.
In 2006 Jermaine Defoe bit Javier Mascherano and faced no punishment whatsoever. His guilt was easily as clear as Suarez' and the FA chose not to act, despite having the same powers to that they have today.
The purpose of this article (unlike several others I've written) is not to defend Luis Suarez, it's merely to put his actions into perspective. He's not the first to do what he did today, but there's already been more fuss made in the last couple of hours than was made over Defoe. What he did wasn't dangerous when compared to the reckless actions of so many others who fly into tackles knee high and escape unpunished. He didn't pick on someone weak or vulnerable, he went for possibly the scariest opponent in the entire league.
But one thing that is certainly clear is that controversy follows the talented South American and he's not always the unlucky innocent party. He brings a lot of it onto himself. But it's also very hard for him to get a fair hearing, nobody has a real sense of perspective on anything he does. Those who love him will defend him to the hilt, those who hate him will pick up on any slip up and over exaggerate any indiscretion.
I suppose at least what he's done today will mean the enemy down the other end of the East Lancs will get a few less column inches when they wrap up the league title tomorrow, and that can't be a bad thing..
 |
| One game ban |
 |
| No punishment |
In the immediate aftermath of today's indiscretion the commentary team and thousands of people on social networking sites were very quick to criticise, and they can't really be blamed, the video evidence was pretty conclusive. But one question I didn't see properly asked was why did he do it? It's very possible it was just a heat of the moment thing, an instinctive action with the sole aim of winding up an opponent and gaining an edge. But it's also very possible Ivanovic (certainly no angel) had done or said something to make the Uruguayan react how he did. Suarez needs to come out with a pretty honest, very public statement in the near future, making clear his regret and offering sincere apologies, but also explaining why he did it. If he was wound up or feels he was provoked into it by his opponent then he needs to make it known. And if Ivanovic did nothing wrong then Suarez needs to make this clear too in order to stop so many people pointlessly defending him.
 |
| Almost no mention |
 |
| National scandal, even TV weathergirl gets involved |
The referee today spoke to both men straight after they tangled, so it looks like he saw them clash. He obviously didn't see the bite otherwise he would have shown Suarez a red card, but he clearly did see the overall incident. I've long argued the FA's rule that they cannot apply retrospective punishment unless the officials completely miss something is daft but it remains in place. The only way action can be taken is if none of the officials see something, it's purely down to whether or not an incident was seen and not how it was interpreted. There is one get out clause for the FA though, they can take action in 'exceptional circumstances'. That's where they can choose if they would like to punish Suarez or not, and I think it's not overly difficult to guess which option they will choose..........
 |
| No witnesses, one man's word against another, 8 game ban |
 |
| TV evidence, millions of viewers, 4 game ban |
It all comes down to whether or not the bite should be classed as an exceptional circumstance. Well, I think it should, and it shouldn't, it's a tricky one. Why should it be an exceptional circumstance that deserves a punishment? Well, he bit him. Plain and simple really. Why shouldn't it be? He didn't really hurt him, and he didn't particularly endanger his opponent. The FA recently chose not to take extra action against Callum McManaman of Wigan after his shocking challenge against Newcastle despite him causing serious injury to his opponent, and on that basis any action against Suarez seems incredibly harsh.
 |
| Becomes worldwide hate figure |
 |
| Never mentioned, goes on to coach England under 21's |
A few months back Eden Hazard kicked a ballboy at Swansea (not very hard, but he still kicked him). My first reaction at the time was that Hazard was lucky because the ref sent him off. The red card carried a mandatory three game ban and meant he was already dealt with, there was no need for a witch hunt as the match officials dealt with it correctly and promptly. The danger for Suarez is that a pantomime will develop, with him in his familiar role as the villain. The FA will be forced to react because the referee missed it.
Do I think Suarez should face a ban? Yes I do, he bit his opponent. How long should the ban be? In my opinion three matches, the standard ban for a red card. I think banning him for longer than Hazard received for kicking a ballboy would be grossly unfair.
Is there any reason for Suarez to feel aggrieved if he is punished? No there isn't, he bit his opponent. And yes there is, there is a precedent for this exact incident in recent Premier League history.
 |
| ? |
 |
| No punishment |
In 2006 Jermaine Defoe bit Javier Mascherano and faced no punishment whatsoever. His guilt was easily as clear as Suarez' and the FA chose not to act, despite having the same powers to that they have today.
The purpose of this article (unlike several others I've written) is not to defend Luis Suarez, it's merely to put his actions into perspective. He's not the first to do what he did today, but there's already been more fuss made in the last couple of hours than was made over Defoe. What he did wasn't dangerous when compared to the reckless actions of so many others who fly into tackles knee high and escape unpunished. He didn't pick on someone weak or vulnerable, he went for possibly the scariest opponent in the entire league.
But one thing that is certainly clear is that controversy follows the talented South American and he's not always the unlucky innocent party. He brings a lot of it onto himself. But it's also very hard for him to get a fair hearing, nobody has a real sense of perspective on anything he does. Those who love him will defend him to the hilt, those who hate him will pick up on any slip up and over exaggerate any indiscretion.
I suppose at least what he's done today will mean the enemy down the other end of the East Lancs will get a few less column inches when they wrap up the league title tomorrow, and that can't be a bad thing..
Sunday 7 April 2013
Where Does The 0-0 With West Ham Leave Liverpool?
Six or seven years ago we played at home to Bolton in the early kick off on New Years Day, it wasn't good. It was the latest in a succession of horrible games against them. At that point I vowed never to pay money to watch a Sam Allardyce team again and I've stuck to that. I don't blame Allardyce, if that's how he plays and he's successful at it then he has a duty to his employers to do it, get results the best way he knows how. It's not pretty to watch, it's rarely anything even approaching entertaining, but we struggle against it so he would be daft not to set his team up in the way that he does. It's his job to earn points for West Ham United, not to make life easier for any of their opponents.
Over the last 20 years we've never found a consistent formula for beating the hard working, defensively set up teams that come to Anfield. Look at Man Utd, when they play at Old Trafford against anyone of that type it's a home banker. If you can beat the bottom ten sides home and away that gets you sixty points, you should then get enough points in your remaining eighteen fixtures to win the title and that's more or less what Utd do.
Wigan, Fulham, Swansea, Sunderland and Norwich have all come to Anfield this term and been battered, we've beaten them all by three or more goals. This makes you think we've maybe got it sussed and gives you more confidence that we'll brush aside teams like this when they visit but then you get a Stoke, West Brom or West Ham turn up and we just can't score, never mind win. It's not a new problem and it certainly isn't exclusive to Brendan Rodgers' Liverpool, all of his predecessors have had the same trouble. We could have had a penalty today and had a dubiously disallowed goal, but decisions like this happen and can't be blamed for a failure to win, the team must keep going and find that winning goal from somewhere.
Over the last couple of decades we've had seasons where we've beaten the top sides home and away but we've not finished in first place because we've not taken enough points in games where we're clear favourites. Whichever side gets the best results against all the lower down teams is usually the one that picks up the title in May.
Today's 0-0 doesn't really mean a whole lot in the grand scheme of things. With the way the FA Cup and League Cup have gone it means only the top five will qualify for Europe through their league position and I doubt we'd make that even if we won all of our remaining games. It would be nice to overtake our neighbours from across the park but finishing above them certainly isn't an aim at the start of the season. Being below them after 38 games doesn't bother me as long as we've shown progress from last season, which we have. We can't say that Brendan Rodgers needs time to build a dynasty but still expect him in his first season to finish above someone who has had over a decade to mould a team.
Looking at the bigger picture our last seven matches have produced five wins, one draw and one defeat. Repeat this over the course of a season and you'll finish top. Scorelines like today happen, they always have and they always will, but the players have to react positively in the next match. We're away at relegation certainties Reading next Saturday, a game ripe for the winning if ever there was one. We need to get our attitude right, focus on the parts of our game that are working and produce a performance that will get us the three points. It wasn't a good result today but we can't let the rot set in. As it stands it's only one bad result and not a poor run and we, as fans, have got to remember that and not get too carried away with our first goalless draw since Swansea away on November 25th.
The team have given us some good performances this season and we've scored more goals than we had by this point in all but two of our previous Premier League campaigns so there are plenty of positives. There's no reason to believe we won't put Reading to the sword next weekend, but games like today do knock your confidence in the side a little. It's up to the players to remind us what they can do when they step on Saturday and make sure today was the exception and not the norm.
Over the last 20 years we've never found a consistent formula for beating the hard working, defensively set up teams that come to Anfield. Look at Man Utd, when they play at Old Trafford against anyone of that type it's a home banker. If you can beat the bottom ten sides home and away that gets you sixty points, you should then get enough points in your remaining eighteen fixtures to win the title and that's more or less what Utd do.
Wigan, Fulham, Swansea, Sunderland and Norwich have all come to Anfield this term and been battered, we've beaten them all by three or more goals. This makes you think we've maybe got it sussed and gives you more confidence that we'll brush aside teams like this when they visit but then you get a Stoke, West Brom or West Ham turn up and we just can't score, never mind win. It's not a new problem and it certainly isn't exclusive to Brendan Rodgers' Liverpool, all of his predecessors have had the same trouble. We could have had a penalty today and had a dubiously disallowed goal, but decisions like this happen and can't be blamed for a failure to win, the team must keep going and find that winning goal from somewhere.
Over the last couple of decades we've had seasons where we've beaten the top sides home and away but we've not finished in first place because we've not taken enough points in games where we're clear favourites. Whichever side gets the best results against all the lower down teams is usually the one that picks up the title in May.
Today's 0-0 doesn't really mean a whole lot in the grand scheme of things. With the way the FA Cup and League Cup have gone it means only the top five will qualify for Europe through their league position and I doubt we'd make that even if we won all of our remaining games. It would be nice to overtake our neighbours from across the park but finishing above them certainly isn't an aim at the start of the season. Being below them after 38 games doesn't bother me as long as we've shown progress from last season, which we have. We can't say that Brendan Rodgers needs time to build a dynasty but still expect him in his first season to finish above someone who has had over a decade to mould a team.
Looking at the bigger picture our last seven matches have produced five wins, one draw and one defeat. Repeat this over the course of a season and you'll finish top. Scorelines like today happen, they always have and they always will, but the players have to react positively in the next match. We're away at relegation certainties Reading next Saturday, a game ripe for the winning if ever there was one. We need to get our attitude right, focus on the parts of our game that are working and produce a performance that will get us the three points. It wasn't a good result today but we can't let the rot set in. As it stands it's only one bad result and not a poor run and we, as fans, have got to remember that and not get too carried away with our first goalless draw since Swansea away on November 25th.
The team have given us some good performances this season and we've scored more goals than we had by this point in all but two of our previous Premier League campaigns so there are plenty of positives. There's no reason to believe we won't put Reading to the sword next weekend, but games like today do knock your confidence in the side a little. It's up to the players to remind us what they can do when they step on Saturday and make sure today was the exception and not the norm.
Tuesday 2 April 2013
South Americans At Liverpool - A Short Tribute
Our main match winner this season has been Luis Suarez, the player that's most recently made an impression is Philippe Coutinho and whenever we win Lucas Leiva's return to fitness is always mentioned as a factor, so I thought it was about time I had a look at the South Americans we've had in our ranks.
In the past when somebody mentioned South American footballers we'd think of Brazilian flair and Argentinian steel and it would be an exciting thought, imagine the prospect of having a player from somewhere like that in your team. Since Rafa Benitez took over at Liverpool in 2004 we've signed a steady stream of players like that who have got the fans excited. Okay, they haven't all worked out but it's still an exciting feeling to have a new South American in the side. Other clubs have gone for the shirt selling ability of players from Asia but we've gone for men from real footballing countries, people who grew up on the streets living and breathing the sport.
We could field a team of Alexander Doni, Fabio Aurelio, Mauricio Pellegrino, Sebastian Coates, Emiliano Insua, Mark Gonzalez, Lucas Leiva, Javier Mascherano, Philippe Coutinho, Maxi Rodrigez and Luis Suarez. The only others I can only think of that I haven't already mentioned are Diego Cavalieri and Gabriel Paletta and neither of themmade much of an impression. But we've still managed still an entire side of first team players.
I thought Doni was a good 'keeper, certainly not good enough to take Pepe Reina's place but definitely an able deputy. He had big health issues last summer and is currently on the mend whilst trying to revive his career in the Brazilian lower leagues. Aurelio had a great left foot and was a cultured footballer, though he has been blighted by injury problems for a few years now. When he played he did okay for us and the free kick he scored at Old Trafford will be remembered forever. Pellegrino only spent six months with us as a player towards the end of his career but came back as a coach and from what I can gather was a popular person around the club. Coates is young with potential but needs first team football which he isn't getting at the moment. I suspect we'll cut our losses and move him on but I wouldn't be surprised if he goes on to have a decent career. Insua had some good games for us and some poor ones, he's still only 24 years old and can proudly point to having Liverpool, Galatasaray, Sporting Lisbon and Atletico Madrid on his CV.
Gonzalez, the only Chilean we've had, promised much but delivered little. After Rafa spent so much time enthusing over his latest signing we were expecting a lot from him but it never really worked out. He wasn't awful but never really stood out and wasn't missed when he left. Mascherano was a terrier for us, in the best possible way, always enthusiastic, tough in the tackle and with a real desire to win, he was one of the first names on the team sheet every week. The way he forced his departure from Liverpool wasn't good, certainly not something a professional should be proud of but he attempted to smooth his relationship with the Liverpool fans by dedicating Barcelona's Chamions League victory over Man Utd to us. It might have worked..... Lucas has divided opinion between Liverpool supporters more than any other player in recent memory but currently he has many more people on his side than against him. He's not the typical Brazilian skillful midfielder we all long for but he plays an important part in the way the team works. Probably a more stereotypical style Brazilian creative player is Coutinho who has contributed goals and assists already since his arrival in late January. He still has to do it over a long period of time but the start he has made has been as good as we could have hoped for.
Maxi was a very popular player, the fans loved him and so did his team mates. He scored vital goals and put in a few man of the match performances, managing two hat-tricks in one memorable fortnight. When the team was struggling he wasn't the player to get things going but when the side was playing well his one touch play and constant forward thinking gave our attacks an extra edge.
Which all brings us nicely to Luis Suarez, 'El Pistolero'. There's not much I can say about Suarez that hasn't already been said, the good, the bad and the ugly. He's probably generated more column inches in the British press over the last couple of years than any other footballer. And he's also scored more goals this season than any other player in the league. He's tenacious, skillful, combative, determined to win and popular amongst his team mates. Much was made of Liverpool's decision to spend £35 million on Andy Carroll but in reality what we did was trade Fernando Torres and Ryan Babel for Carroll and Suarez. Ask any manager right now which of those pairs he would prefer to have and they will all go with the choice Kenny Dalglish made. Suarez is a top drawer player, he's box office, some love to hate him, we love to love him, and we just can't get enough.
It will be interesting to see if we sign anyone else from that part of the world in the near future, the money on offer in the Premier League is attractive to anybody and I think as long as work permit issues don't get in the way it won't be too long before another Argentinian or Brazilian graces the turf at Anfield.
In the past when somebody mentioned South American footballers we'd think of Brazilian flair and Argentinian steel and it would be an exciting thought, imagine the prospect of having a player from somewhere like that in your team. Since Rafa Benitez took over at Liverpool in 2004 we've signed a steady stream of players like that who have got the fans excited. Okay, they haven't all worked out but it's still an exciting feeling to have a new South American in the side. Other clubs have gone for the shirt selling ability of players from Asia but we've gone for men from real footballing countries, people who grew up on the streets living and breathing the sport.
We could field a team of Alexander Doni, Fabio Aurelio, Mauricio Pellegrino, Sebastian Coates, Emiliano Insua, Mark Gonzalez, Lucas Leiva, Javier Mascherano, Philippe Coutinho, Maxi Rodrigez and Luis Suarez. The only others I can only think of that I haven't already mentioned are Diego Cavalieri and Gabriel Paletta and neither of themmade much of an impression. But we've still managed still an entire side of first team players.
I thought Doni was a good 'keeper, certainly not good enough to take Pepe Reina's place but definitely an able deputy. He had big health issues last summer and is currently on the mend whilst trying to revive his career in the Brazilian lower leagues. Aurelio had a great left foot and was a cultured footballer, though he has been blighted by injury problems for a few years now. When he played he did okay for us and the free kick he scored at Old Trafford will be remembered forever. Pellegrino only spent six months with us as a player towards the end of his career but came back as a coach and from what I can gather was a popular person around the club. Coates is young with potential but needs first team football which he isn't getting at the moment. I suspect we'll cut our losses and move him on but I wouldn't be surprised if he goes on to have a decent career. Insua had some good games for us and some poor ones, he's still only 24 years old and can proudly point to having Liverpool, Galatasaray, Sporting Lisbon and Atletico Madrid on his CV.
Gonzalez, the only Chilean we've had, promised much but delivered little. After Rafa spent so much time enthusing over his latest signing we were expecting a lot from him but it never really worked out. He wasn't awful but never really stood out and wasn't missed when he left. Mascherano was a terrier for us, in the best possible way, always enthusiastic, tough in the tackle and with a real desire to win, he was one of the first names on the team sheet every week. The way he forced his departure from Liverpool wasn't good, certainly not something a professional should be proud of but he attempted to smooth his relationship with the Liverpool fans by dedicating Barcelona's Chamions League victory over Man Utd to us. It might have worked..... Lucas has divided opinion between Liverpool supporters more than any other player in recent memory but currently he has many more people on his side than against him. He's not the typical Brazilian skillful midfielder we all long for but he plays an important part in the way the team works. Probably a more stereotypical style Brazilian creative player is Coutinho who has contributed goals and assists already since his arrival in late January. He still has to do it over a long period of time but the start he has made has been as good as we could have hoped for.
Maxi was a very popular player, the fans loved him and so did his team mates. He scored vital goals and put in a few man of the match performances, managing two hat-tricks in one memorable fortnight. When the team was struggling he wasn't the player to get things going but when the side was playing well his one touch play and constant forward thinking gave our attacks an extra edge.
Which all brings us nicely to Luis Suarez, 'El Pistolero'. There's not much I can say about Suarez that hasn't already been said, the good, the bad and the ugly. He's probably generated more column inches in the British press over the last couple of years than any other footballer. And he's also scored more goals this season than any other player in the league. He's tenacious, skillful, combative, determined to win and popular amongst his team mates. Much was made of Liverpool's decision to spend £35 million on Andy Carroll but in reality what we did was trade Fernando Torres and Ryan Babel for Carroll and Suarez. Ask any manager right now which of those pairs he would prefer to have and they will all go with the choice Kenny Dalglish made. Suarez is a top drawer player, he's box office, some love to hate him, we love to love him, and we just can't get enough.
It will be interesting to see if we sign anyone else from that part of the world in the near future, the money on offer in the Premier League is attractive to anybody and I think as long as work permit issues don't get in the way it won't be too long before another Argentinian or Brazilian graces the turf at Anfield.
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