This article first appeared in the Mar/Apr 2014 issue of World Gaming magazine.
Half a year ago, Luis Suárez was on the verge of becoming one of the most despised Premier League players of all time. In just two seasons, he was banned for eight and 10 matches respectively for an alleged racism incident and then for biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanović. He also appeared on the verge of leaving Liverpool for Spanish giants Real Madrid, having publicly stated his frustration with how he had been treated by the English media. What a difference six months makes.
Brendan Rodgers
Luis Suárez presented Liverpool with the perfect Christmas gift in December when he signed a new four-year contract worth £40 million. At £200,000 a week, the Uruguayan has surpassed Reds captain Steven Gerrard to become the highest-paid Liverpool player in history. But to say this came as a huge surprise to the footballing world is an understatement – even the staunchest of Liverpool fans never saw this one coming!
Numbers don’t always tell the full story but in the case of Suárez this season they are impossible to ignore. After 27 league games, Suárez had scored 23 league goals to sit comfortably at the top of the EPL goal scorers list – despite missing the first five games of the year through suspension. In fact, his first 22 goals came in just 17 matches and at one point he had scored a whopping 41.5 percent of all Liverpool’s goals! By comparison, when Robin van Persie claimed the League’s Golden Boot, with 26 goals, last year his contribution was only 30 percent of Manchester United’s total goals. Not surprisingly, it quickly became apparent that as long as Luis Suárez scored, Liverpool would not lose the game. As of late January, Liverpool had won all matches in which Luis Suárez scored except the Merseyside derby against Everton which ended in a thrilling 3-3 draw. Conversely, the Reds lost to Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City and Hull City when Suárez was absent from the scorers’ sheet.
With a goal rate of 1.29 per game, Suárez is the most efficient goal-scorer in major European leagues this season, above Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Atlético Madrid counterpart Diego Costa.
The influence of Suárez on the team’s performance is obvious to all, but his value is even more than simply his goal tally. By opening the cheque book to keep Suárez, Liverpool has shown their ambition to return to the elite clubs. His presence not only increases the Reds’ attraction to other top players but also the world’s leading sponsors. When the Suárez transfer saga was in full swing last summer, two big name players – Borussia Dortmund midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan and rising Brazilian star Willan – turned down Liverpool’s offers. After four years away from the European Champions League, Liverpool cannot afford to lose Suárez at this stage. The significance of Suárez’s new contract will unfold at the end of the season but it’s remarkable to think back to the seeming animosity that existed between club and player just six months ago when it appeared Suárez would be loathe to wear the famous red shirt again. Certainly the relationship between Suárez and manager Brendan Rodgers, who the player accused of breaking promises, was all but over. Liverpool’s board eventually drew a hard line on the matter and refused a bid from Arsenal to lure him to the Emirates, but even so no one expected him to become one the top strikers not only in England but the world.
Suárez contributed his best performance in a Liverpool shirt in December to claim the Player of the Month award and it is hard to recall a better individual performance than the one he produced against Norwich when he scored four stunning goals . He has also quickly earned back the admiration o f the Liverpool fans . Generally speaking, supporters will be hostile towards players they feel haven’t shown loyalty but once Suárez decided to put on the red shirt again and showed he was there to play, the Kop stood by him without any hesitation. It is also known that Suárez’s wife Sofia is happy at Merseyside with the couple having recently given birth to their second child, Benjamin. Perhaps this happiness and tranquility in his life has helped him shift his attention back to football?
Rodgers is another reason for Suárez’s huge improvement this season. His 4-3-3 formation and the pass and move football drilled into this young squad after a season of ups and downs last year suits Suárez well. The Uruguayan is supported by some highly talented players around him such as Philippe Coutinho, Jordan Henderson, Raheem Sterling and strike partner Daniel Sturridge. The dynamic offensive line isn’t short on flair, which is in stark contrast to the old one consisting of less technical players Stewart Downing, Andy Carroll and Charlie Adam.
Liverpool now has every opportunity to get back into the top four this season but while Suárez is scoring at one end, their defense appear to be their Achilles heel. Despite Suárez and Sturridge proving they can tear any team apart, it is hard to imagine Suárez wearing Liverpool’s shirt beyond this season if they fail to qualify for next year’s Champions League and Brendan Rodgers would be well aware of the pressure on him to ensure they get there.
As for Suárez himself, more personal achievements surely await and if he can lead Uruguay to a good result at the upcoming World Cup in Brazil he could well be the next man in line to win the prestigious ballon d’Or as the world’s best player.
