6 Feb 2012

Hansen: I didn't believe this could happen, but he's done it...

Over the weekend, Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish publicly praised returning striker Luis Suarez, gushing that he is 'loved and revered' at Anfield. Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher aside, the last non-Liverpudlian player to receive such acclaim and adulation was (arguably) Fernando Torres, but legend Alan Hansen believes that Suarez has now eclipsed the Spaniard's popularity.

Hansen - who is widely regarded by fans to be one of the club's greatest ever defenders - has received his fair share of acclaim over the years, but attacking players always get the most plaudits, and the former Liverpool captain believes Suarez has the total respect of Liverpool fans. He told The Telegraph:

"When Liverpool sold Fernando Torres to Chelsea last January, I would never have believed in a million years that the love and adulation of the Spanish forward would be eclipsed by somebody else within six months.

"But that is what Suárez achieved. Even before the vocal backing of his club and supporters following the Evra case, Suárez had earned the respect and adoration of Anfield as a result of his contribution on the pitch.

"That is why his return can now be so crucial for Liverpool. With Suárez available once again, Kenny Dalglish’s team has a much better chance of securing a top four finish this season".


I'm probably in the minority here, but fawning public praise of players doesn't sit comfortably with me. Dalglish constantly goes on about players not being bigger than the club, but then he proceeds to fan the flames of hero-worship and deification by rampantly eulogising Suarez in public.

'Loved and revered'? Slightly over the top IMO, and arguably sycophantic in the sense that it's clear (to me) that Liverpool are so desperate to keep Suarez at Anfield that they'll back and praise him to the hilt irrespective of anything that he does.

I'm not the greatest fan of Rafa Benitez but one thing I did like about his management style was his refusal to engage in over the top public ego-massage of players.

From a PR standpoint, it would've been really interesting to see Benitez's approach to the Suarez-Evra situation; I doubt he would've sanctioned the T-shirt stunt, or taken to Twitter to write 'Let's not let him walk alone' after the FA released its findings.

Having said that, as we saw with the similarly misjudged Alex Ferguson 'facts' incident, Benitez was not averse to publicly fighting Liverpool's corner if he felt it was warranted.

Dalglish's total support should have a galvanising effect on Suarez, and hopefully he will show his appreciation with a hat-trick against Spurs tonight :-)

Jaimie Kanwar


52 comments:

  1. Rather OTT and nauseating I find the Suarez-loving and his part in the recent 'persecution complex', especially considering how it has overshadowed his theatrics and poor finishing.

    He has done ok at Liverpool so far but at the end of the day, he was brought for his goals. Excuses aside, he has been poor in that regard. But luckily for him, Carroll has been the scapegoat in that regard.

    But I guess all this hyping up and loving from Suarez should give him a confidence boost and which can only be good for us, I hope.

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  2. I have massive respect for Hansen and read his views often (unlike those of other 'club legends'), but he is wrong here IMO. I remember the love and madness we all shared about Torres, and Suarez is not really in the same position. I even doubt he will ever be, with his controversial character.

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  3. We may not like Torres now but he did a lot more in the red shirt than Suarez has done so far. Not even close, so far.

    I think its a case of people trying a little too hard to find a new hero....a little too quickly, considering he hasn't done much in terms of what he was brought for....goals

    Plenty of time for Suarez to justify the bemusing pedestal he has been put up on

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  4. For the fans there is one big difference between Suarez and Torres. Even if Luis plays badly, no one ever questions his work-rate and commitment. Torres was seen as moody, and an individual talent. Torres was not loved by his team-mates. Suarez is. Because he plays with his heart. Torres played for Liverpool yes, but in his heart he played for Torres, Suarez plays for his team, and for this we support him.

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  5. Suarez is about to come under the most pressure he will have experienced in his career with opposition fans and players looking to rile him up at every opportunity. This is purely a psychological tactic to make sure he knows that we still love him in the face of a lot of abuse - good on Alan and Kenny - exactly what Luis needs right now so he doesn't fall into the confidence levels poor old AC has been struggling to get up from. 
    I for one don't expect him to stick around much after next season given he will become a major hate figure in the prem league now. But while he is still here lets behind him and hope he can get us to that elusive 4th position. Having seen the fixtures of Chelsea and Arsenal in the run in, for the first time I think we can actually do it - even if we drop points this week with Tottenham and ManU - we've got a nice run of 4 or 5 "easier" games for AC and LS to smash some goals in and get us confidence bringing victories before hosting Chelsea on our patch in the second last game of the season......
    COME ON LUIS - I STILL LOVE YOU!!

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  6. he needs to sort out his finishing as well as learn how to work of carol

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  7. I like Suarez but I cant say that I like him as I did Torres. Sorry but that's going to take time.

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  8. He was originally bought as Torres partner in mind to help Torres get more goals, so he wasn't just "brought for his goals" Suarez is a creator that chips in with goals..He's done more than "ok" There's not many that have adapted to tough English football in their first year as Suarez has done, so he deserves all the praise he's getting..

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  9. I think Dalglish knows Suarez will leave at the end of the season so hes trying everything he can to make him stay.Make him feel like a superstar who is idolised by great fans,yet Because any bl--k player can now accuse him and get him banned for life I feel we owe it to him to let him go to Spain were there wont be any problems for him,hes a great guy and i feel we must look after Suarez as to lose him to a life ban would be unforgivable on our part and selfish.

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  10. Suarez was a out-n-out striker at Ajax and he was a brilliant finisher there.He was a goalscorer who has a good all round game.His finishing has been awful at Liverpool, as he has had many chances. At Pool, he is a goalscorer who has chipped in with creativity but still can't finish chances.But luckily for him, Carroll is the scapegoatNo definitive proof that he was brought to be Torres' strike partner.Find it nauseating the revisionism and excuses that people come out with sometimes, just because they play in a red shirt.

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  11. Not sure he was bought for goals...No one could really have foretold the departure of Nando Torres or indeed the arrival of the man who should be bearing the goalscoring load ...Andy Carroll

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  12. So what's your point ? Think it's a very good thing for Kenny to do and say , give the fella a real boost , the thing is praise from Kenny usually means your on the bench .

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  13. It's a strategy folks. Everybody needs a hero and a lift. Suarez is back and he gives belief in players and they can win with him on the pitch. At the same time, he scares the shit out of oppositions and they don't dare to play so high upfront starting with Spurs. You need these kind of believes on the pitch. People like Suarez, Gerrard and Bellamy has these kind of effects on players.

    By the way: I wonder why I've been banned in this site where I've never used any foul language nor offended anyone. Maybe I have no right to my opinions here. Sigh...

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  14. I think it's very naive to believe that LFC didn't know that Torres wanted out, and then managed to negotiate his departure (and Chelsea negotiated such a massive purchase) in just a single day or two...

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  15. 'Do you hear the drums Fernando?' Unfortunately there's not a drum at the Bridge. I thought that when the liverbirds flew out from the Liver Building, the only Fernando leaves Liverpool. How wrong was I, Ashfah.

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  16. He was bought as a supplement to a forward striker the same as he is used in the national Uruguayan side. You do not seem to appreciate the difference.

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  17. Ahem!! I think we have seen what these "easier games" can bring. so far they have not impressed me.

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  18. He has miles to go before he can be mentioned in the same breath as Torres and in no way did the club ever think that he and Torres would be playing in the same team.

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  19. Cos, that's what the black players do, isn't it? Sit around smoking and eating chicken, thinking about who they can stitch up next. That what your comment implies, 'any black player can now accuse him'? You are paranoid. I suppose, looking at it the other way round, Evra, Adeyemi, Amoebi, Cisse, the two Ferdinands, can now say that 'any white player or supporter' can abuse us and they might have a point also.

    Seems you are very certain, beyond a shadow of doubt, of the guy's innocence.

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  20. ****BREAKING NEWS****ENRIQUE IS OUT WITH HAMSTRING INJURY - could this be a blessing in disguise with Johnson switched to left back Kelly will deputise on the right covering Bale......

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  21. Aurélio is fit so I would imagine he'll take his place. Aurélio could always cross a ball very well, maybe he's what Carroll has been waiting for who knows..

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  22. Don't be daft - he plays ahead of Forlan for Uruguay: Forlan is the creator, Suarez the destroyer... get it right!

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  23. So you're saying Suarez was a bad buy? If not, there's not point moaning just for the sake of it. Suarez has his faults sure, but very few don't. Just appreciate the very many good things he does..

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  24. what a trolley you are - that's not what he said at all - i don't agree that we should ship him out but i do think it's POSSIBLE at the moment for anyone to report him in the hope of another ban - after all the fa think he's an unreliable witness, don't they

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  25. Article on F365 advocating the employment of a MONKEY for England captain in favour of John Terry, nicely juxtaposed atop a "Thanks everyone for buying my teeshirt" remark.
    Seems a little ill-advised given Terry's racism charge; Suarez's teeshirt debacle; and F365's hitherto disgust at 'all things racist'.
    A joke website.
    http://www.football365.com/john-nicholson/7491442/We-Might-As-Well-Have-A-Monkey-Captain...

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  26. Suarez 81 goals in 110 games for Ajax
    Kuyt 71 goals in 101 for Feyenoord.

    I believe this tells us something about the present day dutch league.

    Suarez is always "just wide" and Kuyt is the worst striker of a ball we have had since Crouch and Mcmanaman..absolutley woeful striking technique.  Many commentators talk about a low back lift for deadly strikers but Kuyts wind up and back lift are as big and exaggerated as Carrolls price tag.  I have rarely seen him score a goal that doesn't hit the keeper first. 

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  27. Are you a Chelsea fan thats annoyed with how torres is performing? because i wouldnt swap them for anything

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  28. Sounds very pre emptive srtikish to me.  If Suarez stops commenting on black players skin colour black players wont play the race card.  To ship him of for fear that they had weapons of mass destruction only to find that they did not ....oops....to ship him out for fear that black players will conspire against the 'name calling' Suarez is a slur on them.

    Suarez admitted it!!!!
    "I called him something his team-mates in Manchester call him and even they were surprised by his reaction.”

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  29. Torres best striker we ever had FACT .

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  30. Have you ever heard of a certain Cavani who is an out and out striker and apparently plays for Uruaguay?

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  31. Cavani plays on the wings, in a narrow wide role, for Uruguay quite a lot. 

    Yes, Cavani is a out-n-out striker, as seen at Napoli and Palermo, but for his country, he gets used out wide. With Forlan in the hole and Suarez further forward. They interchange too. Out of the three, funnily enough, its usually Cavani who plays in deeper positions more. 

    Just because Cavani fits the out-n-out striker mould and plays in that position for club, doesn't mean he plays that role for Uruguay.

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  32. I think the bullet in the post received by Ferdinand shows that it isn't exactly a walk in the park to be a black person involved in a race complaint let alone making the accusation.

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  33. No, he isn't a bad buy so far (but could still turn out to be a disappointing one in the long run, unless people still keep on making excuses for him and idolise him) and like I said, he has been ok and that is good, considering he hasn't been in English football long.
    From what I saw of him at Ajax, it was his finishing that grabbed my attention, more than anything else. Cool, composed and deadly.

    Disappointing to see little of that in his time. 

    We paid big money for him and one of the reasons for that was what he showed at Ajax. What he showed at Ajax was goalscoring, along with other things. So I think I am justified in thinking he has been poor in front of goal and to expect much better. He has missed quite a lot of chances. If that was Carroll, there would be bloodbath. 

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  34. Don't know how you came to that comical conclusion.
    I don't want Torres back, especially considering the state he is in now. Torres at his best was a better forward but still plenty of time for Suarez to show he can be better.

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  35. Torres' Liverpool career was dying a slow death well before Suarez came along. So would be no surprise if the club knew he wanted out, before Suarez came along.

    Clubs do planning, you know.

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  36. Kuyt got moved out wide, after a season.

    So maybe the same conversion will happen to Suarez. 

    But a more technically better version of our hard working wing donkey that is Kuyt.

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  37. How dare you blaspheme against St Luis of Salto!!??!! St Luis has never done anything wrong. Ever. Apart from headbutting a referee of course. And biting an opponent's shoulder obviously. And duh handballing and celebrating the saved penalty. Then yeah diving a bit. OK, forcing your club's to courts of arbitration so he can break his contract, I hear that. Oh yes, except petulantly kicking water bottles when subbed. I suppose giving obscene gestures to the crowd...

    But apart from that he's done nothing wrong at all. It's clear to any observer that the man is not capable of using race to wind a rival player up and provoking him into a reaction that would get him sent off. He's been at Liverpool for just over a year now and that's long enough to know his character inside and out and merciless boo and ostracise anyone who questions it.

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  38. But Liverpool need a hero. They're holding out for a hero ‘til the end of the night. He’s gotta be strong and he’s gotta be fast. And he’s gotta be fresh from the fight.

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  39. After what I saw from him in the Spurs game tonight, he can just fuck off out of Anfield if he is going to do more cowardly acts, like he did to Parker. 

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  40. Torres best traitor we ever had FACT .

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  41. Eh no he's not !! Robbie 'GOD' Folwer was .. FACT ! Don't believe me.. the clue is in his nickname !!

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  42. Ehhh.. Fowler obviously.. got a lil exited typing is name.. as ya do .. Sorry GOD .. lol

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  43. "Deification" "rampantly euologising"???  sorry mate and you are saying Kenny is OTT?? here is a little guy making a huge reputation in the physically toughest league on the planet and you make no mention of his heroics in the world cup for Uruguay - not one of your best mate. I certainly hope you are in the minority with this.. talk about unfair

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  44. 50mil for a 27 year old, post prime, post knee op, world cup flop ... just a few facts to back you up

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  45. Until Suarez starts scoring goals on a regular basis - which he certainly doesn't, at least not for Liverpool - he certainly won't be hero-worshipped by me. Let's face it - when it comes to finding the net he's nowhere near Robbie Fowler, Ian Rush, Michael Owen or Fernando Torres ( once upon a time ). Of course, anyone playing alongisde the unbelievably inept Carroll will look slick, but goals are what count and Suarez really doesn't score enough of them.

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  46. Well, he is certainly that!!

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  47. Are you sure that is not what he said? Do you mean anyone to report him or Wayne Rooney to complain about his tackling or any black player? How about his sister? haha!

    so, you think that its possible that there are black players lining up to report the innocent suarez of abuse? Why?  And, guess what, i suppose it is POSSIBLE someone could report me as well, can i start selling t shirts now? It's even possible you might realise what utter tripe you are talking.

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  48. Yes, and now it is POSSIBLE that any number of silent assassins are lining up to get him kicked out of the premier league. No one seems to give a reason why anyone would be motivated to do this, but they don't need a reason, they're black, ain't they?

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  49. Yes, our club and our supporters are coming out with more and more slurs lately. What i find incredible is how casual and accepted a stupid assumption like that is. The black players/boogeymen are out to get Suarez.......................

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  50. At their best, Torres is the better player, and, by far, appears to be the better human being. At the moment, there's no comparison as players, Torres has lost it, but is still the better human being. So it is no surprise that LFC are talking up their star player, because they, and we, don't have to worry about anything other than whether he can perform on the pitch. He's just about done that this season but hopefully will improve between now and the end of the season.

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  51. paddy u know fuck all about suarez i lived in amsterdam an watched him everyweek he was a second striker not there main striker so if ur not goin 2 get behind him fuck off an support the mancs

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  52. paddy u want 2 start writing for the sports tabloids cos u think u know everything about world football u want 2 come of income support an get a job an stop watchin all this football u clown

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