10 Nov 2012

Rodgers confirms: 'Great' LFC star 'had a chance to leave' in the Summer. Phew!

A few weeks ago, Brendan Rodgers confirmed that Suso could've left the club in July, and in an interview yesterday, Liverpool's manager revealed that another one of the club's important assets could've exited Anfield during the summer.

In his pre-Chelsea press conference on Friday, Rodgers conceded that 'great players will always leave great clubs', adding:

"Luis had the chance to go in the summer.

"There was probably no better time for him to do that, with a new manager coming in. He would have had an excuse to go, but he committed to staying here.

"He gave us that opportunity to see how it was going to work and at the minute for him personally it is working really well".


This seems to suggest that there were concrete offers for Suarez, which he ultimately turned down in order to stay at Anfield.

Without Suarez's goals and assists this season, Liverpool would be in the bottom three right now, so it's clear the Uruguayan is majorly important to the club right now.

Having said that, once again, the club is in the unenviable position of seemingly relying on one player, and that is a dangerous situation to be in.

In the past, it's been Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres, and now it's Suarez; why is Liverpool's transfer planning/performance so abject that it always ends up this way?

One thing I find slightly concerning is Rodgers' phrasing: 'He gave us the opportunity' to see how it would work out. Great: Suarez gave LFC the opportunity, and not the other way round?!

No wonder the manager constantly offers the Uruguayan blanket praise - he's clearly afraid that he'll decide to leave at some point, which means that he's afraid to upset him in any way.

This explains why Rodgers constantly defends Suarez, and acts like he's the victim. It's a dangerous situation to be in, and as we saw with Kenny Dalglish, it's a slippery slope.

In any event, If FSG do not address this situation in January (by handing Rodgers real money to sign at least two established attacking players), there will be hell to pay.

Jaimie Kanwar


40 comments:

  1. you just hate the lad, he aint going no where anytime soon.. and rodgers have every right to defend his players, what else you expect!!

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  2. Jaimie would have loved to see him go in summer and I can't imagine where Liverpool would have been without him.

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  3. if Rodgers gets the funding and we able to purchase a top quality goal scorer where do people think suarez will play? I know he can play wide but surely that will compromise his talents which are best suited to having freedom! Do we want to see him tracking back ko an attempt to help the full back like sterling does? I Cant see Rodgers opting for a change in his formation to accommodate a 4-4-2 either and he obviously likes suarez in the "false nine" role.

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  4. Rodgers has an important choice to make, and if he gets it wrong, LFC will suffer. For me, the choices are:

    1. Do it on the cheap: sign a mid-range back-up striker; someone who will mostly be on the bench (like Assaidi); keep Suarez as the main striker and use the new striker in Europe/Cups mostly, and as cover.

    2. Spend proper money and sign a top class, established, prove striker (i.e. someone like Huntelaar); move Suarez to the right of a front three (like he played at Ajax).

    Option two is essential. At present, LFC rely too much on Suarez's goals, and if we don't get another striker in that position that will just continue. It has to be about the team, not just one individual, and although moving Suarez out of the main striker role may reduced his overall goal level, it will almost certainly increase the number of goals scorer by the TEAM.

    I have a bad feeling though that Rodgers will go for option 1, and if he does, then Ill have no sympathy. He'll dig his own grave.

    Of course, if FSG give him no option but to go for option one then it's a different story.

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  5. Jaime just why you hate suarez so much no matter how vital and important he is for us you still dislike him so much cant wait for him to go , days ago you wrote an article comparing suarez with messi and said will suarez be ever like messi? Wow that was amazing to read just incredible no matter what suarez does for us even if he scores 50 goals a season you still will want him to leave i think you have a personal problem with him,can you explain this to us?

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  6. Why don't you get a grip and step away from your Suarez shrine for five seconds?

    There is nothing negative in my post; you're just so consumed by your love for Suarez that you perceive anything that doesn't label him a god as some kind of attack.

    Doesn't it embarrass you to be so enamoured by someone you've never met; someone who doesn't know/care you exist?

    Hero worship of this kind is a sickness in modern society, and you are part of the problem. It's because of fans like you that payers like Suarez become bigger than the club, and on top of that, you attack anyone who has the temerity to be objective or critical, even when it's warranted.

    Seriously, with the greatest respect, you need to grow up. Suarez doesn't know you; he care if you're alive, and he certainly isn't some kind of untouchable deity.

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  7. well said mate hes always slating suarez hell start with rodgers soon

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  8. why do you run a football site you clearly have no idea about the game or how fans behave maybe go look at some cricket

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  9. i agree in the main but as we have seen this season there are a lot of defensive responsibilities when playing on the right in Rodgers preferred formation! This wont suit suarez and wont get the best out of him! He would be great playing behind a proven striker but that would need a change in formation. Thats why i think Rodgers will be more inclined to look for players who he feels can play wide or central if required ie how he perceives Borini. I suppose thats why walcott and sturridge are always linked. Rodgers needs to be more flexible with his formations in my opinion.

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  10. havnt you just offended the user?

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  11. How, by telling the truth? I haven't insulted him. If the truth hurts, tough luck.

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  12. on another note i think its fair to say Rodgers and fsg have left us in a position where we rely on suarez far more than we did last season! We obviously had to do without him during the ban and managed to knock united and city out of the cups! Could you imagine that now??

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  13. To be fair to Rodgers, I'd probably praise Suarez all the time too. We have to keep him happy at all costs otherwise he'll leave and then we'll use the 35mil we get for him on Carlton Cole!! Moreover, Suarez deserves praise for his performances! Fair enough, Rodgers has been going overboard, branding him a WC player in every other conference, but his performances have been scintillating this season and Rodgers does seem to praise him for the right reasons. Second of all, I only believe it's natural Rodgers defends his players. Wouldn't you? But he hasn't been like KD in press conferences when it comes to defending him. KD would get worked up and have a go at the interviewer, Shreeves being the one which first comes to mind! Rodgers hasn't been like that at all, so I think he's done a good job in defending Suarez at the moment - well done Brendan!

    Thirdly, if Suarez was to move on, who could we actually sign that would guarantee goals? Huntelaar is pushing 30 and needs service (ie. can't create goals for himself) and then all the other top strikers are taken by CL clubs. Suarez is too good for LFC and I think we need to acknowledge that we are very lucky to have him.

    elite strikers (natural goalscorers) in the world (no spec. order) :

    Falcao, Cavani, RVP, Milito, Di Natale, Ibra, M. Gomez, Lewandowski, Aguero, J. Hernandez, Villa, Huntelaar, Benzema...

    and if we were to sell Luisito we'd have to purchase someone from the list above in order to replace him and that's never going to happen! so lets just keep him happy until it's plausible to replace him with someone of his own class...

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  14. plus we can't afford to gamble on a young striker like borini to get us goals. That said, Suarez was a huge gamble, but he paid off, more than any of us could ever imagine, but I don't think we can afford to take that risk if he leaves...I was so worried when Torres left, but we got lucky with Suarez. I don't think we'll be so lucky again...

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  15. Suarez's finishing doesn't impress me and neither does his greed in front of goal. He is however a monster of a footballer. The worst and most embarrassing thing for a defender is when he knows whats coming but still gets done time and time again "MEGS!".

    Not many will agree but I don't believe Sterling will grow into a good winger. In wide areas he seems to struggle to beat his man consistently and at his tender age doesn't play with the fearlessness of a lot of over hyped young attackers. After a game I struggle to see what BR is raving on about when he says he has been 'magnificent' because he hasn't. He is following defensive instructions and is pressing well but I think at the cost of his attacking game.

    The future for Sterling I believe is as a central striker or number 10. I think he would flourish with the freedom of not having to defend and as he tends to run in straight lines when with the ball ala Downing, Babel when playing out wide it would suit his style. I'd rather give Sterling a crack up front in the hole and give Danny Pacheco a good extended run in the side on the left with Suso on the right. If Suarez can re wire his game slightly and become more aware of his teammates I'd keep him up front....for now. Danny Pacheco deserves a crack. He's talented, technical and a far better player than Morgan will ever be.

    It's a funny ole game.

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  16. Jaimie is everyone wrong in that they can see that u don't like the we man. Everyone is entitled to an opinion suppose.

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  17. You hit the nail on the head: everyone is entitled to an opinion, yet when I have my view on Suarez, I'm constantly attacked, and told I have a 'personal problem' with him.

    I don't go around telling people not to have a positive view of Suarez, do I? People can think whatever they like, but so can.

    The brainwashed Pro-Suarez fantatics are so irritating; waiting to pounce on anyone who doesn't deify the man. People like this are a major problem in any sphere of life, not just football.

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  18. fu jamie k,assole,u shouldnt be posting articles on a club if u dont respect its idols

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  19. I see you missunderstood everything i said here, first of all i never worshiped any lfc player im not doing it now wont do it in the future because i just worship my creator and hes name is GOD almghty. You obviously twisted my words here in lacking of being able to respond properly, all i was trying to say is give credit to suarez for what hes doing here never said you should love and worship him outside the field we're talking here of proffesional football not about love affairs or something hope you realize that one day, and its such a strange thing for me because i thought you are old and matured enough to realize these things but you dont look like one here and soon as you saw my comment you made my accout to be approved first then if is everything ok with you you will post it, but cant u see that you insult people as well here and we dont have to approve your comment right? How liberale is that?

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  20. Not usually one for Football-Manager-esque formations but we could easily add a good striker and keep Suarez central with a 4-1-3-1-1

    Jones/Reina

    Wisdom/Johnson Skertl Agger Johnson/Enrique

    Allen/Lucas

    Suso/Sterling Gerrard/Shelvey/Sahin. Assaidi/Downing

    Suarez (free role)

    Huntelaar/Ba/Llorente

    Strong down the middle, Suarez in the hole where he's harder to pick up by CB's and able to create rather than waste opportunities, very interchangeable midfield 3 that can attack and are quicker to track back, full backs that can still get forward knowing the mid 3 can cover as they don't have to always be on the edge of the opponents area, a real striker! that occupies CB's - if they mark him then Suarez has more space, if they push onto Suarez then our striker is unmarked, if a DM picks up Suarez then our mid 3 have more time and space to run and pass, if their midfield try and tie up our mid 3 then we attack down the flanks with pace and keep the opposition pegged back and unable to supply their attack.... Blah, blah, blah and so on and so on!

    Am I mad and missing something obvious? If I'm not then why the hell is BR being paid more for his contract than I'll ever see in my whole life.

    Plan B is needed me thinks!

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  21. Oh, please. Your comment is clear; I haven't twisted anything. You saw that I had a different view to Suarez than you, and straight away, your instinct was to accuse me of disliking Suarez, even though there is nothing in the article that suggests that.

    I give Suarez credit when it's due; I don't have to kiss his a$$ in very single article.

    Like every other players, Suarez can and should be criticised when it's warranted, but fans like you just can't handle that, which is why you come out of thw woodwork and attack anyone who doesn't toe the company line.

    Your behaviour is textbook:

    * Fan A loves player X

    * Fan B criticises player X

    * Fan A ignores nature of Fan B's criticism, and accuses Fan B of personal dislike of player X/being unfair/failing to appreciate player X and blah blah blah.

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  22. I know you want to be deified, but that won't be happening anytime soon buddy

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  23. jaimie dont think you will have to worry for long he will be gone soon and nobody can blame him we are in seriuos decline and by xmas he could well know no champions league for 2 years i would be sad to see him go but can except that we are not a big club anymore

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  24. You do a bit of censorship yourself and no matter what you write about suarez a negative dig will appear.

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  25. The truth is you are so opinionated that you continue to take swipes at suarez no matter what he does.

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  26. I just posted two comment the first one has yet to appear now that is what i call censorship.

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  27. So if someone disagrees with you their brainwashed, get a grip.

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  28. "It's because of fans like you that players like Suarez becomes bigger than the club" The was an arrogant,unsubstantiated and contradictory comment
    So are you saying you are a better fan are you Jamie because you like pointing out our players,managers and fans flaws more often or not???? You are entitled to your opinion the same as the poster above,his comment didn't deserve you "Holier than thou" response. It's because of you that players like Suarez leave the club

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  29. Aw, diddums. Did I strike a nerve? There's nothing arrogant or ontradictory about my post. Why don't you throw a few more superfluous words into the mix for good measure :-)

    It's just my opinion, and it's true: hero worship of players is a massive negative in modern football, and the irony is that fans are the main reason football is on the gutter. They deify players, and then ignore/overlook/encourage negative behaviour (greed/disloyalty/cheating etc), and then bitch about declining standards in football (!)

    Hr's post is the typical response of someone who can't handle one of their favourite player being criticised. When he sees criticism of Suarez, he immediately becomes blind to the merits of said criticism and defaults to 'must defend suarez at all costs!' mode, which almost always means trying to belittle the other person by suggesting they have a 'personal problem' withe player.

    There's nothing 'holier than thou' to my post, and your ire is just another example of what O describe above. Ane I've never suggested I'm a better fan than anyone- I just have opinions like anyone else, but that annoys you and others because my views don't reinforce/validate your own.

    It's classic groupthink once again: when someone deviates from the group-defined view... Attack!


    There is absolutely nothing negative about Suarez in my article, bit you Suarez fanatics jump into action at the merest hint of criticism.

    It's pathetic really, but that is modern fans for you.

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  30. i think its more to do with the regularity of your posts that manage to refer to suarez negatively even if the title of the post has Nothing to do with him. You know that will provoke a response so i assume thats why you do it? The messi comparison seemed like an excuse to have another pop at suarez and you even said that messi never cheats, which isnt true!

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  31. good post! I like the formation suggestion.

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  32. I don't know where you get the patience Jaimie.Props!

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  33. I see. So what you're saying is that I can only ever discuss Suarez when his name is in the title of a post?

    In this case, you're just doing what all the pro-Suarez fanatics do (though to be fair, I don't think you're a fanatic): you're creating conditions under which he can be discussed; you're basically narrowing the field of discussion; doing anything at all to create a situation where Suarez is not discussed. If he's not discussed, he can't be criticised.

    Suarez is one of LFC's main players; he is going to pop up in discussion all over the place, whether it's direct discussion or by way of comparison/example etc.

    Every time I mention Suarez in a post there is a perfectly legitimate reason for doing so.

    Take the Messi post, for example: That sprung from Rodgers own comments that *mentioned Suarez in relation to Messi*.

    You see it as 'another excuse to have a pop at Suarez' because you seem to have tunnel vision when it comes to him. You just don't see things the way I do, which is fine.

    I don't see anything as off-limits when it comes to LFC; like so many other fans, I don't feel the instinctual need/compulsion to defend Suarez's honour to the death, even when he's blatantly in the wrong. That is not being a 'fan' IMO; it's being an enabler.

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  34. "Great LFC Star..." just say Luis Suarez you mong! you're such a tool with your headlines and your sole intentions is to increase readership by creating headlines like a tabloid newspaper. Farcical.

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  35. of course suarez can and will be discussed when not in the headline. But there is a difference when the topic is spun to have a go at him. Im certainly not a fanatic but i can observe an agenda. For example Rodgers never actually made a direct comparison between the ability of suarez and messi and you know this but for some reason you decided to run a poll and then followed it up with your own comparison! This then included comments about messi not being a cheat ( an indirect dig at suarez) when he has clearly cheated on various occasions. Cant you see how this looks to people reading it?

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  36. Suarez has rescued us ever since he came - its not his fault that we wasted money on mid table talent. Ever since Benitez left we have downgraded our aspirations from winning the league to top 4 and thus we are now getting a top 8 position. There were opportunities in the summer when Rhodes who was a goal machine was available for 6 million and Rodgers chose Borini. And even now were looking at the likes of sturrindge and Walcott. Walcott isnt a proven goalscorer. Sturridge doesnt get many games for chelsea. Suarez creates so many chances but as happened against newcastle the likes of sterling and shelvey dont take the chances. this will make him more selfish than ever. Suarez will miss a lot simply because he is creating the opportunities himself.

    But what a player - I havent seen a player like him at anfield or even in the EPL. Barnes and Beardsley were similar but they had each other whereas Suarez is pretty much on his own. Gerrard does give him chances but its mainly from free kicks or deep. He desperately needs a world class player alongside him but i cant see huntelaar swopping champions league football for the Europa league.

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  37. We "hero worship" & idolise Steven Gerrard...but we don't see the extreme behaviour that you are imagining. Jaimie, it's your opinion i respect, but i don't think every players respond to "hero worship" in a negative manner you imagine them to be.

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  38. You really do have your head up your butt mate,read your post again slowly taking in deep breaths then you will see that you are an hollier than thou self obsessed fan who thinks that what he types is gospel  Your opinion about fans ruining the game\having a massive negative because of hero worshipping players is laughable.As for moaning and bitching about declining standards,find me one post where I have moaned and bitched about declining standards and I'll show you at least fifity where you  have yourself. Do as I say not as I do eh Jamie?

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