Luis Suarez: Troubled Brilliance

The ‘will they won’t they’ debate that occurred on Sky Sports News all week almost seemed justified, following the furore of Luis Suarez not shaking hands with Patrice Evra before last Saturday’s game. For those who have been in a different stratosphere in recent days, I’d suggest reading several in-depth analysis of angles of handshakes before proceeding.

Whatever your views on the non hand-shake; or indeed the counter-arguments at Anfield earlier in the season, one thing should be beyond debate – racism has no place in society. It was rightly reported and an independent hearing held to determine the substance behind such allegations. The FA’s commission found Suarez guilty, and he has served his so called sentence.

Liverpool Football Club has undoubtedly been tarnished by these events. Not purely the allegations but their handling and the ever increasing stoking of the not guilty embers. Despite the FA’s eight game ban and guilty verdict, the club decided not to challenge the findings; something any individual not guilty of such allegations would surely take. The reason for this remains unclear, however must in some way centre on the words Suarez claimed were acceptable in Uruguay. If he did use such derogatory words then to put it simply everyone concerned should have put their hands up and accepted everything thrown at Suarez.

The events coupled with recent fan issues at Anfield – the abuse received by Oldham midfielder Tom Adeyemi in the FA Cup and the odd idiot with laser pens – all bring about a slightly unsavoury taste, which should never befit a club so revered. Liverpool, steeped in tradition were amongst the forefront of those that tackled racism issues in the early 1980s and have a fan base as deeply informed about the game as any other. I am fortunate enough to count strong Liverpool fans amongst my closest friends, and all of them are deeply troubled by such events.

Recognising that events of last weekend went a step too far, both chief executive and manager have made statements criticising Luis Suarez’s conduct in the pre-match hand shake. From this it’s clear that authority is being re-gained. This hopefully will draw such an un-savoury affair to closure. If serious about his future in the English game, Suarez should start by getting on with his day job. On song he is undoubtedly the fanfare of Liverpool’s team, and one of the most skilful players involved in the English game. The league as a whole would be worse off if people were to follow Alex Ferguson’s mantra of him “never playing for the club again”.

However, Suarez possesses that ability to self destruct that it seems many of the world’s flair players have possessed throughout the years. At the time of his transfer to Liverpool for example, he had just finished serving a seven match ban for biting PSV Endhoven’s Otman Bakkal on the shoulder in a league match.

Previously, there was the 2010 World Cup, where Suarez was sent off for his goal-keeper style “heroics” which ultimately saw Uruguay through to the semi-finals, following Ghana missing the subsequent spot kick. Suarez received almost a hero’s welcome for this back in his home country, a Steven Gerrard for example would get quite a different reaction if it had been England. This may say more about the cultural differences of England and Uruguay that formed Suarez’s so called defence against the racism case, all be it far less confrontational ones.

If Suarez’s troubles do continue, Ferguson’s approach is surely the only way of dealing with them; and he will follow another troubled but brilliant sole, in Carlos Tevez, out of the English game. In which case, his troubles will undoubtedly hold his skills back, preventing Suarez’s career from achieving true greatness. Whilst his boots may possess the skill, his temperament will dictate that he won’t hit the heights of Ronaldo, Messi and alike. It is of course not a unique challenge – take the current England teams most naturally gifted footballer and last Saturday’s match winner – Wayne Rooney – who’s red mist so betrays a former blue incumbent of Liverpool.

We can but hope that the events of last weekend are now behind everyone. In Suarez, Liverpool possess a player gifted with footballing brilliance; how he utilises that brilliance will dictate, at least in the short term, the success of one of English football’s elite; and whether it’s brand can or will recover from the unsavoury events of recent months.

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Tags: Liverpool, Liverpool FC, Liverpool Football Club, Liverpoool, Luis Suarez, PSV Eindhoven