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Sparkling Suarez & Torres put FSG in the Spotlight

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Image for Sparkling Suarez & Torres put FSG in the Spotlight

EVERY supporter of Liverpool Football Club has been hoping since September 1st that when the January transfer window arrives, owners Fenway Sports Group will dip their hands in their pockets and allow Brendan Rodgers to bolster his squad. Liverpool need more quality players and more experience in their ranks. They have done all season, but now fans have a new reason to hope that their American custodians spend some significant money in 8 weeks time: To keep Luis Suarez at Anfield.

Suarez is without doubt Liverpool’s leading light these days. Indeed, he’s probably the Premier League’s leading light right now. His skill, inventiveness, work rate, and recently, his terrific output of goals, means that the prospect of a Liverpool team taking to the field without him is a terrifying proposition (and I certainly don’t mean for their opponents). Despite receiving a new contract this past summer, his happiness with his life on Merseyside and his mutual love with the clubs fan base, Suarez’s departure seems more likely every time he shines like a diamond amongst the dirt for the Reds.

Liverpool have been here before. It was just shy of two years ago that a world class foreign striker seemingly in love with the club, paid handsomely and idolised by Kopites the world over, eventually decided that he could leave all that behind to seek trophies at pastures new. Fernando Torres’ move to Chelsea hasn’t been plain sailing for the Spaniard but nearly two years on, Torres still hasn’t been effectively replaced (Suarez was bought as a foil for the Spaniard, not as a direct replacement) and his qualities are desperately missed at Anfield.

Meanwhile, in that time, his new club have won an FA Cup, the Champions League and currently sit just a point from the top of the Premier League table. In short, they are miles in front of Liverpool.

If Suarez continues to perform to the extraordinary levels that he has reached thus far this season then, just as happened with Torres, Champions League clubs with deeper pockets and better trophy prospects will be lining up and down Anfield Road to try and tempt him away. Be it Chelsea, Man City, Barcelona, PSG or Real Madrid, Suarez is likely to have enticing offers come his way when this season is in the record books. Liverpool must do everything they can to retain the services of their only world class forward and that process must start in January.
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John Henry and co. need to get Liverpool back into the Champions League and they need to do it as quickly as possible. With their current squad, that just isn’t a realistic proposition. It will only become a realistic possibility if serious investment in the playing staff is allowed. The longer you are out of Europe’s elite competition, the harder it is to attract top quality players and get back in there.

Not being in the Champions League means your Champions League quality players will start to cast envious glances at clubs in the competition and their services become increasingly difficult to retain. Torres left Liverpool because he didn’t think they had a short term route back to the top table of Europe’s elite clubs. Sadly, he was right. How long before Luis Suarez starts to feel the same way? How many games must he carry almost the entire attacking threat of his team while surrounded only by promising youngsters, fading former stars and downright mediocrity before he decides that enough is enough and he can get a better deal elsewhere?

It would be surprising if these thoughts aren’t already forming in the Uruguayan’s mind. Like all Liverpool fans, he will likely be waiting with baited breath when January comes around to see how serious FSG really are about restoring Liverpool to their former glories in a timely fashion. It’s all well and good having a long term plan and appointing a manager to carry it out, and youngsters like Sterling, Wisdom, Shelvey and Suso might be fantastic players in a few years time but for a world class striker in his prime right now, a few years down the line probably matters little. He will want success as soon as possible and progress needs to be made in the forthcoming transfer window to facilitate that progress.

If FSG can give their manager the funds to significantly improve his squad this winter then it will at least be an assurance that short term, the club are attempting to take serious strides forward and make a significant effort to get back to where they believe they should be. If they don’t offer Rodgers a fistful of dollars and he has to continue to rely on kids from the academy and players like Downing, Cole and Enrique week in week out, then could anyone really blame Luis Suarez for considering his future?

Suarez is an elite footballer who has the qualities to play in any side in the world. A new contract with a big pay rise only goes so far. He, like the club’s fans, needs reassurances that players of his ilk will be coming through the Shankly Gates soon to help him get Liverpool back into the Champions League and prevent them becoming a perennially mid-table outfit.

FSG need to bite the bullet, financially back the manager that they appointed, and keep their best player happy. If they don’t, then Liverpool can forget the Champions League and they will probably have to forget Luis Suarez too.
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17 comments

  • kirbyking says:

    FSG are in it to make dollars , they have spent damn all so far . that squad needs probably 100 – 150 million to compete with the top 4 , we all know that wont happen

    they will probably spend 20-30 in january , but its just nowhere near enough . and BR is not the man to trust with it . 15m on that backwards midget Allen , what a waste !

    FSG out

    • Matt says:

      Allen is no waste, he has the highest completion pass rate and number one in tackles so far this season. BR knows what he is doing wait till Lucas is back controlling the game Allen will be pushed up forward. Have some faith mate.

    • Matt says:

      I think you will be proven wrong Allen will be one of the greats for this wonderful club, mark my words. I think ur being a little harsh on him he’s done we’ll so far especially thru these tough times the amount of tackles that he has won and then go on and created chances from them is quite high so far this season.

      • LFCkeano says:

        greats ? LOL , im not exaggerating when i say that my 14 year old has more physical presence than allen , and is quite capable of completing 10 yard sideways passes

  • huntelaar_9 says:

    Am actually scared that FSG will provide the money but mr rodgers over here will spend it on the likes of williams, sturridge (which is decent), and other mediocre players that he has suposedly coached back in the day. SAD TIMES

  • YOUNGR3D!!! says:

    HUNTELAAR- 6 million, BA- 7 million, get VILLA on loan, AMORABIETA- 6 million. A total of 19 million plus loan money of not more than 5 mill. NO NEED TO SPLASH!!!

  • Harvey says:

    I have to sadly agree that i’m beginning to doubt FSG’s true motive. If they don’t make an investment worthwhile to compete with the top clubs, in 2-3 years time, it will be too difficult for LFC to climb back among the elites. FSG have to make up their minds and sell the club to owners who are willing to invest and take more risks if they’re not up to the task.

  • Jack The Lad says:

    Top article. But before I’ll go bashing anyone I’m going to wait the 8 weeks and see what FSG’s true motive is….only then can we correctly judge. There are plenty clowns around who haven’t the patients to at least wait until then to make a factual judgment.

    • LFCkeano says:

      what more proof do u need ? wasnt the summer of cutbacks enough ? they have already told us their plans . it involves lowering wages , caution in the transfer market , living within our means (ie spending fk all ) , hiring a young unproved inexperienced ( and cheap ) manager to dazzle us with fantastic football , which is going to make up for not spending money .

      now who in their right minds believes THAT policy is going to get us back to the top ? if you do , you need a lobotomy !

      • horrid henry says:

        even IF they had good intentions , which they dont . they have shown a lack of knowledge and incompetence i have only ever seen before by the blackburn indian owners

  • Neil says:

    Was anyone really naive enought think cutthroat yank business men are here to make scousers happy? Get a grip!

  • Dan Ward says:

    wake up fools , FSG are the bad guys , here to milk us dry

  • kay says:

    We can talk tactics,money,players,formation,JW Hendry,but, ultimately if we don’t bring Rafa back or another coach of his calibre,we will just remain a mid-table club. Since 2000 it has been realised in football that you can no longer keep a manager for future success,cos what happens after 5yrs if it doesnt work out? Do we start another 5yr project. Rafa won the CL in the first season,Pep won the double,Jose,Klopp,Wenger,Ancelotti to name a few. Guys like Fergie(going 5yrs without silverware,yet having the best budget) would never make the grade in the current game,he still be working somewhere in his hometown… So why as LFC are we trying to be a grooming arena for an unexperienced guy like Rogers? He should do his time like Pep did at Barca and understand the game more thoroughly,no disrespct to Rogers,but, WE ARE LIVERPOOL!!!!

  • John says:

    Just wondering. When was the last time any of u lot went the game….? Including author? So out of touch from the fans I speak to weekly.

  • kelvin says:

    liverpool needs to buy tatically giveted players from spain and germany. this british players are not good for liverpool fc. Wake up liverpool, wake up. look at the squard in 2005. how many british players can be found in there. we love liverpool. Please make us happy.

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