Talk of ‘Love & Loyalty’ rings hollow from the mouth of Suarez

SO the Guardian and the Telegraph are both reporting that Luis Suarez will be handing in his transfer request by the end of the week.

Citing his total effort for the club, “I gave absolutely everything last season but it was not enough to give us a top-four finish,” he reminds us of his hard work and dedication over the past two years.

In a further quote, “…now all I want is for Liverpool to honour our agreement,” he maintains that Liverpool owe him an opportunity to play for a Champions League team and that they have both a contractual and spoken agreement to that effect. Bollocks.

What part of “Oops. I cost Liverpool 20 games in suspension” got lost in the translation? How does doing stupid things that hurt the club, constitute giving “absolutely everything”?

The thing that bothers me about Luis is not the fact that he wants so desperately to play in the Champions League for Arsenal, but that he has shown us that he is not a man of enduring character.

All of his protestations of loyalty and love for the fans rings hollow in the light of his recent actions. I think we would forgive his misleading statements, were he not determined to join our rivals in frustrating OUR bid for a Champions league place.

I’ve bought the story that his supposed racial slur was a tempest in a teapot, a cultural misunderstanding and a cynical ploy by Alex Ferguson to hamstring us by eliminating our best player. It rings too true not to provide some considerable doubt as to his guilt in that situation. The biting is less easy to explain away. Although his suspension for this senseless transgression was much too long, the fact remains that he did something totally beyond the pale and that he had done it before.

This is not a player whose South American high spirits got the better of him, but a cynical opportunist who ignores consequences in the blur of ego and self aggrandizement that excuses him from the punishments written for lesser men.

How about “the English press have made it impossible for me to stay in England” (or words to that effect)? The last time I looked, Arsenal was based in London and London (unfortunately) is part of England. Unless Arsenal relocates to Antarctica, Suarez’ indiscretions and past history will not suddenly be wiped clean nor will Fleet Street name him Man of the Year.
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For months we heard that Luis had been badgered so mercilessly that he had to leave for Real Madrid. The press was invading his private life and ruining football (and life itself) for Suarez and his wife and daughter. Nothing could be contemplated but flight to the mainland and its benign core of friendly reporters and benevolent editors.

There is no question that Luis Suarez cannot be sold to ANY club in England with pretensions to the top four. The man is supremely talented and will augment the attack and the aura of any club he plays for. Like all great players, he elevates his teammates to perform at a higher level and he generates value for the club both off and on the pitch. Given this, I would sell him at a discount to a mainland club just to keep him out of the clubs in the BPL where he could come back to cost us more than the few million pounds we would have to forgo.

What does Brendan Rodgers do now? He has a valuable asset that could see Liverpool knocking at the door of the Champions League as well as domestic competitions. He has a player who has shown himself to be world class, a player who could win the Premiership scoring title if he stays on the pitch. He is a player who works harder than most to achieve his dreams and is a constant threat with his talent and inventive play.

But ultimately, he is a player who doesn’t want to stay. Does Brendan pull out all the stops to keep a player who feels himself a captive or does he jeopardize the team’s chance to move up the table?   If this team, this ownership, wants to reoccupy its rightful place, it has to move beyond Suarez; it has to loosen the purse strings and make such a splash on the transfer market that everyone takes notice.

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