The Uruguay forward only has himself to blame for a suspension which blows a hole in Brendan Rodgers’ rebuilding plans

Luis Suárez admitted he and his wife, Sofia, “cried a lot” during that week of travelling back and forth to Manchester to protest his innocence in the Patrice Evra affair. There was utter despair when the guilty verdict arrived accompanied by an eight-match suspension. We can only guess at the extent of the misery in the Suárez household following the 10-match ban for biting Branislav Ivanovic but, crucially, so can Liverpool. Their confidence that Suárez will be a Liverpool player next season can no longer be absolute.

There is one conversation that Suárez needs to have above all others at Liverpool. He has been told to have anger management counselling since Sunday’s ludicrous assault on the Chelsea defender, and in psychiatrist Dr Steve Peters has renowned help at hand on a weekly basis at Melwood. He met the managing director, Ian Ayre, on Monday to discuss a club fine and solicitor Natalie Wignall on Tuesday to compile a written submission to the independent regulatory commission that decided his punishment. The striker’s insistence that an automatic three-match ban would suffice undermined his contrition before being rejected outright by the three-man panel.

Now the striker and his agent, Pere Guardiola, will have to meet Brendan Rodgers for talks that could shape the club’s direction under the Liverpool manager. The “no player is bigger than the club” theory is under renewed scrutiny at Anfield in light of Wednesday’s penalty. Liverpool’s position on Suárez did not change after Evra or in the wake of biting an opponent for the second time in less than three years – not for sale. The player has never expressed a desire to leave, not even after the controversies of last season, a change in manager at Liverpool and with Juventus willing to take him to Turin.

The resolve to lead Liverpool back into Champions League contention may harden as a result of his latest punishment but that appears hugely optimistic from an Anfield perspective. As he contemplates a place on the sidelines until September – Confederations Cup duties with Uruguay apart – he knows there will be opportunity to make a fresh start this summer. Given the severity of his latest punishment it would be perfectly understandable if Suárez considered taking one. He did, after all, leave Ajax two months after receiving a seven-match ban for biting Otman Bakkal of PSV Eindhoven.

Rodgers called it “victimisation” – and that was only after Tony Pulis had condemned a Suárez dive against Stoke City when the Liverpool striker had been stamped on by Robert Huth. No doubt that comment reflected the mood inside the Liverpool dressing room. Did Wednesday’s punishment fit the crime? Absolutely, in terms of the shock value, though before Liverpool rail at the sentence and an inconsistent FA disciplinary process in clear need of fine-tuning, it is worth remembering that only one person is responsible for their latest problem.

Suárez’s 30 goals this season account for 34% of Liverpool’s total of 88. But in the past two seasons he has received suspensions adding up to 20 matches. The club’s finest player will not be available for approximately the next 21 weeks – subject to a likely appeal – but will be paid comfortably more than £2m during that period.

Even with baggage Suárez would command a transfer fee this summer that, if reinvested properly, would strengthen Rodgers’ squad if not his limited number of world-class options. But Liverpool need to know immediately whether their leading striker wants to stay or go. Their summer transfer strategy rests on his answer, as does their start to next season; a crucial campaign for Rodgers.

The Liverpool manager has spoken of “flying” in August, a conviction based on finally having his recruitment team in place, his ideas imposed on the squad and the prospect of making a few key additions. The remaining target for this season is a modest one, to finish above Everton in the table and claim bragging rights that count for little outside Merseyside, but to enter next season without Suárez for six games represents a major setback to those “flying” plans.

Liverpool did not fare disastrously during Suárez’s eight-match suspension last season – losing two, drawing two and winning four, including three cup ties as Kenny Dalglish’s team progressed to the Carling and FA Cup finals. That Suárez-less period saw Craig Bellamy inspire Liverpool to a Carling Cup semi-final victory over Manchester City, Dirk Kuyt punish Manchester United in the FA Cup and Andy Carroll begin to find the confidence that helped him flourish in the final weeks. All three scored in a 3-0 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers, the final match of Suárez’s suspension, but all three were allowed to move on and the responsibility – and the risk – on the Uruguay forward increased. He was worth that risk until Sunday.

A news article on 2013-04-24 18:45:00 from: The Guardian

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