Well what can you say after a game like this? In any other universe the headlines would be "Suarez scores 96th minute goal for 96 fans". But it isn't, sadly. For all the wrong reason Suarez dominates the headlines and I'm getting quite sick of it. Not for the things Suarez does, though he certainly does himself no favours at times. I'm sick and tired of us not fighting back and when we do, the only fighting is amongst ourselves.
The way I see it that no matter how shitty, rotten, wrong or whatever adjective you want to throw to it Suarez is one of a kind and I wouldn't have him any other way.
THAT mentality Suarez has is fucking priceless. Especially so to a club as spineless as ours and has been for too long.
As a club, from boardroom to the U-10's there's an inherent lack of fight that can be attributed to not giving a fuck about anything but yourself; the last years under Evans. The manager selling out; Souness. Through incompetence at board level; too many to count. And then everything in between. We, as a club, don't have a bullish belief that we should win and we should stop at nothing to achieve that goal. There have been a lot more people who have done a lot better job of pointing out why that doesn't come from the top down. With Ian Ayre in charge of running football affairs, owners who are halfway around the world who put their trust in a the manager to single handedly take on this Herculian task. So why is it even being discussed about even contemplating letting the only person at the club, who has the sheer raw determination to do it for them, go?
Even if there isn't cause and effect there seems to be an astounding correlation with the players who go above and beyond every game, every training session (hell I imagine Suarez does it when he plays FIFA too) and the players who win things.
We have had a few of those down in our footnotes. Tommy Smith was one of those and he told a famous story once;
Smith said. "I was approached by a chap and his wife as I left the ground. I asked if I could help them and they simply thanked me for not kicking their son. He had been playing inside left for Preston ! Again, it showed the value of reputation.
And another on that repuation of his:
I did warn players. When Tottenham striker Jimmy Greaves came out at Anfield one time I handed him a piece of paper. He said: 'What's this?' I said: 'Just open it.' It was the menu from the Liverpool Infirmary. I make no bones about it, that's what I was good at. Some players were good dribblers, others good headers, I was a hard tackler and I used it to gain that 'edge' that Shanks was always looking for."
Tommy Smith doesn't sound like the nicest of people to play the game but who cares? He won things. Souness was an uncompromising c*nt on the pitch who would leave the opponent in a hospital bed whilst he polished his medals. So did Roy Keane and to an extent Vieira.
It's a universal law it seems. Marco Tardelli and Claudio Gentile made a career out of it too. If the opposition fears you they'll stay away from you. Suarez was wrong to do it but of all the things that happen what does it change? He doesn't try to end someone's career, his biggest crime isn't hurting the opposition, it's being too clever in his attempts. Carragher kicked out at Torres, after Torres had elbowed Carragher in the face. You know the things that people actually get charged with assault with in "real life" & a lot more often than biting too.
For me it's really simple - possibly too simple, but I'm a hypocritical c*nt so I don't care. Was Suarez wrong for doing that? Absolutely. Will be find another player who gives it 100% no matter the score, the occasion or the stakes - at his level and with his quality? No.
Suarez is our best player by a country mile. His fitness is almost robotic. His work rate second to none. His determination to succeed and win, for himself and the fans is something I've never seen in my life. If Suarez got banned 10 games every season I'd still have him here.
Maybe I'm idealistic but I'd rather have a player who gives 100% with such consistency, at such a high level miss a few games for being mental than have players at a lesser level, who don't try and act like saints (on the pitch mind you, most of them tend to be asshole off the pitch).
Of course I'm not happy he did it, I was fucking annoyed with him because he can be his worst enemy - and that he can't seem to learn. But he wouldn't be the way he is if he wouldn't be so on the edge. He plays for the moment and when he puts on a red shirt the world stops. Nothing in the world matters from kick-off to the final whistle. He plays to win, consequences be damned.
They say a winning mentality is something that money can't buy. That's why the cite the likes of a Maldini or a Gerrard when they say that having talent isn't good enough, you also have to "get it". Baresi, Totti, Bergomi, Carragher, Facchetti, Casillas, Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Puyol. You name it. They were players that conquered the world but it meant that much more because it was for the club they loved. They were willing to risk life and limb to win it for the fans.
Well in the case of Suarez - they got it wrong. The age of mercinary footballers is upon us. Now, more than ever before, Suarez is priceless. He plays with the talent of a world class footballer, the "Fuck you - I don't want to lose!" of his inner child and the passion any supporter possesses and wants their players to show. And because of that I fucking love Luis Suarez. As far as I'm concerned there aren't enough people
like Luis Suarez. They simply make the game of football what it is. No matter what team you support, Luis Suarez reaches into the very core of your soul and stirs your primal emotions. He makes you feel alive. When he is on the ball everyone moves to the edge of their seats. Your heart rate spikes, you feel a rush of adrenaline and like any player should - you experience the game
with him because he personafies the love of the game. When he plays nothing else matters.
And because of all that we have to keep Luis Suarez. If there's any action Liverpool Football Club should take towards Luis Suarez it isn't throwing him under the bus - it's cloning him.
For those reasons above I love Luis Suarez. He plays the game exceptionally well and doesn't know the meaning of surrender. We should have every player at the club play more like Suarez.
Long live King Luis - let's make a fucking statue of him!
