Luis Suarez: World Beater or Thug?

             English football thought it had seen the back of the majority of controversial issues when Mario Balotelli left these shores for warmer climes. How wrong we were. Luis Suarez, a man of undoubted talent, having recently been nominated for the Player of the Year Award by his peers, seems to be the man to take over Balotelli’s mantel. His actions in today’s Premier League match between his Liverpool side and Chelsea perfectly summarise the polarized nature of his time in Britain-from hero to villain and then back again in the space of 45 short minutes.

 

                It is also worth reflecting on his past ‘sins’. Whilst revered on Merseyside (the red half at least) for his footballing talent, which most Liverpool fans would concede is the primary reason for them remaining in the top half of the Premier League table this year, he has seen his fair share of controversy. Many football fans had their minds made up for them about Luis Suarez as a ‘gentleman’ after his handball against Ghana in the 2010 World Cup Quarter Final. His recent spat with Patrice Evra regarding racist abuse has been well documented, along with the farcical ‘will they/won’t they’ storyline over handshakes that looked like it had just been plucked from the script of Friends. The 8-match ban alone, whether fair or unfair, you would consider significant enough to keep himself out of trouble and his name in the limelight for positive reasons only. Not Luis Suarez. Most defenders you see interviewed say he is a ‘nuisance to play against’. Only with a handful of players is that not a phrase which is praising the attacking qualities of the striker. Unfortunately, whilst the majority of the time he is a ‘nuisance’ in the positive sense, scoring 23 league goals this season, and assisting numerous more, he is all too often a ‘nuisance’ in the negative. His diving has been noted on several occasions, including an admission by himself to such in January. It is the more underhand, cynical and borderline violent actions that leave many football fans with a bad taste in their mouths whenever Suarez’s name is mentioned. He also seemingly has form for this too. At his previous club Ajax, Suarez was banned for 7 matches for biting PSV Eindhoven midfielder Otman Bakkal in November 2010, an incident which seems ever more relevant after today’s events.

 

If ‘a game of two halves’ is a cliché, then perhaps ‘a half of three halves’ would best describe Luis Suarez’s performance this afternoon. After a rather anonymous first 45 by his standards, he was the catalyst for Liverpool’s opener, using his prodigious talent to put a goal on a plate for Daniel Sturridge. The gallant hero of Liverpool FC to the rescue again. Or so it seemed. What happened next was nothing short of extraordinary. Having deservedly conceded a penalty for a blatant handball, his frustration appeared to get the better of him. And what do normal people do when they are frustrated? That’s right, they bite the nearest person! Rather than accepting his punishment and having a few stern words with himself, Luis Suarez decided to bite the arm of Branislav Ivanovic, the Chelsea defender. Nevertheless, this is not the end of the story. To add insult to Branislav Ivanovic’s injury, he then popped up in the 7^th minute of stoppage time to steer a header past Petr Cech in the Chelsea goal to rescue a point for Liverpool. The headlines practically write themselves: ‘Suarez is a ‘shot in the arm’ for Liverpool’ and the like. The fact that Brendan Rodgers, who at times has had to be a staunch supporter of Suarez, against all opponents, was unable to support his player, speaks volumes. Whilst it could be argued he really did need to review tapes of the incident, it is certainly true he has been quick to defend Suarez in the past.

 

Regardless of tonight’s apology, I expect to see a rather lengthy ban for Suarez, and it remains to be seen whether we see him again in the Premier League. Once again, it appears, Luis Suarez has wasted his considerable talent on becoming embroiled in yet more controversy. He has always had the potential, and application to be a ‘world beater’, but his competitive streak seemingly gets the better of him, and he appears unable to control his anger and frustration. I made the point earlier about him taking over from where Mario Balotelli left off. Like Suarez, Balotelli has considerable potential if he chooses to apply himself. In Britain, it never worked, as he found himself involved in several high profile controversies, ranging from setting off fireworks in his bathroom, to handing out money dressed as Father Christmas. Unlike Suarez, the majority of Mario Balotelli’s misdemeanours were idiotic, the sign of a petulant, immature clown. The more violent aspect of Suarez’s game appears to indicate a shift away from Balotelli, and towards the ilk of Joey Barton. I sincerely hope I am wrong, as it would be a shame to see such great potential wasted.