Where next for Liverpool's Luis Suarez?

23 April 2013 09:13

After reflecting for a moment on my choice of title for this article, I notice that 'Who next for Luis Suarez?' may have been more apt. Where do I begin writing about an incredibly talented footballer who apart from football also enjoys: Handling the ball on the goal line, (Allegedly) racially abusing another player, scoring with his hand against a non-league club, spitting at an opponent in the face and biting opposition players?

Well, due to public demand I think I'll have to start with his enjoyment of sinking his gnashes into the arms of opposition players, it is something that he's done on two occasions, once whilst he played for Dutch side Ajax with the other 'incident' occurring Sunday when he was playing for Liverpool against Chelsea. In typical Suarez fashion he went on to score an equaliser in the 96th minute when he should have been sent off for biting the arm of Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic. How any human being can bite another human being is beyond my understanding, maybe biting someone on the arm is a sign of affection in Uruguay but I don't think that even the most passionate Liverpool supporter, and there are many of fantastically passionate Liverpool fans, could defend his actions Sunday afternoon.

Biting another human being is absurd, primitive and incredibly idiotic, and when you just happen to be a human being who is on a football pitch being watched by thousands of people in the stadium and millions worldwide and that a fellow footballer happens to be the person you are biting but idiocy is commonplace with Luis Suarez, for a footballer so talented as himself his attitude and behaviour is simply unacceptable. Surely Luis should show more respect towards the team who took him out of the Dutch league and gave him the opportunity to play in one of the best leagues in the world? Surely Suarez should show more respect for the thousands of Liverpool fans who pay good money to watch their team play and defend him despite his endless bans and suspensions? Seemingly not if his behaviour is anything to go by.

So, that brings us to the key question in this ever growing soap drama: Where next for Luis Suarez? If Liverpool decide that they wish to keep him at the club as he is their top goalscorer this season and an amazing footballer, would they be sending out the wrong message to their fans and to their younger players? I think they would be sending out the wrong message because a player who has done the amount of things that Suarez has done needs to be punished by the club and the FA not just by the FA, a punishment similar to the one that Ajax dished out on him would be fitting, something more than just a fine which any modern day footballer can pay with ease, but I doubt that Liverpool will do that because after all he is their best player and it is in their best interests to keep him happy and at the club if they are to ever be able to achieve their end goal of becoming a real force in English football once more. I can completely understand why Liverpool will be desperate to keep him at the club because despite what most football fans say, every club in the country would want to have a player of his talent in their squad. But I do still believe that the club should give some sort of punishment to him away from an economical fine, the punishment would be separate to any punishment given by the FA.

But with speculation mounting about his future at the club before the second “Bitegate incident” will possible suitors be put off by his behaviour? Personally, I don't think that any club who were taking serious interest in Luis Suarez would have lost interest in him because of his latest scandal because with a player like Luis Suarez you are always going to get behavioural problems, but any possible buyer would have known that he's “trouble” long before now. At the end of the day, any club in the world would want him in their team and if teams can afford what will be a monumental price tag then they should still go ahead and try to sign him, any possible buyer will have to simply deal with his behaviour issues and know that they will get bad publicity because his footballing ability will bring them great goals (No pun intended) and in the end footballing achievements are the only things that really matter and a player like Suarez can make it happen.

Wherever he ends up next season or even if he stays at Liverpool, let's just hope that he isn't asked to play such an unorthodontic role (Pun and spelling mistake fully intended) as he was Sunday afternoon.

Source: DSG