WHEN LUIS Suarez sank his not insignificant nashers into Branislav Ivanovic’s arm, the football world predictably exploded with media-fuelled outrage.
Some called for him to be sacked, banned or sold, others branded it funny or compared it to the late tackles, the butts, pulling, pinching or punching that has littered the game down the years. My view is he let the mental demons that plague his thinking on the pitch get the better of him. Again. And in doing so he let Liverpool down and he let the fans who idolise him on Merseyside down. Again.
Suarez has long tread the tightrope between devilment and despicable – it’s part of what makes him the player he is. And Liverpool – club, fans and players – have defended him to the hilt. He might be a bastard, but he’s our bastard, is the view that pervades on the red-half of Merseyside. But sinking his teeth into the flesh of a fellow professional? Again? There’s no defending that. It’s a tactic that would be frowned upon in a street fight, never mind in a top-level football match watched by millions on TV.
It’s easy to be flippant about it, to wave it away – particularly if it’s your player and your club at the centre of the controversy. But how far away was it from being much worse? A deeper bite, a chunk of flesh spat out? In momentary lapses of reason, it can happen – ask Mike Tyson. He, for the record, was fined $3million and had his boxing licence revoked after biting a chunk out of Evander Holyfield’s ear in 1997.
Liverpool – after the PR disaster that was Evra-gate – proved lessons had been learned. Apologies were issued by club and player, Suarez was fined and the behaviour was condemned. Anyone expecting anything more really should lay off the crack pipe. Sacking Suarez was crazy talk.
Clubs rarely, if ever, put moral currency ahead of football competitiveness and cold hard cash. That’s why players have kicked fans, pushed referees, booted ball boys, launched pre-meditated attacks on fellow players and even gone to prison before returning to continue where they left off. Suarez is Liverpool’s best player, and tainted image or not, he’s probably worth in the region of £50million. He’s not the first player to disgrace himself on a football pitch, and he won’t be the last. The club was never going to strike a match to that kind of money.
And had Liverpool suddenly lunged for the moral high ground on the basis that Suarez’s chomp was a leap over the line too far, would that have been the end of the Urguayan striker’s football career? Would every club have consulted the moral compass and decided the 30-goal forward, shortlisted for the PFA Player of the Year Award, was now damaged goods that could not be touched? Of course not. And if logic allows those clubs to sign him, why should it mean Liverpool should sack him?
As it is, Liverpool have vowed to stand by their man. Manager Brendan Rodgers will work with him on his “character” according to club MD Ian Ayre. It might take a bit more than a football manager to change that and, according to reports, the PFA have offered Suarez anger management counselling. If Liverpool were determined to resist all bids for Suarez this summer, they may now pause for reflection when a club dangling the Champions League carrot comes calling as they inevitably will.
That Suarez did not learn his lesson from biting Otman Bakkal on the shoulder while playing for Ajax in 2010 would ring alarm bells for any professional organisation and it just may be that now ‘not for sale at any price’ has become ‘keep going higher and we’ll consider it’. An FA ban is looming for Suarez, and whatever that is, it will be fully deserved. All the pointing to a similar incident when Jermain Defoe chewed on Javier Mascherano’s arm does is highlight the FA’s incompetence.
Then, they were hamstrung by their own ridiculous rules that determine they cannot issue punishment for an incident witnessed by the referee. This time opportunity knocks.
Suarez now has a worryingly lengthy crime sheet that screams liability. So is there a way back for the talented timebomb or is his departure now inevitable? If he leaves, Liverpool’s team and the Premier League will be worse off for it – his talent is undoubted. But can Suarez learn a lesson and curb the cannibal streak, or will his words again prove empty?
Only he truly knows the answer, and while all eyes have been on Liverpool and the FA, it is high time the player himself admitted he has a deep-rooted problem. For inspiration – stay with it – he should look no further than Eric Cantona. The Frenchman was proof that you can be loved by your own fans, hated by everyone else and carry on regardless.
Cantona, like Suarez, had previous before his time at Old Trafford. And, like Suarez, he continued to press the self-destruct button in the Premier League. He spat at a fan in his first season with Manchester United, was banned for five matches in his second for being sent off in successive games and in his third kung-fu kicked a Crystal Palace fan.
Cantona was banned for nine months, fined £20,000, stripped of the French national team captaincy and ordered to complete 120 hours of community service. But he returned triumphantly, as we know all too well, lifting the FA Cup after scoring the winner to add to a Premier League winners’ medal. He was later voted United’s Player of the Century. It might feel like it now, but the road to redemption for Suarez isn’t impossible. Liverpool are backing him (again) – the rest is up to him.
Great article, I personally agree though I know that many Liverpool fans may not. Personally, as a fan, I feel that Suarez has received more than his fair share of support.
Also, just to note briefly, I applaud the Anfield Wrap for posting two articles arguing for completely different perspectives on this issue. Whether you agree with one or the other or part of one and part of the other, it’s overall a better discussion when differing viewpoints are included.
Agree with every word. There are, incredibly, some Liverpool fans trying to downplay what Luis did. Tribal loyalties are one thing, abandoning your moral compass is quite another.
As Gareth says, Suarez is “our bastard”, and what the club must do now is work with the player towards improving his behaviour and conduct. He must be told, in no uncertain terms, that he is one more crazy incident away from being shown the door. If he does not accept that, then fine – let him go.
Let’s be honest, if a lesser player bit an opponent we’d be happy to see him go now, but given we’re talking about Liverpool’s star man here there is a desire to keep him and hope he starts behaving himself. That is part of the hypocrisy that defines all supporters – we’ll tolerate crap from a player if he might score us a goal or two. But there is a line for everyone and Luis is close to crossing his in my opinion. As Gareth also says, the road to redemption isn’t impossible, but it’s up to him to take the first step.
Faux morality from a faux fan.
As usual Gareth a fine article – However for me Liverpool Football Club our manager and us supporters are to shoulder some blame. Respectfully if you give a man with the character flaws that Suarez has; a long piece of rope, he will use it. This present season & last Luis was a constant diver & moaner, his belligerence toward opponents, referees and at time his own team should have been a red light to us all – Nipped in the bud.
Senior pros and managers should have slapped him one on various occasion since his arrival – Its complete tosh that these type of genius players have to live on the edge – At best an excuse for his behaviour & at worst bullshit.
Point in case Dalglish was a genius, and if we look at the modern day players Ronaldo, Messi don’t bite, spit or rage toward officials – apart from Ronaldo!!
Having said all of this – Anger management is not an exclusive option for Luis Suarez, the Premier League should take a look at the culprits at the top of the cards list. Also some managers could do with similar therapy.
As for selling Luis – this would be the most extreme example of stupidity, unless used as an excuse to recoup £50million.
Great article.
I don’t think we’ll be seeing Luis again until August.
Cracking balanced synopsis here, devoid of the Sky Sports histrionics but still clear on the need for decency. Football HAS lost its way though, and Liverpool had the opportunity here to repair lost ground, keep the faith of supporters like me, and move the debate onto the FA/FIFA and their ridiculous stance of no post match retribution if the referee sees things.
I was in utter shock then I seen those events and my feelings were exactly those of Souness at 6pm Sunday. As a custodian of my own club, I would boot any player out for such a deplorable action that will indeed make kids think they can get away with acts of such nuisance (yes, I witness these first hand from even my own players).
Having calmed down since I still think the club should have given him an internal 4 match ban, privately encouraging the FA to give the exact same dated sentence, and thus Liverpool – as a club – rise highly from a terrible event. Sturridge needs the game time, we need to plan a future without Suarez (when he is injured) and it makes managerial sense to me.
Nonetheless, a good case put forward here.
My worry is you agree with souness who plainly speaking is a hypocrite, a man who broke another players jaw while playing for us. Went so over the the ball his studs nearly neutered the other player while playing for rangers and I’m not even going to get into the whole scum story thing. That man has no right to be judgemental about anyone, yes luis let us down but a sense of perspective is needed about how badly
It’s Liverpool fans who have the most right to be angry here. It’s really not acceptable behavior towards us who have supported him so staunchly. Knowing what he knows about the Manchester controlled media (he’s openly stated it himself often enough) then it is disrespectful to us fans to put us through weeks of this crap again. We need an adequate replacement for him now as one way or another he’s likely to miss a lot of next season.
I saw the game. Nobody was killed, seriously injured, even slightly impaired in their playing ability. I think he should get a retrospective red at worst and has done all the rest with the club, the fine, a talking to that will be ongoing. Honestly, for me it is ferguson who should be removed from the game for the shocking way he was able to manufacture an event out of the conversation in spanish the year before. Louis never deserved that, and this is what it is because of the Evra thing more than anything.
When was the last time we had a 30 a season player? Whatever happens, try your best folks not to kill the goose that lays the golden egg.
I’m firmly with you over ferguscum’s behavior last year Mark but as a man I don’t accept biting from anyone. Punch ’em in the face like a real man if you feel the need, but biting is cowardly & disgusting. Christ If my 4 year old did it I’d be humiliated.
No one is implying any of that took place, Mark. But there’s NO justification for biting, none whatsoever. I’ve never known a Liverpool player BITE a player before, have you? It’s not a throwaway moment, or an everyday foul, it’s the action of a mentally flawed individual with previous for the same act.
This isn’t what it is because of Ferguson, Evra, the FA, the media or anything else. It is what it is because Suarez wasn’t able to keep control of his emotions on a football pitch – something he is expected to do as part of the job he is handsomely rewarded for.
This whole thing has (once again) been blown out of proportion. Not just by the press hacks who pray every hour of every day for Suarez to do something daft (again), but has also been politicised by our Dear leady – Camoron!!
But, just to politicise this even further, would anyone else agree that comparing a player to biting someone on the arm to players who intentionally snap other players’ legs off as well as not paying any tax on the millions they receive in their pay packet is a case of the media missing the REAL issues that surround this once proud greed-obsessed game?
Personally, i’m falling out of love, not with the game, but the people who write about it!! The phrase ‘ten a penny’ springs to mind!
Cameron getting involved is a joke, as is someone from the media asking him the question.
Fact is, though, a player biting an opponent – particularly one as high profile as Suarez, and with his history – will always be a story.
There was a spell where people actually began to talk about him positively in the media – about his skill as a footballer. But then he went and did something stupid. Again….
Brilliant piece Gareth and very good balance from TAW
The “High Horses” are at a premium.Everybody wants one.For Christ’s sake even Lorraine Kelly on ITV was advertising a phone-in.”Phone in now;should he be hanged,shot or stoned to death?” £15000 and a palace in Versaille to the Winner!
What is it here? There have been far worse things happening in football and everwhere else come to that.But no! The Suarez record is brought up with every single incident.
If you haven’t noticed he gets kicked from pillar to post in every game.Elbows;knees and kicks and trips.Why should he excuse them?
Why should a clumsy defender make an illegal challenge on him and go unpunished just because he has the skill to initially evade such a challenge?
But here’s the best thing.If I was a Lawyer,I would want to see best evidence .I would want to see teeth marks and clear signs of a bite.And if it exists I would condemn him.
But nobody has come up with this.That Kno****d Redknapp talked about Chelsea players in the changing-room looking at their iPads to see what had happened.Why didn’t they just look at his arm?
Players roll around as though they’ve been shot nowadays but nobody ever looks at the injuries they claim to have sustained.So what’s wrong with looking at the teeth marks before we rush to judgement?
I’m ashamed to admit that I’ve feigned to kick or punch somebody in the past just to let them know that I’ve had enough!But in my day the opposing player didn’t go rolling on the pitch at the threat;even though I hadn’t actually touched him.
Anyway,I was driving home tonight and heard a radio programme with a phone-in asking for requests connected to Suarez.”Another One Bites The Dust” and all that sort of stuff.Funny but…?
What an absolute maelstrom this is turning in to.And the Club?Yet again failing to grasp and realise how to deal with it.Throwing themselves on the bonfire!.Jesus Christ! Sack cloth and ashes doesn’t come into it!
They need to take a lesson from some other “Clubs” and just deal with it!Sh*t happens!
He was bang to rights. The club dealt with it very well. What exactly did you expect them to do, Brian?
Im tempted to say, if we had another ten Suarezs we’d win the premiership and every thing else….but then again they’d all be banned for 8 games every season. Having Suarez in our side is like having are best players in the African Nations every season! Im just glad he’s on our side.
if i had to choose between getting my leg kicked in half and getting bitten in my triceps, i’d probably choose the latter. just sayin’.
Presumably you’d endorse neither action though. Just sayin’.
and i didn’t. i just think that the message from the media/fa about what is really, really, wrong on a pitch is kind of very weird.
Good article Gareth, I’m in agreement with most of what you’ve written I think.
I’ll be honest, as a supporter I am livid with Suarez on this one. You mentioned “moral compass”…the majority of supporters have stuck with Luis through all of the difficulties he’s provided over the last few seasons…the unecessary dives, gesticulating and arguing with the ref. The Evra incident…each one was either accepted as guilty as charged and quickly forgiven, put down to “character” or details were uncovered that made it very obvious things were not as they seemed (Evra).
He seemed to really clean up his act and then does this! It was ludicrous, funny only in that you couldn’t quite believe what you were seeing. The incident lasted several seconds, he seemed absolutely determined to sink his teeth in and would’ve had Ivanovic not gone to ground to shake him off. Luis then strolls off toward the goal with a pathetic, transparently fake “limp”. The whole incident was frankly embarrasing for us as supporters and for the club.
I feel completely let down by the man, he kicked LFC and it’s support in the teeth (no pun intended) in my opinion.
If the club still want to keep him (which is a huge risk to brand reputation) then they need to be taking actions proactively in the public eye. The club should self-impose a ban on him for the rest of the season and they should be forcing him to become involved in some level of mental therapy as an act of prevention. It’s the only way I see the club coming out of this with any respect and dignity.
I’ve read other forums today. Some of our own support are comparing this incident to Cantona’s flying kick, Defoe’s bite on Mascherano, Fellaini’s elbows, Hazards’ ball-boy kicks….anything to try and justify Suarez biting someone on a football pitch and find precedent that forces the FA to keep the ban to a minimum number of games. It’s triablism gone mad. The incident needs to be taken in isolation of any other player’s and any previous misdemeanors by the player. Elbows, kicks although serious are moment’s of madness, simply lashing out. You just don’t bite people! The instinct to actually bite someone surely is much more of a serious concern than the above?
I saw little to no provocation by Ivanovic, just the usual frustrations of a good striker versus a good defender. What I did see was a quite distraught Suarez after he’d handled in his own area and put chelsea back in front. This was the catalyst…anger, frustration turned to pure rage?
He deserves a lengthy ban, that’s the truth and reality. If he stays with the club I don’t expect to see him until September.
If Suarez is to remain a Liverpool player he he must stay Dr Jekyll and kill Mr Hyde.
Another balanced article which echoes my thoughts, Gareth. Made up you refer to Evragate a year on as a ‘PR disaster’ and not a ‘race row’ (tm Ollie Holt) because that’s what it was and it exposed the incompetence of the Football Club. I was going to bang on about how his footballing ability and mentality are equally bemusing and incomprehensible to me and whether they and his decision making are linked or not. The bite and the handball for the pen are both coming from the same place, surely?
Then I was going to make comparisons to Mascherano who had a similiar winning tenacity in tandem with snarly, passive-agressive traits for us in recent times or Rooney who has seemingly mellowed but lost his similiar-to-Suarez tenacious, competitive edge and work ethic off the ball. He’s not swearing down the camera lense, but then again he’s not scoring 20-30 goals a season anymore and didn’t play the big game vs Real the other month for a reason (obviously United have got someone else to be the talisman and fire them to a title this season, etc).
But ultimately the bottom line is Suarez doesn’t help himself or the club sometimes. He’s cognisant of how the media will swarm all over him after it was made out he’d intentionally punched the ball into the back of the net vs Mansfield. He knows he’s under the microscope and yet can’t seem to reign his behaviour in. Everyone was spot on ripping into Pulis after a Stoke game this season for his blatent Ferguson-like misdirection trick after Huth stamped on Suarez, but if he’d have just stayed on his feet after that he doesn’t give anyone a chance to shift the story about him in a negative light again.
I don’t know. Suarez takes ‘from the sublime to the ridiculous’ to new heights. To paraphrase Joe Pesci in JFK, he’s a mystery wrapped in a riddle inside an enigma.
To paraphrase Joe Pesci in JFK, he’s a mystery wrapped in a riddle inside an enigma
Or perhaps even Winston Churchill referring to Russia?
Ha, yeah him as well. Suarez’s genius/madness is more baffling than Russia or JFK though. Dr. Steve Peters could have his work cut out for him…
I fear we have all been influenced by the media hysteria.
There have been players who managers in the past have defended with such things as “take their aggression away you lose the player” etc etc.
The public vocal reaction of fellow team mates shows how ott & hypocritical everything is in this respect. Also respect to Poyet trying to explain cultural differences yet gets drowned out with this xenophobia overdrive!