Luis Suarez - A Different View

Luis Alberto Suárez Díaz is a player people love to hate. After Cristiano Ronaldo, Suarez definitely took the top spot in the list of most hated players in England. Suarez himself has created this reputation of being a ‘dirty’ player. He goes down easily with the slightest or absolutely no contact. He doesn’t think twice before ‘cheating’ if it means getting the win for his team. He has a poor disciplinary record and is often guilty of picking up a lot of bookings. Petulance is another thing you’ll associate Suarez with. He gets frustrated when things aren’t going his way and will throw his hands up and start falling at every touch, demanding a decision. These are a few things that fans and opposition players hate. It also plays on the minds of the referees. His racial abuse towards Evra is a completely different topic and better not touched upon. I feel it’s a thing of the past and everyone should move on. The FA made their decision, Suarez was punished, move on. Forgotten, but not forgiven.

He’s not new to the world of controversies. Even before coming to England, he had his share of run-ins with players and managers. One of the most famous or infamous incidents is the goal-line save with his hands against Ghana in the 2010 World Cup. Uruguay won the game later on penalties and advanced to the semi-finals. There was a huge outrage in many parts of the world, especially in Africa, after this incident; while others labelled him a hero. He was branded a ‘villain’ and ‘cheat’ for his actions. However, I don’t quite agree with that. Anyone in his place would have done the same thing to get his team ahead in the tournament. It just showed the passion and commitment he had for his country and he sacrificed playing in the next match for the cause. It would have been unjust if the referee had not given them a penalty. But Suarez was sent off and Ghana missed the resulting penalty. You can’t blame Suarez for that.

One can write huge books listing the negative aspects of Suarez, but behind all that negativity, there’s a skilful and a brilliant footballer, which, of course, is no secret. He has the ability to create something out of absolutely nothing. He always gets stuck into defenders, and thrives on errors from the defenders. It’s really amazing to see how easily he gets past defenders sometimes. He often tends to collect the ball on the wings, drift in and nutmeg a few defenders before scoring or setting up for a team-mate. And he does this so often and with tremendous ease. The way he got past United’s defence to set up Kuyt for a goal a couple of seasons ago is still etched in the memory of many fans.

He’s carried Liverpool on single-handedly since he arrived. He’s very versatile and takes up positions on the wings or up front. The goal against Newcastle this season is a perfect example of his ball-control and composure. His dribbling statistics this season have been astonishing. He is never afraid to take on the entire defence on his own. His quick and nimble footwork is always a worry for defenders. He’s the sort of player who defenders would hate defending against. He’ll always make the defenders think, force them to make mistakes and capitalize on them. As much as you hate him, you’ll love having such a player in your team. You can have all the ‘good’ players in your team, but it’s ‘nasty’ players like him that make a difference in crucial games.

His situation is comparable to that of Cristiano Ronaldo when he first came in to the English Premier League. Ronaldo developed a reputation similar to Suarez in terms of diving and petulance. He went down often and got frustrated each time a decision went against him. He quickly came under the spotlight and attention from the media as well as opposition fans. But as years went by, he matured a lot and became responsible. At 26, Suarez is in his prime and has a lot to offer in the coming years. Players coming from other leagues realize that you cannot steam-roll yourself in the English League. Unfortunately, they learn it the hard way. Suarez will always carry these wrong decisions he’s made with him in future. But these experiences will make him stronger and improve him as a person.

Suarez will always get the stick from opposition fans and managers alike for being the notorious player he is, but he’s got the quality and skill that would make any fan in the world wish that he plays for their team.

So, despite all the negativity surrounding Suarez, there is no doubt that he is a world-class player and can go on to become a legend.