Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has again felt the need to deal with the issue of Luis Suarez and diving during Sundays 0-0 draw with Stoke City.
Stoke boss Tony Pulis claimed that Suarez had dived during the game, although the Uruguayan may have had a case against Stoke defender Robert Huth for stamping on him.
Press
Brendan Rodgers is a rookie in terms of top level management, but I always thought he was quite an intelligent guy. However, instead of ignoring the questions about Luis Suarez and diving he keeps answering them and giving the media non-stories. He may believe he is protecting his player, but it seems he is just making it worse.
Luis Suarez is seen as something of a pantomime villain in the Premier League now. Every week it seems that Suarez’s behaviour comes under scrutiny. With every appearance he makes himself more of a target for vilification.
Suarez should just get on with the game cut out the diving and try to rebuild his reputation. At the moment though he has a reputation for being a cheat and that’s of his own making. His own actions have garnered him that label and it’s a hard one to shake off.
Alone
Luis Suarez is not the only player in the English top flight that dives. However, he seems to be a more prolific offender than most.
Other managers have actually came out and criticised their own players for diving, but Rodgers keeps defending Suarez when I think it would be better off keeping quiet over the whole issue.
Profligacy
Luis Suarez does have a lot of talent unfortunately it’s accompanied by foolish behaviour and poor finishing. Having watched him at a lot since he moved to Liverpool it’s obvious that he is just not clinical enough in front of goal.
The Uruguayan has all the skill to give most defences in the world the run-around, but when he gets in front of goal he often seems to panic. If he was prolific then I don’t think he would feel the need to go down so easily, because he would know that he would score with the next opportunity.
Although, he was prolific in the Eredivisie with Ajax and he was still involved in some very unsavoury antics in the Dutch top flight. So maybe he won’t be able to adapt his behaviour.
Pressure
It seems that the pressure is already on the affable Brendan Rodgers. I liked him as a boss of Swansea, but the Liverpool hot seat seems to break good men. Roy Hodgson was another boss who felt the pressure at Anfield.
Liverpool have made a poor start to the season under Brendan Rodgers and nobody can hide that fact. Granted they have had some hard fixtures, but still their points return is still poor after seven games.
As much as people don’t like to admit it I think that Rodgers is trying to divert attention away from Liverpool’s poor start. Either that or he just feels under that much pressure that he needs to find an excuse for Liverpool’s poor start.
That excuse seems to be officials at the moment. It’s fair to say that Liverpool have had a few decisions go against them this season, but that happens to every team at points in the season.
The Reds only have to look across Stanley Park at Everton for some of the most dubious decisions of the season. The Blues were denied two goals by officials against Newcastle.
Everton boss David Moyes did mention it afterwards, but he didn’t harp on about it and say it was some sort of conspiracy. It was hard not mention those decisions they were that blatant.
Improvement
Liverpool have made an improvement in their displays in recent games and Brendan Rodgers just needs to keep going. The Reds players are starting to come around to the style of football the Irishman wants to play.
However, banging on about Luis Suarez and whether he is or isn’t diving is counterproductive to what Rodgers is trying to achieve, that’s creating a winning team. If Rodgers gets time at Liverpool I’m sure they will start moving up the table.
Then I’m sure Luis Suarez’s behaviour will take a backseat to the team’s performances. As for Suarez he needs to improve his behaviour or move elsewhere because his antics are just getting tiresome now.
Is Brendan Rodgers trying to divert attention away from Liverpool’s poor start?
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