Rodgers: Suarez penalty claims legitimate

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has questioned if referees assume Luis Suarez is diving when he goes down inside the area.

The Uruguay international has made a reputation for as diver through several acts of simulation, but his coach believes the striker is often being wrongly punished for his actions.

Rodgers is referring to Liverpool’s last two games against Sunderland and Manchester United which saw Suarez have two potentially legitimate penalty appeals waved away.

“The likes of Suarez have had a couple of good penalty appeals, he hasn’t dived, they have been legitimate, and he’s actually got booked,” Rodgers said.

“He went down at Sunderland and it looked a clear penalty and he ended up getting booked for it.

“Last weekend in the Manchester United game there was more contact in his case than there was in Antonio Valencia’s and Valencia gets a penalty and we get nothing other than a hard luck story.

“I’m not sure (Suarez’s reputation is influencing officials) you’d need to ask the referees but he is a wonderful talent and irrespective of whether he goes down if it’s a penalty, it’s a penalty.

Rodgers is worried if his side continue to be ignored in certain situations by the officials, it will have a negative impact on this team in the future.

“What I have seen, he certainly doesn’t ever look like he is going to get a decision and that is something which would bother me going forward,” he said.

“It would be a shame if players who respect the rules and managers who are asking players to stay on their feet and not dive are not getting the decisions because of it.

“I think it is important that referees understand that.

“It has been a criticism of the last few years of players going down too easy – it is not something we want to encourage but if you’re not going to get decisions because of it players may do that.”

Liverpool’s next English Premier League match is away to Norwich City on Sunday.