Wednesday 25 September 2013

Luis Suarez on last chance at Liverpool - Robbie Fowler



Liverpool striker Luis Suarez has one more chance at the club, according to former Reds forward Robbie Fowler.

Suarez could face Manchester United in the Capital One Cup on Wednesday after a 10-game ban for biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic last season.

But after a summer where the Uruguayan agitated for a move, Fowler thinks it is time Suarez showed loyalty.

Analysis
Mark LawrensonFootball analyst

"I think Luis Suarez will start for two reasons: he needs the game time and also, without the injured Philippe Coutinho, there is a space automatically for him.

"In all honesty, if Liverpool don't finish in the top four at the end of the season he will be gone. They will not say so publicly but privately the conversation has taken place."

Asked if it was his last chance, Fowler said: "Without a doubt. He has let a lot of people down, including himself."

Fowler, who scored 183 goals in 369 games for Liverpool, told BBC Sport: "The club have stood by him, so have the Liverpool supporters, and you can see why because he is a phenomenal player and you want phenomenal players in your side.

"I know in the summer it looked like he was leaving and quite rightly Liverpool expected a bit of loyalty back off him and thankfully he is still a Liverpool player.

"I don't think he'll get many more chances but I don't think he will be doing anything remotely as silly as he has."

Suarez was signed from Ajax in January 2011 for £22.7m by former boss Kenny Dalglish and has been involved in moments of controversy and brilliance in equal measure.

The 26-year-old has scored 51 goals in 96 appearances and is a key player in manager Brendan Rodgers's side.

But in addition to the 10-game suspension which was served for the last four games of last season and six games this term, Suarez was alsobanned for eight games and fined £40,000 for racially abusing Patrice Evra in December 2011.

Suarez in numbers


30 goals in 44 appearances for Liverpool last season

Since joining from Ajax in January 2011 for £22.7m, Suarez has scored 51 in 96 appearances.

Scored 49 goals in 48 games for Ajax the season before joining Liverpool

Has scored 31 goals in 62 caps for Uruguay

After those two episodes, some supporters felt aggrieved when Suarez said he wanted to leave Anfield for Champions League football this summer.

Arsenal made two formal bids to sign him with Real Madrid also linked, but the club maintained Suarez was not for sale.

Liverpool finished seventh in last season's Premier League table and have made a positive start to this campaign while Suarez has been sidelined. They sit fifth in the table with 10 points from five games.

Now that a line has been drawn under the summer's saga, Fowler wants the South American to prove his greatness at Liverpool.

"You get players of the past who do silly and stupid things, it's not right but you do expect loyalty back," Fowler said.

"[I'd say] don't give anyone licence to shoot you down. Go and do the right stuff and be the player that we know you are.

"Let's start talking about Luis Suarez as one of the great players rather than the stupid things he does on the pitch."

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