Suarez is the type of cute character that brings a new dimension to a very traditional team in the modern game. How many points on the table at the end of the season will be the direct result of his footballing savvy and his (sometimes controversial) gamesmanship?
Commentators have frequently described him as playing with wing mirrors and this applies as much to drawing fouls as it does to playing a clever pass. Against Utd last weekend for example, El Pistolero drew numerous fouls from Ferdinand, making sure he was receiving the ball to his feet with his back to goal so Ferdinand would end up bundling him over (not to mention his simulation that resulted in Rodwell’s red card in the derby.) We’ve seen this numerous times since the Uruguayan’s arrival last January with the resulting free kicks significantly upping Liverpool’s threat from set pieces, especially with the height of Carroll in the box- this hasn’t necessarily materialized thus far however.
To complement his gamesmanship, Suarez clearly has a gift for timing and spacial awareness; case in point- his collection of Enrique’s lobbed ball in against Wolves, beating the off side trap, dummying left and right before slotting in at the near post. Suarez has etched every game he has played in a red shirt with his trademark swerving and shimmying and who can forget him skinning three quarters of Utd’s defense to set up Kuyt for the first goal of his hat trick in the second part of last season.
The number seven was desperately unlucky not to score at the weekend against Norwich having hit the woodwork and come up against a very focused keeper. While his takes and turns were excellent in and around the box it seems his shot to score ratio is a little off balance and he needs to be a little more measured in this regard.
Continue Reading on Page 2 … courtesy of Live4Liverpool.com
