Phil Thompson is confident Liverpool will replace Luis Suarez with another star - and says Alexis Sanchez has made a mistake snubbing the club.
Barcelona have announced a deal to sign Suarez on a five-year contract, leaving Brendan Rodgers with a huge task on his hands to replace the man who scored 31 Premier League goals last season as his team narrowly missed out on the title.
However, former Liverpool captain Thompson says the club will continue their tradition of unearthing quality strikers, even though they are losing one of the best players in world football.
"A Luis Suarez in your side is always going to make your side far better," he told Sky Sports News.
"He might have been the best player in the world the way he played last year. He was absolutely superb and it was wonderful to have him playing for Liverpool and to be a star.
"We made him a superstar and we made Fernando Torres a superstar. Suarez gave everything for the cause and certainly helped Liverpool get Champions League football.
"But it was a fantastic season and it's not just about one man. It was a tremendous season and a lot of people came to the fore with a different brand of football. With or without Luis Suarez, I'm quite sure that will take place. It's whether we get the goals again.
"But Liverpool Football Club has been surviving over the years. I go back to watching Roger Hunt and Ian St John and then along came Kevin Keegan and along came Kenny Dalglish and along came Ian Rush.
"You were always worrying if there'll be someone else, but sooner or later there is a superstar. Michael Owen and Robbie Fowler came along and then Fernando Torres and Luis Suarez.
"There have been great players and this football club will always move on anyway. Yes, it will be a loss without Suarez and his ability but I'm quite sure we are in good hands as long as we spend the money right."
Rodgers had hoped to land Chile forward Sanchez from Barcelona to replace Suarez, but the 25-year-old instead opted to join Arsenal for a fee thought to be around £35million.
Thompson has backed the Liverpool manager to spend the money wisely and insists Sanchez has made a mistake by signing for a team that finished two places below his former club last season.
"He has chosen to go to Arsenal for whatever means and that will be down to him," he added.
"He doesn't realise what he has missed by not coming to Liverpool; the passion and the power that comes with playing for LFC, and the worldwide recognition that he would have.
"He's chosen to go to London and I think that will have been a big draw and I think that would have been the marquee signing.
"Arsenal have got that, but I like what Brendan Rodgers is doing. He's looking now for the quality players that fit in with his vision for Liverpool Football Club and that is what he's trying to get right.
"He's got a striker in Rickie Lambert and a younger one possibly in Divock Origi and then he is maybe getting more goals in midfield and more pace in the side. He is now looking at the centre-backs.
"I can see where he is trying to work from and he's trying to give us a good base. Who am I to argue with what he's done over the last two years for Liverpool?"
Phil Thompson is confident Liverpool will replace Luis Suarez with another star - and says Alexis Sanchez has made a mistake snubbing the club.
Barcelona have announced a deal to sign Suarez on a five-year contract, leaving Brendan Rodgers with a huge task on his hands to replace the man who scored 31 Premier League goals last season as his team narrowly missed out on the title.
However, former Liverpool captain Thompson says the club will continue their tradition of unearthing quality strikers, even though they are losing one of the best players in world football.
"A Luis Suarez in your side is always going to make your side far better," he told Sky Sports News.
"He might have been the best player in the world the way he played last year. He was absolutely superb and it was wonderful to have him playing for Liverpool and to be a star.
"We made him a superstar and we made Fernando Torres a superstar. Suarez gave everything for the cause and certainly helped Liverpool get Champions League football.
"But it was a fantastic season and it's not just about one man. It was a tremendous season and a lot of people came to the fore with a different brand of football. With or without Luis Suarez, I'm quite sure that will take place. It's whether we get the goals again.
"But Liverpool Football Club has been surviving over the years. I go back to watching Roger Hunt and Ian St John and then along came Kevin Keegan and along came Kenny Dalglish and along came Ian Rush.
"You were always worrying if there'll be someone else, but sooner or later there is a superstar. Michael Owen and Robbie Fowler came along and then Fernando Torres and Luis Suarez.
"There have been great players and this football club will always move on anyway. Yes, it will be a loss without Suarez and his ability but I'm quite sure we are in good hands as long as we spend the money right."
Rodgers had hoped to land Chile forward Sanchez from Barcelona to replace Suarez, but the 25-year-old instead opted to join Arsenal for a fee thought to be around £35million.
Thompson has backed the Liverpool manager to spend the money wisely and insists Sanchez has made a mistake by signing for a team that finished two places below his former club last season.
"He has chosen to go to Arsenal for whatever means and that will be down to him," he added.
"He doesn't realise what he has missed by not coming to Liverpool; the passion and the power that comes with playing for LFC, and the worldwide recognition that he would have.
"He's chosen to go to London and I think that will have been a big draw and I think that would have been the marquee signing.
"Arsenal have got that, but I like what Brendan Rodgers is doing. He's looking now for the quality players that fit in with his vision for Liverpool Football Club and that is what he's trying to get right.
"He's got a striker in Rickie Lambert and a younger one possibly in Divock Origi and then he is maybe getting more goals in midfield and more pace in the side. He is now looking at the centre-backs.
"I can see where he is trying to work from and he's trying to give us a good base. Who am I to argue with what he's done over the last two years for Liverpool?"
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TEAMtalk takes a look at the controversial career of Luis Suarez after Liverpool and Barcelona agreed a fee for the Uruguay striker.
1987: Born January 24 in Salto, Uruguay.
2005: Makes professional debut with Montevideo club Nacional, scoring 12 goals in 29 games in his one and only season in South America.
2006: Signs for Dutch side FC Groningen and fires 10 goals in 29 appearances for the club.
2007: February 8 - Makes debut for Uruguay against Colombia and is sent off in the 85th minute.
August - Joins Ajax in a deal reportedly worth 7.5million euros.
2010: May - Enjoys his most prolific season in Holland, with 35 goals in 33 Eredivisie matches.
June - Scores three goals to help Uruguay reach the World Cup quarter-finals but is then sent off for a goal-line handball against Ghana in the last eight. Ghana miss the resulting penalty before Uruguay go on to triumph in a shoot-out.
November - Banned for seven matches after being found guilty of biting PSV Eindhoven's Otman Bakkal.
2011: January 28 - Liverpool agree a deal worth up to £22.8million with Ajax for Suarez.
February 2 - Scores on his Liverpool debut in a 2-0 victory over Stoke at Anfield.
July - Scores four goals and is named player of the tournament as Uruguay win Copa America.
October 15 - Manchester United defender Patrice Evra makes an allegation that Suarez racially abused him during the 1-1 draw between Liverpool and United.
November 17 - Suarez is charged by the Football Association with racially abusing Evra following a month-long investigation.
December 7 - Charged with improper conduct following a gesture to fans as he left the pitch following the 1-0 defeat at Fulham.
December 20 - The FA bans Suarez for eight matches and fines him £40,000 for the Evra incident. Liverpool issue a strongly-worded statement in defence of the player.
December 28 - Suarez banned for one match and fined £20,000 after admitting improper conduct charge relating to his gesture towards Fulham fans.
2012: February 11 - On his return to the first XI, refuses to shake Evra's hand before going on to score in Liverpool's 2-1 loss to Manchester United. Afterwards, Sir Alex Ferguson says he is "a disgrace to Liverpool Football Club", adding: "I would get rid of him if I were them."
February 12 - Apologises for his refusal to shake Evra's hand.
August 7 - Signs new long-term contract with Liverpool.
2013: April 21 - Bites Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic on the arm before going on to score equaliser in 2-2 draw at Anfield. Apologises for his "inexcusable behaviour" soon after the match.
April 22 - Fined by club and charged by the FA with violent conduct for Ivanovic incident. Pledges to donate money to Hillsborough Family Support Group. Managing director Ian Ayre issues statement saying the club want Suarez to see out his contract, which runs until summer 2016.
April 24 - Handed 10-game ban by an independent regulatory commission for biting Ivanovic, confirmed by the FA.
May 31 - Signals his intentions to leave Liverpool.
August 6 - Repeats his desire to leave after a bid from Arsenal of £40,000,001 is turned down. Made to train away from the first team.
August 14 - Returns to first-team training and apologies for trying to leave.
September 25 - Makes his return from suspension.
December 20 - After scoring 17 goals since his return, signs a new long-term contract with the Reds.
2014: April 20 - Scores the second goal in a 3-2 win over Norwich to become the first Liverpool player to score 30 league goals in a season since Ian Rush in 1987.
April 27 - Wins the Professional Footballers' Association's Player of the Year award.
June 24 - Finds himself at the centre of further controversy, and the subject of FIFA disciplinary proceedings, when footage shows him appearing to bite Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini while playing for Uruguay in a World Cup Group D match.
June 26 - FIFA announces Suarez has been suspended for nine international matches and banned from all football activity for four months, plus fined 100,000 Swiss francs (just under £66,000) for the incident.
July 10 - FIFA rejects appeals from Suarez and the Uruguay Football Federation (AUF) against the sanctions handed down.
July 11 - Liverpool and Barcelona agree a fee for the sale of Suarez to the Catalan club, with the striker to sign a five-year contract at the Nou Camp subject to a medical.
TEAMtalk takes a look at the controversial career of Luis Suarez after Liverpool and Barcelona agreed a fee for the Uruguay striker.
1987: Born January 24 in Salto, Uruguay.
2005: Makes professional debut with Montevideo club Nacional, scoring 12 goals in 29 games in his one and only season in South America.
2006: Signs for Dutch side FC Groningen and fires 10 goals in 29 appearances for the club.
2007: February 8 - Makes debut for Uruguay against Colombia and is sent off in the 85th minute.
August - Joins Ajax in a deal reportedly worth 7.5million euros.
2010: May - Enjoys his most prolific season in Holland, with 35 goals in 33 Eredivisie matches.
June - Scores three goals to help Uruguay reach the World Cup quarter-finals but is then sent off for a goal-line handball against Ghana in the last eight. Ghana miss the resulting penalty before Uruguay go on to triumph in a shoot-out.
November - Banned for seven matches after being found guilty of biting PSV Eindhoven's Otman Bakkal.
2011: January 28 - Liverpool agree a deal worth up to £22.8million with Ajax for Suarez.
February 2 - Scores on his Liverpool debut in a 2-0 victory over Stoke at Anfield.
July - Scores four goals and is named player of the tournament as Uruguay win Copa America.
October 15 - Manchester United defender Patrice Evra makes an allegation that Suarez racially abused him during the 1-1 draw between Liverpool and United.
November 17 - Suarez is charged by the Football Association with racially abusing Evra following a month-long investigation.
December 7 - Charged with improper conduct following a gesture to fans as he left the pitch following the 1-0 defeat at Fulham.
December 20 - The FA bans Suarez for eight matches and fines him £40,000 for the Evra incident. Liverpool issue a strongly-worded statement in defence of the player.
December 28 - Suarez banned for one match and fined £20,000 after admitting improper conduct charge relating to his gesture towards Fulham fans.
2012: February 11 - On his return to the first XI, refuses to shake Evra's hand before going on to score in Liverpool's 2-1 loss to Manchester United. Afterwards, Sir Alex Ferguson says he is "a disgrace to Liverpool Football Club", adding: "I would get rid of him if I were them."
February 12 - Apologises for his refusal to shake Evra's hand.
August 7 - Signs new long-term contract with Liverpool.
2013: April 21 - Bites Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic on the arm before going on to score equaliser in 2-2 draw at Anfield. Apologises for his "inexcusable behaviour" soon after the match.
April 22 - Fined by club and charged by the FA with violent conduct for Ivanovic incident. Pledges to donate money to Hillsborough Family Support Group. Managing director Ian Ayre issues statement saying the club want Suarez to see out his contract, which runs until summer 2016.
April 24 - Handed 10-game ban by an independent regulatory commission for biting Ivanovic, confirmed by the FA.
May 31 - Signals his intentions to leave Liverpool.
August 6 - Repeats his desire to leave after a bid from Arsenal of £40,000,001 is turned down. Made to train away from the first team.
August 14 - Returns to first-team training and apologies for trying to leave.
September 25 - Makes his return from suspension.
December 20 - After scoring 17 goals since his return, signs a new long-term contract with the Reds.
2014: April 20 - Scores the second goal in a 3-2 win over Norwich to become the first Liverpool player to score 30 league goals in a season since Ian Rush in 1987.
April 27 - Wins the Professional Footballers' Association's Player of the Year award.
June 24 - Finds himself at the centre of further controversy, and the subject of FIFA disciplinary proceedings, when footage shows him appearing to bite Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini while playing for Uruguay in a World Cup Group D match.
June 26 - FIFA announces Suarez has been suspended for nine international matches and banned from all football activity for four months, plus fined 100,000 Swiss francs (just under £66,000) for the incident.
July 10 - FIFA rejects appeals from Suarez and the Uruguay Football Federation (AUF) against the sanctions handed down.
July 11 - Liverpool and Barcelona agree a fee for the sale of Suarez to the Catalan club, with the striker to sign a five-year contract at the Nou Camp subject to a medical.
Barcelona have agreed a fee with Liverpool for Luis Suarez, which Sky Sports News understands is £75million.
Liverpool confirmed that the agreement means the controversial striker will now leave Anfield and Barcelona say the Uruguayan will sign a five-year deal with them.
In a statement the Reds said: "Liverpool FC confirms that Luis Suarez will be leaving the club after a transfer agreement was reached with FC Barcelona. The player now has permission to complete the usual formalities, which will then conclude the transfer,
"We would like to thank Luis for his contribution and the role he played in helping bring Champions League football back to Anfield.
"Everyone at Liverpool Football Club wishes Luis and his family well for the future."
Official of the two clubs began talks over a week ago and were productive from the start with the Catalans agreeing to meet the Uruguay international's buy-out clause.
Suarez asked Liverpool fans to try to understand that it had always been his dream and ambition to play in Spain.
"It is with a heavy heart that I leave Liverpool for a new life and new challenges in Spain," said the 27-year-old, whose move to Barcelona takes him closer to his wife Sofia's family.
"Both me and my family have fallen in love with this club and with the city but most of all I have fallen in love with the incredible fans.
"You have always supported me and we, as a family, will never forget it, we will always be Liverpool supporters.
"I hope you can all understand why I have made this decision. This club did all they could to get me to stay, but playing and living in Spain, where my wife's family live, is a lifelong dream and ambition. I believe now the timing is right.
"I wish Brendan Rodgers and the team well for the future. The club is in great hands and I'm sure will be successful again next season.
"I am very proud I have played my part in helping to return Liverpool to the elite of the Premier League and in particular back into the Champions League. Thank you again for some great moments and memories. You'll Never Walk Alone."
Rodgers said the club and the player have benefitted from his time at Anfield.
"Luis is a very special talent and I thank him for the role he has played in the team over the past two years during my time at Liverpool," he said.
“I think he would be the first to accept he has improved as a player over that period along with the team and has benefitted from being here as we have benefitted from him.
“The club have done all they can over a sustained period of time to try and keep Luis at Liverpool but it is with great reluctance that following lengthy discussions we have eventually agreed to his wishes to move to Spain.
“We wish him and his young family well and will always consider them friends.
“If there is one thing the history of this great club teaches us is that Liverpool FC is bigger than any individual.
“I hope our supporters continue to dream and believe we are moving forward. With continued improvement and progression together we will bring the success we all crave and deserve.”
Barcelona meanwhile confirmed Suarez "will be travelling to Barcelona next week for a medical, to sign his five-year contract and to be officially presented to the media and fans as an FC Barcelona player."
The 27-year-old was expelled from the World Cup last month and handed a nine-match international ban as well as a four-month sanction from any football activity for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini.
He appealed against FIFA's ruling, but was unsuccessful and he will not be able to train with his new team-mates until the end of October.
Barcelona have agreed a fee with Liverpool for Luis Suarez, which Sky Sports News understands is £75million.
Liverpool confirmed that the agreement means the controversial striker will now leave Anfield and Barcelona say the Uruguayan will sign a five-year deal with them.
In a statement the Reds said: "Liverpool FC confirms that Luis Suarez will be leaving the club after a transfer agreement was reached with FC Barcelona. The player now has permission to complete the usual formalities, which will then conclude the transfer,
"We would like to thank Luis for his contribution and the role he played in helping bring Champions League football back to Anfield.
"Everyone at Liverpool Football Club wishes Luis and his family well for the future."
Official of the two clubs began talks over a week ago and were productive from the start with the Catalans agreeing to meet the Uruguay international's buy-out clause.
Suarez asked Liverpool fans to try to understand that it had always been his dream and ambition to play in Spain.
"It is with a heavy heart that I leave Liverpool for a new life and new challenges in Spain," said the 27-year-old, whose move to Barcelona takes him closer to his wife Sofia's family.
"Both me and my family have fallen in love with this club and with the city but most of all I have fallen in love with the incredible fans.
"You have always supported me and we, as a family, will never forget it, we will always be Liverpool supporters.
"I hope you can all understand why I have made this decision. This club did all they could to get me to stay, but playing and living in Spain, where my wife's family live, is a lifelong dream and ambition. I believe now the timing is right.
"I wish Brendan Rodgers and the team well for the future. The club is in great hands and I'm sure will be successful again next season.
"I am very proud I have played my part in helping to return Liverpool to the elite of the Premier League and in particular back into the Champions League. Thank you again for some great moments and memories. You'll Never Walk Alone."
Rodgers said the club and the player have benefitted from his time at Anfield.
"Luis is a very special talent and I thank him for the role he has played in the team over the past two years during my time at Liverpool," he said.
“I think he would be the first to accept he has improved as a player over that period along with the team and has benefitted from being here as we have benefitted from him.
“The club have done all they can over a sustained period of time to try and keep Luis at Liverpool but it is with great reluctance that following lengthy discussions we have eventually agreed to his wishes to move to Spain.
“We wish him and his young family well and will always consider them friends.
“If there is one thing the history of this great club teaches us is that Liverpool FC is bigger than any individual.
“I hope our supporters continue to dream and believe we are moving forward. With continued improvement and progression together we will bring the success we all crave and deserve.”
Barcelona meanwhile confirmed Suarez "will be travelling to Barcelona next week for a medical, to sign his five-year contract and to be officially presented to the media and fans as an FC Barcelona player."
The 27-year-old was expelled from the World Cup last month and handed a nine-match international ban as well as a four-month sanction from any football activity for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini.
He appealed against FIFA's ruling, but was unsuccessful and he will not be able to train with his new team-mates until the end of October.
David Catan looks to life at Liverpool after Luis Suarez‘s departure, calling for a shift in the system to continue the exciting and attractive progress made last season.
All things must pass. Good and bad. Luis Suarez’ time at Liverpool has provided plenty moments of both.
Many are bemoaning the lack of ambition shown by the club in letting him go, but in reality even the men who signed him in the first place knew it was only a matter of time, with Damien Comolli recently admitting, “[Suarez] told me that his dream is to play in Spain at one point in his career”.
Considering the family ties and the regard with which most of Latin America holds the big two in Spain, this is hardly surprising.
In keeping him for an extra year, cheekily ignoring a release clause in his previous contract, the club have managed to make remarkable progress in a season, with a return to Champions’ League football and a far superior price on the striker’s head the most tangible improvements from their position last Summer.
Whether or not European football would have been achieved without the forward’s goals is barely even debatable. He was the PFA Player of the Year for a reason.
Liverpool were far less of a one man team than some suggest, and less absolutely reliant on their main man than Spurs were in the previous season, as shown by their higher average goals per game for (1.85 vs 1.58) and points won (2 vs 1.48) without Suarez than with him since he arrived at the club.
This is a highly functioning attacking team which created a lot of chances for their strikers, Sturridge’s goal haul being only second in the league to Suarez himself testifies to that point.
So, rather than dwell on why he wants to go or how we could have kept him, wouldn’t it be better to count our blessings for having had one of the best players in the world help us bring those incomparable European nights back to Anfield.
It’s sad that he won’t be there to witness them, but that genuinely is his loss.
Will Liverpool suffer without Suarez next season? Undoubtedly. I personally think it would be unreasonable to expect a title challenge, it might happen but should not be expected as a given.
Man United will be a lot stronger with Louis Van Gaal at the helm, and Chelsea have Jose Mourinho in his second season of his second stint, with Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas on board.
Arsenal with Alexis Sanchez doesn’t look too shabby a proposition, either. Fourth place and getting out of the group stages of the CL (especially so we don’t have to play in the Europa) would be a great result.
There is no replacement for Suarez. No one should come in with that expectation placed on them. As much as the management speak is cringeworthy, Brendan Rodgers’ notion of a “project” is pretty on the mark.
The expectation should be that, given time, Rodgers should be building a team that will never be overly reliant on one player.
If Liverpool could cope with losing Ian Rush after a 30 goal season, then they should be able to manage now. The squad needs to have the depth to change players as necessary without a noticeable dip in quality.
We may not have Suarez next year, but if we can have a subs bench with better attacking options than Iago Aspas then they could definitely contribute a few points when margins are tight at the end of games.
Towards the very end of the season, when Suarez himself was having a dip in his sensational form, the lack of options from the bench was near crippling. I would rather have Rickie Lambert coming on than that, any day…
Given that Daniel Sturridge was the second highest scorer in the Premier League last season, and that the diamond 4-4-2 was only introduced to accommodate two strikers in great form, I am guessing Rodgers will return to a 4-2-3-1/4-3-3 formation with Sturridge as the main man up top, and deservedly so.
Philippe Coutinho and Sturridge link up really well together and I could see this being the partnership around which the attack revolves for years to come; with Coutinho playing as a number 10 and Raheem Sterling/Adam Lallana either side and interchanging fluidly.
Jordan Henderson can also do a job in any of the five midfield positions and hopefully we’ll get someone else by the start of the season. Yes, the attacking midfielders will have to chip in with more goals but this isn’t beyond reasonable to expect from Coutinho and Sterling, both have shown an eye for goal at times and have just perhaps lacked the cool heads to score more often.
This is something that will come with another year of Premier League football, being a year older, and the confidence of the previous campaign under their belts.
This gives the team one big advantage in that there will be a bit more cover for the back four. Steven Gerrard‘s distribution reminded me of Xabi Alonso at times last season, spreading the ball about beautifully, but the engine isn’t there to patrol the perimeter of the defence like the bulldog Javier Mascherano used to.
He tended to drop back between the centre backs rather than move left or right to allow the the full backs to bomb on. The centre backs would then be spread wider and out of their comfort zone. It takes longer to adjust back to your ideal defensive formation from this point.
Emre Can/Henderson/Lucas Leiva will hopefully fulfil this role next season. Can certainly seems to have a hell of an engine, and is probably Rodgers long term hope for the role of destroyer, though is a little ill disciplined, positionally, and might take time to learn the ropes in England.
We need someone to partner Mamadou Sakho (who’s stats prove him to be much better than he gets credit for because he has the same gait as Traore and the horrified memories live long) in the long term.
Whatever about the price, all footballers are overpriced these days, Dejan Lovren is a very talented centre-back and with two players in their mid-20s at the centre of defence we would potentially have a partnership that could last a decade.
Jon Flanagan deserves the right back berth after an excellent season filling in on the left and hopefully a signing will be made to fill that void soon.
Things are better than they have been in a long time at Anfield, and though we are losing one of the best players in the game we are in a far better position to cope with it than this time last year.
The biggest thing I hope for is that the entertaining style of football Liverpool played last season continues. I exclaimed with unfettered joy at the television more last year than in the previous five seasons combined. More entertainment, please.
More adventurous, swashbuckling, expansive football. More of that beautiful arrogance that Rodgers speaks of wanting from his players. That’s why I watch football. That’s why I fell in love with Liverpool.
Good luck to Suarez, I actually reckon he has the ability and adaptability to fit in around Lionel Messi and Neymar and be a hit for Barca, but bloody hell do they need some defenders!
David Catan looks to life at Liverpool after Luis Suarez‘s departure, calling for a shift in the system to continue the exciting and attractive progress made last season.
All things must pass. Good and bad. Luis Suarez’ time at Liverpool has provided plenty moments of both.
Many are bemoaning the lack of ambition shown by the club in letting him go, but in reality even the men who signed him in the first place knew it was only a matter of time, with Damien Comolli recently admitting, “[Suarez] told me that his dream is to play in Spain at one point in his career”.
Considering the family ties and the regard with which most of Latin America holds the big two in Spain, this is hardly surprising.
In keeping him for an extra year, cheekily ignoring a release clause in his previous contract, the club have managed to make remarkable progress in a season, with a return to Champions’ League football and a far superior price on the striker’s head the most tangible improvements from their position last Summer.
Whether or not European football would have been achieved without the forward’s goals is barely even debatable. He was the PFA Player of the Year for a reason.
Liverpool were far less of a one man team than some suggest, and less absolutely reliant on their main man than Spurs were in the previous season, as shown by their higher average goals per game for (1.85 vs 1.58) and points won (2 vs 1.48) without Suarez than with him since he arrived at the club.
This is a highly functioning attacking team which created a lot of chances for their strikers, Sturridge’s goal haul being only second in the league to Suarez himself testifies to that point.
So, rather than dwell on why he wants to go or how we could have kept him, wouldn’t it be better to count our blessings for having had one of the best players in the world help us bring those incomparable European nights back to Anfield.
It’s sad that he won’t be there to witness them, but that genuinely is his loss.
Will Liverpool suffer without Suarez next season? Undoubtedly. I personally think it would be unreasonable to expect a title challenge, it might happen but should not be expected as a given.
Man United will be a lot stronger with Louis Van Gaal at the helm, and Chelsea have Jose Mourinho in his second season of his second stint, with Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas on board.
Arsenal with Alexis Sanchez doesn’t look too shabby a proposition, either. Fourth place and getting out of the group stages of the CL (especially so we don’t have to play in the Europa) would be a great result.
There is no replacement for Suarez. No one should come in with that expectation placed on them. As much as the management speak is cringeworthy, Brendan Rodgers’ notion of a “project” is pretty on the mark.
The expectation should be that, given time, Rodgers should be building a team that will never be overly reliant on one player.
If Liverpool could cope with losing Ian Rush after a 30 goal season, then they should be able to manage now. The squad needs to have the depth to change players as necessary without a noticeable dip in quality.
We may not have Suarez next year, but if we can have a subs bench with better attacking options than Iago Aspas then they could definitely contribute a few points when margins are tight at the end of games.
Towards the very end of the season, when Suarez himself was having a dip in his sensational form, the lack of options from the bench was near crippling. I would rather have Rickie Lambert coming on than that, any day…
Given that Daniel Sturridge was the second highest scorer in the Premier League last season, and that the diamond 4-4-2 was only introduced to accommodate two strikers in great form, I am guessing Rodgers will return to a 4-2-3-1/4-3-3 formation with Sturridge as the main man up top, and deservedly so.
Philippe Coutinho and Sturridge link up really well together and I could see this being the partnership around which the attack revolves for years to come; with Coutinho playing as a number 10 and Raheem Sterling/Adam Lallana either side and interchanging fluidly.
Jordan Henderson can also do a job in any of the five midfield positions and hopefully we’ll get someone else by the start of the season. Yes, the attacking midfielders will have to chip in with more goals but this isn’t beyond reasonable to expect from Coutinho and Sterling, both have shown an eye for goal at times and have just perhaps lacked the cool heads to score more often.
This is something that will come with another year of Premier League football, being a year older, and the confidence of the previous campaign under their belts.
This gives the team one big advantage in that there will be a bit more cover for the back four. Steven Gerrard‘s distribution reminded me of Xabi Alonso at times last season, spreading the ball about beautifully, but the engine isn’t there to patrol the perimeter of the defence like the bulldog Javier Mascherano used to.
He tended to drop back between the centre backs rather than move left or right to allow the the full backs to bomb on. The centre backs would then be spread wider and out of their comfort zone. It takes longer to adjust back to your ideal defensive formation from this point.
Emre Can/Henderson/Lucas Leiva will hopefully fulfil this role next season. Can certainly seems to have a hell of an engine, and is probably Rodgers long term hope for the role of destroyer, though is a little ill disciplined, positionally, and might take time to learn the ropes in England.
We need someone to partner Mamadou Sakho (who’s stats prove him to be much better than he gets credit for because he has the same gait as Traore and the horrified memories live long) in the long term.
Whatever about the price, all footballers are overpriced these days, Dejan Lovren is a very talented centre-back and with two players in their mid-20s at the centre of defence we would potentially have a partnership that could last a decade.
Jon Flanagan deserves the right back berth after an excellent season filling in on the left and hopefully a signing will be made to fill that void soon.
Things are better than they have been in a long time at Anfield, and though we are losing one of the best players in the game we are in a far better position to cope with it than this time last year.
The biggest thing I hope for is that the entertaining style of football Liverpool played last season continues. I exclaimed with unfettered joy at the television more last year than in the previous five seasons combined. More entertainment, please.
More adventurous, swashbuckling, expansive football. More of that beautiful arrogance that Rodgers speaks of wanting from his players. That’s why I watch football. That’s why I fell in love with Liverpool.
Good luck to Suarez, I actually reckon he has the ability and adaptability to fit in around Lionel Messi and Neymar and be a hit for Barca, but bloody hell do they need some defenders!
Liverpool are in “advanced talks” with Swansea City over the signing of Ivory Coast international striker Wilfried Bony, according to reports.
With Luis Suarez‘s move to Barcelona all but sealed, Brendan Rodgers is looking to boost his attacking options and Bony fits the bill.
The 25-year-old scored 16 goals in 34 Premier League games for the Swans last season, and created a further 25 goalscoring chances for teammates, according to Squawka.
Bony followed his club form up with two goals in three games for his country at this summer’s World Cup in Brazil.
According to Sky Sports’ Pete O’Rourke, Liverpool are closing in on a deal for Bony:
Darren Lewis writes:
Bony is adamant he does not want to stay at the Welsh club with the opportunity to play at a higher level in his grasp.
Whilst the Daily Express ‘ Ben Jefferson says the Reds are fending off interest from the likes of Tottenham with their move for Bony.
In Friday morning’s paper, Jefferson writes:
Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana and Emre Can have all already arrived and both Lazar Markovic and Divock Origi are in Liverpool today undergoing medicals.
A deal for Bony would therefore complete a huge day of transfer activity for the Anfield outfit.
Having already signed Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana and Emre Can this summer, the signings of Markovic and Origi could be wrapped up before Liverpool’s pre-season campaign starts with a friendly at Brondby next Wednesday.
There could even be a double swoop at the Liberty Stadium with 21-year-old Swans left-back Ben Davies also linked.
Meanwhile the Daily Mail report that Gus Poyet’s Sunday are set to bid £8million to make Fabio Borini‘s successful loan spell last season permanent.
The Reds are set to pocket £75 million from the sale of Suarez, which should be completed within days.
How would you like to see the £75 million spent? Let us know in the comments section below.
Liverpool are in “advanced talks” with Swansea City over the signing of Ivory Coast international striker Wilfried Bony, according to reports.
With Luis Suarez‘s move to Barcelona all but sealed, Brendan Rodgers is looking to boost his attacking options and Bony fits the bill.
The 25-year-old scored 16 goals in 34 Premier League games for the Swans last season, and created a further 25 goalscoring chances for teammates, according to Squawka.
Bony followed his club form up with two goals in three games for his country at this summer’s World Cup in Brazil.
According to Sky Sports’ Pete O’Rourke, Liverpool are closing in on a deal for Bony:
Darren Lewis writes:
Bony is adamant he does not want to stay at the Welsh club with the opportunity to play at a higher level in his grasp.
Whilst the Daily Express ‘ Ben Jefferson says the Reds are fending off interest from the likes of Tottenham with their move for Bony.
In Friday morning’s paper, Jefferson writes:
Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana and Emre Can have all already arrived and both Lazar Markovic and Divock Origi are in Liverpool today undergoing medicals.
A deal for Bony would therefore complete a huge day of transfer activity for the Anfield outfit.
Having already signed Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana and Emre Can this summer, the signings of Markovic and Origi could be wrapped up before Liverpool’s pre-season campaign starts with a friendly at Brondby next Wednesday.
There could even be a double swoop at the Liberty Stadium with 21-year-old Swans left-back Ben Davies also linked.
Meanwhile the Daily Mail report that Gus Poyet’s Sunday are set to bid £8million to make Fabio Borini‘s successful loan spell last season permanent.
The Reds are set to pocket £75 million from the sale of Suarez, which should be completed within days.
How would you like to see the £75 million spent? Let us know in the comments section below.
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