Luis Suárez

[Tee]

I get what Shaggy is saying and really wish I felt like that but I can only be honest and say that I don't. Well not yet anyway.

It seems inevitable Suarez will leave and the thing that has made me upset about this, much like the Torres transfer, is that we are at such a critical juncture in the clubs future. For the first time in a long time I see hope that we can be back challenging, but if our talisman goes it will be a case of two steps back again and I find that a very bitter pill to swallow.

I believed Luis cared and had belief the club was going in the right direction. I expected him to at least wait and see what the club did in this window before considering his own position. I expected a touch of loyalty from him after the way the club and fans have been so loyal to him. Silly expectations really in this modern day and age of this bloodsucking sport I know. I would feel massively let down if he went, I really would.

With regards to Mascherano...could not give a **** about him tbh. He was great but never felt like one of us to me during his time here. Alonso....everything was right for him to go and I understand fully why he left. His age, personal life, the fee we got was great and obviously his relationship with Rafa.

I hope this whole storm blows over and Suarez stays because with him in our team next season we could achieve amazing things. Without him it will be more of the same and another average finish IMO.

[Sarb]

I get what Shaggy is saying and really wish I felt like that but I can only be honest and say that I don't. Well not yet anyway.

It seems inevitable Suarez will leave and the thing that has made me upset about this, much like the Torres transfer, is that we are at such a critical juncture in the clubs future. For the first time in a long time I see hope that we can be back challenging, but if our talisman goes it will be a case of two steps back again and I find that a very bitter pill to swallow.

I believed Luis cared and had belief the club was going in the right direction. I expected him to at least wait and see what the club did in this window before considering his own position. I expected a touch of loyalty from him after the way the club and fans have been so loyal to him. Silly expectations really in this modern day and age of this bloodsucking sport I know. I would feel massively let down if he went, I really would.

With regards to Mascherano...could not give a **** about him tbh. He was great but never felt like one of us to me during his time here. Alonso....everything was right for him to go and I understand fully why he left. His age, personal life, the fee we got was great and obviously his relationship with Rafa.

I hope this whole storm blows over and Suarez stays because with him in our team next season we could achieve amazing things. Without him it will be more of the same and another average finish IMO.

Tee, do you think you'd love Suarez as a player next season as you did before if he stayed?

It's funny. I remember having these exchanges a few weeks back. I was adamant I didn't think Suarez would go as he was a man of his word. I think you had doubts he'd stick around (rightly so now it appears). It's a shame. We looked like we were getting somewhere and now he is leaving and we'll be set back

[kev776]

A lot of very interesting perspectives in here.

In one sense, I agree with Shaggy. Suarez is an incredible talent and it's been a privilege to see him playing for Liverpool FC. A move to Real Madrid would make sense and it really would be some kind of flukey aberration if they made a bid and he turned it down. Although the instinctive thing is to be sad and upset about it, he's only doing what everyone else in his line of work does.

In another sense, I understand and agree with Venton's resentment. The fact that he might very well leave and has used his treatment in the media as an excuse really does leave a bad taste in my mouth. Although I have enjoyed watching Suarez play, the racism incident was a really dark era in my time supporting this club. I know that might make some of you roll your eyes or laugh because I'm relatively young and probably somewhat naïve, but it's true. I've learned since then not to pay nearly as much attention to the media but so many awful things were said by journalists and scores of regular people about the club I love. Yes, we can point to the club's own PR shortfalls at that point in time, but I hate to see Liverpool's name dragged through the mud and time and time again, Suarez has made the club look bad.

I also really don't appreciate the "he deserves better than us" line. Yes. I know. Liverpool are "a bit ****e" and have been for the past two decades, save a few years here and there. I know other clubs, specifically storied and continually successful clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona, will always be attractive to players, no matter who they are or where they come from. I acknowledge that this is just the way it is.

Nevertheless, I support Liverpool FC and I will always be of the opinion that it's an absolute ****ing privilege to play for this club. Any and all players who sign should be 100% aware of the weight of history upon their shoulders and the significance Liverpool bears to the footballing world. People mock us for being attached to our history but what's the ****ing point? What is the point of all these trophies and titles? They're just pieces of metal. The real significance is in how the clubs are remembered for years to come, for the legacies they bear to the idiotic legions of football supporters we belong to. For this reason, Liverpool is one of the biggest clubs on Earth and players like Luis Suarez are not above it all. They don't deserve "better." Maybe they would like to win medals and trophies and be able to put them away in a safe or display case. Still, I totally oppose the idea that other clubs are objectively better than we are just because they're more competitive than we are now.

It's an emotional argument which won't sit well with many of the pragmatists who post on here. I admire your ability to be so even-handed. It must make your life easier. But being a Liverpool supporter, or a supporter of any team quite frankly, should probably incorporate some kind of positive bias. There's no better team than Liverpool for me. If a player doesn't think so, **** him. I don't have to love him after he leaves just because he scored lots of goals for us.

Well said Marina.

[Fredo]

I'll be very sad if he goes but I'll move on and I won't certainly judge him for what he might have or not said. I think there is a lot of noise in what we're hearing and what seems inevitable might not be inevitable at the end of the day.

Luis will be attracted to playing in Spain, of course. Similar to his culture, language etc. But one thing that we seem to have forgotten in all of this is that he was a Liverpool supporter when he was a kid, so I'm pretty sure if he's really thinking about leaving, it will not be an easy decision.

[Shaggy]

A lot of very interesting perspectives in here.

In one sense, I agree with Shaggy. Suarez is an incredible talent and it's been a privilege to see him playing for Liverpool FC. A move to Real Madrid would make sense and it really would be some kind of flukey aberration if they made a bid and he turned it down. Although the instinctive thing is to be sad and upset about it, he's only doing what everyone else in his line of work does.

In another sense, I understand and agree with Venton's resentment. The fact that he might very well leave and has used his treatment in the media as an excuse really does leave a bad taste in my mouth. Although I have enjoyed watching Suarez play, the racism incident was a really dark era in my time supporting this club. I know that might make some of you roll your eyes or laugh because I'm relatively young and probably somewhat naïve, but it's true. I've learned since then not to pay nearly as much attention to the media but so many awful things were said by journalists and scores of regular people about the club I love. Yes, we can point to the club's own PR shortfalls at that point in time, but I hate to see Liverpool's name dragged through the mud and time and time again, Suarez has made the club look bad.

I also really don't appreciate the "he deserves better than us" line. Yes. I know. Liverpool are "a bit ****e" and have been for the past two decades, save a few years here and there. I know other clubs, specifically storied and continually successful clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona, will always be attractive to players, no matter who they are or where they come from. I acknowledge that this is just the way it is.

Nevertheless, I support Liverpool FC and I will always be of the opinion that it's an absolute ****ing privilege to play for this club. Any and all players who sign should be 100% aware of the weight of history upon their shoulders and the significance Liverpool bears to the footballing world. People mock us for being attached to our history but what's the ****ing point? What is the point of all these trophies and titles? They're just pieces of metal. The real significance is in how the clubs are remembered for years to come, for the legacies they bear to the idiotic legions of football supporters we belong to. For this reason, Liverpool is one of the biggest clubs on Earth and players like Luis Suarez are not above it all. They don't deserve "better." Maybe they would like to win medals and trophies and be able to put them away in a safe or display case. Still, I totally oppose the idea that other clubs are objectively better than we are just because they're more competitive than we are now.

It's an emotional argument which won't sit well with many of the pragmatists who post on here. I admire your ability to be so even-handed. It must make your life easier. But being a Liverpool supporter, or a supporter of any team quite frankly, should probably incorporate some kind of positive bias. There's no better team than Liverpool for me. If a player doesn't think so, **** him. I don't have to love him after he leaves just because he scored lots of goals for us.

Like I said I didn't expect many people to agree with me. It's a good post and I get that view. Sadly the vast majority of players do not view the club in the same way we do, least of all South American players who will always hold Real Madrid and Barca in higher regard. To expect them all to just think LFC is the greatest is...I dunno...'naive' sounds as if I'm being critical - I don't mean to be critical, but that's probably the word I'm looking for. If your attitude of "If a player doesn't agree LFC is the best club in the world, **** him" was applied...then we wouldn't have many players.

[Fredo]

I'm sure I heard Luis say he supported us as a boy. Or it could have been 'one' of many clubs he looked up to. I'm sure he said we were his team though.

[Sarb]

Like I said I didn't expect anyone to agree with me - I didn't expect many at all to agree in fact. It's a good post and I get that view. Sadly the vast majority of players do not view the club in the same way we do, least of all South American players who will always hold Real Madrid and Barca in higher regard. To expect them all to just think LFC is the greatest is...I dunno...'naive' sounds as if I'm being critical - I don't mean to be critical, but that's probably the word I'm looking for. If your attitude of "If a player doesn't agree LFC is the best club in the world, **** him" was applied...then we wouldn't have many players.

There aren't many Gerrard, Carra, Giggs, Scholes, Totti type players in the world unfortunately. Don't really beleive the stuff about him being an LFC fan as a kid either. It's just guff that gets spouted. Apparently O'Shea and Walcott were LFC fans too. Not much of fans if you go and play for rivals (and in Walcott's case choose to play for Arsenal instead of us).

Fact is, you won't ever get many players who will be as loyal to the club as your normal fan like us. Just doesn't happen nowadays

[Shaggy]

I'm sure I heard Luis say he supported us as a boy. Or it could have been 'one' of many clubs he looked up to. I'm sure he said we were his team though.

If he did say that, surely no-one was stupid enough to believe it

[rodo]

we finished 7th so i can imagine its a bit like del boy tellin rodney this time next year we will be millionaires tryin to convince him to stay

[Fredo]

If he did say that, surely no-one was stupid enough to believe it

Well why? He mentioned in quite great detail - Robbie and Paul Ince were his idols.

[Shaggy]

There aren't many Gerrard, Carra, Giggs, Scholes, Totti type players in the world unfortunately. Don't really beleive the stuff about him being an LFC fan as a kid either. It's just guff that gets spouted. Apparently O'Shea and Walcott were LFC fans too. Not much of fans if you go and play for rivals (and in Walcott's case choose to play for Arsenal instead of us).

Fact is, you won't ever get many players who will be as loyal to the club as your normal fan like us. Just doesn't happen nowadays

we finished 7th so i can imagine its a bit like del boy tellin rodney this time next year we will be millionaires tryin to convince him to stay

Well why? He mentioned in quite great detail - Robbie and Paul Ince were his idols.

Haha. I saw the Ince thing - it read like he was the first player he could think of when desperately trying to recall someone, anyone who played for us when he was a kid in the late 90s.

[Tee]

Tee, do you think you'd love Suarez as a player next season as you did before if he stayed?

It's funny. I remember having these exchanges a few weeks back. I was adamant I didn't think Suarez would go as he was a man of his word. I think you had doubts he'd stick around (rightly so now it appears). It's a shame. We looked like we were getting somewhere and now he is leaving and we'll be set back

I would respect him so much more if he stayed.

[Fredo]

I am a romantic so I'll go with the story that Luis loves us and does not really want to leave, barring an offer he can't refuse.

And Madrid haven't won anything last year I think? They've only got the CL to offer, so I still have hope.

[Pablo]

I am a romantic so I'll go with the story that Luis loves us and does not really want to live, barring an offer he can't refuse.

And Madrid haven't won anything last year I think? They've only got the CL to offer, so I still have hope.

I know he seems keen to leave, but suicide really does seem a bit unnecessary

[Fredo]

I know he seems keen to leave, but suicide really does seem a bit unnecessary

Live and let die.