After the ban was levied I was ready for the end of the era of El Pistolero. Was having the beauty worth dealing with the beast? I didn't think so. Real Madrid and Arsenal came calling with transfer offers over the summer. I wanted FSV to take the money and wipe their hands clean of the mess their maestro had made. They wouldn't budge. He was not for sale. Anxiety built as each report that he was on his way out was debunked. Did he want to leave or didn't he? Was ownership really intent on keeping him or just waiting for an offer they couldn't refuse? As the window came to a close I had to reassess my thoughts about Suarez. He wasn't going anywhere and I had to accept it. Accept it? I still can't figure out why I had to rationalize being ok with having one of the best players in England still in tow.
There was a new waiting game at the start of the season--the wait for Suarez's suspension to be over. Daniel Sturridge seemed to have everything under control at the start of the season with Suarez in the stands. Scoring the 1-0 winners against Stoke, Aston Villa, and Manchester United; he had the golden touch. There was still something missing. The strain of these results was starting to show. Scoring early and riding it out was an effective yet risky strategy at first; until the Southampton affair in which that one goal to ride out never came. They were too reliant on Sturridge to be their only weapon and that backfired. They needed another shooter. They needed their El Pistolero.
Suarez's return in Liverpool's Capital One Cup tie with Man U didn't end happily as they were dumped out of the competition 1-0. Since that game there haven't been any more 1-0 results. SAS have netted eight times in the Premiership and haven't lost. They have forced Brendan Rodgers' hand into changing his team's shape. Liverpool has a dynamic that had been missing in these few lost seasons. They are on a collision course with Arsenal this weekend with a chance to reclaim the top position in the table. If Suarez was sold over the summer I'm pretty confident I wouldn't have been able to make that last statement. I like the view from the top. You could even say that I just can't get enough.
Trevor Utley will be watching this game alone this weekend. Your ears will thank him later.
Video Credit: Lfcfans Corner (Youtube)