The Pro And The Con Of Luis Suarez

I have no “Luis Suarez bit Branislav Ivanovic” jokes. The Internet burnt through them in about an hour.

Now that the aftermath of what happened has (somewhat) settled, Liverpool have a decision to make about what to do with Luis Suarez this summer.

Before Sunday’s incident, I made it pretty clear that I was worried about a seemingly destined move to Bayern Munich over the summer for the controversial Uruguayan. Juventus have played down rumors of Suarez heading to Turin, but it would be a good move for all parties involved if it came to fruition.

Now it’s hard to tell if teams will be willing to pay top dollar for the baggage that comes with such a brilliant striker.

Let’s say for the sake of argument, that nobody is willing to purchase Suarez’s services this summer. Should Liverpool want him back? I made a pros/cons list for Andy Carroll several weeks ago and I’d say now is as good a time as any for Suarez.

I will warn you though: the list is quite short. There is really only one pro and one con in this discussion.

Pro: He’s quite possibly the third best footballer in the world

Steven Gerrard has said as much and even the most passionate Liverpool haters would have to at least respect such a strong opinion.

If it weren’t for all his antics, more people might be inclined to make such a bold statement. When he’s on his game, Luis Suarez is an incredibly dangerous goal scoring threat. He makes brilliant runs. When the ball is at his feet, it stays there. He is always in control and always seems to be one step ahead of his opposing defenders. He can score from almost any angle and he can do it with any part of his body.

Liverpool need a player of this caliber. If Suarez were to depart, this team would be fighting for its lives in a relegation battle. He is the first Liverpool player to score 30 goals in a season since Fernando Torres. Only Kenny Dalglish, Ian Rush, and Robbie Fowler have accomplished such a feat during their time at Anfield. Like it or not, he is in historic territory with one of the most prestigious clubs in the world.

He’s also the perfect fit for what Brendan Rodgers wants to accomplish. Suarez does not relinquish possession easily and he knows how to find his teammates while being double and triple teamed by opponents. He is, quite frankly, the only true goal scoring threat on Brendan Rodgers’ squad as it is currently constructed.

It speaks volumes about Suarez’s ability that a club as proud as Liverpool are even considering holding onto him through the summer after what he has done.

Con: He’s bat $h!# crazy!

This is actually the SECOND time that Suarez has bitten an opponent during a match. He managed to grab the attention of Mike Tyson via Twitter.

Then there’s the matter of his blatant disrespect for the game in South Africa in 2010.

And let’s not forget his incident with Patrice Evra last season that resulted in an eight game suspension.

Which is why bringing Suarez back could be detrimental to Liverpool’s 2013-14 campaign next season. The FA are already talking as if three games is not enough this time around. Suppose Suarez gets another eight game suspension: now he misses several games to start the following season as well. I can understand wanting to put up with Suarez for his brilliant play, but he cannot help the team if he is constantly being banned for whatever reason. At this rate you could pretty much put money on the man missing at least 10% of next season’s league schedule, if not more.

Then there’s the matter of appearances. The club’s already dinged up reputation will take a bigger hit if they bring him back now. Sponsors will only tolerate so much before they say “No thank you” to a lucrative deal. Even Liverpool’s most loyal supporters are being tested right now.

To bring back Luis Suarez next season would almost certainly seal the club’s fate as a red-headed stepchild that no player, sponsor, manager, or fan wants to be a part of going forward.

At this point there’s nothing left to do but wait. There’s really no point in speculating further at this time.

No one, not even Suarez himself, knows where he will be come August of 2013.