Luis Suarez Breaks Silence On Racism Row, and Other Tuesday Notes

By: Noel | November 7th, 2011

The English FA has gone quiet when it comes to Patrice Evra, Luis Suarez, and allegations of racism, but with the case still theoretically open there’s finally some new information to talk about. Plus Liverpool’s inability to stick with Plan A even when it seems to be working and preparing for a public execution at Wembley in today’s news and notes…

* Players around the globe are leaving their clubs to join up with national sides, and Luis Suarez is already in Uruguay preparing for a major World Cup qualifying match against Chile on Friday. With most of a week to go before the game itself, the Uruguayan players talked to the press in Montevideo on Monday. And as can often be the case when those who come from beyond England’s shores talk to the press in their homeland—and in their native tongue—more information on the allegations of racial abuse levelled at Suarez by Manchester United’s Patrice Evra came out in thirty minutes than in the past two weeks:

The FA will have to clarify things. There is no evidence I said anything racist to him. I said nothing of the sort. There were two parts of the discussion, one in Spanish, one in English. I did not insult him. It was just a way of expressing myself. I called him something his team-mates at Manchester call him, and even they were surprised by his reaction.

These things happen in football, in the heat of the moment. They leave someone looking bad. Now we have to see how the matter is decided and then, for him as much as me, we will have things clear. And wherever the fault lies, we are going to have to say sorry.

None of which especially clears things up, particularly with the FA continuing to drag out a case where there’s no existing evidence of Suarez calling Evra a racist name ten or more times while the referee listened and did nothing, but here’s hoping that this case will indeed end up having something resembling a clear resolution.

* Meanwhile, Oh You Beauty looks at Liverpool’s deteriorating confidence on the ball, as the at times slick, pass and move football that has marked the openings of so many matches this season invariably ends in frantic and direct play after that early dominance doesn’t lead to an advantage on the scoreboard. One could understand such an occurrence in the final minutes of a match, but this negative shift is clear long, long before then, and as such can be seen in chalkboards breaking play down into thirty minute segments. Moreover, even if such a trend did reflect a tendency to resort to desperate late pushes, the numbers suggest that the more cohesive short passing game employed by Liverpool in the early-going consistently leads to more chances on goal than when the squad begins to lose its collective nerve and begins to attempt more high risk passes.

When the first half onslaught fails, the team obviously tightens up, especially in front of its baying home crowd—as against Swansea, Norwich, and Sunderland. Confidence crashes, frustration mounts, and every player becomes noticeably more nervous. Which leads to more ambitious passes, less completed passes, and all the other ‘bad’ shown in the above chalkboards. And it’s tangible for the opposition, leading to fight-backs like Swansea’s, like Sunderland’s, like Norwich’s, and like Wolves almost succeeded in doing.

It’s a pattern many will be familiar with simply from watching those disappointing draws so far this season, with early control becoming increasingly sloppy play with fewer chances as the club becomes more desperate—and with it often beginning before the end of the first half. It’s easy to lament the missed early chances, but one could just as easily blame that inability to stick with a style of play that’s so successful early on for allowing other clubs to fight back into the match in the end. Maybe if Andy Carroll puts away a sitter from six feet out on Saturday Liverpool goes on to win easily. But maybe too if Liverpool keeps their nerve and continues approaching the game as in the first thirty-odd minutes they eventually get that goal they’re looking for.

* At least this time around the international break comes when Liverpool is struggling to find its collective feet, offering a brief respite and a chance for the coaching staff to search for answers where previously the breaks only seemed to rob the club of whatever momentum they’d built up in preceding weeks.

With no European games that mean anything for Liverpool players, the most talked about match in England is the meaningless prestige friendly/ritual slaughter when Spain makes the trip to Wembley on Saturday. For those who don’t enjoy watching small, defenceless creatures being torn apart, the aftermath may have more potential to entertain than the match itself, with the portions of the media so thrilled by victories over the likes of Wales set to inevitably turn on a side that suddenly will have no hope at next year’s Euros (which, to be fair, they don’t).

But in the meantime there’s still a match to play. And when it comes to that side of things, Pepe Reina has been called up to the Spanish side while Stewart Downing and Glen Johnson will be in the England squad. Andy Carroll wasn’t able to find room on the bench over the likes of Darren Bent and Bobby Zamora, but then again, even if he’s one of the few Liverpool players who could probably use a few minutes anywhere he can get them, at least this way it’ll be harder for Fabio Capello to talk about his love for the demon liquor.

We’ll be back with any breaking news as the day moves along, but in the meantime, try not to say anything too racist. Or if you find yourself talking to Patrice Evra, maybe try not to say too much of anything at all…

Some Related Liverpool Posts:

Category: International Duty, Miscellaneous, Premier League, Team News

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Suarez from the car park...

what a fantastic response from Suarez. Full of sincerity and maturity.

I think of him as young and a bit of a fire cracker given the antics from his past, but when he opens his mouth he comes across as professional and mature.

the only ones from Manure who are like that are the ones who don't open their mouths.
Latortillablanca

the glazers?
Suarez from the car park...

ouch!

Well, they did make a lot of money out of it - without spending a penny of their own.
redtrev73

See that picture that Noel's chosen to adorn his latest excellent Tuesday Notes?

Presuming that's Jonno on the far right, there are SIX relative newcomers in that starting 11. SIX. Now, irksome as it may be for many (me included), there is a massively valid argument for the whole gelling/settling-in thing taking time. Now, you can sub in a Dirky for a Hendo or a Carra for a Skrtel, but essentially any given Kenny 11 will have around 50% newbies.

In the 11 shown, Pepe, D'Agger, Lucas, Skrtel and Jonno are old hands but Andy and Luis are here 10 months and Hendo, Chaz, Stew-pot and Unrealque (ta, Not Too Xabi) are only in the door around 5 months. Now, I know the idea was to buy young and Prem-proven but even then the magic doesn't necessarily just happen immediately.

I have to echo Ed's ambivalence towards this project of persevering with the new recruits. Like him I admire Kenny's doggedness and faith in those he's purchased but I also have those sinking feelings any time a teamsheet features a Chaz where a Spearo should be or a Hendo where one wants to see a Dirky.

Being a supporter...ain't it grand?
Red2death

Well, the counterpoint is that Kenny and Comolli have tried to recruit almost exclusively players that already have current premiership experience under their belt (and paid a premium for it) precisely so that they wouldn't take a long time to bed in. Of course the irony is that the one player who didn't come from the premiership (Suarez) was the fastest to fit in, and the rest are still finding their feet.

As you've said, even then the magic doesn't necessarily happen immediately, though now's about the time to decide if that decision to go for premiership-proven is paying off. And also like many here I'm all for using matches as an opportunity to let the team gel, but hopefully not at the expense of points!
Suarez from the car park...

It is the wisdom that you don't try to bed in so many new players at once. You want to bring players in to fit into a style of play rather than create it themselves.

That's why I think this team's time is the run in to the end of the season (last 10). Maturing a team takes time. there's no getting away from it and we've also got a couple of very young additions.

Ok, i know Newcastle aren't having these problems, and I don't know what to say about that.
redtrev73

Yeah...Newcastle...yeah, I don't know what to say about that either Jonny except that in a nasty and spiteful way that does not become me, I hope it soon explodes entertainingly all over that irritating little roundy Ashley fella...I'm a bad person....
Suarez from the car park...

you and me both bud.
Latortillablanca

just as a reminder that things remain in a positive direction for the club as a whole - we signed a 'speedy, skillfull, playmaking' 17 yr old american, and got a partnership going with turkish tourism. that last one is such a no brainer, like, really? it took us 6 years and new owners to capitalize on istanbul? it never ceases to amaze the level of clowns that were running this club prior to fsg...
Redarmy

a 'speedy, skillfull, playmaking' yank?? I bet he scored a lot - cheerleaders I mean
poorscouserbobby

Pelosi's got serious potential, particularly if he gets some good educating and upbringing(something hard to come by in our neck of the woods)
but with that being said, I NEVER chased cheerleaders, they were after me.. (Ed, I think you were doing it wrong) but I dated a footballer... only girl on our team, she wasn't fast but she was a baller and scored 10-15 goals a season. And she was hot.. and good. on the pitch and off.. did I mention looong bus rides back from away games...
Suarez from the car park...

It's the vibrations above the rear suspension. Better than any viagra. At least when I was going to school.
redtrev73

I've missed your tales of lechery bob...god bless you sir!!
poorscouserbobby

sir I do my best... and attempt to remain as vaguely truthful as I can be about them. one day I'll tell tall tales of my time in Italy, wooing young Italian maidens away from their nasty smelly Italian boyfriends who would attempt to engage me in their lowly womanish version of fisticuffs. (long story short, they slap each other...doing that to virile 20 year old military man... not going to fly. I did actually throw someone out a bar window... it was open, sadly..) sorry. what were we talking about again?
redtrev73

Who cares what we were talking about man...I'm all about those Italian ladies...
poorscouserbobby

Right! ok, so there was this one, Annalisa, wow. She was unreal.. I even let her beat me in laser tag once or twice. Her sister was hot too... I felt bad about that... particularly when she caught us.. needless to say that didn't stand the test of time, and I think I caused a family to hate each other, but yeah Italian girls.. they're.. GRRRRREAT!
redtrev73

I have spent the last ten minutes trying to deduce whether or not "beat me in laser tag" is a euphemism. I have decided that it doesn't matter.
poorscouserbobby

Have you ever laughed so hard that you start coughing uncontrollably and you wonder if you're going to live, only to think about what you were originally laughing about and the cycle repeats itself?

Yeah.*wipes away the tears* Laser tag was really only laser tag.. she had a little brother, so he and I would team up but some how annalisa always killed me... except for that one time her sister did.. but we've been over this.
Suarez from the car park...

Don't worry, they're Italian. They're supposed to argue with each other.
Ed

Literally all we do here is chase cheerleaders. I played baseball most of my life--dumbest choice I ever made. Can't tell you how many games I skipped in search of cheerleaders.
Ryan

I actually got to steal all the glory of winning a soccer state championship back in high school because our first choice PK taker was hung over from cheerleader chasing the night before. Up I stepped and to the left it went! But then coach went all Maxi Rodriguez on me and I still never got a cheerleader...and that, is why I am an alcoholic.
redtrev73

Ryan, that is the most simultaneously thrilling, tragic and fucking hilarious anecdote I have read in many moons!! Last line made me waste good vino in a gruesome mirth-induced nasal fountain!
Ryan

Sadly my shrink had the same reaction. Oh dear oh dear oh dear...
redtrev73

Amen brother 'blanca
Redarmy

Good points about not sticking to the PLAN. I wonder if it has something to do with the fitness of some players. Another thing would be to try and think about some kind of Plan B. Perhaps a slow and more composed posession style at the beginning of the games to get the nerves settled would do wonders, I mean it's nice to score early, but prolly even better to score after demoralizing the opposition with 70% posession. I think most top teams try to do it that way.
KC

In regards to Nate's post I think our lack of confidence might come from the lack of a leader in the midfield. That's why even though we're doing fine without Gerrard, I know we will be infinite times better with him (DUH sorry I had to state the obvious). With a leader in the middle, he'd have the confidence not to panic, to keep it at the pace that Liverpool want to play and give a level of calm to everyone around him. Which makes me a little scared at the thought of Gerrard not being there because in this team at the moment, there isn't really a leader like that at all...
nate

I reckon that Liverpool missed Gerrard – specifically his dynamism in midfield – more against Swansea than in any other match under Dalglish.
Redarmy

Yes, you're stating the obvious. Any team needs some type of leader in the middle, someone to orchestrate the play. Our guys in the middle right now? Adam, who everybody will agree, is and prolly will never be that type of guy, and Lucas, who every 'educated' fan seems to love to death, but is he a leader? No
Latortillablanca

which underscores the general befuddlement regarding kuyt's cameo role these days...he's no stevie or carra, but the example he sets is priceless...
Suarez from the car park...

Yes, players - particularly new players (all bar Lucas in front of the defence), need someone to follow to a certain extent when things aren't going well. someone who sets an example. We all do.

But without the end result it's tricky to put this on Suarez.

Hate to say it, but Adam's blinding passes are only ever going to be occasional, he needs more to his game to inspire.

When you don't take your chances everthing gets analyzed to death, this included. None of it is the real problem though it needs to be addressed, it's the finishing.
Latortillablanca

whenever things arent going so hot at the office, i always turn to my trusty Kid N Play poster for inspiration. juuussst to remind myself what it took to get where i am...
mattiecamp

Suarez: "Patrice I find it easy to run past you because you're near!"
Evra: "I am a what???"
Suarez: "No, silly Frenchman, I said you're near! Near! Do you understand? Near!"
Evra: "I am le reporting you to ze FA!"

...and scene.
redtrev73

Mattie, comedy drama and haiku-like sparse poetry within two comments. You are good value, sir! No pressure, but I'm expecting some sort of deconstructionist essay next...
Suarez from the car park...

recited in your best Clouseau voice no doubt...
poorscouserbobby

NOW IS NOT THE TIME CATO!!
Suarez from the car park...

lmao.
Latortillablanca

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/tim...

boy seems to fit the fsg transfer policy to the ground, an if he's got the vickery seal of approval, cut that deal damien... plus - Andy Polo? sounds like a pro athlete to me...
mardia

I was fairly resigned to the FA declaring this case to be "not proven", but honestly, now? With the way they've dragged their feet, I want a clear resolution, one way or the other.

One thing I want to say--I would really hate for the fans to end up picking sides here, regardless of how the FA rules. The chants that Chelsea fans have thrown at/about Anton Ferdinand are disgusting (regardless of whether you think Terry's innocent or not) and Ferdinand's already received death threats and racist abuse on Twitter. I would hate to see both sets of fans stooping that low--although sadly, I fear it's all too inevitable.
Latortillablanca

seriously tho, what kind of beaurocratic spin cycle does the FA employ that it takes weeks upon weeks to sort out what either is or is not apparent on film... this is ridiculous. fines/suspensions across all sorts of other sports come down almost before the athletes get back to their locker. at most it takes a day or two. but jesus, its as if the FA is searching for the holy grail here! pop in the friggin dvd, watch it a couple times, hand out the punishment...
Red2death

Well I can only imagine if Suarez was guilty they'd have come down on him like a ton of bricks by now. That'd be a nice 25th-anniversary present for Fergie.

But if he's innocent, and thus by logic Evra is guilty, well that's a tough call to make. As an FA official, you really don't want to piss of Utd just before they hand out their christmas gifts...
Suarez from the car park...

They're into the "we want a ..... shrubbery" bit I think - that stretches it out.
Latortillablanca

sooo, ur saying its gonna be like when they're storming the castle? all of a sudden we'll wake up 6 months from now and... ah-HAH!!!!
mardia

Oh, I've already accepted there's no video evidence available. If there was, Sky would have it on a 24-hour rotation. At this point, the only thing I can imagine is that they're interviewing every witness on the field. But even THEN I can't figure out how this takes so long.
DJ-Chutfield

I don't really know what I was expecting when reading the words "Luis Suarez breaks silence." Maybe Dagger raised the bar a bit too high for how candid our players can be and I was expecting wee Luis to come out swinging, defending him and denouncing both Eva and the FA as "utter mierda de la puta." Ah well.

As for Nate's post, it's clearly just a matter of confidence. Last season, we saw the same 11 players lose to Wolves 1-0 with no confidence and trounce em 3-0 barely a few days later. I think they're feeling the weight of all the shite results at Anfield and get more and more nervy far too early. Further compounding this problem is the price tags of some players (Andy Carroll has been called "35 million pound man" more than "Andy Carroll" since his transfer) and The King's utter refusal to change things up at the 60 minute mark like Rafa used to. You don't want to start Maxi, Bellamy and Spearo, fine. At least bring them on in the second half with enough time left to influence the game! I really hope they do find the answer to this piss off of a problem over the international break. And please Dagger, come home in one piece.