Love him or hate him, there’s no denying Luis Suarez’s
phenomenal skill on a football pitch. There’s also no disagreeing his terrible
disciplinary issues either, which has raised questions over Barcelona’s
decision to sign him this summer.
Nevertheless, the passionate Catalan supporter will tell you
that the pros of signing the Uruguayan far outweigh the cons and a quick glance
at his performances in the Premier League last season forces you to agree.
Suarez plundered 31 goals in 33 league appearances last
season, comfortably claiming the Golden Boot alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and
was widely regarded as one of the best attacking players in the world.
Now the prospect of Suarez joining forces with Lionel Messi
is being greeted with equal measures of excitement and apprehension. Recent
history dictates that the Argentine is the main man at Barcelona and regardless
of the high profile recruits that simply doesn’t change.
Samuel Eto’o was the first casualty of the era of Messi
dominance. The Cameroon international was accustomed to being the focal point
of Barcelona’s attack but gradually found the little Argentine invading his
space and eventually making it his own.
The striker grew frustrated with having to often drift into
a wide area to find space to operate in. Thierry Henry was the main man at
Arsenal but despite being one of the most accomplished goal scorers the game
has ever seen, he too was shuttled out to the left wing in order to support
Messi.
Meanwhile, Zlatan Ibrahimovic very publicly criticized Pep
Guardiola for bowing down to Messi’s needs and sacrificing the Swede’s
effectiveness as a result. Despite a fantastic start to his Barcelona career in
his first few games, Ibrahimovic claimed it all collapsed very soon when his
Argentine teammate demanded a central role.
More recently, there were undertones of a falling out
between David Villa and Messi as well before the Spaniard left for Atletico
Madrid last summer. There’s certainly enough precedent to argue that Suarez’s
arrival could wind up failing in similar fashion.
Even if the Uruguayan adheres to the law of the land, which
essentially states that Messi will rule with an iron fist, the concern is that
he may be sacrificing his edge in the bargain. That seemed to be the case with
Neymar when the Brazilian put his best foot forward after his transfer last
year by openly admitting that he was there to ‘help’ Messi.
As a result, the Selecao star was unable to be the
match-winner he was for Santos. Instead, his performances reflected his mindset
as he was merely a part of the supporting cast in the Lionel Messi show.
However, Suarez is a different kind of superstar. He excels
whether he is the focal point of his side’s attack or not. He has an incredible
ability to adapt and accommodate while retaining his effectiveness.
While other forwards grew disgruntled with tracking back,
closing down and working hard to make space while Messi enjoyed a free role,
Suarez’s nature is such that all those things are a huge part of his game
anyway.
He’s renowned for his amazing work rate and enjoys setting
up chances for his teammates. In fact, with 87 chances created, he was bettered
only by Samir Nasri and Eden Hazard (92 each) in the Premier League as a
creative force. Meanwhile, he fell just one short of being the player with the
most assists as Steven Gerard topped the list with 13.
Also, he was the one who created more clear-cut chances than
anyone else. He notched up 22 big chances in the league, 9 more than anyone
else. What should be taken into account with these statistics is that the
Uruguayan accomplished all of this despite missing the opening five games
through suspension.
His co-ordination with the likes of Philippe Coutinho,
Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge proves his capacity as a team player. He
was comfortable playing as a lone striker but also flourished when used in
tandem with Sturridge or down either flank. Regardless of where he played, he
always put in a shift and was a constant threat.
Just like Gareth Bale, Suarez is a special kind of
superstar; one that works hard, adapts and will always find a way to be
effective. From a purely footballing point of view, the 27 year old can only
make things better for Barcelona’s attack.
source: goal.com