Suarez will be playing in his first official club game since April 21, having now completed a 10-game ban for biting Branislav Ivanovic last season. PHOTO: AFP
Sunday’s 4-1 loss at Manchester City completed United’s worst start to a season in nine years and prompted renewed scrutiny of new manager David Moyes’ methods.
Since succeeding Alex Ferguson, Moyes has seen his side beaten by Liverpool and City and held to a 0-0 draw by Chelsea, leaving the defending champions five points off the pace in the Premier League.
Another loss to arch rivals Liverpool would only add weight to the steadily creeping doubts about his aptitude for the job, but striker Wayne Rooney believes today’s game has arrived at just the right time.
“We have all grown up, whether it is Manchester, Liverpool or somewhere else, having local derbies,” Rooney told United’s in-house television channel, MUTV.
“It is not nice when you lose one. I have been there as a fan and now as a player. Thankfully we have another massive game against Liverpool.
“It is the ideal game for us. Any game against Liverpool, whether it is a friendly, Capital One Cup or Premier League, is massive.
“We have to try and get the victory so we can put this defeat to the back of our minds.”
Supporters will back Suarez: Rodgers
Liverpool will hope that Suarez is able to draw a line beneath his recent trials.
The Uruguayan will be playing in his first official club game since April 21, having now completed a 10-game ban for biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic last season.
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers chose an unfortunate turn of phrase when he said the striker was ‘chomping at the bit’, but Suarez’s return falls at a timely juncture after Saturday’s surprise 1-0 loss at home to Southampton.
Suarez tried to force through a move to Arsenal during the close season, even accusing Liverpool of breaking promises made to him, but Rodgers is confident that he will be forgiven by the club’s fans.
“This club has given every player here everything in the time I’ve been here, and none more so than Luis,” he said.
“He will show that and demonstrate that in his performances and that is what the players and the people want to see. They want to see him with a red shirt on, fighting for the club.
“The great thing about this football club is no matter what a player has done the supporters are 150 percent behind every player who pulls on that shirt and they back them to the hilt.
“I am sure that is something we will see and aligned to that will be his commitment, and that will be nothing more than I would expect. I have no doubt, having been out, he will be even hungrier but his fight for the cause will still be the same.”
Published in The Express Tribune, September 25th, 2013.
Like Sports on Facebook, follow @ETribuneSports on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.
COMMENTS (1)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
1732538123-0/BeFunky-collage-(90)1732538123-0-165x106.webp "article")
Liverpool don't play Manure until tomorrow evening Wed 25th.