‘Suarez unfairly treated due to reputation’

Reds manager claims his star player was denied a penalty.

LONDON: Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers believes that Luis Suarez’s reputation is being unfairly held against him after the striker was denied a penalty during his side’s FA Cup defeat at Arsenal.

Having earlier won a penalty that Steven Gerrard converted to bring Liverpool back into Sunday’s game after Arsenal had gone 2-0 up, Suarez was clearly fouled by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

However, referee Howard Webb elected not to award a penalty, despite having had a clear view of the incident, and Arsenal held out for a 2-1 victory that set up a quarter-final tie at home to Everton.

Suarez has often been criticised for going to ground too easily during his time in England, but Rodgers believes that the Uruguayan’s reputation should not have influenced Webb’s decision.

“If it is a penalty he should have it, irrespective of what his reputation is,” said Rodgers.

“I thought that was quite an easy decision for the referee. Luis has a touch, gets around him, and it looks a blatant penalty.”

Wenger not fully convinced

Meanwhile, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who made an unsuccessful attempt to sign Suarez last year, feels that the former Ajax player’s reputation for diving is rooted in fact, however.

“I rate Suarez as a player,” said Wenger. “If we had him in the team we’d have a few more free-kicks.

“But it’s always difficult to know with him, was it really a genuine contact? It was a contact, I don’t deny that, but he’s very good to make more of it every time.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 18^th, 2014.

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