SOARING SUAREZ TOP OF THE TREE
Malky’s men blown away as Liverpool ace celebrates his bumper deal at the double
MESMERIC Luis Suarez added another two gems for his personal goal of the season competition as Liverpool hit the top of the Premier League for the first time at this stage of the season since 2008.
Having once heaped shame and misery on his club, the Uruguayan now provides unbounded joy and brilliance. He is captain in Steven Gerrard’s absence, top earner with a new £45million contract in the bag and on current form could catapult Liverpool to their first League title since 1990.
Cardiff City, distracted by the ongoing soap opera between manager Malky Mackay and owner Vincent Tan, could not live with him.
Suarez scored a stunning volley to open the scoring, unselfishly set up Raheem Sterling for Liverpool’s second and hammered in a right-footed curler to seal the points before half-time. That’s 19 goals in 13 games for Suarez since he returned from suspension for biting Branislav Ivanovic last season.
He is getting into Cristiano Ronaldo-Lionel Messi territory for the right to be called best player in the world and England boss Roy Hodgson must hope the 26-year-old’s form drops off before facing him at the World Cup.
Suarez said: ‘I am so happy with the new contract but today I was focused on this game, and in the first half we played very well. There is only one captain of this team [Gerrard] and this victory is for him. But it is too early to say we can win the title.’
Yet Liverpool have scored 17 goals in winning four games since they surprisingly lost 3-1 at Hull City and manager Brendan Rodgers said: ‘The superlative for Luis today is unselfish. It showed in setting up the second goal – you don’t see too many strikers do that. It showed when Daniel Agger came on as substitute and Luis gave the armband to him. It shows the humility of the man and a genuine world-class player, pivotal for the team.’
It was a strange pre-match atmosphere at a cold, sunny Anfield. Liverpool’s form without the injured Gerrard and Daniel Sturridge, coupled with the announcement of Suarez’s long-term deal on Friday, was overshadowed by thousands of Cardiff fans chanting support of Mackay and anger at Tan.
The billionaire Malaysian, who has fallen out spectacularly with his manager, had to sit in the directors’ box and listen to his fans chanting ‘We want Vincent out’, ‘Malky is the special one’ and ‘Go back to Malaysia’.
They were greeted with applause from Liverpool fans, who have had their own tribulations with wayward overseas owners.
‘It was humbling,’ said an emotional Mackay, who reiterated that he will not resign, which would mean losing a substantial pay-off.
The sideshow could have been a distraction for Liverpool’s players – and probably was for 25 minutes. Indeed, Cardiff had the first chance when boyhood Liverpool fan Craig Noone left Simon Mignolet scrambling
Then, normal service was resumed. Jordan Henderson looped up a cross from the left and Suarez, standing on the edge of the penalty area, watched it drop all the way before catching the ball perfectly with his right boot. It flew past David Marshall in Cardiff’s goal. It was the catalyst for waves of pressure. Suarez fed Philippe Coutinho from a short corner who smacked a low shot against the base of a post. Overlapping full-back John Flanagan also saw a shot hooked off the line.
Suarez then sprinted on to Henderson’s pass after 42 minutes and unselfishly squared for Sterling to score a tap-in.
On the stroke of half-time, it was three. Suarez, Joe Allen and Henderson played onetouch football, then the dazzling South American accelerated past a marker and his drive arced into the corner. Game over.
Tan looked relaxed as he greeted guests at the interval – maybe, as some suggest, he is looking forward to securing Sven Goran Eriksson as his next manager – and Cardiff at least put up a fight for Mackay in the second half. Liverpool’s shoddy marking allowed Jordon Mutch to head in Peter Whittingham’s free-kick at the far post.
The only surprise was that Suarez hit the side-netting with his hat-trick opportunity after Marshall had denied Sterling. No drama. Nobody on the Kop begrudged him a momentary lapse. Teams top at Christmas have ended up champions and Liverpool will be there if Arsenal fail to beat Chelsea tomorrow. But with away games at Manchester City and Chelsea next, Rodgers is cautious.
‘We can’t think we’ve cracked it yet, it is tough for a team to go from seventh (where Liverpool were last season) to first,’ he said.
As for Cardiff, the presence of League Managers’ Association chief Richard Bevan in support of the beleaguered Mackay said everything you needed to know about them.