The speed at which a certain Mr Torres went from irreplaceable to “Fernando who?” in the eyes of Liverpool fans can mainly be attributed to the displays of Luis Suarez. Arriving at Anfield just as El Niño headed south to Chelsea on the final day of the January transfer window, Suarez wasted little time in establishing himself as an Anfield favourite with a series of scintillating performances in the second half of the season.
Coming off the subs bench for his debut at home to Stoke, Suarez grabbed a goal in a 28 minute cameo that, despite a lack of match-fitness, hinted at what was to come. After missing out on an away trip to Chelsea the following week, Suarez started the final twelve games of the season for Kenny Dalglish’s side, missing only eight minutes of action from gameweek 27 till the end of the campaign.
A virtuoso display in Liverpool’s 3-1 home win over Man United in Gameweek 29 particularly caught the eye as Suraez tormented the eventual champions on his way to picking up 2 assists and 2 Fantasy Premier League (FPL) Bonus Points for a 10 point haul haul that saw him resultantly leap onto many a Fantasy Watchlist.
Whether he partnered Dirk Kuyt or Andy Carroll upfront, his menace to opposition defences saw the Uruguayan finish the season with 68 FPL points from thirteen appearances, averaging over five points per game as Liverpool just missed out on a place in the Europa League.
Key Factors
- Suarez’s game is clearly suited to scoring highly with the Bonus judges. A look at his stats in our Members Area illustrates just how influential he is for Liverpool and it reflects in the 14 Bonus points awarded over seven of his twelve starts. At home, in particular, Suarez stood out, picking up Bonus in five of his six Anfield starts.
- Liverpool’s form under Kenny Dalglish gives definite cause for optimism. Prior to his January arrival, the club’s record under Roy Hodgson read (P20, W7, D4, L9 25pts) and, despite one point from his first two games in charge, Dalglish led the club to (P18, W10, D3, L5, 33pts) with a run of games from gameweek 24 to 36 that saw them win ten and draw two of their fourteen games. Under King Kenny, they beat Man City and Man United at home, while winning at Chelsea and drawing away to Arsenal.
- Liverpool have a kind run of home games to start off the season (SUN, BOL, WOL, MUN, NOR, SWA) with only the Man United clash looking tricky on paper. Having won the corresponding fixture last season, Dalglish’s men will hold no fear going into the game. Currently starring in Copa America 2011, Suarez may end up playing late into July but has moved to dismiss fears of burn-out, assuring Liverpool fans he’ll be fit and ready for the new season.
- With just half a Premier League season under his belt, it seems unlikely Suarez will be priced in the same bracket as more proven top-flight forwards such as Wayne Rooney, Robin Van Persie and -despite the uncertainty over playing time- Chelsea pair Didier Drogba and Fernando Torres. While the above-mentioned quartet should come in around 11.0-12.0, Suarez looks more likely to be around the 10.0 mark and will, more than likely, not even be the highest priced player from Liverpool, with Steven Gerrard still leading the way there.
- Liverpool’s sixth place finish last season may prove to be a blessing in disguise for their league aspirations this coming campaign. With no European football to clog up the fixture calendar, Dalglish’s side can fully focus on the Premier League, meaning less possibility of rotation and more chance of his squad being fresher from one gameweek to the next, in comparison to their top-flight rivals.
