Suarez vs Evra - THAT Handshake

Although I am in Germany at the time of writing, I was able to watch the first half of the Manchester United vs Liverpool game - meaning I saw the pre - match antics. There was also going to be controversy surrounding the game, Suarez just returning from an 8 match ban after racially abusing Evra back in their last meeting back in December. Of course the intense rivalry over the years between the two clubs also adds to the spice, and the game was widely anticipated due to these two factors.

Luis Suarez has been involved in a mass amount of controversy
as his time as a footballer - most recently with racial remarks made

Manchester United's Patrice Evra

It was Suarez's second match back from an 8 match suspension which both he and the club thought should not have stood, with Kenny Dalglish announcing his disgust at the decision immediately after Suarez had served his punishment. Clearly still bitter with the decision, Suarez let emotions spill over and refused to shake the hand of Evra, sparking both controversy and some nasty events to come, including full blooded tackles, taunting and arguing on the pitch.

But was Suarez right to shake Evra's hand? Whatever way you look at it, I think it's childish. What's done is done and the past cannot be altered, and if Suarez really did racially abuse Evra - he deserved his punishment. In my belief to not shake hands with someone due to a conflict filled past is ridiculous. It's just needless. This sort of thing is ruining the game - Suarez should've done his talking on the pitch.

There's no doubt about it, Suarez is a great player. However, if he acts the way he did in the first half, than he is just embarrassing to both LFC and English football. He's regularly seen arguing in disbelief with officials, and when unhappy with a decision usually reveals a dark side to him. This happened in the United game once again, kicking the ball at the Manchester United dugout on the stroke of half time, sparking angry reactions once again by both the Manchester United players and fans.

What's so sad about Suarez is that he is a terrific player, with technical ability and clever play allowing him to regularly torment defenders and create goal scoring opportunities for his side. Although LFC are struggling and Suarez is struggling to find the back if the net, words can't describe how important he is to a mediocre Liverpool side. The only bad thing as he struggles to contain his emotion, which hinders both his performance and Liverpool's performance as a result.

Kenny Dalglish has a tough decision regarding the future
of Luis Suarez at LFC

There's also rumours that Suarez will depart the club in the future due to the trouble he has caused in recent weeks, with Liverpool willing to let him go to Real Madrid in a big money move. This would be absolutely catastrophic for Liverpool. Along with Bellamy, Suarez basically provides the only attacking threat for Liverpool - with Carroll, Downing, Kuyt, Henderson and Maxi all failing to impress when called upon. Although Carroll is showing signs of his former self, I believe Suarez has what it takes to provide him with the service in which he needs to make him value for money. That’s why he's so pivotal to Liverpool; Suarez possesses the ability to not only create him a driving force up front, but to help his team mates succeed as well.

I wouldn't go as far as Sir Alex Ferguson by calling Suarez a 'disgrace', but I would say that he is embarrassing at times for English football. When calm he is a delight to watch, but his reputation at both the World Cup for Uruguay and antics whilst in an Ajax and Liverpool shirt seems to come before him and really makes him a target. His short temper also counts against him, and this must be controlled in the nearby future so Liverpool can really push on. His refusal to shake Evra's hand has also worsened his position in English football. His behaviour has been outlined and will undoubtedly have made him decrease in popularity massively. Who knows, maybe Liverpool will cash in on the widely criticised Suarez? Only time will tell.....