By Jack Cairns @Redfellar
After being exposed for quite some time on the whole ‘Suarez is leaving, Suarez is irreplaceable’ typhoon, I’ve decided to write this article to put my fellow Kopite’s minds at rest. Before I really begin, please note- Do NOT get this confused with me saying I’d like him to go. I’d much rather him stay, as I’m sure many of the ‘Red Machine’ would too.
Now then. For years (and I really do mean years), Liverpool have had many ‘star’ strikers. Many “irreplaceable” players. But, no matter what, when their time had come and it was time for them to move on from the club, we have always replaced them with yet another ‘star’ striker, Yet another “irreplaceable” player. In fact, you could even go beyond Billy Liddell’s time in a red shirt, but for time’s sake, let’s not. Have a look;
– Billy Liddell / 1939 – 1961 / 534 Apps – 228 Goals
– Roger Hunt / 1958 – 1969 / 492 Apps – 286 Goals
– Ian St John / 1961 – 1971 / 425 Apps – 118 Goals
– John Toshack / 1970 – 1978 / 247 Apps – 96 Goals
– Kevin Keegan / 1971 – 1977 / 323 Apps – 100 Goals
– Kenny Dalglish / 1977 – 1990 / 515 Apps – 172 Goals
– Ian Rush / 1980 – 1987 | 1988 – 1986 / 660 Apps – 346 Goals
– John Aldridge / 1987 – 1989 / 104 Apps – 63 Goals
– Robbie Fowler / 1992 – 2001 || 2006 – 2007 / 369 Apps – 183 Goals
– Michael Owen / 1996 – 2004 / 297 Apps – 158 Goals
– Luis Garcia / 2004 – 2007 / 121 Apps – 30 Goals
– Fernando Torres / 2007 – 2011 / 142 Apps – 81 Goals
– Luis Suarez / 2011 – 2013? / 96 Apps – 51 Goals
There you have it. We’ve hardly ever been left with no life after such and such a player. More recently, just look at Fernando Torres. Remember the heartbreak when he left the club? Enter Luis Suarez.
Now before you jump on the fact I’ve included Luis Garcia in the list right there, let me explain to you why I’ve done so. During Luis Garcia’s time at Liverpool, we won the Champions League in Istanbul. Not because of the sheer almighty brilliance that was Luis Garcia, but because of the team he was part of. There was no definitive goalscorer in the team. There was just the team. That team is what won the Champions League for the 5th time. For the period where we had no out and out ‘star striker’, we had a bonified, unbreakable team. That’s the 2nd meaning behind my point. If Suarez leaves and we don’t bring in the next ‘star striker’ right away, we’re forgiven to assume that it is not the end of the world because as it stands we DO have a team. You can see it in the performances at the back-end of last season without Suarez. On a personal -but relevant- side note, I believe that the idea of building a team around a certain player is slowly becoming outdated and naive. See the last three major international tournaments for quick reference and reason.
In the history of Liverpool Football Club, there have always been names that engrave themselves into the hearts of the fans, and if we are to see the back of Luis Suarez this summer, it certainly won’t stop with his.