Suarez told to move forward

Rodgers says striker must not dwell on last season's controversy

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Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers believes Luis Suarez 'probably still feels a little bit of injustice', but has urged the Uruguayan to move on from the much-publicised events of last season.

Suarez was handed an eight-game suspension and a £40,000 fine in December after being found guilty of racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra in a Premier League match at Anfield.

The controversy was reignited in February when Suarez seemingly refused Evra's handshake as the teams conducted their traditional pre-match greeting in the return meeting at Old Trafford.

Suarez then reopened old wounds during an interview with a Uruguayan television show last month, where he accused United of having too much power and blamed Evra for the failure to shake hands.

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The striker was jeered and booed by the crowd during Uruguay's Olympic Games defeat against Great Britain at the Millennium Stadium this week, but Rodgers has noted that rival fans only single out good players for criticism.

"Luis probably still feels a little bit of injustice about last season, but for me the message is that we have to move on. "

"The first point is that opposition fans only give people stick because they're good players - you don't see bad ones getting it," Rodgers said.

Rodgers continued: "Luis probably still feels a little bit of injustice about last season, but for me the message is that we have to move on.

"We have to move forward. What's happened has happened and let's let it go now, however hard it is. We want to be winning games and doing our best for the football club."

Suarez saw his participation in the Olympics come to an end with the loss to Team GB as the highly-fancied Uruguayans were dumped out.

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Rodgers is now looking forward to welcoming the 25-year-old back into the fold with the Reds' season having already begun with Thursday's 1-0 victory over Belarus' FC Gomel in the first leg of their Europa League third qualifying round clash.

"It will be fantastic to have Luis coming back, and he is already fighting fit," said Rodgers, who replaced Kenny Dalglish in the Liverpool hotseat this summer.

"He will have a couple of days off and join up with us after the weekend. He's been playing games, so he will already be up to a decent level of fitness, maybe even higher really, because he's had more competitive games. I'm really looking forward to working with him."

Rodgers is looking to strengthen his squad further ahead of the start of the new season but knows he will have to remain patient.

He said: "There is nothing imminent just yet, not that I am aware of, but hopefully things will progress over the next couple of days. It may take one or two moves to spark everything off.

"I want players in sooner rather than later, it is important to get the group together as quickly as possible, but if not we will just have to be patient.

"I have also looked at one or two loan deals from abroad. There are some quality players in that market that I have enquired about. The make-up of the group will change before the season starts and that will change the dynamic of the team also."

 

Reading between the lines, I think Suarez is part of Rodgers' plans...

 

Thanks for that wonderfully insightful comment!

 

I thought it was a **** comment but fair enough...

To be fair, there is not a lot to say about it IMO. Suarez clearly still has issues with it (can't blame him mind) but he does need to move on. I don't entirely agree with only good players get bored, Diouf and Barton get it all the time

 

Yea, good players and *****.

 

Mentioning Barton there,I see he's found his level at Fleetwood F.C.

 

That's just a scam to get his ban over quicker. The FA should stop it happening but then, they usually **** things up so who knows...

Edit: his ban would be over about a month earlier

 

Lets hope Ferdinand and Terry are handed the correct punishments, the precedent for racism has been set. An eight match ban, anything else will be an absolute disgrace.

 

They are both English so a slap on the wrist with a free blowjob from David Bernstein will be it

 

Quote Originally Posted by Redbrynner

Think that sums it up nicely really.

 

Originally posted by Rusholme Raffian on my profile page (what an idiot)

So we should shut up about it and accept the injustice because he mate says so Deluded Manc ****.

 

But we all know that the FA don't do the sensible thing too

Hope I am wrong but I see Rio getting a fine (in line with other Twitter offences) and Terry maybe a game or two as the FA will be **** scared of any comebacks because of the court case

 

This is part of the problem, people are unable to put club alliances to one side and pass comment as a neutral. IMO, Suarez was absolutely wrong to say what he said and the argument purely stands on the punishment given from the lack of evidence provided!

Also, one person may not find something offensive but another person would. For example, I'm bald and often get called a bald **** whilst playing footy. I couldn't give a **** and often take the piss out myself. But I know others who are bald who very much take offence to being called a bald ****. It depends on individual opinions too.

Edit: my guess would be that RR's "friend" is a Man Utd fan too

 

Yea of course he is. Usual hypocritical attitude from the *nited mob, see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil, unless it is a player from any other team.

 

I think everyone needs to move on, the season is just around the corner now and I'm looking forward to the football.

 

Yea, we can all move on when JT and Ferdinand get banned for eight games

Suarez has served his punishment.

 

this is just amazing.

first off choc ice isnt racist at all. tasteless perhaps but unlike Suarez and john Hitler it was nothing more than silly and childish. he will be warned about his conduct.

suaraz is a joke, a genuinely pathetic jpke who instead of letting it go like non racists and showing the world why they were wrong on the pitch he decides to harp on about it none stop. I always find that those who deny something as much as Suarez are usually aa guilty as sin. the fa should warn him again and if he continues to flog the dead horse any longer a further punishment should follow. not a ban, a warning like Rio.

terry should get an 8 match ban for racism and a further ban for bringing shame on the game considering his standing in English football.

as for only booing good players, what is this ****e? Suarez gets booed because he is a horrid ****. you guys will understand one day but him being your player clouds your judgement.

 

So Suarez is guilty, Terry should get a 8 match ban, and Rio should get a warning.

Schools out for summer. Blinkered idiot. Choc ice is racist or at best xenophobic, in either case he should be given an 8 match ban, same as Terry and Suarez.

 

How is Choc Ice anything but racist? You are implying that a black man is acting as a white man, as if it is a negative thing.

Instead of claiming he isn't acting as he should be (as a black man), he is acting like a whitey. That is extremely racist.

 

Correct