Just to spark debate, what goals has bale scored in BIG games this year? Could be answered tomorrow of course but did he not have a cold streak for a long while there? Defoe was picking up the slack if I remember? Suarez has scored against City , Arsenal , Newcaslte ( class goal btw), Everton ( and should have had the winner), CHelsea, 2 against Zenit ( fair do's he should have put the tie away in the first game)..... so I don't see how he can't and has not contributed in BIG games. He did his part, unfortunately we have too many areas that need to be addressed.
It's more to do with when Bale scores them, he saves his team from dropping points with a moment of magic like most great players do, quite a few times you see Suarez when the pressure is on late in games and he spends more time arguing with people and trying to get players booked rather than just concentrating on winning the game, like the Zenit game when he missed the quick free kick because he was still following the ref complaining. By the way, the Newcastle goal was excellent, and your right he should of had the winner against Everton, although he should of probably also been sent off earlier in my opinion for that challenge on Distin, he tries that studs down the back of the achiles challenge far too often for my linking, the only reason to put your studs there on another player when the ball isn't there to be won is to try and injure them.
I think it is funny ( from some of our end as well) that we are talking about this now when there is still months to go.... what If Bale goes cold and Europa tires them and they drop out of 4th? Will those goals lose importance? If Liverpool starting climbing will those goals now be looked at a bit more seriously? At the end of the day, gut feeling, I think Bale will get it. Think they love him a bit too much.
This. I'm pretty sure Suarez has earned more yellow cards late on in games rather than goals. The City game was an ideal example - Liverpool dominated the game, should have won, Suarez put them ahead with a quality goal with half an hour to go, but as soon as City equalised he was anonymous, back to his old niggling and whinging and getting booked when you had chances to win the game. It must be frustrating to get your team ahead only for them to be pegged back by a defensive error, but he still lets that frustration affect him too much. It also seems like Suarez' performances are too dependent on the rest of his team. Last couple of games, the entire team played great and Suarez played great. Other games, like West Brom, Zenit away, Villa, Stoke etc, the entire team played **** and Suarez played **** along with them. Whereas there have been several matches this season when Utd and Spurs have been playing badly and being well beaten, but RVP and Bale have popped up and made the difference. It's a fairly moot point anyway - pretty sure PFA voting deadlines are mid March, so Bale has effectively won the award already with his performances in the last few games. Tis a bit of a shame really, cos like you say Bluff, Bale and RVP could drop right off in the past few months and Suarez could drive Liverpool into Europe, but none of it will count towards the awards.
And your comment pretty much sums up why Liverpool fans are repeatedly disappointed. A hat trick against a poor side and you elevate Suarez to world class status and herald a new dawn for the club. It would be understandable if you did it once or twice but it's laughable that it happens after every goal and victory.
As with all such debates, it all depends on your definition of world class, and how subjective you are willing to make it. For me Suarez is definitely one of the top three in the PL this season, and one of the top ten strikers in the world. But not one of the top ten players, for reasons we've discussed before and have no need to go into again. Whether that makes him world class or not is entirely the opinion of the individual. Tho' I'm probably not the only fan who finds it ironic that, after years of insisting that the criteria for being world class are so tight that Rooney could never even be considered, Liverpool fans are suddenly insisting that under the same criteria Suarez is now undoubtedly world class despite him achieving nothing this season that Rooney hasn't achieved many times in the past.
For someone as capable as you to generalise "all" Liverpool fans is a little disappointing. Personally I have always rated Rooney despite him not playing brilliantly for England. He does however at Champions League level which is just as important imo. Despite the criteria I would seriously be asking questions of those who do not consider Suarez world class. His stats are as good as anyone in the World currently in an average team. He has also scored 29 in 62 goals for the national team.
Suarez has scored 5 goals against Wigan this season. Defoe scored 5 against them in one game. Defoe > Suarez Although Coutinho > Bale, of course... As it stands RVP has been the best player over the whole season but Suarez and Bale are sneaking up.
I didn't actually generalise, or say "all" fans, but should probably have specified I was only referring to some of them. Like I say, it depends. I agree with NOF that Suarez wouldn't be selected in a squad of the world's best, tho he wouldn't be too far out of the reckoning.
I think in current form he would be there, or there abouts, if thats your criteria for difining World Class which is a bit odd imo. All the world players into one group of 11? So only 1 goalkeeper is World Class?
I hope Suarez gets player of the season, because he will be off in the summer, as the big clubs like top players, and Liverpool will be in **** street
I doubt he is going to win it, because most of the players that play him against probably despise him. But, for me there is a real argument to be made for him. To get that amount of goals in side as average as that current Liverpool team is some feat (like RVP last year). RVP looked like he was flying away with all the individual awards but Bale and Suarez have outshone him this year.
i agree Suarez is on a great form but what has he done against Big teams like us and City? I mean RVP last season with an average arsenal team he at least scored and had a good game against big teams but Suarez when it comes to big games he goes missing, and the chances he gets in the big games he doesn't take them but if them chances came against small teams, he'll take it. Thats why i believe RVP should win the Player of the year. Even though he is somehow blameless for going missing against big teams because Liverpool ain't a top side anymore, they are way average and they don't make any clear chances for him in big games that's why i think if the racist wants to improve even more and become world class he should more to a better top team. I believe he would be gone soon anyway, maybe not this summer but in 1 or 2 ears when a big team comes with huge money offer.
This. It will be interesting this year to see how the players, writers and fans POTY awards pan out - could well be a 2011 situation with players having different criteria to writers and fans. Imo all three will be one from RVP, Bale and Suarez, depending on your criteria. Suarez has scored more in a poor team, but has rarely scored vital goals at crucial times to win games and tends to go missing in the last 10-15 minutes of big games for 'pool which has cost them some wins imo. Even yesterday, when he helped them win the game, his biggest contribution at 2-2 was to try for, and win, a penalty. RVP has scored a lot of crucial match winning goals - Southampton, Liverpool, Reading, City and also crucial goals in games against Chelsea, Arsenal, Newcastle and Spurs so has done the most in the big games. He's definitely made the difference more often than the other two, but then he's playing in the best team in the league by some way, so you'd expect him to be scoring more and winning more games. Bale hasn't scored as many crucial goals as RVP, or in as many big games but he's lifted his whole team more often - Lyon, West Brom, Newcastle, West Ham were all games Spurs would have struggled in without Bale. That's the biggest criteria for me - as much as possible the POTY should be the one that lifts their team through their performances and goals. You can well imagine Utd would be 1st this season without RVP, and Liverpool would be 7th without Suarez. But I honestly don't think Spurs would be competing for 3rd, and arguably with a shout at 2nd, without Bale. Bale for PPOTY and FPOTY imo, but I reckon Suarez might swing the Writer's award if enough journos push the villain to hero argument.
