After playing just two official games so far this season, Barcelona fans are raging at Luis Suarez for his bad performances and demand that Valverde benches him. Not only do I believe it’s premature because it has been just two games, I believe there’s a lot that comes into play before Valverde makes the final decision.
Been Here, Done That
Luis Suarez has been one of the best strikers in the World since 2013-2014 but has been no stranger to scoring droughts. A player who lets his strong emotions get the best of him when he feels he’s not performing. We’ve seen Suarez struggle to score various times in his career just to bounce back and bag an insane amount of goals in a short time period. Let’s not forget that it took him until February to get the ball rolling in his first season with Barcelona. His slow start last season was often overshadowed by Messi’s goals and Real Madrid’s struggles at the beginning of the season.
What makes Suarez different than most strikers is his ability to bounce back at any given moment. All the Uruguayan needs is a goal or two to boost his confidence and make him feel like he contributed to the team’s success. A player that has a reputation for missing sitters but scoring bangers the following play. Luis Suarez is an unpredictable storm. Catch him on his off days and he can miss sitters and mentally take himself out of the game. Catch him on his good days and all that’s left to do is pray.
Partnership With Leo
It’s hard to find a striker that can play alongside Messi and play to his full potential. We’ve seen some big name strikers/forwards fail to play to their full potential next to Messi but Suarez has definitely played his role. Going into his 5th season with Messi and Barcelona, Suarez and Messi understand each other like no other. The timing of their runs, when to play the ball back, when to move out wide for the ball, when to play one touch or two touch etc.
Luis Suarez might be the only striker not named Samuel Eto’o who seems to get Messi. That partnership is difficult to find. With Neymar’s departure last summer, the Messi and Suarez partnership had to be even more perfect and they certainly lived up to it. As great as Messi is as a playmaker, he’s still a puzzle to play with at times. With the Argentine turning 31 in June, Barcelona have no time to search around for another striker to partner up with him the same way Suarez does.
No Replacement
The transfer market is coming to a close and some leagues have already ended their summer transfer market. Teams in leagues such as the Serie A and the Premier League can no longer purchase players but can still sell. But at this stage, why would teams sell some of their best players knowing they can’t replace them until January?
Most of the big name players have been named non transferable by their clubs. Therefore, if Valverde were to bench Suarez, who would replace him? Paco Alcacer was a player brought in by Luis Enrique and does not appear to be in Valverde’s plans. Even if he were to play, I don’t think Paco Alcacer is an A level striker for a team competing for the treble. Besides, he’s reportedly in talks with Dortmund for a possible loan.
Young striker Munir does not possess the same qualities Suarez has and will be a noticeable downgrade in the position. The Spanish forward has often been played on the wing when at Barcelona where he appears to be out of position. Despite having a decent pre season, I am not sure he will be getting a lot of minutes this season. So if you can’t bring in a striker and the ones you have don’t seem to fit the role, who starts over Suarez?
Contributions
For those of you who have followed my page or read my work, you know I am a big fan of strikers who can do more than just put the ball in the back of the net. Suarez, to me, has been a prime example of that his whole career. The charrua bring much more to the table than most people realize. He’s relentless on defense, smart on and off the ball, and a tireless leader in the Barcelona locker room. Even when he has a bad day, he is still able to contribute in many ways. Until Valverde finds someone that can provide the same way, don’t expect to see Luis Suarez on the bench often.
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