Video: Luis Suarez v. Newcastle

With another two points dropped in a match Liverpool could have won, it's hard to feel too optimistic. Encouraging display and some positive performances, but another missed opportunity in a fashion that's become all too familiar to Liverpool supporters. Still, patience was requested and it'll continue to be granted, and with reinforcements to a frighteningly thin squad promised by the end of January--even if that's a lifetime and fourteen Premier League matches away--we don't have to work too hard to remain positive.

The most accessible reason for optimism is the play of Luis Suarez, which doesn't come without its own caveats; as the lone senior striker in the squad until Fabio Borini's fit and some sort of backup arrives during the midseason window, there's bound to be constant hand-wringing about his fitness and ability to find rest when there are, quite literally, no other options.

On days like today those worries fade to background noise, at least aside from the moment Fabricio Colocinni lost his mind and tried to take out a chunk of the Uruguayan's calf. Suarez was once again terrific, gliding and cutting through the Newcastle defense at will, mostly on his own, and getting the lone Liverpool goal in the 1-1 draw. Raheem Sterling and Suso each had their moments in support, but it again felt a solo mission for Suarez, and his defining moment may prove to be one of the most impressive goalscoring efforts of the Premier League season.

Take red2death's description from the match recap thread:

1) Hold off the defender, 2) Kill a 60 yard ball on the chest, 3) Drop the shoulder, reposition the body, 4) Fake a shot to the far corner, 5) Turn away from the keeper on the near side instead, 6) Continue shielding the ball from the defender before tapping it in. All in 2 seconds flat.

So yeah, pretty decent sequence. As with the hat-trick against Norwich City, however, lightning like this doesn't strike on a frequent basis, or at least frequent enough that it can be relied upon to win matches and push Liverpool further up the table. We knew coming in that Luis Suarez was capable of this type of display, and it's heartening to see. What'll be even better is when the club start to get the results to go along with the fireworks that happen every so often.

Video by Mostar via YouTube