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Insecurity practically oozes out of his pores. From one touch to the next, Luis Suarez clearly has no confidence. He might score goals, yes, but how many of those have really been about him? Defenders and goalkeepers are supposed to defend and keep goals (out), and what's most likely is that Suarez often finds himself faced with opposition players who just happen to be even more paralyzed by their own lack of confidence than he is.
"What if it all goes horrifically wrong?" It just has, Jonas Olsson. "What if suddenly I forget how to use my limbs?" Seems to already be the case, John Ruddy. "How am I to cope with the realization that we are all alone in this world and our sense of belonging is merely a fabricated construct that we create within ourselves to stave off existential crises?" Fair question, David Marshall, and unfortunately the answer seems to be that you concede six goals in your aloneness.
Luis Suarez has his own questions, likely just as, if not more, frightening, and time and again it looks as though the doubt will consume him. Yesterday was reportedly one of those times, but critically, heroically, he jerked the wheel back on course by polishing off his hat-trick in the 96th minute rather than passing to Raheem Sterling, who seemed to revel rather than recoil in his aloneness. Take note, David Marshall:
"Maybe I could have tried for the pass to Raheem for the last goal. But I went for the hat-trick for my confidence. I apologised to Raheem. I am so happy with the match ball. I feel very good because Liverpool won the game. We are so happy with the performance today. It was an unbelievable match. It was like the result against Stoke City away from home, when it was 5-3. It's difficult when you score and then Cardiff score at the other end, but we played very well today and we'll keep going for next week."
Raheem is young, but he'll understand. In that moment, he was probably just being selfish too, demanding the ball and then gesticulating wildly when his teammate didn't do as he had hoped. His self-interest and greed very nearly took the future of Luis Suarez and Liverpool Football Club into the darkest pit of despair imaginable. Thankfully Luis Suarez stood tall. "Not today!" he shouted inward, beating away those crippling self-doubts and insecurities with a really straightforward tap-in around Marshall, who was left alone yet again in both the physical and emotional world.
Not today indeed.
