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Liverpool's stance on a potential transfer for Luis Suarez has seemed fairly clear, with a number of statements made prior to the end of the season by both Ian Ayre and Brendan Rodgers that the player was not for sale. These were followed up by comments alluding to his future at the club and where he fits moving forward into the new season post-ban, and today elaborated upon by Rodgers, who ensured that he has been in frequent contact with the Uruguayanstriker and believes that he's an integral part of Liverpool's plans.
"We're communicating in some way with him nearly every day - either through text or conversation - and I hope he stays. I really do. Over the course of the last few months and towards the end of last season there was a lot of speculation about Luis because of his situation and what happened (the Ivanovic biting incident) but the fact is we value the player - he had a terrific season for us and showed his qualities. I'm in regular communication with him both through texts and conversations on the phone. He's an absolute magician on the football field and a very valued player by us."
This all hasn't been enough for some section of the Liverpool support, nor had the previous assertions done enough to convince Paul Wilson at The Guardian that the club were doing enough; Wilson accused Rodgers of not matching the strong stance that David Moyes has taken regarding Wayne Rooney's future, all the while acknowledging that such public proclamations are tantamount to nothing but a public match of verbal tennis. Sign me up!
Liverpool have erred in the past when rushing to support Luis Suarez, and have made their stance known. There is little sense in engaging in another round of back and forths, particularly when the player has spent most of the summer thousands of miles away rather than down the road. Just by breathing Suarez seems to beg for hysteria, but the club's approach--one seemingly of calm and patience rather than panic--has remained steady, and there's little to indicate it will change until Suarez rejoins the squad during the preseason tour.
To me that's an indication that Liverpool are confident in where they stand, and after having publicly fumbled so much of their Luis Suarez-related business in the past, they've learned their lesson. Now if only Suarez would learn his.
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