:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/16905265/174106609.0.jpg)
Tired of articles about Luis Suarez leaving Liverpool? Sick of hearing people make jokes about body language and facial hair? Nauseous at the thought of the Uruguayan making one of his first appearances in the Premier League at Anfield but playing for Arsenal instead of Liverpool?!?!? Tough. This is our reality now. All Suarez, all the time. At least when we're not debating the vice-captaincy or gazing longingly into Philippe Coutinho's smirk. Luckily we've got Brendan Rodgers to guide us through the silliness--regardless of your feelings on the manager to this point, or even at this point, you've got to acknowledge that he's handled this whole debacle admirably, further impressing today with comments underlining just how much of a "mistake" it would be for Suarez to leave Merseyside.
It would be lovely if he didn't have to talk about it or wasn't asked about it, but his reality--likely a fair bit more difficult than ours as supporters right now--is one in which he's tasked with addressing the situation in one way or another. Some cry foul with the frequency or content, dismissing it as more superfluous chatter from a man who's not exactly known for his brevity. I think that's misplaced this summer, though, as Rodgers has expertly navigated one of the more complex and messy transfer sagas of the summer. He's just as full of it as anyone else on his day, but thus far he's been pitch perfect.
The tone he's set was largely continued, if not escalated, after pointing out how much effort Liverpool have made to accommodate their talented Uruguayan striker:
"I know what we are trying to build and grow, so why would you swap Liverpool to go to Arsenal? I am not sure that it adds up to be honest. Arsenal has a wonderful history in its own right, but Liverpool is one of the biggest clubs in the world. Okay, we might not be in the Champions League and haven't been for a while now, but our competitors have grown around us and we have to step up to the challenge now.
"Would it be a mistake for Luis to leave? 100%. The team was built around Luis last season. I made some big calls to get the team to work in a way to suit his strengths and it is no coincidence he had a great season apart from the end bit. We would love to have him to continue the next phase."
He ticks all the boxes as before, again acknowledging the amount of work that's been done for Suarez, only this time Rodgers points to the "big calls" he's made. I'd venture a guess that he's referring to the January moves for Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho; the former to provide goalscoring support, with the latter brought in to bear the creative burden. Both paid off in their own regard, though Suarez spoiled a good bit of the fun for himself by tasting the sweat-soaked ClimaCool on Branislav Ivanovic's right arm.
We're certainly not done with any of this, but there's some small comfort in the fact that it appears both Rodgers and the club are doing all that can be asked of them, short of explaining why it would be a mistake in the 150%-200% range. That might be more persuasive.