Premier League - Paper Round: Suarez walks alone

Mon, 13 Feb 08:57:00 2012

There's only one story dominating the back pages on Monday: Luis Suarez's future at Liverpool has been thrown into serious doubt following the striker's refusal to shake Patrice Evra's hand at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Man Utd 2 Liverpool 1

The Times headline sums the mood up best: "Suarez walks alone after Anfield turns on striker," an allusion to the earlier, vehement statements of defence put out by the club when they backed Suarez as his race row with Evra first exploded last year.

Now, however, the club's owners are furious, with the New York Times reporting that owner John W Henry is desperately looking for ways to repair Liverpool's tarnished reputation. The Daily Mirror makes a seemingly spurious and unsubstantiated claim that the Reds have already decided to sell off the Uruguayan at the end of the season, but most of the papers suggest that Suarez will effectively be on a good-behaviour trial between now and June that will determine his fate.

Regrettably few column inches are devoted to Manchester United's sober and dignified club statement - in stark contrast to Alex Ferguson's inflammatory remarks at the weekend - accepting the apologies of both Suarez and Liverpool. "Everyone at Old Trafford wants to move on from this," the statement reads.

PR doubts that the issue will go away so easily, a feeling only strengthened when you read The Sun's report that the half-time bust-up in the Old Trafford tunnel was sparked when somebody spat at David De Gea. As Richard Williams writes in the Guardian, the fiercest rivalry in English football has now been thoroughly poisoned: "The events of Saturday provoked a sudden escalation of what had previously existed merely as a profound and bitter rivalry."

Luis Suarez's future at Liverpool has been thrown into serious doubt following the striker's refusal to shake Patrice Evra's hand. - 2 Elsewhere in the papers, the Daily Express claims that Harry Redknapp has decided to try and coax Paul Scholes out of international retirement just a few weeks after he returned to club action.

Of course, he isn't even the England boss yet: The Mirror reports that Redknapp is in Dubai with his family discussing the idea of whether or not to take the national job.

The Daily Mail reports that the FA are happy to make the decision to say 'yes' as easy as possible for Redknapp. English football's chiefs have apparently told Spurs chairman Daniel Levy that they will not make a move for Redknapp until after the end of the domestic season. They will also approach other candidates, the report claims, probably a decent idea if only to take the pressure off the preferred man for the job.

As for the previous incumbent of the 'poisoned chalice' job? The Daily Mail claims that Fabio Capello is in talks with big-spending Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala to take over as their new boss. Given that they pay Samuel Eto'o £300,000 a week, Capello is unlikely to have to take a pay cut from the £6 million-a-year salary the FA were paying him.

Not much transfer news around today, though Arsenal are hoping to sign Cameroon-born Irishman Carel Tiofack from Ipswich (The Sun), Wigan will not offer Victor Moses a new deal until they're assured of Premier League survival (Daily Mirror) and Aston Villa boss Alex McLeish is keen on Rangers star Lee Wallace (The Sun).

And finally, several papers report that Manchester City and Carlos Tevez are to kiss and make up when the striker returns from Argentina tomorrow. Tevez has been told that he can fight his way back into the team if he apologises, and with Tevez apparently desperate to get back to playing a sport other than golf, he will eat some humble pie.

Who'd have thought it? If Tevez and City can make up, maybe there's hope for Liverpool and Manchester United after all.

Eurosport

Comment 590 - 609 of 609

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  1. Suarez is a toxic, malignant human being. Those who­ know him best, like him least.

    From Tom, on Wed 15 Feb 5:17

  2. It's nothing new for looserpool to be wrapped up in­ bigotry. weren't they formed out of bigotry, when­ they split from Everton. So It's no big deal to­ be seen in a raciest light over the suarez affair. ­ Then again sure it's looserpool and we're­ bigger than anything so we'll do as we like.

    From there'sonly1utd, on Tue 14 Feb 22:21

  3. In manchester United and the local media tell us Evra­ was in the right and we believe them.The same thing­ happens in Merseyside only they say Suarez was in the­ right .We are all biassed because we believe what we­ are told.In this case Liverpool supported Suarez too­ much and this made the Liverpool fans do exactly the­ same.They now realize the football world has turned­ against them and they have apologized.The lesson all­ fans should learn is this.Dont believe what you hear­ from your local club and certainly dont believe what­ you read in your local newspaper.They will always side­ with your local club because if they didnt they would­ not get their cooperation Will Suarez ever be able to­ control himself ? Sadly not but dont expect Dalglish or­ Liverpool FC to tell you that Why should they ?

    From harrysingleton22, on Tue 14 Feb 20:17

  4. Suarez is not a decent player. He should be kicked out­ of England. We saw saw what he did in his first game­ from the 8 match ban. He narrowly escaped the red card.­ He will not change. Some people has whispered to me­ that he did the same thing when he was playing his­ professional footbal in some other part of the globe­ before he came to England. Football is a game is peace­ and dignity. Most of his moves in the 18 yard box are­ deceitful. JUST TAKE YOUR TIME AND WATCH HIM WHEN HE­ ENTER THIS ARENA.

    Suarez is just a shame.

    From Delips, on Tue 14 Feb 19:06

  5. Since when has saying the word "Negro" become­ the biggest crime anyone can ever commit?

    Oh I see,­ since a Liverpool player said it to a Man Utd player,­ after the Man Utd player made offensive remarks about­ his sister and referenced his nationality.

    It's a­ crazy old world of the FA and British media.

    From Kim, on Tue 14 Feb 18:27

  6. Newspapers.... they the real rats

    From Marc, on Tue 14 Feb 16:06

  7. Liverpool are getting a name as a racist club, it was­ not that long ago their youth players racially abused­ the black players in chelsea's youth side

    From hugh1, on Tue 14 Feb 14:49

  8. YNWA Suarez

    From Jorell, on Tue 14 Feb 9:48

  9. Suarez YNWA.

    From Richard, on Tue 14 Feb 8:20

  10. "Suarez walks alone?"

    How can that be? ­

    Rats are social creatures . . .

    From myronlow, on Tue 14 Feb 7:15

  11. There is more to all this than we know and in years to­ come I do not think that the F.A. will be seen in a­ good light.
    I am beginning to think Blatter was more­ correct than he was given credit for. AND why did­ Liverpool players walk along to shake hands. It is­ always the home side that does that. Sky commentators­ were noticeably quiet about this. I do not believe that­ they did not notice. Very strange.

    From PETER, on Tue 14 Feb 6:34

  12. Again for all that balotelli does and john terry have­ done, neither are painted as bigger villians than Luis­ Suarez and Carlos Tevez. Again its a FA racial­ prejudice against Latin American players.

    From The Trooper, on Tue 14 Feb 6:07

  13. Now Richard your just talking bull........... have a­ search on U tube plenty of evidence about that proves­ Suarez is not racist... if you have the balls to­ look?
    Lets be honest it's people like you who are­ using what happened to spread racist hate ....Now­ that's racism ..
    I support Suarez because I know­ 100% that what happend at Anfield and Old trafford was­ 50/50 .... Whatever Suarez did Evra was just as bad but­ got away it

    Adios

    From Bryjones LFC... ENGLAND... JLR, on Tue 14 Feb 5:28

  14. great result thats all that matters

    From hugh1, on Tue 14 Feb 4:57

  15. liverpool and their sponsors have got worried now,­ theydont want to upset their millions of supporters in­ Africa, Asia and South London ect

    From hugh1, on Tue 14 Feb 4:54

  16. bry @608 suarez by his own admissions and testimony has­ been proven to be a racists, you can not make a racist­ comments and claim not to be a racist ! you and the­ millions you say that are supporting him are therfore­ guilty of supporting a racist, which by defenition­ makes you and those millions racist too!

    From RICHARD, on Tue 14 Feb 4:53

  17. Man Ure dignified Statement................. hahahaha­ please dont make me laugh, they are the ones keeping­ this going along with their racist fans........... see­ other article about the "fanzine"............­ now that is racist!!

    Censure Ferguson and penalise Man­ Ure!!

    From pippin, on Tue 14 Feb 4:45

  18. RICHARD @ 600 ..unfortunately yes and all clubs have­ them ...but luckily they are far outnumbered by those­ of us who are not!

    From Bryjones LFC... ENGLAND... JLR, on Tue 14 Feb 4:43

  19. Richard @ 602 i as you have stated had not googled the­ facts that is, bearing in mind that everything written­ by a third party is deemed to be true. I find your­ little spat towards myself to be quite pathetic. I­ assume everything you read to be gospel.

    From PHILLIP, on Tue 14 Feb 4:30

  20. SAF and Man U should sell Evra as well for over the top­ celebration infront of Suarez. That the media­ didn't see.

    From Anyang Bean N, on Tue 14 Feb 4:23
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