Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish has defended the club's support of Luis Suarez following criticism for their reaction to the eight-match ban given to Uruguayan who was found guilty of racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra.
Suarez is free to play for the club until an appeal is heard and his team mates showed they were fully behind the striker when they all wore T-shirts emblazoned with his picture before the Premier League match at Wigan Athletic on Wednesday.
"He was quite emotional and very grateful," Dalglish told reporters at Liverpool's training ground on Friday as they prepare for a hectic holiday fixture list.
"I don't think it's ever a disappointment when your team mates and the people you work for give you their undivided support. For me, that's the least he deserves."
Liverpool are waiting for full documentation of the case from the Football Association and Dalglish was reluctant to go into detail about what it might contain .
The club was criticised by anti-racist organisations and some former players on Thursday for their stance over Suarez, but Dalglish said his players had done nothing wrong.
"We've certainly said what we have to say. We'll wait until we get the judgement and take it from there," Dalglish said.
"The players have made their statement both visually and verbally. It's best for everybody to wait and see what the written retort is because nobody knows - we don't even know.
"At this moment in time the club aren't permitted to go into any further detail than what they have done in their statement, which couldn't have caused anyone any trouble.
"I don't think the players have caused any trouble with the FA either with their statement or the t-shirts, so if we're not in any trouble we'll just leave it at that before we do give ourselves some trouble."
Liverpool face Dalglish's former club Blackburn Rovers on Dec. 26 with the Scot offering some sympathy to Rovers' beleaguered boss Steve Kean who has come under fire with his side propping up the table.
"The most sympathy I have is for Blackburn because I was there for three or four years," said Dalglish, who led Rovers to the Premier League title in 1995.
"It was a great place for me to go and work, there were some smashing people there that were in charge of the club at that particular moment in time, and I would never have anticipated or foreseen the situation they are in at this particular moment.
"Blackburn are at the wrong end of the table, they are under a bit of pressure and there seems to be a bit of animosity in and around the club at the moment.
"Results aren't purely to what the manager does. You need support from your players, you need support from the owners and you certainly need some support from the crowd."
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Hanuman340 - Credibility of Evra? Liverpool need to look a little closer to home, Suarez attracts trouble and has done throughout his career! The man is always getting suspended and causing trouble no matter where he plays. In 2007, he took his first club Groningen to an arbitration committee to try and force a sale to Ajax for a riduculously low price after the club had rejected the offer, only for the committee to rule against him and Ajax had to increase their offer to an aceptable valuation. Then for Ajax in 08-09 season he was suspended for getting 7 yellows in a season (for a striker !), not to mention in the same season he was suspended for fighting with his own team mate (flashes of such dirtbags as Joey Barton and Lee Bowyer come to mind). Then came the infamous goal-line handball which offended the entire continent of Africa when he deprived Ghana of a semi final spot deep in extra time. No sooner does he return to the 10-11 season for Ajax the man goes and bites an opposition player (which he denied) and receives further prelonged ban, only for liverpool to rescue him from fully serving it when the bought him in January 2011... 9 months later and you're defending a player with such a track record as if he could do no wrong and, as Dalglish put it "is a role model to footballers" ! ! It was only a few weeks ago he was giving Fulham fans the middle finger for being Fulham fans after they had won!
Brilliant footballer, but a proven liar, cheat and douchebag of a man! Evra is no saint, but racism is a serious issue and not to be taken lightly!
YOU SHOULD DO SOME RESEARCH ON EVRA AND WHAT KIND OF PERSON HE IS.
1.
IN APRIL 2008, HE BLAME THE CHELSEA TEAM PROVOKE FOR BRAWL AND ABUSE HIM.
2. IN JUN 2010, IN WORLD CUP HE BRAINWASH HIS FRENCH TEAM MATE NOT TO GO FOR TRAINING AND HE WAS BANED FROM NATIONAL TEAM
3.IN 2011, HE BLAME SUAREZ ABUSE HIM RACIALLY.
HONESTLY I DONT THINK HE HAVE ANY CREDIBILITY TO BE CALLED AS PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALLER. HE IS PROVEN LIAR.
JUST WATCH IN NEXT SIX MONTHS HE WILL BLAME SOME BODY ELSE FOR SOMETHING ELSE. THIS BLAME GAME IS ROOTED DEEP INTO HIS BLOOD.
WHILE, SUAREZ NEVER BLAMED BY ANY OTHER PLAYER OR HE ACCUSED ANY OTHER PLAYER OR INCIDENT.
THIS IS CLEARLY WILL SHOW YOU WHO IS THE CULPRIT
Eusabio, "the Black Panther", Is that racist?
Dave Fleming, what a nob head you are. If I was Dalglish I would be fuming at this ban. so what do you expect him to do, say to the FA oh don't worry about it, bow down and lick their boots. Rooney gets away with assaults on players, Ferguson calls the Germans cheats on National Tv Vget away with it. Now don't you know why he's pi$$ed off. Maybe you are too thick to work it out.
f,ck me i actually agree with dave lemming - i feel sick.
First five posts = The dregs of today's society.
F.off Fa and F off lightweights. This ban is about money and corruption not about race.
If found guilty of abuse I hope Kenny gets his puppets to wear T shirts with Sorry Patrice we were led by someone called a manager. You Koppites are being led by a moron wake up to that before he drags you all and the Club down notice I used a capital letter for YOUR Club From Runcorn Red the Manc Red that is
morons
Kenny Dalglish's statement of support is a disgrace to the club and it's history. There's an FA rule about not referring to a player's race or ethnicity and, whether or not he likes it, his player has admitted he transgressed it. In the meantime, they are attributing statemts and accusations to Evra that are a fabrication (read Early Doors for the facts) and inflaming supporters.
Suarez has been trouble everywhere he's been but, whether its buying players like Bellamy and Carroll, or backing thugs like Gerrard and Carragher, a once proud club is prepared to forget its reputation and principles and, in the hope of rekindling success, defend the indefensible.
Couldn't agree more Dave.
"We've certainly said what we have to say. We'll wait until we get the judgement and take it from there," Dalglish said.
He certainly has, he's been shouting-off his uneducated gob, since this became public knowledge.
If the FA's judgement is upheld, I hope they not-only increase Suarez's punishment, but also hit Dalglish and Liverpool FC, with a sizeable punishment also!
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