Luis Suarez victim of reputation - Steven Gerrard & Glen Johnson

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Liverpool striker Luis Suarez

Liverpool's Steven Gerrard and Glen Johnson believe Luis Suarez is a victim of his own reputation and is not being treated fairly by referees.

Suarez had a penalty appeal turned down in the 2-1 loss to Manchester United.

"It's down to referees to not judge him. I think even when Luis does get blatant penalties, now he doesn't get them," said captain Gerrard.

Johnson added: "Referees have to forget about who they are looking at and not let the past affect their decision."

The striker, who has not won a penalty for Liverpool since the 2-1 defeat by Arsenal in March, gained a reputation by some for play acting last season, with Wigan manager Roberto Martinez describing the 25-year-old as an "artist at getting free-kicks". external-link

The Uruguay international was booked for diving against Sunderland 10 days ago and has already picked up three bookings this season, causing manager Brendan Rodgers to warn the player to be careful.

England captain Gerrard believes Suarez should have been awarded a penalty against United after colliding with Johnny Evans, adding: "If it's not a penalty, don't give him one but if it's clear give it."

England right-back Johnson conceded the match-winning spot-kick at Anfield on Sunday after Antonio Valencia went down in the area and accused the United winger of cheating.

"Reputations go in front of people at times and because Valencia is not a known diver that is why he got the decision," said the defender.

"I almost guarantee if it was exactly the same situation and it was Luis and not Valencia then it wouldn't be a penalty. It is cheating at the end of the day, that's what people call it."

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  • Suarez has a reputation for a reason, he was hugely unpopular in holland because of his diving and its no surprise that he's just as unpopular in England because of this.

    Gerrard and Johnson are just trying to influence referees with what their saying, and its most amusing coming from Gerrard who is another serial diver who has somehow managed to avoid the tag simply because he is English.

  • If Suarez didn't exaggerate every fall, maybe...

    Did Gerrard not see Suarez sling his head back like he'd been shot?

    Tell him to stop exaggerating his falls and maybe he will get more penalties.

  • I'm a Liverpool fan n this will probably be seen as biased but they were harshly treated with decisions on Sunday. However, in the case of Luis Suarez I have no sympathy. I'm growing increasingly frustrated with his constant throwing himself to the ground n not playing the game, his moaning at other players when not recieving a pass but then squandering chances himself when there's other options.

  • Booked for DIVING against Sunderland....erm, maybe that's why he has a reputation? And the Liverpool captain has been known to let a trailing leg 'come into contact' with the odd defender over the years. So the pot is defending the kettle?

  • He dives. He knows it, Liverpool know it, refs know it, everyone knows it. If he wants that perception of him to change then he has to change.

    He won't though so they might as well get used to it.

  • Suarez is a gifted footballer with a horrible character. He bites, pinches & racially abuses in addition to diving and appealing to the ref for anything and everything the opposition does that he doesn't like. The faint praise from Gerrard and Johnson actually admits that Suarez gets no decisions due to his past - EXACTLY !! Check out Youtube for the Gerrard dives - there are compilations of them

  • Only two Liverpool stories to comment on this morning? I feel cheated.

  • The man dives and rightly gets punished for it - largely due to a long standing reputation. He's not alone in diving but you get what you deserve I suppose. The writing was on the wall with the handball on the goal-line when playing for his country just before Liverpool signed him.

  • PLAYERS SUPPORT TEAMMATE SHOCKER !

    Come back when you've got something interesting to tell me - like a player / manager saying it like it is - 'We didn't deserve a penalty / Our striker is a cheat and a diver / I did see the incident and I believe my player deserved a red card / I can't defend him, his actions were disgraceful' ...

    And now, here's a bear taking some toilet roll into the forest.

  • Personally think that the referee panel should watch games after they have finished and suspend players for persistant theatrics.

    Suarez is another of those players who ruin the game because of their diving or simulation.

    Then they only have themselves to blame if they have a reputation like that and fail to get actual penalties.

    Football will be better if simulation could be eliminated

  • The simple fact is the if the ruling authorities took retrospective action against divers they'd wipe out the scurge of diving almost overnight.

  • Maybe if he wasn't a diver in the first place, he wouldn't have a reputation. Of course referees are going to think twice about giving him a penalty, be it deliberately or subconsciously.

  • It's all well and good us sitting here saying "the ref got it right/wrong" we have 5 different angles and can watch it at 2 frames a minute if we want. he sees it once and once only. Suarez rep (his own fault) is obviously going to increase any doubt in the ref's mind. you'd never trust a thief with your cash, you never trust a diver in your box!

  • Indicative of the larger problem in the game I'm afraid - not really just about Suarez. It shouldn't be down to refs to stamp out cheating. What other sport could have mountains of video evidence of professional atheletes cheating week in week out and refuse to act on it because it wasn't spotted by the officials during the event?

    Until FIFA take it seriously the refs will never win.

  • Is Glen Johnson joking?

    "Referees have to forget about who they are looking at and not let the past affect their decision."

    Referees need to do the complete opposite and be fully aware of who is going over in the box. Luis Suarez is a diver. He brings it on himself. The penalties and free kicks he gains from dives still outweigh genuine fouls on him which are now not being rewarded. Justice.

  • Does anyone have any sympathy for him?

    Same with Young, he started to not get fouls at the end of last season due to his 2 poor dives in 2 games.

    You reap what you sow.

    Gerrard and Johnson should be coming out and saying all diving needs to be stamped out. Retrospective yellows for every dive. 2 dives = red card = miss next game = diving drops off.

    Simple

  • Has Suarez been watching videos of Stevie G run into the box and throw himself to the floor after minimal contact? You can con some of the refs all the time, and all the refs some of the time, but not all the refs all the time. Get a grip fellas, games shouldn't be won or lost on how many penos are awarded based on this most unwelcome of 'tactics'. Score some real goals, that's the answer.

  • Most prolific divers in Prem:

    Bale (worst)
    Young, A
    Suarez
    Hazard (already!)
    Wellbeck
    Nani

    ...oh, and....um, er, Gerrard &, lest we forget, St Michael of Owen

    Rather a lot of MUFC and LFC (past & present); says it all, really...
    My advice to both sets of fans, to quote D.I. Regan: SHUT IT!

  • There should be a new card, let's say White. If the Ref thinks a player has dived, the player should be shown the White card, and that would indicate that on the day after the game a panel of respected
    ex footballers would view the video footage. If the player is found guilty its a 3 game ban. Cheaters spoil the beautiful game it's time
    they were exposed and punished

  • Suarez goes down very easily, there's no doubt about that. But he's certainly not the only one. And the worst culprit i've seen recently is a certain Mr Welbeck. Blatant dives for both united and england.

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