Official 2012/13 Premier League thread

[Hobo]

Let me sum up up what I've been saying:

Suarez bite is bad.

Suarez behaviour on whole better this season than last.

Better behaviour indicates problem can addressed.

Bite clearly comes out of frustration (see context, big game, not going well, gave away a penalty, hasn't scored in a few games, general fatigue at end of long season etc). (These are not excuses but components of what manifests itself in the bite)

Most indication I get of Suarez is that he's very family orientated and that's what he cares about away from football.

The only instances of behaviour like this comes from him when playing and his emotions get the better of him. (Where as Barton has built up a whole persona that is posturing and posing but that's a different discussion).

My whole argument is based on this being more complex than just the simplistic narrative of Suarez irredeemable bad guy.

This comes from my own observations and gathering opinions based on whatever I've heard about him through The Anfield Wrap or journalists or Suarez himself on twitter.

Not one excuse has come from me. More an argument of contextualisation.

I've in broad context said I find Roy Keane to have done more reprehensible things. I have said that other players have done things in fits of madness that are equally morally wrong.

Suarez can be managed to behave better. It has been proven. I think it's plain to anyone who has observed him why he got into a state that made him do what he did based on his history. And that can be managed.

[Summers]

None of those are excusable either.

There has up now, been a marked improvement in him from last season when he was far more prone to petulance. He has acknowledged, in fact, Saturday he spoke about how his wife told him off for his temperamental streak. Which is manageable. He has shown it is such. I don't think he's a vindictive cynical guy (whereas Barton has a general air of arrogance and aggressiveness), he doesn't give that impression. He does seem highly emotive and just has a hot streak that manifests itself when he is frustrated.

Do I think that excuses him? Not at all. I think it can be worked out.

I'm sure the club have been working with him internally too. And they probably will do more now.

I'd say the stamps on Mirallas (and injuring him in the process), Distin, David Jones and all the other little snide kicks make him look a pretty vindictive and aggressive guy. Hell, he just punched Gonzalo Jara in the face the other month whilst on international duty. Does that really show a 'marked improvement' this season?

But he's a changed man! Nicest guy in the world, full of passion!

[Summers]

Let me sum up up what I've been saying:

Suarez bite is bad.

Suarez behaviour on whole better this season than last.

Better behaviour indicates problem can addressed.

Bite clearly comes out of frustration (see context, big game, not going well, gave away a penalty, hasn't scored in a few games, general fatigue at end of long season etc). (These are not excuses but components of what manifests itself in the bite)

Most indication I get of Suarez is that he's very family orientated and that's what he cares about away from football.

The only instances of behaviour like this comes from him when playing and his emotions get the better of him. (Where as Barton has built up a whole persona that is posturing and posing but that's a different discussion).

My whole argument is based on this being more complex than just the simplistic narrative of Suarez irredeemable bad guy.

This comes from my own observations and gathering opinions based on whatever I've heard about him through The Anfield Wrap or journalists or Suarez himself on twitter.

Not one excuse has come from me. More an argument of contextualisation.

I've in broad context said I find Roy Keane to have done more reprehensible things. I have said that other players have done things in fits of madness that are equally morally wrong.

Suarez can be managed to behave better. It has been proven. I think it's plain to anyone who has observed him why he got into a state that made him do what he did based on his history. And that can be managed.

Roy Keane was passionate, so it's alright!

[brenchill]

What an idiot. What makes that even funnier is how he's backing away as if he doesn't want to give an interview like he's some kind of star.

[Summers]

I get

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This video has either been removed from Facebook or is not visible due to privacy settings.

for that video.

[MDK]

Show us the bite mark

Scousers.

[stokeriño]

From what I've seen of Suarez's...'aggressive' moments in the past (not just the biting ones, i.e. those mentioned by Dynamite and others above), I'm dubious as to whether they're entirely down to a flash of anger/madness/frustration. Seems to me like most of the time he's looking to provoke a reaction from his opponent and reap the rewards.

In this case, immediately after being pushed off for the bite, Suarez's arm is up looking for the referee.

The only reason it seems such a bizarre and inexplicable thing to do is that no one wants to contemplate the possibility of Suarez's thought process being as cynical as "1) Bite, 2) He retaliates, 3) We get a penalty".

And the only reason it didn't work perfectly is because Ivanovic, somehow, restrained himself from an act of decapitation that would have certainly drawn the referee's eye, with red card and penalty to follow.

[Summers]

One day he's going to get absolutely KOd.

[Nerf]

None of those are excusable either.

There has up now, been a marked improvement in him from last season when he was far more prone to petulance. He has acknowledged, in fact, Saturday he spoke about how his wife told him off for his temperamental streak. Which is manageable. He has shown it is such. I don't think he's a vindictive cynical guy (whereas Barton has a general air of arrogance and aggressiveness), he doesn't give that impression. He does seem highly emotive and just has a hot streak that manifests itself when he is frustrated.

Do I think that excuses him? Not at all. I think it can be worked out.

I'm sure the club have been working with him internally too. And they probably will do more now.

I'd say the stamps on Mirallas (and injuring him in the process), Distin, David Jones and all the other little snide kicks make him look a pretty vindictive and aggressive guy. Hell, he just punched Gonzalo Jara in the face the other month whilst on international duty. Does that really show a 'marked improvement' this season?

But he's a changed man! Nicest guy in the world, full of passion!

Nobody has said any of these things either. Why do all your arguments boil down to just putting words in people's mouths lately?

[Summers]

None of those are excusable either.

There has up now, been a marked improvement in him from last season when he was far more prone to petulance. He has acknowledged, in fact, Saturday he spoke about how his wife told him off for his temperamental streak. Which is manageable. He has shown it is such. I don't think he's a vindictive cynical guy (whereas Barton has a general air of arrogance and aggressiveness), he doesn't give that impression. He does seem highly emotive and just has a hot streak that manifests itself when he is frustrated.

Do I think that excuses him? Not at all. I think it can be worked out.

I'm sure the club have been working with him internally too. And they probably will do more now.

change.

To be honest, I think giving him the psychological help he clearly needs is the best route. Everyone's calling for him to just get shipped off (again). What does that achieve? He'll just go and do the same shit somewhere else. If he clears up his act, we get brownie points for both taming the beast AND standing by him yet again. I am kinda worried that it may result in him losing his edge though. It seems to be that same passion and frustration that makes him such a class player. We'll see.

passion.

Who here has made any excuses for him?

And yeah, it is his passion that turns him into a monster. That much is clear to see. By all accounts he's the nicest guy in the world off the pitch.

niceness.

[Nerf]

Because "marked improvement" means "changed man."

And you're forgetting the "off the pitch" bit of my quote...

[Hobo]

It is important to look at not just what he did but the context, why he acted like that. That's up to his manager, psychologists, anger management courses and the person to solve. I personally think he can eliminate or at most manage his issues.

And now is his best chance to do this.

[Summers]

1. I was messing about.

2. You said no one said any such thing, said I was "putting words in peoples mouths" lately. I proved that just isn't true.

3. If someone is making "marked improvements" are they not changing?"

4. Not sure what "off the pitch" had to do with my jovial statement..

5. Get over it, man. I don't like Suarez. I think he's a mental case who should be getting serious help, not playing football and endangering those around him with dangerous actions. I couldn't care less if you like him, love him, used to love him but fell out after he forgot your birthday and even though he bought you some flowers that evening you knew he'd fucking got them from the gas station on the way home after you'd already had an argument about him forgetting. I really don't care how people feel about him, I just think people trying to rationalise or excuse his behaviour is stupid.

[SeanDMan]

Let's not kid ourselves though, that Chelsea player wants to be respected he shouldn't be going out showing that much leg. If you dress like a slut then someone might assume you are a slut,

[Dan]

I get    Video Unavailable This video has either been removed from Facebook or is not visible due to privacy settings.   for that video.

It's just this:

[Summers]

hahahaha. brilliant.

[Pesci]

From what I've seen of Suarez's...'aggressive' moments in the past (not just the biting ones, i.e. those mentioned by Dynamite and others above), I'm dubious as to whether they're entirely down to a flash of anger/madness/frustration. Seems to me like most of the time he's looking to provoke a reaction from his opponent and reap the rewards.

That's always the impression I get too. It seems like he's trying to draw them into a foul or rile them up. Sometimes it works, often it doesn't, He's a horrible little smarmy cunt, no doubt.

Though I don't believe he was actually trying to hurt Ivanovic, at least not anything beyond a little pinch. More narky than cynical. I think he, being the mentalcase he is, was looking for a way to get an edge and he took it to crazy lengths. Obviously that's not a defence and he deserves to be punished accordingly.

But I found it funny. It was so surreal and awesome and I loved it. Football is entertainment, after all. I'm not sure I'd bother if we were treated to 22 James Milner types running around a pitch and that was that. It's not even because Suarez is my player - I loved Balotelli, Cantona was an absolute hero for kicking that mouthy twat in the face, and I hope we continue to see characters like that in the game for years to come. As long as it's not some twat trying to end somebody's career or repeatedly putting others in jeapordy with their recklessness (De Jong, Cattermole etc - and which I will always find worse than anything like this), or outright racism (unfortunately Suarez has dabbled) I find it hard to get too upset.

[Lineker]

We have officially run out of things to write about.

[Hobo]

24 hours news media'll do that to you.

[Lineker]

Mark Clattenburg will referee Chelsea's game against Swansea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, the Premier League has announced. It will be the first time he has refereed a Chelsea game since being cleared of using racist language towards Blues midfielder John Obi Mikel.