For one, we lose what is, at the very least, 25 goals for the season. Yes, Sterling and Sturridge may have 30 goals between them, but what we don’t get with them that we did with Suarez is the variety of goals scored: Suarez’s unpredictability is another asset that has been taken away.
Watch back all of Suarez’s 31 goals last season and you’ll be hard pressed to find two that were identical. Whilst he was erratic in front of goal at the start – and a champion of the crossbar challenge of 2011-2012 – he slowly matured into a lethal finisher. Suarez really was the bringer of chaos for us, ensuring that there was never a dull moment in the attacking third during his time.
Apart from his undoubted talent with the ball at his feet, what’s more crucial that Suarez brought to the team was his personality and winners’ mentality.
Whilst sometimes he was too riled, what Suarez never lacked was a doggedness and willingness to give everything over 90 minutes. He may not have always produced the goods, but I struggle to think of a single game where he did not play his heart out.
So, what now? How do we even begin to replace such a remarkable footballer?
What is imperative is that we maintain our status as a fearsome attacking threat. Without Suarez, teams will find it easier to close us off in zones closest to their goals.
What firstly needs to happen is we need to dramatically improve our width by purchasing top quality fullbacks. Last season we did not see enough cut-and-thrust in wide areas, limiting our options going forward. Of course, with 101 goals scored in the league last season, we rarely needed such options, but with teams being more cautious against us – and without Suarez – we need every option possible.
What’s more is that we need more goals from central midfield. We need to place a lot more responsibility on our number 10, Coutinho, to become a regular goal threat. Last season he could barely hit the target, and this needs improving – even if it means getting better players for that position.
In terms of forwards, we can improve options of wide forwards to ease the burden on Daniel Sturridge.
What is important is that we bolster certain areas to improve the distribution of goals across the front line and certain positions of midfield.
So far the transfer window has looked positive. Even in spite of Suarez, we needed improvements – especially with the defence. With Suarez needing replacement, we have a tough task on our hands, and need to approach the transfer window very carefully to maintain momentum going into the new season.
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