KOP News # 1686

Spotless reputation: Rodgers fears Suarez will NEVER get given a penalty

Liverpool boss worried Uruguay striker's reputation for falling over means he can get kicked around the park without a peep out of the referee...

Headache: Luis Suarez of Liverpool reacts after a knock to the head against Norwich

Julian Finney

Brendan Rodgers fears Luis Suarez will never win another penalty after Liverpool's hat-trick hero was fouled FOUR times in the same tackle.

Kop boss Rodgers was thrilled as Suarez bagged his second hat-trick at Carrow Road in 154 days - but dismayed by referee Mike Jones' failure to award him a blatant first-half spot-kick.

Rodgers is concerned that Suarez has become a victim of own reputation for going down too easily in the box, like former Everton striker Andy Johnson, and he admitted: "That is the fear, wherever it has come from.

Having a laugh: Referee Mike Jones gives a decision during the Barclays Premier League match between Norwich City and Liverpool.

Julian Finney

"But I could name three or four strikers who go down in the box with very minimal contact, and all of them have had penalties this year.

"Hopefully it's something the referees, when they assess and analyse their own performances, which will make them look at it.

"We can only concentrate on developing our football and hopefully these penalties we don't get will not come back to haunt us."

Liverpool were leading 1-0 when Norwich defender Barnett appeared to catch Suarez with his knee, pushed him in the back, elbowed him in the side of the head and finally landed on top of him in an untidy heap.

Match ball: Luis Suarez of Liverpool managed a hat-trick against Norwich, despite it all...

Andrew Powell / Getty

 

It was not a rugby tackle, although it would have got a standing ovation at Twickenham.

Rodgers had spoken to Premier League referees chief Mike Riley last week to express his concern that Liverpool were being short-changed on penalty calls, but he insisted: "I wasn;t making the call to make sure we got a penalty today.

"I was just making my point, but I think everyone in the ground saw it was a penalty - apart from one man, Mike Jones."

The incident did not prove costly for Rodgers, however, as he clinched his first Premier League win with Liverpool and Suarez made a mockery of those who claim he is not a clinical finisher.

He added: "Of course there are strikers who do nothing all game, get one chance and finish it. But Luis is a complete footballer - he's not just a No.9 who stands up there and waits for the ball.

"Apart from moving well around defenders, he has more tactical understanding of the game and he is clever in his technique."