Liverpool is the most successful club in England with 18 league titles, seven FA Cups, eight League Cups and five European Cups to their name, yet never has their future success rested so clearly on a single season as it does right now.
The reason? Luis Suarez. Recently retired Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher claimed at the weekend that Suarez could well go down as Liverpool’s greatest ever player given his stunning form so far this season, which saw him score four amazing goals against Norwich last Wednesday and two more against West Ham on Saturday.
The only problem is that Suarez is far from guaranteed to stay at Anfield beyond 2013/2014. It’s no secret that Spanish giants Real Madrid are interested and although his asking price has no doubt reached astronomical levels in recent weeks, Real are one club not afraid to splash the cash around. Just ask Gareth Bale.
Suarez was extremely close to leaving Liverpool during the summer, but as fate would have it he not only stayed but appears to be loving life in the north of England once more. Crisis averted for now.
Yet if there is one thing Suarez wants more than anything it is to play Champions League football. A player of his quality deserves no less. So if the Reds wish to keep him beyond this season, their goal for the next few months must be just that.
In fact, so brilliant has Suarez been that for the first time in a number of years Liverpool are actually considering the prospect of a first Premier League title as a genuine possibility – if not this year then certainly in the near future. Again though, that relies heavily on someone like Suarez providing the cutting edge to get there.
So here they are at the crossroads. The EPL is becoming increasingly competitive and even with Manchester United struggling under new manager David Moyes, the battle for Champions League spots is hotter than ever. If the Reds manage to get there, they could well convince Suarez to stay and lead them into a new golden era. But if they miss out it is unlikely he will stick around much longer, and back to the drawing board they will go. Never have the stakes been so high.
