Suarez emerging as a true Liverpool legend
Gerrard, back among the substitutes here for the first time in six months, will always remain a fans’ favourite at Anfield.
But he’s quickly discovering there is another player who has been taken to the hearts of the Liverpool faithful in his prolonged absence.
Suarez, trusted to wearing the club’s famed number seven shirt, is not letting his predecessors such as Kevin Keegan and Kenny Dalglish down.
His arrival has simply provided Liverpool with a new dimension. So often having relied on the partnership between Fernando Torres and Gerrard, it’s now the Suarez show that dominates on Merseyside.
While former striker Torres’ red card ensured another torrid afternoon, for his replacement, who cost half the amount, life just gets better and better.
It wasn’t just the second goal here that sealed a much-needed 2-1 win over Wolves, but it was the virtuoso display that left the Liverpool fans even forgetting that Gerrard was waiting in the wings.
The last time Wolves headed to Liverpool they collected a win that paved the way for Roy Hodgson’s exit.
The difference now, to back then, is the £22 million arrival of Suarez.
Asked whether he is the next in line to become a legend at the club, Dalglish said: “I think he has already arrived.
“I don’t think he is just on course, he has arrived.
“I think the fans take to him because he is so genuine and 100% committed.
“The crowd love players like that and I don’t think Luis will have any trouble getting the appreciation of the crowd.
“Our supporters are probably the most intelligent ones I have come across and, for me, they understand when someone is doing something well.
“He has his own ideas and he is certainly full of them. He certainly knows how to play and on and off the field he has been an absolute credit.”
By the time he exited late on, ironically replaced by Gerrard, he had done enough to see Liverpool return to winning ways.
The presence of captain Gerrard appeared to inspire Suarez as he took up the mantle to ensure Liverpool bounced back from successive league defeats.
After Roger Johnson had diverted Charlie Adam’s 11th minute shot past his own goalkeeper, Suarez had already signalled his intent.
His intelligent interplay with Andy Carroll continued to cause all kinds of problems for the visitors, although it was a piece of individual skill that contributed to his side’s second goal as he evaded the offside trap and turned Christophe Berra inside out to score in style in the 38th minute.
It seemed it would be enough. But Wolves were a different side after the break, with half-time substitute Steven Fletcher providing the Black Country outfit with renewed hope as early as the 49th minute when he met Stephen Hunt’s cross to throw them a lifeline.
Only a combination of wasteful finishing, bad luck which saw Carroll head against a post, and visiting goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey ensured Wolves remained in the game right to the end.
Despite several scares, Liverpool held out in what provided a lift ahead of games looming against Everton and Manchester United.
But in this form, Suarez will remain a potent threat to them, and at just 24, you could arguably say anyone else in his sights in future years.
“Suarez never does what you expect him to,” Wolves manager Mick McCarthy said.
“You never know how to play him.
“He’s just a good player who is incredibly hard to play against, and in the second half we played it by the seat of our pants against him — which is probably why we deserved to get something from the game.
“He is something else. I thought he was even before we played against him and I’m convinced even more now.”
Liverpool defender Jose Enrique admitted this was the perfect pick-me up ahead of a sequence of games that could define their season.
“It was an important win, and we have got to get three points against Everton now,” he said.
“If we want to be in the Champions League next season, we need to get points now.
“We have got to win these type of games.
“If we get another three points before the international break, the table will look good.”
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