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Adjust For The Crooked Sight

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Now he's just flinging himself into the post
Now he's just flinging himself into the post

A lot's been made of Luis Suarez's misfiring ways. I'd love to disagree, but the numbers make for a pretty solid argument.

34 shots taken, four goals. How does that compare to the other premier strikers in the league?

Van Persie: 7 goals off of 32 shots

Darren Bent: 3 off of 14 (I know, it's weird to call Bent a prime striker, but his stats kind of speak for themselves over the years).

Fernando Torres: HA! Just kidding...

Sergio Aguero: 8 in 25

Wayne Rooney: 9 in 39 shots

You get the idea.

What's weird about Luis Suarez is identifying what you want him to be. If you just watched him play with Uruguay, you'd assume he's a poacher finishing off the chances that  Diego Forlan creates. You look at his record with Uruguay (22 goals in 51 appearances) and Ajax (81 in 110) and you'd think the same thing.

But then you watch him play for Liverpool, and with his habit of moving out wide and going through defenders, doesn't he appear to be more a creator? Not that finishing isn't his main objective is to score, but his games in red look more than just a scorer. It would seem the best would have been brought out in Suarez if there was another to finish off all that he's creating.

But that's not what Liverpool are asking of him right now. And his wastefulness, along with a bunch of others, is hurting them. Liverpool are far too much of a one man team right now while they figure out what's the best 11, formation, and tactics. We know that. But that works if that one man can carry you while everything else is sorting it. Think anyone cares that Van Persie is carrying Arsenal right now?

There are differences. Suarez doesn't get the service that Aguero and Rooney are getting right now. Liverpool are still much a work in progress, those other teams are not. But it's yet another problem that needs to be solved pronto.

-A chilling stat. Kenny Dalglish has only won two more matches than Roy Hodgson did, and that's having taken charge of one game more (thanks Football365). It's pretty obvious Liverpool are in a rut. It's obvious that it still hasn't been figured out as far as who goes where and when. We don't know what role Jordan Henderson plays best. We don't know if Andy Carroll fits at all. We know that Steven Gerrard can't cover for Lucas, but we don't know how he'll fit with Lucas and Charile Adam, or if at all. Liverpool have too many non-wingers playing the wing (Kuyt, Henderson, Bellamy). There's no answer if Lucas gets hurt. Who should partner Daniel Agger?

And that's probably not all the questions to be answered. And they have to be answered quick. The trip to West Brom next week is going to be tricky. Than it's Swansea at home. Then City and Chelsea. If Liverpool aren't armed for the back half of that with six points earned in the first half, there's every chance that Spurs, Arsenal, and shockingly even Newcastle will have opened up some room in the race for fourth. While getting something from Chelsea might not be the challenge it once was, you don't want to depend on it.

Oh, and there's one last question. Is Kenny the man to figure out all those questions? I don't think any one can say for sure.