Luis Stays, British Press Weep

I'm going to get in a twist about something that probably isn't worth it. But that's kind of my thing, and we've got time to kill with the 2nd leg against Gomel two days away and the transfer stuff dying down for a few hours at least. The good news is that Luis Suarez has penned an extension to his contract, keeping him at a club that he may be too good for at the moment. Of course, Brendan Rodgers is going to try and change that, and soon. But in a summer where we've heard pretty much only rumors of his, Skrtel's. or Agger's departure (the three class players Liverpool have that aren't on the wrong side of the age-scale), it's refreshing to see one of them locked down. Then again, these contracts aren't worth the paper they're printed on, and another season that doesn't end in the top four could see Juve back in for this. But I'll worry about that later.

And yet, here's what's pissing me off. Look at the picture Soccernet is running on the front page with the story about his extension. This is not Football365 or The Run Of Play or another footy blog that specializes in laughs. At least in theory, though anything with ESPN should be taken with several grains of salt, it is a news site for soccer. So why are they running the worst picture they can find for Suarez? Do you remember them doing this for any other player? Robin Van Persie has acted like a spoiled child for two years now, and all he gets are pictures of him in celebration.

It's probably my inherited Scouse paranoia, but it seems once again the English press's hatred for Suarez rearing it's ugly head. While Luis hasn't helped his own cause with his diving and whining and the simply awful handling of the Evra incident and then continually not shutting up about it, the flames have been fanned by the media that's all too eager to point out the "dark arts" of Suarez. We've all been sickened by match commentators constant highlighting of a dive here or a complaint there, instead of the three guys he just nutmegged before getting hacked. Wayne Rooney or Drogba or David Silva do as much diving and complaining to refs as Suarez does, but you never hear about it to the extent that the Uruguayan in commented on. Because it's easy. He's the racist cheater, right? You already knew that from the World Cup, right? Even though he only did what every other player on the planet would have, and it wasn't his fault that Gyan sent the ensuing penalty into orbit.

But hey, it's fun and simple to pile on. Every news agency is good at it, especially the English contingent. They've driven out two foreign England managers so they could have Steve McLaren and Roy Hodgson in charge because they're "good English lads." Sure that will work out well for them.

Maybe Luis doesn't care. Maybe I shouldn't either. But still, you get worried how much of this bullshit Suarez wants to put up with, as this kind of lazy, maybe unethical, group think only further feeds the bile fans have for him outside of Anfield.

-In other news, Swansea manager Michael Laudrup wants 20 mildo for Joe Allen. Seeing as how there's a release clause in Allen's contract at 15, that should be a neat trick. If Agger goes, Allen will finally land at Anfield unless he can sort of bellyache his way out. Though that hasn't worked for Luka Modric.