Saturday, 13th December, 2014
Queens Park Rangers midfielder Joey Barton believes Liverpool’s performance last season was due to the genius of Luis Suarez.
After scoring 31 goals last term, which almost landed the Reds’ first league title in more than two decades, and clearing the deck in the Player of the Year awards, Suarez switched to Barcelona from Liverpool this summer.
The departure of Suarez, coupled with Daniel Sturridge’s injury concerns, have made this season a struggle for Brendan Rodgers’ side, who scored more than 100 goals in their last campaign.
With no European football to take care of and Suarez at the top of his game, Barton feels the Liverpool manager made the most of a ‘freak’ last season.
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But he believes Rodgers need to take responsibility for Liverpool’s failure to land a stellar signing who could have filled Suarez’s boots at Anfield.
"Brendan has to take the responsibility as the manager because he had a lot of input into transfers but has come up short", Barton told BBC Radio 5 live.
"The reality is he will get time after the freak season they had last season – and make no mistake it was a freak season with having no midweek commitments and one of the best players in the world at the top of his game.”
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