Luis Suarez shows just what Liverpool will be missing during his suspension - now Kenny Dalglish must channel the striker's determination through rest of squad

The Uruguayan scored the only goal of the game against a resilient QPR outfit at Anfield, but with suspension looming, can the Reds cope without him going into the Christmas rush?

Luis Suarez was once again Liverpool’s brightest player as they defeated QPR 1-0 at Anfield, underlining his importance to the team and what they will miss if he receives a suspension for his alleged one-fingered gesture to the Fulham crowd

The striker rose to the bait of the opposition fans and is likely to face a two-game suspension if found guilty, with another FA charge of racism against Patrice Evra looming large already.

Suarez wasn’t quite at his best during the win against QPR, but he wasn’t far from it, prompting Neil Warnock to proclaim he was “the best player on the pitch by a mile”.

His dynamism and drive created many chances for the hosts, who came up against a goalkeeper in fine form in the shape of Radek Cerny. The Czech made some stunning saves to deny the Reds, who will have to be more efficient in front of goal if Suarez does face a ban.

With a misfiring Andy Carroll set to come into the side, Liverpool will have to adapt their strategy of attack and play to his strength of battling the opposition in the air.

When Suarez plays, Liverpool play better. His sublime movement led to the only goal of the game, as he found himself unmarked in the middle of a crowded penalty area for the second time in the match. He planted his header straight at Cerny on the initial occasion, but made no mistake the second time around.

Red hot | Suarez's strike against QPR separated the sides at Anfield

After initially bursting onto the scene in the Premier League, it looked as if Suarez had perhaps run out of momentum recently, this being his first league goal since the beginning of October.

Of course, a large part of the reasoning behind that could be the fact that he has gone nearly two years without a break from football, having played a large part in both of Uruguay’s recent campaigns, firstly at the World Cup in 2010 and in this summer’s successful assault on the Copa America.

He gained infamy in the World Cup for his handball against Ghana which prevented them scoring a last-minute winner. And while any footballer would have done this, it is one of the first of many indiscretions that have tainted his name among some football fans, including his attempt take a chunk out of an opponent with his teeth while at Ajax.

HOW LIVERPOOL'S GOALSCORING RECORD COMPARES TO THEIR RIVALS
Manchester City Manchester United Arsenal Chelsea Tottenham Liverpool	48 35 31 31 29 18

This side of his game is one that people prefer not to see, and thankfully for the faithful at the Kop, he diverted all of his energies into his football against QPR.

If he is suspended he will likely miss two away games, to Aston Villa and Wigan. Liverpool will feel they should win these without too much struggle and should be able to do so without the need for Suarez.

The break might even do him some good, giving him a two-week respite between matches and a chance to rest before sterner tests against Newcastle United and Manchester City either side of New Year’s Day.

Kenny Dalglish maintains that his side have not got their just rewards this season, stating that the only match they did not deserve to win was the defeat to Tottenham earlier in the campaign.

And he also said that goals are around the corner if they continue with their style of play, though those words would have been of little comfort as QPR were still in touching distance with the spectres of the home draws against the other two promoted sides still lingering around Anfield.

And with Suarez set to miss games, goals will surely be harder to come by for the side attempting to break back into the top four and Champions League football.

One player they will be looking to for some inspiration is Charlie Adam, who has been in good form of late and set up Suarez's goal from wide on the left.

The Scot has been one of the more influential players in the team in the absence of the injured Steven Gerrard, and is proving to be a shrewd bit of business on Dalglish's part.

He will surely create goals for Andy Carroll with his pinpoint crossing and set-pieces, but will it be enough to see them through a Suarez absence? They could certainly struggle and despite hoping for more, Liverpool fans may have to settle for a few more 1-0 wins with their star on the sidelines.

Posted in: Analysis