Liverpool plea to United fans: please don't abuse Suarez

Liverpool are considering seeking talks with
Manchester United to reduce the prospect of Luis
Suarez facing some of the worst abuse visited on
an opposing player at Old Trafford when the two
clubs meet in the Premier League on 16 February.
The Liverpool manager, Kenny Dalglish, is
understood to be determined that the
controversy surrounding the United defender
Patrice Evra's claims against Suarez will not
prevent him from starting the Uruguayan in what
will probably be his second game back after
suspension. That raises the question of how the
pre-match handshake between the two players
will unfold, though the potential for abuse also
causes Liverpool concern.
United were yet to hear from Liverpool on the
subject yesterday and, though they will need to
see what the club are proposing before assessing
it, they are not dismissing the idea of working
with them in some way. The first contact
between the two may be frosty, given how
much emphasis Dalglish has placed on the
unreliability of Evra as a witness during Suarez's
disciplinary case. Evra's name was notably absent
when Suarez finally made a public apology for
offence caused by his use of the word "negro" in
the Anfield match of 15 October.
An intermediary may be required to help
communication between the two clubs, and the
Premier League is understood to be willing to act
as one. It is possible that Greater Manchester
Police may also encourage dialogue. In the past,
the force has asked the staff and players of
Manchester's two clubs to desist from comments
and actions which might be deemed
inflammatory in the build-up to derby games.
The same may apply next month, when Dalglish
will need to put behind him any lingering feelings
about Suarez's eight-game ban.
United have done a lot of work in recent years to
prevent the awful chants against the Arsenal
manager, Arsène Wenger, including a message
from the United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, in
the match programme and the chief executive,
David Gill, broaching the subject with a leading
fans' forum. One small-scale measure United
now take is to broadcast DVDs of their opponents
in action through the away concourses before
games to help to improve the atmosphere.
Dalglish also wants the FA to help shield Suarez
from abuse, though Liverpool must make contact
and work with the governing body if they want
assistance. Spurs undertook concerted work with
the FA to prevent homophobic and racist abuse
at their game with Chelsea before Christmas.
Liverpool certainly need to mend some fences
with the FA if they are to get help from the
organisation now.
More immediately, the club seek progress past
Oldham Athletic in their FA Cup third-round tie
tonight, a game which has significance for Jamie
Carragher, who can anticipate his first start for
Dalglish since the Carling Cup win at Chelsea on 11
November. In the intervening two months,
Carragher has managed only seven minutes of
action – and even that was in central midfield, as
a replacement for Jonjo Shelvey at Aston Villa.
Carragher has lost his place on merit, with the
combination of Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel
helping establish Dalglish's defence as one of the
most effective in the Premier League. However,
Skrtel was unconvincing in Tuesday's 3-0
Premier League defeat at Manchester City,
conceding a late penalty and struggling with
Sergio Aguero. At 33, Carragher is playing to
reassert his position at the heart of Liverpool's
defence
The arrival of Paul Dickov's League One side also
offers Dalglish a chance to give Steven Gerrard a
start.
Dalglish has lost only four of his previous 39 FA
Cup ties as Liverpool manager, though his club
have succumbed to lower-league opposition five
times in the past 12 seasons – capitulating to
Blackburn (2000), Crystal Palace (2003), Burnley
(2005), Barnsley (2008) and Reading in 2010.