Suarez needs protection, says Warnock

Queens Park Rangers manager Neil Warnock believes Liverpool’s Luis Suarez deserves greater protection from abuse from the stands.

Warnock has also called on the English Football Association and the English Premier League to halt the double standards that sees players and managers sanctioned for reacting to fans.

The striker has been crucial for Liverpool since his arrival from Ajax in the January transfer window, but he has come in for criticism for a perceived tendency to go to ground too easily.

He has also attracted an FA charge for alleged racism towards Patrice Evra, leading to him to be singled out for abuse by rival fans.

Last Monday, he reacted to Fulham fans’ chanting at him at Craven Cottage by appearing to direct an offensive gesture towards them, leading to another FA charge.

Warnock voiced his sympathy for Uruguay striker, telling reporters: “He is a foreign player in a foreign country. The crowd away from home gives him so much stick he should be protected from that as much as possible.”

“Yes, he has got to learn that he cannot be making gestures but bloody hell, the stick he gets, it is about time someone did something about it.”

“I think the FA and Premier League should do something.”

“The FA should look into the chants by crowds and fine Premier League clubs if they give individual players so much abuse as they have done with Suarez.”

“If you’re going to do the player, they should also look into where these chants come from and look at fining the people or clubs concerned. It’s getting ridiculous now, there’s nothing done about the chants that managers and players receive.”

“I’d be tempted to do what Suarez did. If the FA don’t take any action and then they get another Suarez situation, I’ll understand why it’s happened. Fans can do anything they want and as soon as a player reacts, he gets into trouble. That’s the standard I detest.”

Warnock was also full of praise for Suarez, who scored the only goal of the game when QPR and Liverpool clashed at Anfield on Saturday.

“You can’t keep him quiet,” Warnock said.

“I don’t think you can keep him quiet against anybody. I think what you have to do with Suarez is hope that he is suspended when you play him. That is what I was hoping.”

“He has got everything. He gives 110 percent every game, he never lets the defender settle, he twists and turns. Whatever they paid for him it was worth every penny, every penny.”

“All right, his finishing wasn’t so good but he still won the match … But you can’t have everything. If he scored every chance he would be a 50, 60, 70 million-pound player, wouldn’t he? But any team without him is a far poorer side. I just thought he was head and shoulders the best player on the pitch.”