BARCELONA STRIKER LUIS Suarez insists that he is unconcerned by his Liga goal drought.
The Uruguay international broke his Barca duck in last week’s Champions League win at APOEL but he has yet to score in five Primera Division appearances.
Suarez’s profligacy in front of goal has come under increasing scrutiny after his latest blank, against Valencia on Sunday, with the 27-year-old having wasted two gilt-edged opportunities to break the deadlock at Mestalla.
However, the former Liverpool star says the pressure to justify his €81 million transfer fee is not getting to him and pointed out that he is at least contributing in other ways, having already racked up four assists in his four Liga outings to date.
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“I know I came to Barcelona to score goals but I’m not worried,” Suarez told Catalunya Radio.
“I feel important to the team beyond the goals. I hope to score goals but Barca have two phenomena [in Lionel Messi and Neymar], so there’s no drama.
“What is happening to me is that instead of acting on instinct, as I usually do, I hesitated [against Valencia] and so I missed some good chances.
“I will try to regain that instinct.”
Suarez, of course, was only able to make his debut on October 25, against Real Madrid, as he was hit with a four-month ban for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini at last summer’s World Cup in Brazil.
It was the third such incident that the forward has been involved in but he insists that he is now a changed man.
“My character means I will still go fight for every ball and I will not change for anyone,” he explained.
“But I will not argue less with opponents; not fight with them as much.
“Now I try to make friends with them. I try to avoid arguments.
“After what happened to me, I now know that I could end up hurting myself.”
Suarez: 'I'm not worried by goal drought'
BARCELONA STRIKER LUIS Suarez insists that he is unconcerned by his Liga goal drought.
The Uruguay international broke his Barca duck in last week’s Champions League win at APOEL but he has yet to score in five Primera Division appearances.
Suarez’s profligacy in front of goal has come under increasing scrutiny after his latest blank, against Valencia on Sunday, with the 27-year-old having wasted two gilt-edged opportunities to break the deadlock at Mestalla.
However, the former Liverpool star says the pressure to justify his €81 million transfer fee is not getting to him and pointed out that he is at least contributing in other ways, having already racked up four assists in his four Liga outings to date.
“I know I came to Barcelona to score goals but I’m not worried,” Suarez told Catalunya Radio.
“I feel important to the team beyond the goals. I hope to score goals but Barca have two phenomena [in Lionel Messi and Neymar], so there’s no drama.
“What is happening to me is that instead of acting on instinct, as I usually do, I hesitated [against Valencia] and so I missed some good chances.
Suarez, of course, was only able to make his debut on October 25, against Real Madrid, as he was hit with a four-month ban for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini at last summer’s World Cup in Brazil.
It was the third such incident that the forward has been involved in but he insists that he is now a changed man.
“My character means I will still go fight for every ball and I will not change for anyone,” he explained.
“But I will not argue less with opponents; not fight with them as much.
“Now I try to make friends with them. I try to avoid arguments.
“After what happened to me, I now know that I could end up hurting myself.”
- Goal.com
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