KopTalk.com Forums Football Liverpool FC Forum Liverpool MD Ian Ayre says Luis Suarez damaged brand

From SkySports

Luis Suarez: Praised by Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre, who expects talks to start over a new contract in June 2014

Liverpool's managing director Ian Ayre says the club are delighted to have Luis Suarez back playing and that he expected to start discussions with the Uruguay forward over a new contract at the end of the season.

Suarez returned on Wednesday in the 1-0 Capital One Cup defeat at Manchester United from a 10-game suspension for biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic, having previously served an eight-game ban for clashing with Patrice Evra.

And Ayre told Sky Sports News: "For all his controversy on the pitch, off the pitch he's a great guy, he's a family man and he's very well liked.


"It was damaging to the brand but this club is bigger than one player. Luis is a street fighter and we had to deal with it."
Ayre on Suarez
"He keeps himself to himself with his family, he's been committed he's worked hard, trained hard.

"It's been difficult, and been difficult for him really. It's always difficult being a footballer, and being a footballer like Luis Suarez you want to be on a football pitch. I think it's been a challenge for him but he's got through it and I think, and he's demonstrated last night, for a first game back, for somebody who hasn't had the opportunity to play in the Premier League this season, he acquitted himself very well."


Despite seeing his side knocked out of the Capital One Cup Brendan Rodgers was pleased with his side's performance, especially Luis Suarez.
Suarez signed an improved long-term contract with Liverpool in August 2012 and Ayre confirmed that the two parties would open talks over a new deal at the end of the current campaign.

Ayre said: "We sort of begin those type of discussions two years in from the end, so it'll be the end of this season. We'll do the same with everyone and at the right time we'll have the discussion with Luis and his advisors."

Jamie Carragher, Jamie Redknapp and Gary Neville discuss Luis Suarez's return to action for Liverpool.
The Liverpudlian admitted Suarez's latest ban had hurt the global image of the club but that he and the player were keen to draw a line under it.

"Of course, any types of incident of that nature are damaging to a brand, but Liverpool Football Club is way, way bigger and always will be way bigger than any one player or one individual," Ayre said.

Ayre also insisted he bore no ill will to Arsenal for trying to take Suarez to north London in a £40m-plus-one-pound transfer in the summer.

He said: "That's the transfer market. I have huge respect for Arsenal, they're a great football club, with some great people. I'm good friends with Ivan (Gazidis). Trying to get players, making offers for players, it's all part of the game.

"Anyone who says it isn't and makes a big noise is not really being honest. Everybody does the same thing in football, everybody's trying to achieve the same thing, we're all trying our best to buy the best players for the best price."

Ayre also gave Liverpool supporters some further encouragement when he described plans over the redevelopment of Anfield as having made "huge strides".

He added: "Our ambition is to stay at Anfield, and we're about 90% down the road in securing proprieties affected by redevelopment. I'm reasonably confident, the first phase will be closer to 60,000 capacity."

sounds like we may be able to increase capacity above 60,000 in the future.

waffle waffle waffle ...(not reading that - too long).

So did Hicks n Gillete , so does not winning out n finishing outta the top four. However , Iv'e lived in Asia fer many years now n we're massive in S.E. Asia.

If he damaged the brand Mr Ayre please flog him or sit him in the reserves , sorry but LFC isn't a brand to me , it's far more important than that. Chelshit n others are a brand. can think of 96 reasons why we are so much more than a brand ! Rant over.

Ian Ayre is a brand , he's f*%^ing Hi - Tec !

Support us or Koff.

Ian Ayre is now talking like FSG. All this brand nonsense. He is just a puppet who has no idea what he is doing. FSG's lapdog

Stuff the brand

Ayre and FSG have 6 : 6 Vision: $$$$$$
.................................................$$$$$$
Quality is an unknown commodity to them, hence the focus on the “Brand"

I have no doubt FSG can compete on the semantics front Kop. Its in the transfer market they have their problems!
And not too bright on the Stadia front either!

Really? How did you make that up genius? The transfer fees website says, Arsenal net spent was 32.5m, ManU 28.9m and us 15.3m.

Ian ayre is damaging what he calls the brand by mentioning past events in a way that allows journalists to write negative headlines again. Without Suarez we would be mid table for sure, with very little positive to talk about and our international profile would've nose dived.

as for ayre dreaming of opening contract talks with Suarez next summer, well.... i'd be embarrassed if we kept him. We're already holding him back as it is... he deserves to play with more quality players around him

What do you mean Suarez has aspas and Alberto