Martin Kelly and Glen Johnson Delighted to Have Luis Suarez Back in Liverpool Lineup

Martin Kelly and Glen Johnson have difficult jobs to perform, as Liverpool fullbacks. They must contain the dynamic forwards and contribute to the LFC attack. The presence of Luis Suarez makes their jobs easier, and the two are delighted he has returned to the field.

Suarez made his return from a nine-game absence in Monday's scoreless draw with Tottenham. The LFC star unsettled the Tottenham defense, and twice nearly scored the winner in under 30 minutes of work. He helped tilt the balance of play in LFC's favor, and added missing energy to Anfield.

"The crowd gave us a lift when they saw Luis coming on and it's fantastic to have him back," Kelly told the club's website.

"Luis is a fantastic player and it was great to have him back out there," Johnson added. 

When the Reds have the ball, their fullbacks often push forward into the wide areas. Here, they serve as a convenient option for midfielders, who can play the ball to them and move into open space.

When fullbacks receive the ball near the opponents' penalty area, they often have choices. The first is to deliver crosses to waiting attackers in the area. They can also look to play quick combinations with fellow attackers and unlock the defense.

That's where Suarez comes in. Sometimes he is the target of those deliveries, and he is a good enough header of the ball to be considered a goal threat from those situations.

But two of his greatest strenghts are in his movement and technique. When he drifts into the wide areas, he's got enough composure to recieve a pass, draw defenders toward him, and then pass it off to the best option to continue the LFC attack.

In these situations, he is an outlet for his teammates. They can pass him the ball and reasonably expect to get it back later in the attacking move.

Suarez adds variety to the LFC attack, and opposing defenders will be less likely to lay in wait for the cross into the box.

Johnson — who played left back Monday in Jose Enrique's absence — and Kelly are confident that a 42-day absence will not diminish Suarez's role in the team. In fact they look to him to power the LFC attack in the weeks and months ahead. 

"He'll be a big help for us over the next few weeks when we've got big games coming up and he'll be there ready for the (Carling Cup) final," Kelly said. 

"He's had a long break so hopefully he's refreshed and ready to put in lots of good performances for us," Johnson added.

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