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Liverpool fans who booed Luis Suarez are ‘shameful’ and ‘disgraceful’, talkSPORT told, but Anfield now has ‘bigger legend’ to adore in Mohamed Salah

They say football fans are a fickle bunch and Liverpool fans were in no mood for sentiment during their Champions League win over Atletico Madrid.

The Reds had few problems as they cruised to a 2-0 win over the LaLiga side thanks to goals from Diogo Jota and Sadio Mane.

Job done for the six-time European champions, who are through to the last-16

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Job done for the six-time European champions, who are through to the last-16

However, Jason Cundy was left in a state of shock due to the reception club legend Luis Suarez, who was representing Atleti, received at Anfield.

The raucous home crowd went against the wishes of Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson and booed the Uruguayan before and during the match, something that didn’t sit well with the talkSPORT host at all.

“Liverpool fans booing Suarez, I couldn’t work it out,” Cundy said on the Sports Bar. “I thought I’d missed something in the match.

“Why are Liverpool fans booing Suarez? He was an absolute legend and hero and nearly single-handedly dragged them to a Premier League title under Brendan Rodgers.

Suarez was a Liverpool player for three-and-a-half years

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Suarez was a Liverpool player for three-and-a-half years

But the Anfield faithful decided not to give him a positive reception

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But the Anfield faithful decided not to give him a positive reception

“Why? What’s the story? I know he plays for Atleti but booing Suarez? Come on, where’s this going?

“I thought it was disgraceful and shameful.”

It’s been over seven years since Suarez left Merseyside for Barcelona, however, many of the Liverpool fans who responded to Cundy cite the way the striker conducted himself during a Champions League semi-final against Liverpool where he clashed with Andy Robertson over both legs.

But his stats as a Liverpool player suggest maybe he should be cut a little bit of slack.

Luis Suarez at Liverpool

Played: 135

Goals: 82

Goals per game: 0.62

Hat-tricks: 6

However, perhaps one reason why the Liverpool fans who chose to boo their former hero is because they now have a new icon to look to.

Although he had a pretty quiet game, Mohamed Salah is in the form of his life having already notched up 17 goals for the Reds this term.

And unlike Suarez, he’s been able to deliver Premier League and Champions League success to Liverpool – and that’s what clinches it for him in the battle of who’s the bigger legend.

“For one season – that Suarez season where they almost won it but let’s be honest those teams don’t compare,” ex-Liverpool star Peter Crouch told BT Sport. “Salah’s team is far better than the team Suarez was in.

Salah has a higher goals per game rate (0.65) than Suarez despite playing considerably more matches

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Salah has a higher goals per game rate (0.65) than Suarez despite playing considerably more matches

“But Salah’s longevity – he’s doing it season after season after season and if you’re talking about club legends, then obviously it’s Salah.

“But for one season Suarez was unbelievable and almost dragged a not vintage Liverpool to the title.”

Another former Liverpool striker in Michael Owen agreed that Salah is the bigger legend but Suarez got him off his feet like no other Liverpool player has.

“Their records are very similar in terms of goals per game but as Crouchy says Suarez was playing in a team that wasn’t as good as the one Salah’s in,” Owen told BT Sport.

“All his numbers, longevity and trophies he’s won will see Salah go down as the bigger legend.

“But I’ve never been more excited about a player at Liverpool than I have Suarez… as a one-off season you cannot beat what he did, it was staggering.”

It was far from Suarez’s night at Anfield. As well as being booed, he was yellow carded and also had a goal disallowed by VAR.

For 90 minutes, Anfield forgot what Suarez did for Liverpool. But the memories will stand the test of time.