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Brendan Rodgers is not happy with Arsenal's recent conduct. Action Images

Arsenal lack class, says Brendan Rodgers

The Liverpool boss is upset with the way in which the club have handled the Luis Suarez transfer saga.

LIVERPOOL MANAGER BRENDAN Rodgers has accused Arsenal of lacking class in their pursuit of star striker Luis Suarez.

Arsene Wenger’s side have had two bids rejected by Liverpool for the Uruguayan, who wants a move to a Champions League club.

The second of those was a bid of £40,000,001. Rodgers slammed Arsenal and again said Liverpool wanted to keep the 26-year-old.

“I have to admit I was surprised by their bid of £40million and £1 … I always associated Arsenal as a club with class,” the Northern Irishman said.

“There may be playing a game there, but we will just move on and do our own work, and the message is constant – we do not want to sell.

“There will become a point when they will understand that. They have an interest and put that interest in with two bids that is nowhere near where what Luis would be worth.

“That is within their right, there is a market for players, but our message is constant.”

Liverpool are reported to want £55m for Suarez, the same price Paris Saint-Germain paid for Edinson Cavani.

But even meeting that valuation may not be enough, with Rodgers eager to keep Suarez as the start of the Premier League season draws closer.

Rodgers praised the club’s owners and said he was growing more confident the Uruguay international would stay at Anfield.

“As time goes on I am gaining more confidence that he will stay. We are in total control of the situation and that is how it will remain,” he said.

“The owners have been brilliant. Maybe if it was another club where they needed the money it could be a different story.

“They have been first class through the whole process and that fills me with confidence that they are in no hurry to sell.

“They understand that they are trying to build. There has been lots of talk but the board have been very strong.

“There is always a timeline where you would never sell … and we are at that stage now because we’re so close to the beginning of the season.

“We are focused on Luis being here, getting in a couple more and ready to be challenging at the top of the table.”

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40 Comments
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    Mute sean o hannrachain
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    Aug 5th 2013, 6:38 PM

    Pot.Kettle.Black

    44
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    Mute Kevin Buston
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    Aug 5th 2013, 9:13 PM

    Fair play to Liverpool FC for standing their ground. Players and agents have zero respect these days for clubs and think that they can click their fingers and the move will be granted. Might teach a few more a lesson.

    27
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    Mute William Motley
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    Aug 5th 2013, 8:58 PM

    Ah here lads.Another Liverpool related artical covered with United fans.Pathetic.

    25
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    Mute Harry The Gypo
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    Aug 5th 2013, 9:11 PM

    They’re just idiots… No point in arguing with Idiots you won’t get anywhere

    18
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    Mute Jamie McCormack
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    Aug 5th 2013, 9:09 PM

    Liverpool are right to play hardball, they don’t need to sell. If Suarez stays they could very well push for the title next season. I think he’ll stay.

    22
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    Mute Martin Jones
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    Aug 5th 2013, 9:22 PM

    Push for the title haha that’s classic

    25
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    Mute Jamie McCormack
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    Aug 5th 2013, 9:29 PM

    Why not? Utd and City are all chopping and changing, Chelski may or may not be deadly next year, if I were a gunner I’d be well fed up of selling the best and not buying.. Honestly if Liverpool keep Suarez and he knuckles down they have a good chance of pushing to be near the top come May.

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    Mute Nicholas Ring
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    Aug 6th 2013, 1:22 AM

    Liverpool for the title, have you been been drinking your bollix off today?

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    Mute Warren Collier
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    Aug 5th 2013, 7:58 PM

    The fact that they where jumping around like they won the premier league when they got 4th last season just shows they have no class!

    21
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    Mute James Quinn
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    Aug 5th 2013, 7:52 PM

    Arsenal going backwards every year. Scraped into top 4 last season, won’t happen this year!!

    18
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    Mute James Quinn
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    Aug 5th 2013, 8:42 PM

    Why all the red thumbs? No keeper, worse defence, take out Wilshire and Walcott and its a poor team.

    20
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    Mute Martin Jones
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    Aug 5th 2013, 8:52 PM

    Arsenal have a poor squad but if Liverpool lose Suarez they will be a very mediocre side that will do well to finish mid table. They are quickly becoming an irrelevant club that clings onto the past

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    Mute Graham Kavanagh
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    Aug 5th 2013, 10:07 PM

    Your delusional, only one other club in England as big as Liverpool, and that is Manchester united….

    17
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    Mute Jigsaw
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    Aug 5th 2013, 9:30 PM

    If Rodgers was offered the arsenal job he would take it in a heartbeat so I don’t know why he doesn’t expect Suarez to want to move to one of the big 4.

    14
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    Mute Gavin Doyle
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    Aug 5th 2013, 11:19 PM

    Because there not a big top four team every year scraping by including last year they only got in to the champions league with four games to go . A big top four team doesn’t let their best players go .Arsenal will find it tough unless they make big signings before the end of transfer window

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    Mute John Burke
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    Aug 6th 2013, 7:40 AM

    What a muppet.

    2
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    Mute Padraig McHale
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    Aug 5th 2013, 8:24 PM

    And when Liverpool lose Suarez they’ll have no ability….does that make it a draw???

    13
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    Mute James Quinn
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    Aug 5th 2013, 8:58 PM

    Coutinho is a class act. Sturridge 10 goals in 14 games, Ibe and Sterling the 2 hottest prospects in Eng football. Gerrard still play in good stuff, def need a centre half but Arsenal need 2 of em.

    29
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    Mute Tomás O'Connor
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    Aug 5th 2013, 9:06 PM

    Arsenal need 2 centre backs? Hate to break it to ya chief but arsenal only conceded 37 goals last season…the only team that conceded less was man city.

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    Mute James Quinn
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    Aug 5th 2013, 9:09 PM

    Fair enough if u think that but a Dublin bus turns faster than mersesacker and vermaelen has lost form. The emirates cup showed em up again.

    8
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    Mute Tomás O'Connor
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    Aug 5th 2013, 9:13 PM

    Mertesacker has no pace but his positional play is second to none. Not worried about vermaelen when koscielny is playing as good as he is.

    17
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    Mute James Quinn
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    Aug 5th 2013, 9:19 PM

    I’m not an arsenal fan but everyone has the same opinion on the gunners defence. Hope they buy no one and leave things as they are. Keepin Wilshire fit is the main thing I think but Wenger is deluded if he thinks the current squad can win the title

    11
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    Mute Tomás O'Connor
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    Aug 5th 2013, 9:25 PM

    Arsenal have always conceded too many goals but with Steve Bould there now it’s looking much better. They won’t win the league with the squad now but another month left in the transfer window so Wenger would want to pull the finger out

    12
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    Mute John
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    Aug 5th 2013, 9:38 PM

    Said with the true delusion of a Liverpool fan!

    6
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    Mute James Quinn
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    Aug 5th 2013, 9:47 PM

    Is ur name John Joe Connors, it must be cos not much of a brain there! Did I mention the Pool? We were chattin about the gunners u fool! I know the pool will struggle to break top 4 but def looks like an improvement already wit the squad instead of playin half the season wit 1 striker. I’ll safely say that the pool will be closer to arsenal than they will be the title!

    6
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    Mute Colm Coughlan
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    Aug 5th 2013, 9:56 PM

    Two players compliment each other very well

    4
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    Mute Martin Jones
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    Aug 5th 2013, 11:30 PM

    Sturridge scored a few goals against bad teams in the last few games of the season. He is not and never will be a top striker

    6
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    Mute Jamie McCormack
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    Aug 6th 2013, 12:02 AM

    He scored against Man U, he scored against City… “He’s talkin through his hoop Bill”

    9
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    Mute Eamonn coughlan
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    Aug 5th 2013, 7:01 PM

    Nothing new there!

    9
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    Mute Graham Kavanagh
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    Aug 6th 2013, 2:18 AM

    Keeping that medal shiny?

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    Mute John Burke
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    Aug 6th 2013, 7:35 AM

    Shows what Gavin knows about football. No history. In the top flight of English football longer than any other team without going down. Open your eyes mid table club.

    5
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    Mute Gavin Doyle
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    Aug 5th 2013, 10:15 PM

    Wenger says stuff like this the whole time when other clubs come looking for his players just because he rolls over and gives in the whole time expecting another club to give in to him just because he has no balls to stand up to other clubs is his problem. And when arsenal fans keep on saying that the past history doesn’t matter is because they don’t have one should the united fans forget about and not talk about all the titles they have one .

    5
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    Mute Paddy
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    Aug 5th 2013, 10:32 PM

    Arsenal have no history?! Are you thick I wonder.

    12
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    Mute Gavin Doyle
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    Aug 5th 2013, 11:15 PM

    Well they have a history of letting their best players go oh ya and getting in to the champions league for (fifteen years and all that horse shit) and being in it for the first or second round and f all else . O maybe Arsenal have a history of keeping their books balance what other history do they have . So fourth place is the biggest part of Arsenals history.

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    Mute Paddy
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    Aug 5th 2013, 11:32 PM

    Are u 10 years old or wha?Arsenal have 13 league titles n 10 FA cups. They’re the only club in the premier league era to go a full season unbeaten. I’m as frustrated as anyone that we sold our best players in the last few seasons but these things come in cycles, UTDs era of dominance is over I’d say, same as Liverpools. Man city are the team to beat now along with Chelsea. To say Arsenal have no history is ridiculous.

    17
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    Mute collie dub
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    Aug 6th 2013, 1:31 AM

    How many more years does wenger have to prove himself as a champions league competitor, never mind winner?! Jesus lads, if you think signing suarez is going to improve that, desparation overload! I think? If thats a phrase!

    5
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    Mute Paddy
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    Aug 6th 2013, 6:51 AM

    Never mind the champions league, any trophy will do at this stage. Suarez would improve any team. I don’t like the guy after the way he generally carries on but I’d welcome him with open arms if he came to Arsenal. I wouldn’t be too worried if I was a Liverpool fan, no way Wenger will pay 55 mill for him. He should pay it though, he is worth it. And by the way it’s been desperation overload for over 5 years at this stage:-(

    9
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    Mute Anto Golden
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    Aug 5th 2013, 11:33 PM

    Arsenal are soft and lack the bottle when come up against the likes of Stoke and Bolton through the years, Wenger has gone full circle from Petit and Viera who play and stick the boot in at the same time to Arteta and Wilshire , tippy tappy and don’t like a fight.

    Liverpool don’t have to sell Suarez, simple as. Arsenal are all talk and no trousers when it comes to spending money.

    My buddy who’s a Gooner even says, lots of talk about Suarez, Rooney etc but probably end up with a 17 year old French kid that they will to Citeh in 3 years time for 25 million !

    5
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    Mute macca
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    Aug 6th 2013, 1:10 AM

    Chelsea under mourinho I think will win the league! Moyes is under some pressure at united

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    Mute William Motley
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    Aug 5th 2013, 9:29 PM

    Why not?

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