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The likes of Luis Suarez must earn their goals

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They are the men who fans pay to watch and that the TV cameras and journalists love to focus on. Yet how far should administrators go in protecting the beautiful players of the beautiful game?

Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish is the latest manager to call for greater protection for a star striker, this week demanding that referees better look after Uruguayan import Luis Suarez, who was left battered and bruised at the end of recent matches.

Dalglish can relate to the kind of treatment that his star forward is receiving. Like Suarez, Dalglish wore the No7 shirt for the Reds in the 1970s and '80s and was a brilliant attacker who was constantly targeted by opposition defences.

In the past decade or two, the game has become faster yet a lot less physical. Blood-curdling challenges that may not have even earned a yellow card in Dalglish's heyday now usually result in instant expulsion in Europe's top leagues.

'If I were against Suarez, I wouldn't mind kicking him either because he is just one of those annoying players,' Singapore international defender Daniel Bennett, capped more than 100 times for his country, said. 'He is obviously a great talent but he also has a knack for diving and frustrating defences.'

Suarez (pictured) is an expert in pushing the limits of sportsmanship in earning free kicks and penalties, which has led to inevitable questions about his integrity. He cleverly gets his body between the ball and his opponent to maximise the chances of his team being awarded set-pieces in potent, attacking positions.

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