Vickery's verdict

Tim Vickery gives a South American perspective on Luis Suarez and the Premier League new boys.

South American football expert Tim Vickery joined Jim White and Rachel Wyse in the Sky Sports News studio to discuss a variety of issues affecting players and coaches from the continent. Take a look at his views on Liverpool's Luis Suarez, Arsenal target Luiz Gustavo, Cardiff signing Gary Medel, Tottenham capture Paulinho and Manchester City duo Fernandinho and Manuel Pellegrini...

Luis Suarez

From a South American perspective, the most important thing is what he does for Uruguay - because Uruguay are struggling like mad to qualify for the World Cup. So that's the South American priority. Obviously they follow his activities, as they do with all their top players, very closely and they're very proud of him. They can be a bit defensive about some of the accusations that are made about him in the English press. The English tabloid press, especially viewed from the outside, can really be seen for the hysterical monster that it is - revelling in what it purports to condemn. Suarez is a godsend for them because he sells newspapers. The perspective back in South America is: 'Is he getting fair treatment?' People remember a former England captain kicking seven bells out of someone on the touchline and the punishment didn't seem to be the same as some of the punishments Suarez has received. So they can be a bit touchy about it. He's so gloriously unpredictable. He is highly strung. I remember vividly when Uruguay were struggling to qualify for the last World Cup, the key game in the play-off against Costa Rica, he had an absolute nightmare because he was trying too hard. It was so important to him that he was digging himself into a deeper hole every time. He was trying to put right what he'd done wrong the last time and it just got worse and worse for him. We saw in that game someone who does struggle to control himself and under the microscope of this hysterical English tabloid press, I think some of his faults have come to the surface for all to see and for all to judge. An unhappy player is of no use. There can't be many more useless things to have than a player who does not want to play for you. I think what Liverpool will bank on is that if Suarez is not allowed to move then the kind of player that he is means that when he crosses that line - even for a club that he no longer wants to play for - he will give 100 per cent. It's the only way he knows. So that's part of the risk Liverpool are taking at the moment. They still think they can have the player performing at 100 per cent even in these circumstances.

Luiz Gustavo

The Brazilian public really don't know him. He has never played top-flight football in Brazil. He's made his entire career in Germany. What this means is that he's now Brazil's first-choice central midfielder but he's facing a real battle to keep that position. Because he doesn't have a constituency at home, he needs to play. He needs to play regularly for a big club. So the move to Arsenal would be fabulous for him. And it would lead to a lovely piece of north London rivalry because perhaps his biggest rival for that No.5 shirt - the defensive midfield shirt with Brazil - is Sandro, who has been injured and just come back. Now he is a player who is well-known in Brazil. He played for a big club in Internacional, he captained Brazil at Under-20 level and has come up through the youth ranks. So Luiz Gustavo, in