It was certainly a weekend for apologies.

First Carlos Tevez said he wanted to come back to Manchester and help City win the league (surely the right thing for all concerned as this blog suggested a fortnight ago) then Mick McCarthy had to say sorry for his teams disgraceful second half capitulation in the Black Country derby. But they say these things come in threes and the one we all not just wanted, but needed to hear came too.

As we have said before on this blog, somebody, somewhere at Liverpool Football Club needed to take a firm lead on the Luis Suarez issue. It did appear that nobody had, and the events of Saturday lunchtime showed just how much it had got out of control.

Saturday, at Old Trafford, was the time to publically draw a line under the matter of what Suarez did or didn’t mean when he used racist language towards Evra in October, but what actually happened did anything but.

Quite what was going through the head of Suarez when he refused Evra’s hand only he knows, but in doing so there is little doubt he inflamed a situation that needed calming. Then Kenny Dalglish decided to give a rather bizarre post match interview to Sky where he claimed he “didn’t know” what happened pre-match.

The actions of Liverpool football club since Suarez was found guilty of racism have been ill-thought out at best and disgraceful at worst. I don’t think it is going to far to suggest that the image of one of the great clubs of World football – never mind the UK – has been damaged by not just what happened, but by what didn’t. There has – it seems to an outsider – been no clear leadership from the Liverpool hierarchy, who you would have thought would have been tremendously unhappy at seeing the adverse publicity.

Which is why there simply had to be an apology. Suarez pointedly stopped short of apologising to Evra when he said: “I have not only let [Dalglish] down but also the club and what it stands for and I'm sorry. I made a mistake and I regret what happened.

"I should have shaken Patrice Evra's hand before the game and I want to apologise for my actions. I would like to put this whole issue behind me and concentrate on playing football." But it was a start.
Dalglish too finally showed some contrition: "All of us have a responsibility to represent this club in a fit and proper manner,” he said.

"That applies equally to me as Liverpool manager. When I went on TV after yesterday's game I hadn't seen what had happened, but I did not conduct myself in a way befitting of a Liverpool manager during that interview and I'd like to apologise for that."

But what was interesting, more than any of that – and to be blunt both these “statements” were most probably written by someone in the Liverpool press office who had to give up their day off – was that this time the Managing Director and owners got involved.

MD Ian Ayre couldn’t have been much clearer saying that: “"Luis Suarez was wrong to mislead us and wrong not to offer his hand to Patrice Evra. He has not only let himself down but also Kenny Dalglish, his team-mates and the club. It has been made absolutely clear to Luis Suarez that his behaviour was not acceptable"

And a “source” close to the owners apparently told the BBC – and you can read this as you like – that “no one is bigger than the club. Apologies were necessary.” These apologies should have come a lot sooner than they did – and certainly after the ridiculous decision to wear those shirts at Wigan, but at least they have now come.

But you do wonder why they came. Maybe there is genuine contrition from the people involved, maybe there is genuine outrage at board level, but I will wager that also that there economic considerations. Liverpool have sponsors. Liverpool have sponsors with big pockets and lots of influence, but in return they want to be associated with a clean brand, not a brand where one of the star players acts like that and the Manager appears to back him.

It is said that Suarez has a future at Anfield if he shows what is termed as “better judgement” in the future. The same good judgement, not to mention proper leadership, is something that those within the Ivory Towers at Anfield would do well to exercise themselves.