Liverpool FC Forum

[Salty Sock]

I preed that Torres is going to be ok. I trying to find out which hospital he go to so I can send a letter

[ConnO'var]

It was clear he was running with a limp and he should have been subbed there and then. Who knows what damage he has done by playing on. He will certainly have made it worse by staying on for the 60 mins.

F*ckin stupid of Rafa. A stupid risk to take.

A bit harsh there, Hacksaw......

I watched him in the 1st half and it was hard to see the limp.... thought he'd ran it off meself.

[stmichael]

Personally I think it's the international football over the summer that has caused him the most problems. Sadly, I think he needs a summer off and a full pre-season to get his body and confidence back to where it was.

[Zidane]

I doubt it is anything major but an ankle problem is hard to deal with, I'd give him 1-2 weeks rest before he is back.

[tubby]

We should be able to win at Boro and at home to Sunderland too but he we need him back for the Madrid/Utd games.

[Johnny Boy]

How would you access Torres's season?

I think him playing such a big part in the Euro's for Spain hasn't done us any good at all.
He missed pre-season, picked up a couple of early injuries and for me has not really been on-fire all season.

Further injuries have hampered his season at regular intervals, some whilst playing for his country.

For me he hasn't been at his best , or even anywhere close to what he did for us last season.
A combination of poor pre-season preperations (not his fault), a succession of frustrating injuries (not his fault), not having a decent strike partner and the extra pressure that brings (not his fault)...are the main reasons.
However, he just doesn't look 'himself' whatever that means, almost laboured compared to last year. We all remember him running at defenders and firing a shot at goal with so much ease, now he just seems a lot of the time to lose the ball or just get stopped by the opposition defence, amost too easy for comfort.

I suspect opposing defenders/managers have worked him out to a degree.
I also feel this year he is 'going to ground' more, one of the things that really impressed me in his first season is how much stick he would take but just get up and get on with it (something I know opposing players praised him for).

Also my big worry is that if Rafa goes he may too....my dream is we buy David Villa (yeah right!) and they form a fantastic partnership next season when Torres is really back to his best.

Comments? please note this is not necessary a criticism, more concern, I have after all got the number 9 and TORRES on the back of my shirt. 

[Owzat]

Torres has scored nine goals this season, we've won all those games. He has missed about a third of the season

Liverpool Results With/Without Torres

57+ mins : P19 W10 D7 L2 F24 A14 (Won 52.63%, GPG 1.71) - Scored 7 goals
Up to 32 mins : P7 W5 D2 L0 F12 A3 (Won 71.43%, GPG 1.71) - Scored 2 goals
Absent : P15 W8 D5 L2 F27 A15 (Won 53.33%, GPG 1.80)

In fairness he missed the 5-1 against Newcastle, otherwise it would be 1.57 goals per game in his absence. Even with him in the side we've drawn too many games, perhaps down to his fitness levels, but then that hasn't stopped him scoring in games - or against Chelsea for that matter

Torres Spells 08/09

1 goal in 5 games, 420 mins (0.200 goals/game, 420 mins/goal)
Gap of one game
4 goals in 6 games, 450 mins (0.666 goals/game, 113 mins/goal)
Gap of six games
0 goals in 5 games, 288 mins (0.000 goals/game, n/a mins/goal)
Gap of seven games
4 goals in 10 games, 656 mins (0.400 goals/game, 164 mins/goal)
Gap of one game (so far)

So he didn't start the season great, having scored in each of the last three games of last season. He missed the win over the mancs then went on his best run of the season. Before his latest knock against Real he was in a run of three goals in five games, it's really hard to say if he should be brought back more slowly, but he was in a run of 10 consecutive appearances and that may be due to the absence of viable alternatives. In Torres' first 'long' absence of six games, Keane filled in and started all but one - he scored just once though. In Torres' second 'long absence' of seven games, Keane was already looking on his way out, playing just four of those games and, despite scoring three in two games, missing the last.

I value Kuyt as a hard worker, scoring goals from the right of midfield and other contributions that tend to get ignored by some. But he has not cut it as a striker at Anfield and is a poor substitute for Torres in that solo role. I believe Torres likes the system of him playing up front as a lone striker with Gerrard playing off him, but how do you get a quality reserve in that situation? We had Keane, he wasn't happy and didn't quite work out as hoped, but who IS going to want to play a sub role with occaisional starts? Do we need to rethink our formation even though that has served us well for some time now?

[Sabre]

How would you access Torres's season?

I think him playing such a big part in the Euro's for Spain hasn't done us any good at all.

Yeh, it's hardly debatable that when the player himself admits the competition tired him. I think we could talk about the same case in Macherano. More often than not summer bonus efforts do have a price to be paid by players. Some may argue that Alonso has played well, but it must be remembered that he was not asked that much of an effort as many times he came from the bench in the euro.

So a summer competition, and a bit of bad luck with the hamstring doesn't allow you getting on fire.

Plus, yesteryear wasn't Torres' first season in his football career, and yesteryear it was the best season of his career. I guess we can't ask him every year making his best year of the career!

The bit I disagree is the bit that "the opposition has worked him out to an extent" or something. The opposition may be got by surprise 5 games or so when a player arrives, but you can be sure they're fast learners and they have videos, so if a new player has an impact, pretty much for the second half of the season he's well known. I never bought that argument in Alonso's case when some fellow reds thought perhaps the oppositions have learned to counter his game.

Not to worry, Torres, like all players have ups and downs, strikes of bad luck, but we have a hell of a player up front.

Come on Fernando!!

[bigmick]

Tell you what, if Torres was the biggest problem we'd have no worries. He looks a long way below his best to me (and I think he's carrying an injury rather than "tired" and has been for a bit) but despite that he always looks mega dangerous every time he plays. Quite simply he is a fantastic player and was a snip at what the manager paid for him. Rafa's best signing by about 50 miles.

[Johnny Boy]

How would you access Torres's season?

I think him playing such a big part in the Euro's for Spain hasn't done us any good at all.

Yeh, it's hardly debatable that when the player himself admits the competition tired him. I think we could talk about the same case in Macherano. More often than not summer bonus efforts do have a price to be paid by players. Some may argue that Alonso has played well, but it must be remembered that he was not asked that much of an effort as many times he came from the bench in the euro.

So a summer competition, and a bit of bad luck with the hamstring doesn't allow you getting on fire.

Plus, yesteryear wasn't Torres' first season in his football career, and yesteryear it was the best season of his career. I guess we can't ask him every year making his best year of the career!

The bit I disagree is the bit that "the opposition has worked him out to an extent" or something. The opposition may be got by surprise 5 games or so when a player arrives, but you can be sure they're fast learners and they have videos, so if a new player has an impact, pretty much for the second half of the season he's well known. I never bought that argument in Alonso's case when some fellow reds thought perhaps the oppositions have learned to counter his game.

Not to worry, Torres, like all players have ups and downs, strikes of bad luck, but we have a hell of a player up front.

Come on Fernando!!

Fair points guys.

I think what I meant by the "opposition working him out" etc etc is just that I feel he loses the ball more than he did last season.
When he has attempted to run at defenders and use his pace, it just seems to me a lot of the time the defender gets the better of him. A few times against Real, when admittedly carrying a knock, the defender just read what he was going to do. There was one moment when he got the ball just outside the area and almost just seemed to walk into a tackle and the defender just took it off him with ease - last season he would have nipped past him and fired an unstoppable shot into the top corner..whoooa calm down Johnny Boy, getting excited there.
Add to that the recent lack-lustre showings against Everton away in the cup and City in the league at home.

Can't explain it better really!

Roll on next season and Rafa please please buy a top class player to play up front with him.

[bigmick]

I agree with you John but I think it's because he isn't fit. I don't think he's been 100% right since he came back from injury to be totally honest.

[Johnny Boy]

I agree with you John but I think it's because he isn't fit. I don't think he's been 100% right since he came back from injury to be totally honest.

Fair enough mate. 

[Dundalk]

From www.guillembalague.com


The short answer to your first question is, no. Fernando Torres` future at Anfield is not directly linked to that of his manager`s: if Rafa Benitez were to leave, it does not mean that the Spanish forward would automatically follow.


Torres is very grateful to Rafa for all that he is doing for him, even admitting that Benitez has improved his game and made him understand where he was going wrong: something that, you may he surprised to hear, is not always the case with managers and players. However, if Rafa leaves, I have no reason to believe that Torres will automatically think about leaving as well, which is something that has been suggested in various reports.


With regard to your second question – will Torres stay? – well that is where we get in to the realms of hypothesis, and as you know, in football it is impossible to predict what is going to happen tomorrow, let alone following some hypothetical scenario in the future. For example, if Rafa were to leave and if he were to end up at a club with enormous resources and opportunities, and if he were to decide to make a move for Torres – then I suppose anything is possible; but that is a lot of ifs.


As Avram Grant found out when he was at Chelsea, when he informed Torres of his huge admiration for him as a player, and made him aware of his desire to sign him, Fernando Torres is at home at Liverpool football club. As Torres passed the message back to Avram Grant, and as he has told me in interviews on this website, he is very happy at Liverpool and he really does love the city, the fans and the football club.


http://www.guillembalague.com/rumores....Benitez

[bigmick]

I saw an interview with Rafa on the Beeb website where he said Torres will be fit for the Madrid return game, now it seems they are not so sure. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol....533.ece

I suppose we could always play N'Gog and go for the element of surprise. Kind of like shock and awe without the second bit.

[The_Rock]

I suppose we could always play N'Gog and go for the element of surprise. Kind of like shock and awe without the second bit.

Not showing Ngog the respect he deserves...... DO u know he is a goal-machine in europe. He has scored a goal in each of his european start this season    .....................