opinionhall

Fernando Torres – Why now?

06 Feb 2011 8 Comments

by Opinion Hall in Football Tags: Torres Chelsea CFC Liverpool LFC MUFC Blackpool Adam Barcelona

Let me make myself clear before I start this blog on my views of the Fernando Torres sale from Liverpool to Chelsea. Firstly, being a Manchester United fan I find it difficult to write about my sympathy I have with Liverpool Football Club on how their prized asset has packed his bags and left in an instant. Due to the rivalry between the Manchester United and Liverpool over the years I would be inclined to just laugh about the whole story and wind up my Liverpool supporting friends non stop for the next 6 – 12 months. However it has really hit home to me recently the state in which football is currently in and the loyalty and respect from the players to the fans.

I do not like the way which players make radical statements, such as Torres claiming that he would never play for another english team early last year. Statements like these are never a guarantee, but they only strive to infuriate fans when the player does decide to change his mind only months later. From a fans perspective I would have so much more respect for a player if they spoke the truth. For Instance, could a Liverpool fan argue with Torres if he had said that he wants to be successful in his career and if the club does not improve he may seek a transfer in the future? This honesty would be embraced by many fans in my opinion. Liverpool would have also benefitted from the honesty, as it is possible the club would have sold the player at a more convenient time or put money into the club to show intent of ambition to the player. With Torres’ goal record at Liverpool taken into account the fans could not have been infuriated about using the honesty policy as without him Liverpool would have struggled over the past three years.

Joining a club like Chelsea in the January transfer window also appears a strange move to me, even though they are without doubt the better team at present when you compare the two clubs. Joining Chelsea in January, in the league position they are currently in does not instantly tell me that Torres is going to win a Premiership winners medal. Chelsea would have to go almost undefeated in the remaining games to stand a chance of retaining the trophy. There are three teams in a better position than Chelsea in the league, being, Manchester United, Arsenal and Manchester City. I cannot see how Chelsea will string together enough results to accumulate more points than all three teams. The FA Cup is also an impossibility for Torres as he has already turned out in the competition for Liverpool against Manchester United. So there are two competitions this season which he cannot win.

Then there is the champions league. Torres may feel that Chelsea still being involved in the tournament will give him his first piece of important silverware in club football. But, I have one word to say that will make him reconsider that thought, and that word is Barcelona. If Barcelona do not win the champions league this year I think the whole of world football will be confused and possibly wonder why only Victor Valdes came out of the tunnel to play. Lets face it, if Barcelona have 11 men on the pitch there is no team stopping them this season!

Based on my assessment, could Torres’ best chance of silverware have been staying at Liverpool to win the Europa League? In my opinion that would be yes. Liverpool have made a very good signing in Luis Suarez and he would have still been signed regardless of the sale of Torres. Who knows, he and Suarez could have formed a succesful partnership which brought Liverpool storming up the league table. This would have left the club in a better position and he could have left in the summer without causing so much resentment towards him from the fans. Obviously we wouldn’t have seen if Torres could have formed a partnership with Andy Carroll as he was bought (excessively) using the funds from his sale.

Another point to ponder for fans would be how far would Torres be willing to go for success? or money, depending on the true motives. That is an argument maybe for another day. What would his stance have been if Manchester United had placed a bid? Surely not i here you say. But that would have been the most logical move if he was chasing quick success, if you think about league position. United are in the Champions League still but i am not going to claim we will win that this year for obvious Messi, Xavi & Iniesta related reasons. Manchester City could have also been a destination for him to go if a bid had been placed as they have bottomless pockets and arguably the most plausible ambition in English football over the next few years due to the amount of money and firepower being pumped into the club.

Looking back at the whole episode I feel that a 2011 summer exit would have been a much more widely accepted move for Torres. This would be similar to the inevitable move for Charlie Adam. Although not at the same level as Torres, Adam has been playing for Blackpool giving 100%  effort every game even just days after handing in a transfer request. The Adam scenario, where it does have certain similarities, is not a direct comparison as he has no chance of European football at his current club and no doubt a few noughts missing from the end of his pay cheque. Torres didn’t need to strike while the iron was hot and make the move in an instant because the whole world knows about his ability, and even when he is off form we all know about the potential when he finds his form again. This is the reason why all clubs would sign him whatever run of form he is in at the time and still pay a premium price.  Charlie Adam is not in Torres’ position, nobody knows if up to now his performances for the first of the season have been a one off. Charlie Adam may have a poor 2011 and interest from the big clubs may move away, thus removing any chance he would have of playing for a top team. Adam taying at Blackpool for the rest of the season will give them a great chance to stay in the premiership and surpass anybody’s expectation they had at the start of the season.

Having a bit more respect for the club and fans Torres could have assisted Liverpool in making a decent finish to the last half of the season and secure them a spot in the Europa League again. Then he could have made the move down south. This would have caused less emotion from the fans and offered a valid argument to move at that stage (Assuming Chelsea make the Champions League and Liverpool do not). A few may bring up the point that Torres is being influenced a great deal by his advisors, but when it comes to the crunch it is his signature which finalises every aspect of what has enraged so many.