One good reason why Torres should play tomorrow at Wigan

[Johnny]

He should play because he is our best striker by a mile.

I don't think we have scored a single goal in the league yet without Torres, that is another very good reason.

If we want to play with pace in the attack then Torres is a must.

He gives us a mental advantage even before the game.

I think Torres should play in all 63 of our games this yr.

[Diego]

Rafa on torres...

Has his hat-trick guaranteed him a place in the team to face Wigan?

I am not stupid. I know if a player is playing well and is fit, and I don't have a player better than him or at the same level, then I must use that player.
But I don't want to say yes, because Kuyt and Voronin are playing really well, Crouch is playing well also, so why do I need to say this one must play because he has scored three goals?
Voronin scored one goal in the Champions League then was not playing and Kuyt was the same.
The situation for me is similar. We are creating chances for all the strikers and they are scoring goals. For me all of them are similar and I need to decide which one is better for each game.

Do you get bored of all the talk about rotation?

At Valencia it was the same. I was there three years and I remember in my first season we were 13 games unbeaten and they were saying maybe he will be sacked. Even after 13 games without losing.
I was rotating the players and then in one particular game against Espanyol they said if he loses he will get the sack.
We were losing 2-0 at half-time and I took off (Pablo) Aimar, who was the star of the team and then we won 3-2 and people said I was lucky! You need to take these decisions and when you analyse your squad you know that during the season you will make some mistakes.
But you must look at the big picture and maybe with one mistake you have prepared the team for 10 other games.
Torres was talking about having fresh legs but if you use him against Birmingham and then against Reading maybe he will not be ready for playing against Wigan and Marseille.
In this case I am sure 100 per cent certain that I made the right decision.

lfc.tv

[El Jefecito]

It may make sense in the long term but it doesn't make any sense at all if we want to win the league this season but Torres is likely to score against every team so maybe it makes sense after all.

Rafa obviously believes that the squad can keep us in contention until the final 15 games. He's consistently said that the final 15 games are the most important, as that is when you are playing for trophies. He's trying to make sure that the team is ready for those 15 games. I happen to agree with him. Maybe you don't.

[AFII]

Rafa obviously believes that the squad can keep us in contention until the final 15 games. He's consistently said that the final 15 games are the most important, as that is when you are playing for trophies. He's trying to make sure that the team is ready for those 15 games. I happen to agree with him. Maybe you don't.

Well, if you look at our squad then Torres is our only excellent new signing. Leto, Babel and Lucas may be that but not this season. Take away Torres and we don't have that much better squad than last season. Losing Garcia was a big blow.

If we want to play with a high tempo then Torres is a must. Take away him and the only quick attacking players left are Gerrard and Babel.

Gerrard plays in midfield and Babel is still adapting.

[El Jefecito]

Well, if you look at our squad then Torres is our only excellent new signing. Leto, Babel and Lucas may be that but not this season. Take away Torres and we don't have that much better squad than last season. Losing Garcia was a big blow.

If we want to play with a high tempo then Torres is a must. Take away him and the only quick attacking players left are Gerrard and Babel.

Gerrard plays in midfield and Babel is still adapting.

We played a high tempo last season. Why can we not do it now, just because Torres isn't in the team?

High tempo is based on the speed of passing, not just the speed of running

[red g]

Well, if you look at our squad then Torres is our only excellent new signing. Leto, Babel and Lucas may be that but not this season. Take away Torres and we don't have that much better squad than last season. Losing Garcia was a big blow.

If we want to play with a high tempo then Torres is a must. Take away him and the only quick attacking players left are Gerrard and Babel.

Gerrard plays in midfield and Babel is still adapting.

thats bollox!!! babel has had hardly any games so far. beni, Babel, leto, lucas any of those players could be excellent if injuries/suspensions or they get a chance to play regularly/

Torres looks excellent sooo far, give the others chance Henry and bergkamp both took a good 15 games to be upto speed in this league

[El Jefecito]

thats bollox!!! babel has had hardly any games so far. beni, Babel, leto, lucas any of those players could be excellent if injuries/suspensions or they get a chance to play regularly/

Torres looks excellent sooo far, give the others chance Henry and bergkamp both took a good 15 games to be upto speed in this league

Well said

[rage]

reina isn't rotated. carragher isn't rotated nor is gerrard. Torres shouldn't be rotated. They are arguably the best players in their positions and would get into any premiership starting 11.

Rafa is both very proud and very very stubborn.

[andyinswinton]

This rotation thing is getting blown out of all proportion.

Yes, we would all love to see Torres play every game but it isn't going to happen. I douby that there will be more than a handfull of players who will start every game this season and I doubt that of those players, none will be playing in the Champions League.

Resting Torres against Birmingham isn't an issue for me. We should be beating them with two from Kuyt, Crouch or Voronin. If we was rotating Torres against the big teams that it would be different but a Birmingham at home? We should be beating them with ease.

The other thing is, if Torres gets injured or suspended, somebody has to come in and play. There has to be some sort of understanding between the others who will play. How can that happen in a match situation if they don't ever play together?

I'm not for rotation but I'm not totally against it either. I'd rather start with the best team and make changes when a game is won. Having said that with the squad we have, we should be able to beat the vast amount of teams in the Premiership. The rotation of Torres and the speculation surrounding it is just mental.

[cobain]

Even if we don't play with Torres, Bramble will score for us.

[AFII]

thats bollox!!! babel has had hardly any games so far. beni, Babel, leto, lucas any of those players could be excellent if injuries/suspensions or they get a chance to play regularly/

Torres looks excellent sooo far, give the others chance Henry and bergkamp both took a good 15 games to be upto speed in this league

The mentioned players will need time to adapt to the team. Can you really see Leto and Lucas getting a game in the league if we don't get an injury crisis?

I can't. That means that they won't be match fit if we get an injury crisis and it will take them two, three, four games to be that, by then someone should be back and then they are out again after a game or two.

Babel and Benayoun are the only ones that is anywhere near a starting XI place and both of them will need at least a few months before they can perform at their best.

The key is. They could be excellent, but not in the next months if we don't get an injury crisis.

[El Jefecito]

This rotation thing is getting blown out of all proportion.

You know, I think we should get of rid of this word rotation. Rafa doesn't rotate he picks the players who are fittest and will be most effective against the next opposition.

Rotation makes it sound like he just changes players all the time. He doesn't far more thought goes into it.

[AFII]

But if he picks the striker who would be most effective against a team then Torres would play every game

[El Jefecito]

But if he picks the striker who would be most effective against a team then Torres would play every game

Obviously, his definition (all things considered, including thes stuff I outlined previously) of "most effective against a team" is different than yours!

Also remember he's only just now working out which partnerships do and don't work. Don't forget, Torres has only been here for 6 games!!!!!!!!!!

[rage]

and in that 6 games its clear to see that he has more of a goal threat coming from his hairband than all three of the other strikers put together.

Why are Reina, Carragher and Gerrard picked for almost every league game and not Torres? I'll bet £100 towards any charity right here right now that rotating our strikers this way will mean we do not win the title.

I don't care which of the other 3 play alongside torres but i'd much rather torres be tired in january and we still be in the title race than be left behind by mid october.