Fernando Torres is back

[Norbs]

Re: Gerrard. How many players develop to play further up the field? Most age and drop deeper but Stevie just gets stronger. Maybe, when he turns 30, he'll turn in to a Robbie Fowleresque poacher

[Shaggy]

Fair enough you don't want to break up the Gerrard-Torres partnership but we need another top striker because when one of them is injured we have problems. Can't win the league with just 2 match winners

But we couldn't keep Keane or Crouch happy, and I assume you'd want someone better than either of those two? I know exactly what you mean but I just don't see how we can bring in another top striker.

[datty]

watch this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLZRWNdGCUc&NR=1 motd will be on soon pissed as a cunt but must stay up to see it ynwa good day or what?

[Ben_Itez]

But we couldn't keep Keane or Crouch happy, and I assume you'd want someone better than either of those two? I know exactly what you mean but I just don't see how we can bring in another top striker.

Exactly. No-one we bring in is realistically going to replace either of those two so they'll have to accept a role of back up and only play the big games when Torres or Gerrard are injured. It's a tricky one but as you say Keane or Crouchy werent happy with it and we'll be hard pressed to sign such established players on our budget and without guaranteed playing time. Let's hope our youngsters Ngog, Nemeth, Pachecho et al are capable of stepping up and providing us with options along with Babel and Kuyt.

[Shaggy]

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/torres-ticks-all-boxes-of-striker-in-supreme-form-1645268.html

Torres ticks all boxes of striker in supreme form

By Ian Herbert at Old Trafford


Sunday, 15 March 2009

Fact: Fernando Torres is the finest striker in world football on current form. It just wasn't the one that Manchester United supporters would have chosen to scribble last night on to the blank Fact Sheet that Manchester United's Red Issue fanzine had helpfully provided, with Rafa Benitez's January outburst in mind, for those "feeling the pressure at work" and "in need of a handy aid for your failing memory".

Torres is an individual whose display will live long in the memory here, with United's own failed pursuit of the player before Benitez picked up the telephone and drew on his nationality to hire him in the summer of 2007 just another reason for despair today.

It is not just the Spaniard's pace, composure and vision which raise Liverpool's level but the way he drives the entire side on, remarkable in a 24-year-old in only his second English season.

What complexion would it have taken had Torres and Steven Gerrard played a fuller part together? The two have an exquisite understanding but have started only nine games together this season, Torres hamstrung and limited to 16 out of Liverpool's 29 League games.

"These two players are key for us when they are on the pitch," Benitez reflected last night. "The rest of the team has confidence if you can play both of them. It makes a massive difference. When you don't have one of them it's a big loss."

As has so often been the case during the course of his career, Gerrard took some time yester-day to make an impact on Old Trafford, a ground at which he had not scored on 15 occasions. Last season, as Liverpool plunged to a demoralising 3-0 Old Trafford defeat, Torres laboured too. His irritation earned him a booking that day, beginning a chain of events which culminated in Javier Mascherano being sent off.

Yesterday, Torres picked up directly where he had left off against Real Madrid five days ago. Rio Ferdinand's answer to his threat was something they used to call obstruction; purposefully turning his back on the advancing whirl of grey and waiting for a collision to happen. He got away with it. Vidic, whose form was opening a debate on the merits of defenders being named as candidates for the Player of the Season, had no such answers. He was pulverised by Torres in a way which may take him some time to recover from.

Torres's goal – the Spaniard's right boot nudging past Vidic a ball sent up from Martin Skrtel which the Serbian had lost in flight – was just the start.

A few minutes later, Torres caught Vidic square on and slipped the ball through his legs; then he headed a ball past him which Ferdinand had to tidy up.

The particular telepathy between Torres and Gerrard has been evident for many weeks. Many a time before Robbie Keane left Liverpool he would shake his head forlornly after one of the two had sought out the other with a ball, instead of him. Torres it was who played through the Liverpool captain and let him show pace that was too much for Patrice Evra, who ploughed Gerrard down for a penalty.

The die was cast after that. As Benitez outlined on Friday, going ahead is everything for Liverpool, and Benitez could fully implement his strategy of denying United space between the lines.

But Torres and Gerrard still looked capable of cutting through United's central defence at will, and Vidic's dismissal, by no means a turning point in the match and with Gerrard clear to shoot, looked like a blessing for him.

Most of Gerrard's 28 years have been spent in reveries of Liverpool's supporters shouting "We want five" at Old Trafford and he radiated delight.

"To score a goal after all the stick I've had here in the last 10 years is nice," he said. "We have to keep going to win games," Torres reminded him.

The inability of any side bar Liverpool and Arsenal to defeat United this season suggests that Benitez still needs a miracle, but with these two forces of nature at his disposal there is good reason for the neutrals to study the top of the Premier League of a Sunday morning for a few more weeks yet.

The goalkeeper who recently went 1,300 minutes without conceding had just let four in, so for once Benitez's analysis is one everyone can understand. "It's football," he said. "So anything can happen."

[Shaggy]

FFS


TORRES CLUB v COUNTRY ROW
Liverpool striker faces nightmare over Spain's Confderations Cup bid

By CHRIS BASCOMBE, 14/03/2009

FERNANDO TORRES is facing a club versus country dilemma over Spain’s involvement in this summer’s Confederations Cup.

Liverpool are desperate for their £21million striker to sit out the event and enjoy a prolonged rest after a string of injuries hampered his second season at Anfield.


But Torres is a certainty to be picked for the FIFA tournament in June. A Kop source said: “The Confederations Cup is the last thing Fernando needs this summer. It means he won’t get the long holiday and rest he needs.


“No one will try to stop Fernando playing in the competition but everyone hopes he’ll make a sensible decision if he’s not fully fit.”

[wiw]

****sake

[MrMichael]

The best centre back partnership in the Prem as we are told, and he single-handedly gave them a torrid runaroud. He really is the best in the business.

I hate Sky and think they invariably spout ****e, but they are right, the fulcrum of our attacking play is the partnership of Gerrard and Torres, and to have had them play together in only a third of our games has seriously hampered our title challenge.

It also makes the signing of Robbie Keane seem like ****ing insanity when realistically the only position he could play in the team would involve breaking up the Gerrard-Torres partnership

According to Setanta at ~12:46 today, "the best CB partnership in the HISTORY of the prem".

MUUUUUUAHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Half fit and he absolutely murdered them today

[wiw]

According to Setanta at ~12:46 today, "the best CB partnership in the HISTORY of the prem".

MUUUUUUAHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Half fit and he absolutely murdered them today

According to Dowie wasn't it?

All the bollocks they've chatted about us we have well and truly rammed down their ****ing throats

[Lee]

FFS


TORRES CLUB v COUNTRY ROW
Liverpool striker faces nightmare over Spain's Confderations Cup bid

By CHRIS BASCOMBE, 14/03/2009

FERNANDO TORRES is facing a club versus country dilemma over Spain’s involvement in this summer’s Confederations Cup.

Liverpool are desperate for their £21million striker to sit out the event and enjoy a prolonged rest after a string of injuries hampered his second season at Anfield.


But Torres is a certainty to be picked for the FIFA tournament in June. A Kop source said: “The Confederations Cup is the last thing Fernando needs this summer. It means he won’t get the long holiday and rest he needs.


“No one will try to stop Fernando playing in the competition but everyone hopes he’ll make a sensible decision if he’s not fully fit.”

Another positive Bascombe story

Torres needs a rest... ****ing hell, if he and Gerrard can stay fit next season then we will piss the league

[MrMichael]

According to Dowie wasn't it?

All the bollocks they've chatted about us we have well and truly rammed down their ****ing throats

I think so, yeah.... same guy who said Carrick's the best holding midfielder in the world, then Lucas and Masch went on to make him look like a pub player

[wiw]

I think so, yeah.... same guy who said Carrick's the best holding midfielder in the world, then Lucas and Masch went on to make him look like a pub player

****ing love it

[Reece]

Man I ****ing love Torres, love him

We actually have THE best out and out striker in the world, and the best midfielder-cum*-in the hole player in the world in our team, and it feels ****ing great!



* pun intended

[bdp1978]

i missed the first 10 mins of the madrid game, has anyone got a link to torres' turn in the 4th(i think) minute. i would be eternally grateful

[EwarWoo]

i missed the first 10 mins of the madrid game, has anyone got a link to torres' turn in the 4th(i think) minute. i would be eternally grateful

Try this:

http://www.yousendit.com/download/UmNJUGhlK3h0NjlFQlE9PQ

No exactly HD quality but better than you'll get on YouTube.

I left the build up in as well, was a fantastic move worth watching. Many times.