The Mugging Of Fernando Torres

[tomasjj]

He is getting roughed up and little help from the ref.
If he didn't moan so much, he would get more frees.

That said, I'd like us to have someone up there with him to take the heat off him at times.
Perhaps Kuyt for some games.

[Ben_Itez]

I dont know if it's my imagination but we do seem to be getting pulled up for loads more minor fouls than we did last year. Maybe Keith Hackett highlighted our pressing and harrying (sp?) at the annual refs conference or summat. Either that or Mr Ferguson's had a word

The treatment handed out to Torres that's been going unpunished is scandalous though.

[kingfunk]

Imho the whole team have not "clicked" yet this season, they better soon, but once we do you`ll see us back to our best. Dont think we are being picked on by refs.

[Assassin]

Imho the whole team have not "clicked" yet this season, they better soon, but once we do you`ll see us back to our best. Dont think we are being picked on by refs.

I've seen pub teams play better than us this year. We seem to suffer more than most from the summer international circus. World cup and European Championship fair enough. But FFS Olympics, confederations cup, etc, etc.... what a load of bollcks. The players need an extended break in the summer, not being away up to 4 weeks half way around the world

[G]

He is getting roughed up and little help from the ref.
If he didn't moan so much, he would get more frees.

That said, I'd like us to have someone up there with him to take the heat off him at times.
Perhaps Kuyt for some games.

Is exactly my feeling on it too.

He didn't moan as much in his first season and it gets on my tits if I'm honest much like Mashers constant moaning did before he reduced it from his game.Answer them with goals lad its the only way.He's lethal and they will do anything they think they can to put him off his game.Every defender will take his constant whining as a sign of weakness and only do it more often.

Every Ref will see his constant whining as a pain in the arse and will only ignore him more,or book him as happened on Monday.

I Believe it was mentioned in the Echo before the Stoke game that Rafa had pulled him up on it too and told him to answer the rough house tactics with goals.

Its the only way

[Rafa_el_Gafa]

Teams know we play one up front so can double up their centre backs on Torres.

If we gave him a strike partner it would mean that he would be more regularly isolated one on one with defenders, hence avoiding the shi* being kicked out of him from all angles.

[Nicey]

He got battered last game .. like I say he looked like he did 3 rounds in the UFC by the time he was finished

[Kenneth]

This thread is a bit embarrassing really. Sound like a bunch of whinging pussies.

[bobbyfallon]

torres will be top scorer and we will win the league, keep the faith

[DannyMan2006]

torres will be top scorer and we will win the league, keep the faith

[dww]

Teams know we play one up front so can double up their centre backs on Torres.

If we gave him a strike partner it would mean that he would be more regularly isolated one on one with defenders, hence avoiding the shi* being kicked out of him from all angles.

I think that the problem we are having is related to what you say (i.e. isolation of Torres) but my conclusions are different. For me we need the three attacking players behind Torres to do a lot more. Gerrard has been poor so far this season in the main. Last season his bombing past Torres meant that defenders could not solely concentrate on one player.

The same is to a different degree true of how Benayoun and Kuyt performed last season compared to this. Part of the problem is that we are making seemingly contradictory demands at the minute - in that Lucas in for Alonso has meant that these three players are asked to do more play making deeper but we also need them to support Torres. the solution is not what we have been doing which is to end up with a stretched and disjointed team but to have intelligent movement concentrated more narrowly much of the time from Gerrard, Benayoun and Kuyt with width often provided by fullbacks. Between the three players if one is wide or deep at least one should also be looking to support Torres.

At our best last season that sort of intelligent attacking play was coming naturally. We need to get back to doing that. I actually think performance as opposed to result wise we are not playing much worse than we did at the start of last season. Due to the tactical nature of the setups employed both ourselves and United have in the last few seasons started playing less than brilliant football.

This season I think United have become less tactically complex but have suffered from a reduction in quality.

[Harv]

Torres just need to sharpen his elbows a bit.

Watch some Shearer vids on youtube Fernando. He was the master at catching someone just right with a well timed "accidental" elbow

[sniffer]

If he didn't moan so much, he would get more frees.

He plays for the wrong team you moan and play for manure you get free kicks.

2 goals in 3 games and he isn't playing at his best .................good return so far. He is lacking support but the time in now for Benitez to pull Gerrard back to the middle and play either Babel alongside Torres or play Benayoun behind Torres in the "Gerrard role"