Serious question - Stevie or Nando as captain....

[Kenneth]

I'm with Craig on this one. We've all seen nando drop his head after getting fouled consistently by defenders, he proceeds to get the ball and just run straight in head down, resulting in usually losing the ball.

I think the most pertinent point is that Nando has said how in his first season he was happier because he wasn't club captain anymore and felt it let him get on with his game. I know that was his hometown club etc, but I'm not convinced he'd want to be captain even if he was offered it.

[Craig_H]

So does Carra and so did Gerrard in the past. In fact Gerrard used to lose his Rag and start making horrible tackles when he was frustrated. Think the captaincy made him focus more. Would expect the same were Torres to be made captain, which won't happen, but anyway.

Indeed. And you saying that isnt a negative dig, is it? It's just an accurate observation.

Perhaps magicbarnes struggles to distinguish between them.

[Kloppster]

Let's have a poll.

good idea, how do we setup one of them thingies

[the rev leeroy brown]

dont go for either nando or gerard. i've plumped for drogba. he'll score a shed load against stoke. mark my words.

[Kenneth]

good idea, how do we setup one of them thingies

No idea. Sorry.

[Havors]

Johnson for the clean sheet and the two assists he will make.... i can see the future! lol

[Ben_Itez]

Mmmm ive got Johnson, Gerrard and Torres in my fantasy team (which incidentally im doing pretty well in ) and ive had each of them captain. I think i might plump for Gerrard but will wait to the last possible moment for injuries etc.

I think we'll muller Burnley.

[Rafael Benítez Maudes]

i'm thinking of leaving out gerrard and torres from my fantasy team

we always win comfortably if i dont play them both.

i'd rather we won

than my fantasy team doing well.

[magicalbarnes]

Indeed. And you saying that isnt a negative dig, is it? It's just an accurate observation.

Perhaps magicbarnes struggles to distinguish between them.

An accurate observation? OK lets see.

How many games has Torres played for us? Approx 100

How many times have you seen him sulk? Approx 3? That could hardly be described as often.

More to the point how many times have you seen him ineffective?

[magicalbarnes]

Grow up you tit.

Cheers for that, im flattered.

I aint been called a tit since the school playground days in the 80's

[G]

For the last 2 seasons Gerrard has out scored Nando overall cos midfielders have more opportunities for points so for that reason Stevie is my captain overall.For this game I reckon I might make Nando my captain cos i think a bagful might be due.

[Craig_H]

An accurate observation? OK lets see.

How many games has Torres played for us? Approx 100

How many times have you seen him sulk? Approx 3? That could hardly be described as often.

More to the point how many times have you seen him ineffective?

****ing hell, Statto lives!

It's clear to anyone with eyes, that Torres DOES sometimes have games where he strops and gets narky with refs and/or opponents. This usually results in his effectiveness being considerably less, and lasts until he nets, upon which he's sharp, positive and lively again.

Where exactly did i use the word 'often' ? Oh look, i didnt. So perhaps it's better to actually go by what i've said, rather than what i havent.

Just one other question for you. If sulking isnt an issue with Torres, why do you suppose Rafa recently told him to quit it and keep his mind on the game, instead of arguing with refs?

Rafael Benítez has told Fernando Torres to accept the consequences of being a marked man after making the frank admission that Liverpool's record signing is distracted too easily by intimidation.

Torres has shown an increasing tendency to confront opponents or argue with match officials over the past 12 months and was involved in several run-ins with Tottenham Hotspur players, notably Tom Huddlestone, during Sunday's 2-1 defeat at White Hart Lane.

Benítez believes Torres's problems arise purely from the verbal or physical abuse meted out by rivals. The Liverpool manager is so concerned by the success of those tactics, however, and a growing consensus within the game that the striker can be put off his formidable stride, that he has taken the 25-year-old aside and ordered him to rise above the provocation.

"I have told him that he has to stop this," Benítez said. "He knows he has to improve this aspect of his game. He has to be completely focused on his football and he knows that the way forward is to respond to any intimidation by scoring. Sometimes it is not easy to deal with everything opponents do, but he knows he must deal with it in a different way."

Yet Benítez himself could be in trouble with the Football Association for his reaction to events at White Hart Lane. The Spaniard mocked the referee Phil Dowd in his post-match press conference and claimed the fourth official, Stuart Attwell, at 26 years old, was too young for the top level. Benítez will be asked to explain his comments before any possible charge is made.

Torres's home debut for Liverpool against Chelsea in August 2007 was notable not only for his first goal at Anfield but for how he responded to John Terry's attempted coercion with icy detachment. The transformation since, believes Benítez, stems from opponents recognising the threat posed by the Liverpool striker and a loss of focus that his manager is adamant will be corrected.

"In his first season he was really focused and I think he will do that again now," Benítez said. "He knows he has to improve a little bit in these things. He is a star and the defenders are really worried about him, but that is part of the game now."

Temperament aside, Torres's form was also a worry for the Liverpool manager at Spurs, although Benítez has no lasting doubts on that score and has cited Spain's involvement in the Confederations Cup in June as an unnecessary disruption to the striker's pre-season programme.

"He is physically fit, but match fitness is something that you get when you play games," explained the manager. "He only arrived with us on 19 July, we had the trip to Asia and he was playing 15 minutes, half an hour or 45 minutes. Then we had three days off and he played against Espanyol. We probably haven't had all the players together for more than one week, so it hasn't been easy.

"The problem we had was the Confederations Cup which is a very, very important tournament," Benítez said with more than a hint of sarcasm. "For a month the players were playing in a fantastic and important tournament."

Liverpool have an opportunity to recover from the Spurs defeat tonight when they play Stoke City at Anfield, with Torres pledging to attack from the start against a team that held Benítez's team to two goalless draws last season. "We couldn't win against them, so we are waiting for a very defensive team," the Liverpool striker said. "They will try to score from set pieces or from a long ball, but we have to be offensive and go from the first minute until the end to try to score. And if we can score in the first minute I am sure we can win."

Martin Skrtel is an injury doubt for Liverpool having suffered a hairline fracture of the jaw in a collision with Jamie Carragher at White Hart Lane, while his fellow central defender Daniel Agger has been ruled out for three more weeks with a back problem.

Benítez is continuing his search for defensive reinforcements and last night made a £1.5m bid for Sotirios Kyrgiakos of AEK Athens, who value the Greece international at £3m. The Liverpool manager is understood to have only £2m left to spend this summer, despite making a profit on deals during 2009. With not even the money he raises sure to be reinvested in the Liverpool squad, he is unlikely to sanction further sales, ending Hertha Berlin's hopes of re-signing Andriy Voronin on a long-term deal.

"We can't sell any more players as the Premier League is very demanding," he said. "We have some players injured now and if we lose any more then we won't have many options. It's important to keep the squad and try to find solutions."

[red g]

Even if Torres should be skipper, are we really going to strip one of our greatest ever players who has carried us for the majority of his career?

or is this just fantasy football based???

[Kloppster]

Even if Torres should be skipper, are we really going to strip one of our greatest ever players who has carried us for the majority of his career?

or is this just fantasy football based???

"just " fantasy football, but its very serious,....... I must beat the mancs ahead of me, I must ...... wont sleep.......... wont eat until I do so.......


sad, ...... very sad.... I know

[Rafael Benítez Maudes]

delete