Fernando Torres has gone to Chelsea.
It’s a strange thing to read, especially for a Liverpool fan. It is certainly the biggest event, transfer-wise, to have occurred within my two decades or so of Liverpool fandom, and the general reaction of the fans towards our ex-best player (let’s face it, he was) seems to be one of overriding animosity. This hostility is not so much because Torres wanted to leave Liverpool, but more due to the timing and destination of his eventual departure. However, while these two factors do, at first, seem completely justified reasons for bitterness, my resentment towards Torres does not in fact stem from either of these, but with his conduct on the pitch at the back end of his Liverpool career.
Yes, it is true that the timing of his transfer request could not have been much worse for Liverpool Football Club – it left us with approximately 48 hours to negotiate an appropriately obscene sum with Chelsea (which I think was done very successfully), and to identify and acquire an adequate replacement at a time when players are significantly overpriced. And as a result we ended up paying thirty five million pounds sterling for an injured player with precisely six fairly good, if unexceptional, months of top-flight experience in his career. Gracias, Nando. However, I find it difficult to see this as something we should blame the player himself for. Chelsea made their move for Torres (thus informing him of their consolidated interest) towards the end of the transfer window for good reasons – to force Liverpool’s hand somewhat, as well as to make their bid at a time when they could be absolutely sure there would be no bidding war with fellow Torres-seducers Manchester City, whose marquee acquisition had been to bring in Edin Dzeko a week or so earlier. As soon as the bid was lodged, Torres handed in his transfer request, and the unthinkable soon became the inevitable. It was a painful couple of days, but the poor timing of it isn’t something I necessarily pin on the player.
But, as every Liverpool fan will have lamented, why them? Why, Nando, could you not at least have shown us the respect and graciousness of moving abroad, like McManaman, Owen and Rush? Why go to Chelsea, the club that almost perfectly typifies the exact antithesis of all that Liverpool fans (rightly or wrongly) see their club to stand for – a club with no real ‘history’, no matchday atmosphere, and who conduct themselves both on and off the pitch with all the class and dignity of a night out with Andy Carroll? Well, I would ask, were his options really as numerous as his talent might suggest? A move to Real Madrid is pretty much unthinkable for both parties considering his footballing upbringing, and Inter Milan have never been known to lodge any concrete interest in the player. Could Barcelona or AC Milan fit him anywhere into their already star-studded and well-refined front lines? Highly unlikely. And a move to the Bundesliga would not have done Torres’ talent (or ego) justice, regardless of the fact there was no apparent interest from Germany. (Plus, if Torres and Robben were to reside in the same city, Munich may well need to be quarantined due to the potentially hazardous levels of oestrogen in the atmosphere). So his options seemed very limited; in the end limited to one. And, I would argue, £50 million for a soon to be 27-year-old player who fits the Owen-esque ‘pacey striker with history of hamstring injuries’ bracket – let alone did not want to be at Anfield – seems a fine price to me.
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Fair article.
Only thing I would add is that he was crap and apparently disinterested at the world cup too. Either he couldnt snap out of his Liverpool sulk, he had a real problem of some sort leading to his massive deteriation in form (which may or may not be over – we shall see in the next few months)or as you say, he has Owens desease in which case £50m is very good business indeed.
“You were a truly great Liverpool player”- He is a great footballer… but on his attitude, a good, not great, Liverpool player.. and certainly never a legend!
Actually all things considered, the timing has actually been perfect, had he left for an astronomical fee under H&G, where might you suppose that money might have ended up Texas maybe?
You are right mate
1 question – why do you persist with this idea that Chelsea have no “real history”. Do Notts County have a history – as the first league team I would have thought so – but they don’t have your trophy room. I guess we only have “new” fans. Funny how we have the 5th highest average league attendance of all time (despite far less success – at least until recently). I’m sure you’ll now point to a few games in the 80’s with crowds of less than 10k as if that represents our support over the last 106 years (not “real” years of course – otherwise we’d have a history). Maybe you should check out the 12k who packed into Anfield for a 1st round European Cup game in 1982. At least our crap crowds where in the 2nd division “when we were sh*t”. Or maybe the fact that your highest ever league attendance (25,000 below ours) was against us in the 50’s – when we clearly didn’t even properly exist. I could go on – you will probably say I already have, but you are a club we used to have respect for until we gatecrashed your trophy winning elite (we get much of the same from Arsenal) & all the bitterness spewed out. See you Sunday.
Calm down John. Your points are sound and I for the most part agree – the qualification of “rightly or wrongly” in that part of the article implies no such judgement is being made by the author, simply reflecting that it is true of many fans.
I’m calm now – honest! It’s almost an automatic reaction now. I need to get out a little more.
Yes but what ever, Chelsea are cheats because they spend Romans money..
When fifa fair rules kick in will you be able to spend 50 mill on another player? NO
You will be psending what you earn profit, about 20 mill per year I reckon..
As a Chelsea fan i would like to say, compared to sum i have read recently this is an articulated account of the Torres transfer, albeit with the exclusion of the announcement of Torres’s intention before Suarez committing, engineered by LFC….much as the others have also.
However, i guess this whole episode has highlighted a real geographical/demographical difference between the two areas/peoples involved, perhaps more than any other transfer in recent times.
We as football fans are incredibly excited by the Torres capture and the promise of goals and football excellence the guy has shown for both club and country, but that’s as far as it goes. I can, hand on heart confirm that myself or any my fellow fans will never become as contorted with anger and ire as i have witnessed from both LFC fans and “Legends” recently….frankly we have other, bigger and more important things to worry about….!
If Drogba, Lamps or Terry were to move on…which they obviously will at some point..they will go with our blessing and gratitude, if they were to return with other clubs i can confirm, as others before them they will be welcomed back as whole heartedly as when they ran onto the pitch for us in bygone days.
I’m guessing through hard times in the past you guys have clung to your football and it has been a relief in overcoming the doldrums of economic strife, a religion unifying all from the daily struggle.
Well we as Chelsea fans haven’t really had to experience that, so again i’m guessing this is why you are taking things a little bit too seriously with this guy, who let’s face it is trying to earn a living doing what he loves…in a very small window in his life, when and where it’s at all possible.
Why can’t you all just give the guy a break, loyalty and honour is a two way thing, he was let down a few times before he turned his back on you.
Anyway apologies if i’ve rambled a bit…a tad pissed at the moment and all the best for the season.
Bye the way i think you have made a couple of great signings…Carroll with the right guidance will lead the England line within three years…Cheers. A
It has been reported that the timing of Torres’ announcement and the transfer request were tied in with the capture of Suarez’s signature and DICTATED by Liverpool, so why the player is held accountable I fail to see. Surely you (everyone) will appreciate that much activity takes place before these things go public?
I agree with the last part, yes – we can’t be sure of what may have gone on behind the scenes prior to any ‘official’ approach, but I was under the firm impression that the Club signed Suarez to play alongside Torres, not as a direct replacement.
I feel let down by Fernando, i wouldn’t have minded if he had left in the summer but it was his timing. But oh well we all have to move on, theres a new era at Anfield a few new reasons to be optimisitic for our future, Andy Carroll, Luis El-Pistolero Suarez, King Kenny and our new owners.
I see that Fernandos website changed overnight from Red of LFC to Blue of Chavski, but its good to see hes still supporting the Liverpool Disabled Supporters Association……YNWA
I also notice this myth, being put about that he deliberately did not perform at the heights he did when he first arrived during the last 18 months, well if he did, it cost him a place in the Spanish World Cup winning side and has tainted his on field reputation as he’s struggled with injuries.
I think we need to get a sense of realism and accept we don’t know all the facts and have been fortunate that the timing of his departure and the circumstances around it have left us with two terrific strikers and more money to spend in the summer.
Good luck Nando, not all reds are bitter with what you’ve done.