Things finally seemed to be going right for Liverpool. Kenny Dalglish had had an extremely positive effect on the club with the Reds playing some attractive football. Fernando Torres seemed to be coming back to his best and Luis Suarez was just signed for 27 million. This might have been the start of the comeback and Liverpool fans hoped that all the misery was finally behind them.
But it was not to be. Torres handed in a transfer request as Chelsea came calling. Liverpool were quick to reject the transfer request. Liverpool might have rejected the request but one can’t help but feel that his departure is imminent.
This move, if it transpires, could be bad for both the club as well as for the career of Fernando Torres. Torres has endured a fairly tough 2010-2011 season as he has struggled to score goals consistently and seems to be lacking any sort of confidence in front of goal.
But under Dalglish he seemed to be enjoying a resurgence in form as he scored three goals in four matches. More than the goals scored he seemed to be playing with the confidence of a man with faith in his abilities. Even if he didn’t score he was looking sharp, his movement was good, he was creating chances and had confidence in front of goal.
Torres is in a crucial phase of his career. He moved to Liverpool to win trophies, something which he has failed to do. His stay at Liverpool has been extremely successful in terms of individual performances as he has scored goals regularly and is the fastest Liverpool player to score 50 goals for the Merseyside club.
This season he seems to have put his struggles behind him and seems to be going from strength to strength. One of the main reasons for his struggles was the lack of a proper strike partner. The likes of David N’Gog and Ryan Babel were just not good enough to support the Spaniard. Now that problem seems to have been erased with the signing of Suarez.
In Suarez, Torres has a strike partner who is skilled and talented. Suarez scored 49 goals for Ajax in just 48 matches last season. Torres now has a strike partner who can take the goal scoring burden off his back.
Torres has shown that he can perform wonders with a good striker partner when he played with David Villa for the Spanish National side.
Dalglish has a history of forming deadly strike partnerships when in charge of a club. The likes of Peter Beardsley/John Aldridge and Ian Rush/Aldridge immediately come to mind. Liverpool fans would have felt that he could do the same with Torres and Suarez.
Just when Liverpool fans could see light at the end of the tunnel, Torres drops this bombshell.
According to me, Torres should stay with Liverpool at least until the summer. His form is improving and with the signing of Suarez, and with Dalglish at the helm, it is bound to become better.
Suppose his deal with Chelsea were to go through, he is not guaranteed a place in the starting lineup. Chelsea have the likes of Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka, both of whom are world-class strikers themselves. So Torres would not be able to walk into the team like he can at Liverpool. That would mean less playing time.
Also the Liverpool fans adore Torres. Despite his initial indifferent form, they stuck by his side and supported him.
Although his form has been improving, he is not back to his best. Chelsea are aiming to retain the Premier League this year and the fans would accept nothing but the best from Torres. He will not get the same adoration at Chelsea and will have to earn a place in the starting lineup.
Liverpool are going through a tough time now, and if Torres were to leave that would tarnish his image. Many people are of the feeling that the fact that he has handed in a transfer request means that he cannot play up to his optimum levels and now there is no option but to sell him.
Let us not forget players like Carlos Tevez and Wayne Rooney. These players, despite handing in transfer requests, stayed at the club and continued to play with heart and passion for their clubs.
With the signing of Suarez and the fact that Dalglish is the manager, it is best for Torres to stay at Liverpool.
Torres’ form is improving and a transfer to Chelsea can only affect his performances.
This article is also featured on Sportsbuzz, my blog.
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