Topic: Fernando Torres

[I've been a good boy]

Well Coutinho isn't a forward.

Got it in one!

[paulrazor]

all that aside we were definitely in Vidic's head and a lot was down to Torres

Wasnt all because of him (and indeed for most Torres wasnt even on the pitch) but the guy had 4 red cards against us

we did make him look foolish

[Cu Chulainn]

Spot the odd one out

Sturridge winning the Champions League for two different clubs. 

Well Coutinho isn't a forward.

Well, he isn't exactly a midfielder either, but okay, we'll call him an attacker instead. Pedant!

[classycarra]

all that aside we were definitely in Vidic's head and a lot was down to Torres

Wasnt all because of him (and indeed for most Torres wasnt even on the pitch) but the guy had 4 red cards against us

we did make him look foolish

Spot on mate. S is being daft.

The red cards were nothing to do with Torres, just self destruction. Yeah, ok! Exclude those to suit this random agenda S

[Red Beret]

Well, he isn't exactly a midfielder either, but okay, we'll call him an attacker instead. Pedant!

He's not extraordinary either - as Barcelona have found out.

Wasn't all his fault, given we had G&H at the time, oh and fucking Hodgson as well.  But his attempts at justifying himself since have been positively cringeworthy.

[jillcwhomever]

I don't have any hard feelings against him to be honest, the club was such a mess at the time. When he was hot for us he was one of our most exciting strikers, it was quite sad to see the way he declined. I wonder if he will stay in football or if he has something else planned?

[LallanaInPyjamas]

I don't have any hard feelings against him to be honest, the club was such a mess at the time. When he was hot for us he was one of our most exciting strikers, it was quite sad to see the way he declined. I wonder if he will stay in football or if he has something else planned?

Why is it always written out of pro-Torres history that we'd had new owners for three months when he left?

[Statto Red]

Why is it always written out of pro-Torres history that we'd had new owners for three months when he left?

The disappointment was, the new owners & most management staff were willing to let him go, & didn't fight to keep him, i'm sure Torres would have stayed if he felt wanted.

[LallanaInPyjamas]

The disappointment was, the new owners & most management staff were willing to let him go, & didn't fight to keep him, i'm sure Torres would have stayed if he felt wanted.

Maybe. That's certainly how he has since spun things. But he seemed pretty gleeful about leaving for such a 'top level club' at the time.

[Dubred]

Maybe. That's certainly how he has since spun things. But he seemed pretty gleeful about leaving for such a 'top level club' at the time.

I'm not so sure he's telling the truth.

You can still google his first interview with Chelsea when he joined them.

He makes it perfectly clear he's joining them because there's no one better than them, and he wants to fulfill his football ambitions and they can help him do it.

I simply think he moved because he saw a better opportunity to win trophies, and probably get more money for it.

No problem with that really.  Just tell it as it is.

[LallanaInPyjamas]

I'm not so sure he's telling the truth.

You can still google his first interview with Chelsea when he joined them.

He makes it perfectly clear he's joining them because there's no one better than them, and he wants to fulfill his football ambitions and they can help him do it.

I simply think he moved because he saw a better opportunity to win trophies, and probably get more money for it.

No problem with that really.  Just tell it as it is.

Yep. My position exactly. I've no issues with his decision now. But the way people have lapped up his revisionist and biased public statements since it all went stale for him is baffling.

[sms1986]

[Persephone]

What a player at his peak with us, gave me so many great memories and his partnership with Stevie was a thing of beauty. I don't resent him anymore, I understand his reasons for leaving and I believe his version over that of Purslow. Time heals all wounds and I choose to remember the goals v Blackburn, Man It's and Chelsea over the bitterness of his leaving.

Hope his retirement years are filled with joy, and maybe one day he'll be up in the stands supporting the players.

[El Lobo]

It was pretty awesome when Dagger fucking floored him in his rentboy debut

[Linudden]

Good luck to Fernando in whatever he does next - I wonder if he will consider coaching?

What a player. That speed, strength and ruthless finishing is such a rare and deadly combination. I always had complete faith that whenever he was one-on-one with the goalkeeper, it was a goal, but what I'll remember the most is the goals he scored that he had absolutely no right to, like that volley against Blackburn or that bending shot against Chelsea... and the time he barged past Vidic like he was nothing. He could do pretty much anything. I bet Jurgen would absolutely love him.

Amazing player and he'll always be a Red in my book. Said a page or so back, for fans of my age, he is the first great #9 we've ever watched. We've been blessed with some extraordinary forwards since - Suarez, Sturridge, Coutinho, Mane, Salah, Bobby, Ings - but it's very hard to beat a peak Nando. Legendary Liverpool #9!

With all due respect, but  In that company?

Also, Coutinho was definitely not a forward, but nevermind. But Ings over Kuyt is... interesting.

[oojason]

'Fernando Torres goals 2007-2010 - English Commentary':-

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/jea9_JPbFr0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/jea9_JPbFr0</a>

[Cu Chulainn]

With all due respect, but  In that company?

Also, Coutinho was definitely not a forward, but nevermind. But Ings over Kuyt is... interesting.

First time ever, I've caught one! 

[Moos]

I loved him when he played for us. The fact that he left us voor Chelsea hurt at the time, but we got Suarez in return and Torres hadn't been anywhere near his top form in his final half season. Seeing him struggle at Chelsea was just proof that letting him go was the right choice.

[number 168]

We have been blessed with some magnificent centre forwards over the years from Sir Roger to Rushie and Suarez, but for me Torres was the most complete. He could everything and it was great to take my seat during his pomp knowing that I was about to watch the best centre forward in the world. The Blackburn goal alone cemented his status and yes it ended badly, but in terms of footballing ability he deserves to be remembered fondly.

[Hazell]

Loved his first goal for us, at home against Chelsea. We knew he had the potential to be a great player when we signed him, but there were plenty of doubts as to whether he was going to be a prolific goalscorer, or a goalscorer at all in the Premier League. That was all banished with one drop of the shoulder and a finish across the goalkeeper.

Just a shame the outcome of that game was ruined by one of the worst refereeing decisions I've ever seen.

Rob Styles wasn't it? Giving a penalty for Malouda jumping into Finnan? No I'm not bitter about it

Was gutted when he left for Chelsea, things were starting to look up, what with H&G getting ousted and then Hodgson getting the boot. Whilst Rafa clearly got the best out of him, I don't think he was all that poor for us in his final half season either, we were under Hodgson and he still scored a few and he looked a lot better once Kenny took over. Can understand it from his point of view I suppose and he did go on to win the trophies he left his boyhood club for in the first place and we did get £50m for him. Mainly though, he seems to regret leaving us despite the trophies and it feels like he knows he made an error, given how loved he was here.

Still, prefer to to think of the good times, we were one of the best sides in Europe the few year he was here and he gave us some great memories, the aforementioned terrorising of Vidic was great as was his goal in the Champions League against Arsenal in his first season - got to say that little shimmy against Newcastle taking the keeper out before finishing is my favourite. Don't know why, it was a comfortable victory in the league but it was a genius bit of play and was him at his best - he was awesome for those few years he was here.

Thanks for the memories

[Johnny Foreigner]

Why is it always written out of pro-Torres history that we'd had new owners for three months when he left?

and he had roy hodgson as manager for how long ?

[Johnny Foreigner]

We got 50 million pound for him after playing him through injuries, and the club was in turmoil.. torres is a villain..

carragher put the knife in benitez and got a fat contract when he clearly wasnt good enough - carragher is a hero..

beats me

[Tesco tearaway]

It was pretty awesome when Dagger fucking floored him in his rentboy debut

Welcome to Anfield 
He was brilliant for us and I loved him being here 

[Chris~]

The goal where he dummies the newcastke keepeer, I'm assuming its given, is still one of my all time favourite goals. I saw pele try and do it on some vhs compilation and always wanted to see someone succeed.

[stockdam]

One of the best players that I have seen play for us. As a CF he was incredible.

[Ultimate Bromance]

Thanks for the memories

[ScouserAtHeart]

Welcome to Anfield 
He was brilliant for us and I loved him being here 

Was at Stamford Bridge, no?

[markedasred]

Was at Stamford Bridge, no?

He was so crocked when they paid over the odds without a medical. Half a season in for them, I had no problem at all with him going. He scored 65 league goals for us, was with them a year more and scored 20 league goals in total over the longer period. Good lad.

[xbugawugax]

He was the player i adored. at a time when we look to be on the up.

The goals. oh the goals.

The one vs chelsea on his debut proved he is going to be somebody special.

The ones vs Man united. The look on Vidic's face that predates the Phil Jones meme.

The swivel and turn vs Inter.

The scorcher of a volley vs Blackburn.

The one where Madrid fans were "singing" about him and him just destroying Casillas single handedly like a man truly possessed.

and then he left. FUCK.

truly heartbreaking. I do think he needs to be loved by fans for him to be showing his best.

Agger truly broke him with that smash back on his first game vs us.

Deep inside he knows he made the wrong decision. The trophies are nice but truly any emotion attached to it if he won it with us.

Still one of my favourite forwards when in top form. The goals he scored were truly sensational.

[deFacto please, you bastards]

His debut goal against Chelsea was fantastic. His goal against Arsenal in CL and against Inter at San Siro are probably my favorite ones

[fowlermagic]

For a second there I thought he was better than brown bread but like most things in modern football he was gone before we could even think he might be a hint of a legend here. We have three attackers who currently may best Torres overall tally for the club by the end of next season (Salah will def do that) so that tells you everything. The club has been blessed with some amazing talent and Torres for a season or two was one of those. Best of luck on your next adventure.

[rojo para la vida]

It's a strong word but I hated him when he left us. I really felt like you'd got to the stage of a relationship where you're prepared to ask the question and spend the rest of your life with that person. But Fernando didn't arrive at the altar.

Remember that Nike advert before the 2008 Euros when he looked like he'd found his second home? That made it all the more hurtful when he left and the more sensible ones amongst us always lecture, never fall in love with a player but the majority of us do.

I forgave him when he came back to Anfield for the charity match but I was still left thinking wrongly, what could he have done for us if he'd remained? Inwardly I knew that we'd had the best years of a top, top player and Chelsea bought a player on the decline.

Along with all those many on field memories, I remember ending up in The Park before a game, when he was at the peak of his powers and his song was given a rendition which battered the building. The joists under the floor bounced like a trampoline and we felt that we were going to do big things. Fantastic memories.

[Raid]

Amazing player and he'll always be a Red in my book. Said a page or so back, for fans of my age, he is the first great #9 we've ever watched. We've been blessed with some extraordinary forwards since - Suarez, Sturridge, Coutinho, Mane, Salah, Bobby, Ings, Origi - but it's very hard to beat a peak Nando. Legendary Liverpool #9!

Fixed

[demain]

I think Torres' version of the story makes a lot of sense given that there's a logical chain of events that led to him feeling dissatisfied:

Club in severe financial distress;
Knee injury on the eve of the World Cup from which he rushes back too early;
Benitez sacked;
Hodgson appointed;
Purslow lying about players not being sold;
H&G forced out by the courts;
Commoli appointed by virtue of his friendship with Billy Beane;
FSG clueless about football;
Hodgson sacked and Kenny coming back.

The club wasn't a happy place and he probably was conflicted between loyalty and a desire for trophies. He owed FSG and Kenny nothing, and I am sure they were entitled to think he was past his prime, so it was a move that suited both parties.

Nonetheless, I find it easy to believe that Torres was overwhelmed once he realized the gravity of what he was trading in for trophies. Clearly he is an introspective, intelligent person who thrived on the communal feeling and working class pride in the city, and that must have hit him doubly hard when he saw first-hand how the other halves live down the King's Road. It was everything that he had rebelled against while he was growing up in Spain. His performances at Chelsea were those of a man riddled with doubt and regret.   

I have a lot of empathy for him and time has certainly healed a broken heart. 

[Cu Chulainn]

Torres, of course, spent three-and-a-half seasons with the Reds – scoring 81 goals in 142 appearances – and developed a prolific partnership with Gerrard, who operated just behind the Spaniard in a fine Rafael Benitez team.

Such was the connection between the two, Gerrard remains at the top of a stellar list of players Torres linked up with for club and country.

“I always say the best player I played with is Steven Gerrard,” he said. “I found he was the player who completed my game. I think my level got into a different dimension when I was on the pitch with him.

“It was an amazing three-and-a-half years playing alongside Steven and I would love to go back to those days – even for one minute.”

https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/announcements/354497-fernando-torres-steven-gerrard-retirement

[LallanaInPyjamas]

and he had roy hodgson as manager for how long ?

4-5 months. Again, like H&G, he was gone by the time Torres left.

[The Test]

We got 50 million pound for him after playing him through injuries, and the club was in turmoil.. torres is a villain..

carragher put the knife in benitez and got a fat contract when he clearly wasnt good enough - carragher is a hero..

beats me

This

[fredfrop]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chOraqERGUg

Doesn't even include any against Everton...

[Yiannis]

In his first 3 seasons with us, he averaged 0.84 non-penalty goals per 90'. That's incredible.

[Smellytrabs]

4-5 months. Again, like H&G, he was gone by the time Torres left.

This is the issue for me. H&G had gone and we had Kenny in charge, there was a sense of optimism, but we really needed everybody pulling in the same direction to drag us out of the shit. And Torres Fucked off...to Chelsea of all teams.

I have less of a problem with how Sterling left than Torres. Time has softened my anger towards Torres, he was fucking incredible for us and it's nice to remember the good times.