Topic: Referees need to do more to PROTECT FERNANDO TORRES.

[Libertina Warbeck]

Am really disappointed with the way the referees are dealing with Torres this season (despite a glaring black eye and a bandaged knee) and also with Rafa's reluctance to stand up for the player. Amd after the year we have had and ended up losing two of our best Spanish players, I am under no delusions that players wont do whatever it takes (including putting in transfer requests) to leave a club when things are no longer appealing to them (the  weather, eating early, the 50% tax, the manager, etc.).

Torres has said he loves playing for Liverpool and the English league suits his style. But let's not fool ourselves with the thought that he will stay here indefinitely if he keeps going home with cuts and bruises and knocks to the head and the referees keep turning a blind eye. If Juventus, AC Milan or Bayern Munich come calling next year with a massive bid, can we safely say our skint owners wont force Rafa to accept it, or that Fernando wont seriously consider getting out of a league where he is being
mauled week-in week out? ...And for a higher salary, better weather and (arguably) better food and lower taxes? 

I opened this thread because I was tired of posting in the "Torres Tantrums" one, which I think casts an unnecessarily negative light on the player instead of putting the onus on the referees to do their jobs properly. Cristiano Ronaldo dived more than Torres, cheated more than Torres, argued with the referees more than Torres, and was plain and simple an unpleasant character. But that shower would never utter a negative word about him. Torres has his moans when things aren’t going his way, and yes he has the occasional tumble, but there’s no discussion here: he is a far more honourable person than Ronaldo, and much more deserving of the fans’ support and the referees’ protection.

Quite frankly I think it's about time we as fans and the manager started standing up for the player and making some noise in his defense.

[Veinticinco de Mayo]

And you think Italian defenders will just stand there and let him run past do you?

FFS

[Libertina Warbeck]

And you think Italian defenders will just stand there and let him run past do you?

FFS

That's not what I'm saying at all. Of course the defenders are going to be a lot harder on him because of his reputation but there's no reason why a referee needs to turn a blind eye when he gets elbowed in the head. Stand up for him!

The most important point I was trying to make, however, is that the manager should have a quiet word with the player in private if he thinks he's getting too worked up. But ffs don't come out and criticise him in the press!

[LiamG]

I do think he should get more protection and people moaning about his temer tantrums, hell if i was being hacked to death throughout a game and the ref wasnt helping me, id fucking moan about it aswell!

I know i dont like players diving, but you cant help but think if Torres went down as easy as ronaldo did, we would get alot more free kicks!

[lakes]

you are right but he also needs to learn how to take a hit and give one out, players have a pop at him as they know it gets to him, look at King kenny, he could take a hit during a time when you could get a lot more contact on a player than you could do now.

as soon as it starts to look that it dont get to him anymore them it will start to stop, a lot of the time he will go down and the other player not even done anything wrong.

he is a great player but i am starting to think he should only get his wage for the amount of time he is on his feet.

yes the Reff must step in but only when the other player has done something wrong.

[Libertina Warbeck]

yes the Reff must step in but only when the other player has done something wrong.

Who on here is arguing that the ref should give Torres free kicks for no reason?

[killer-heels]

I am sorry but I don't agree at all. He is a highly paid, revered Premier League footballer. Its a physical game and as such he needs to deal with it in the only way you can, be scoring goals. He is going to get far, far worse this season.

He knows what the Premier League is like as he has been here 2 seasons. Its a tough, physical league and we cant molly cuddle him and I would be amazed if he wanted us to either. I don't really know what has brought on his frustration and tantrums this season. Possibly he is desperate for the team to do well and win something because, at 25, he doesnt really have a great deal of medals to show does he (has he even won anything playing for a club side).

But ref's are not going to change their decisions and as such he and everyone should accept them and just get on with it. To be honest, him getting bashed around is more to do (I think) with the fact that he is getting more isolated this year on his own up front and the fact that he doesnt help himself, in the way he holds up the ball or feels the need to run through the defence all the time.

Maybe Rafa should not have said that to the press but Torres and co have received more than enough good praise in the press by the manager over the years. Lets not forget that for all our world class players, we havent won shit in the last 3 years. Its about time they delivered and all the niceties have stopped.

[Veinticinco de Mayo]

you are right but he also needs to learn how to take a hit and give one out, players have a pop at him as they know it gets to him, look at King kenny, he could take a hit during a time when you could get a lot more contact on a player than you could do now.

as soon as it starts to look that it dont get to him anymore them it will start to stop, a lot of the time he will go down and the other player not even done anything wrong.

he is a great player but i am starting to think he should only get his wage for the amount of time he is on his feet.

yes the Reff must step in but only when the other player has done something wrong.

Kenny had the good fortune to play in the days before wall to wall TV and trial by TV. All Torres needs to do is follow Rafa's instructions which is to focus on his own game and not get distracted.

That's not what I'm saying at all.

You said: "If Juventus, AC Milan or Bayern Munich come calling next year with a massive bid...  Fernando wont seriously consider getting out of a league where he is being mauled week-in week out?" 

I think you actually seriously underestimate the character of the man if you think that a little harsh treatment from defenders will make him run off for pastures new.

[Sid7]

There were a few instances where he should have got freekicks which were overlooked. Having said that he did go down easily at times as well. It's Rafa's job to call attention to how his star forward is being treated by defenders, but Rafa has instead gone on record and stated he wants Torres to stop moaning and man up.

As a ref, you read that and you probably think right...Torres goes down a little too easily. Fergie did the exact opposite with Ronaldo even though most of the world knows he used to dive more, look for fouls and generally seek protection more. Still Fergie would defend his players in print and rebuke them in private and as such Ronaldo got a lot of freekicks around the area (except perhaps in the last season when his whining reached new  heights of prissyness)

Bottomline - It's Rafa's job to call attention to how refs are dealing with his players and Torres job to get on with it. He did that first season and the results were there for everyone to see.

[peelyon]

There were a few instances where he should have got freekicks which were overlooked. Having said that he did go down easily at times as well. It's Rafa's job to call attention to how his star forward is being treated by defenders, but Rafa has instead gone on record and stated he wants Torres to stop moaning and man up.

As a ref, you read that and you probably think right...Torres goes down a little too easily. Mr Alex Ferguson did the exact opposite with Ronaldo even though most of the world knows he used to dive more, look for fouls and generally seek protection more. Still Mr Alex Ferguson would defend his players in print and rebuke them in private and as such Ronaldo got a lot of freekicks around the area (except perhaps in the last season when his whining reached new  heights of prissyness)

Bottomline - It's Rafa's job to call attention to how refs are dealing with his players and Torres job to get on with it. He did that first season and the results were there for everyone to see.

The press would love that...another Rafa rant?!  Seriously though Torres seems to choose the wrong times to moan.  He got his shirt ripped last night and then went and berated the ref...what he should have done is gone up to him and said something like "look at my shirt, can you just keep an eye out, im getting a hammering here"  rahter than just shouting at him...hes going to get nowhere with refs if he just moans at them

[killer-heels]

There were a few instances where he should have got freekicks which were overlooked. Having said that he did go down easily at times as well. It's Rafa's job to call attention to how his star forward is being treated by defenders, but Rafa has instead gone on record and stated he wants Torres to stop moaning and man up.

As a ref, you read that and you probably think right...Torres goes down a little too easily. Mr Alex Ferguson did the exact opposite with Ronaldo even though most of the world knows he used to dive more, look for fouls and generally seek protection more. Still Mr Alex Ferguson would defend his players in print and rebuke them in private and as such Ronaldo got a lot of freekicks around the area (except perhaps in the last season when his whining reached new  heights of prissyness)

Bottomline - It's Rafa's job to call attention to how refs are dealing with his players and Torres job to get on with it. He did that first season and the results were there for everyone to see.

Rafa has backed the team time and time again in the press, including individual players. Yes sometimes his man management isnt the best but he has backed the team to large extents.

This season alone his requests for the team to step up and play better has been rewarded by losses from the team. Its all very well sticking up for them but they havent won anything for 3 years and as such, Rafa is bound to get annoyed and feel a  bit silly if all his attempts to gee the team up are met with poor performances.

I back what Rafa is doing to be honest. He cannot always just molly coddle the team because he is the one in the firing line and these players have to heed what he is saying. If the manager demands improved performances then you have to deliver, otherwise he isnt shy to move you on.

[Sid7]

The press would love that...another Rafa rant?!  Seriously though Torres seems to choose the wrong times to moan.  He got his shirt ripped last night and then went and berated the ref...what he should have done is gone up to him and said something like "look at my shirt, can you just keep an eye out, im getting a hammering here"  rahter than just shouting at him...hes going to get nowhere with refs if he just moans at them

Frankly, it makes more sense for Rafa to have his rant early in an effort to put pressure on the refs. No point doing it midseason when your team is leading the table and for some reason you find the urge to pull out your dossier on united and Ferguson.

Torres has been roughed up. He's the main attraction in the EPL now. Have a pop at the refs and call for more protection of star players. It will give Torres the feeling he is being looked after and will put some pressure on the refs.

No need to rant. Just use the media to your advantage.

[rossipersempre]

Am really disappointed with the way the referees are dealing with Torres this season (despite a glaring black eye and a bandaged knee) and also with Rafa's reluctance to stand up for the player. Amd after the year we have had and ended up losing two of our best Spanish players, I am under no delusions that players wont do whatever it takes (including putting in transfer requests) to leave a club when things are no longer appealing to them (the  weather, eating early, the 50% tax, the manager, etc.).

Torres has said he loves playing for Liverpool and the English league suits his style. But let's not fool ourselves with the thought that he will stay here indefinitely if he keeps going home with cuts and bruises and knocks to the head and the referees keep turning a blind eye. If Juventus, AC Milan or Bayern Munich come calling next year with a massive bid, can we safely say our skint owners wont force Rafa to accept it, or that Fernando wont seriously consider getting out of a league where he is being
mauled week-in week out? ...And for a higher salary, better weather and (arguably) better food and lower taxes? 

I opened this thread because I was tired of posting in the "Torres Tantrums" one, which I think casts an unnecessarily negative light on the player instead of putting the onus on the referees to do their jobs properly. Cristiano Ronaldo dived more than Torres, cheated more than Torres, argued with the referees more than Torres, and was plain and simple an unpleasant character. But that shower would never utter a negative word about him. Torres has his moans when things aren’t going his way, and yes he has the occasional tumble, but there’s no discussion here: he is a far more honourable person than Ronaldo, and much more deserving of the fans’ support and the referees’ protection.

Quite frankly I think it's about time we as fans and the manager started standing up for the player and making some noise in his defense.

This is a mistake yes? You meant to post this on Kickette right? If not, then I give it a 9.5 in the cringeworthy stakes.

[Andy @ Allerton!]

Torres had the shite kicked out of him all the game and the referee was complicit in this.

[Veinticinco de Mayo]

Shite thread from the off - and I cannot be arsed to moderate and remove the sexist responses any more. 

Try not to make such an idiot of yourself next time you start a topic.