Torres to Liverpool - A Red Summer?
Athletico Madrid will be signing Diego Forlan - formerly of Villareal - to replace Fernando Torres. The Torres transfer to Liverpool should be announced in the next few days. Perhaps Forlan should offer the youngster some tips on how not to be a fantastic bust in England.
Supporters of the club had expectations that new owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks would have lavished the funds on manager Rafa Benitez from day 1 to totally reshape a squad that finished runners up in the Champions League. However, the big name signings have not come and the 23 year old Spaniard was one of the top 3 most coveted transfer targets in Europe this summer.
The question to ask right now is was this a signing for the sake of making a big signing? Spanish players do not just walk into the English Premier League and dominate. Instead, they are sent back to Spain after a couple years time. At just 23 and having basically spent his entire life with Athletico Madrid, Torres will have the weight of expectations and the scrutiny that comes with playing for one of the world's biggest clubs on his shoulders. He will have to deal with the drain of a physical domestic campaign, the Champions League, Carling Cup and FA Cup matches.
Dips in form - or worse - a complete disaster of a debut season will be met with criticism unlike anything a mid-table Spanish set of followers and press could level on him. How will this affect a young player in a strange environment? Having fellow Spaniards around him like Benitez, Xabi Alonso and Pepe Reina could be more than enough support. They will coach him on how to deal with the pressure. They will prepare him for what it means to walk out on the pitch at Anfield or Old Trafford or Stamford Bridge and that he will have to raise his game.
In addition, Liverpool will be sending Luis Garcia to Athletico. Garcia scored several crucial goals for Liverpool. The most memorable being during the home leg of the Champions League semi-finals against Chelsea. Liverpool would go on that season to lift the cup in Istanbul.
Is this the one and only deal Benitez will wrangle out of his new owners? With players like Simao (Benitez has been after him for a couple years now) and Florent Malouda the potential still remains for Liverpool to bring in game changing players. The Torres signing alone will not lift the club higher than 3rd place. There is too much quality at Manchester United and Chelsea for one striker to make up the points gap. With Djibril Cisse sold to Marseilles, Craig Bellamy likely headed to Blackburn or Aston Villa and Peter Crouch not a sure bet to be at Anfield next season the funds can still be generated for additional signings.
Carlos Tevez is still out there. Maybe it is a stretch, but maybe not? He has not come out and declared he wants to go to Italy, Spain or remain in England. He says all the right things in interviews about potential suitors - he is flattered by all the rumors and he would be honored to play for any of them. Stories are coming out this morning that Manchester United's Gabriel Heinze could be a new target for Benitez. He fell out of favor at United. But if you watched the Argentina match at Copa America the other night he looked fantastic.
Supporters of the club had expectations that new owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks would have lavished the funds on manager Rafa Benitez from day 1 to totally reshape a squad that finished runners up in the Champions League. However, the big name signings have not come and the 23 year old Spaniard was one of the top 3 most coveted transfer targets in Europe this summer.
The question to ask right now is was this a signing for the sake of making a big signing? Spanish players do not just walk into the English Premier League and dominate. Instead, they are sent back to Spain after a couple years time. At just 23 and having basically spent his entire life with Athletico Madrid, Torres will have the weight of expectations and the scrutiny that comes with playing for one of the world's biggest clubs on his shoulders. He will have to deal with the drain of a physical domestic campaign, the Champions League, Carling Cup and FA Cup matches.
Dips in form - or worse - a complete disaster of a debut season will be met with criticism unlike anything a mid-table Spanish set of followers and press could level on him. How will this affect a young player in a strange environment? Having fellow Spaniards around him like Benitez, Xabi Alonso and Pepe Reina could be more than enough support. They will coach him on how to deal with the pressure. They will prepare him for what it means to walk out on the pitch at Anfield or Old Trafford or Stamford Bridge and that he will have to raise his game.
In addition, Liverpool will be sending Luis Garcia to Athletico. Garcia scored several crucial goals for Liverpool. The most memorable being during the home leg of the Champions League semi-finals against Chelsea. Liverpool would go on that season to lift the cup in Istanbul.
Is this the one and only deal Benitez will wrangle out of his new owners? With players like Simao (Benitez has been after him for a couple years now) and Florent Malouda the potential still remains for Liverpool to bring in game changing players. The Torres signing alone will not lift the club higher than 3rd place. There is too much quality at Manchester United and Chelsea for one striker to make up the points gap. With Djibril Cisse sold to Marseilles, Craig Bellamy likely headed to Blackburn or Aston Villa and Peter Crouch not a sure bet to be at Anfield next season the funds can still be generated for additional signings.
Carlos Tevez is still out there. Maybe it is a stretch, but maybe not? He has not come out and declared he wants to go to Italy, Spain or remain in England. He says all the right things in interviews about potential suitors - he is flattered by all the rumors and he would be honored to play for any of them. Stories are coming out this morning that Manchester United's Gabriel Heinze could be a new target for Benitez. He fell out of favor at United. But if you watched the Argentina match at Copa America the other night he looked fantastic.
posted by Anonymous at 9:33 AM
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