Fernando Torres must fear for his National Team place (Part 1)
Ever Since Real Madrid legend Raul Gonzalez Blanco was axed from the Spanish football team by then coach Luis Aragones, Fernando Torres and David Villa have been the main strikers for La Furia Roja. On their day, both the strikers can launch a genuine challenge
for the ‘best striker in the world’ label. The two have jointly scored 71 goals for the Spanish side. David Villa has even recently broken Raul’s top goal scorer for the country record and at the ripe age of 28, the Barcelona forward looks set to be a national
legend for generations to come.
The story of Fernando Torres however, isn’t half as rosy as the former Valencia forward. Torres was always a child prodigy. The player has been with all Spanish youth teams ever since he appeared for the U-15 squad in 2000. Torres made his first team debut
at a tender age of 16. By 2005, the player had already racked up 104 appearances for his club and El Nino was given the esteemed captain’s armband.
This honour meant Torres had become the youngest player in the club’s history to acheive this. For all the hype surrounding Torres, the forward never really found his groove at the Vicente Calderón. The player feared for his future at the club and Los Colchoneros
couldn’t hold on to their crowd jewel for long. Barclays Premier League outfit Liverpool FC snapped up the sensation for 25 million pounds.
Anfield gave the prodigious forward a new lease of life and Torres duly came of age. El Nino was in outrageous form for Liverpool as the striker scored a stunning 33 goals in just 46 appearances. Torres broke a plethora of club records at Liverpool and has
become a firm fan favourite at the club. Torres’ following years might not have been as prolific as his debut season but his importance to the team and his knack of performing in important matches is invaluable.
Since 2009/10 season, the forward has been struggling with injuries. The goals may have not dried up completely but Torres is missing chances that you would bet your money on for him to score. His confidence is clearly lacking, the ruthless finishing that
made him such a nightmare for opposition defences seems to have deserted him. The club failed to qualify for the UEFA Champions league last season; a competition that Torres switched his childhood club for. With Liverpool battling for survival and the owner-management
feud gaining further fire, it’s arguable whether Torres will have any level of motivation playing for the club. Rumours of a potential transfer are already in the air.
His injuries and the troubles at the club have seen Torres lose his form even for the La Furia Roja. Torres was never as prolific as David Villa, yet his link up play with the Barcelona number 7 was always sublime. Indeed it was his off the ball movement
that frequently created all the space for Villa, the space that Villa clearly flourished in.
At the recently concluded 2010 FIFA World cup, Torres was in the starting eleven for Spain. The player was occupying a starting berth clearly because of his name as the player looked off pace, his shooting boots were missing and everything he tried ended
in nothing. El Nino failed to score even a single goal as his teammates put in some historic displays of possession play to win the World Cup.
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