Hodgson doubtful of Torres’s return
It seems that after all this wait, the world class Spanish striker Fernando Torres might not be staying at Liverpool Football Club.
Sources have reported that the Liverpool manager, Roy Hodgson, has stated that the chances of Fernanado Torres staying with the Merseyside are very low. Torres told him that he in fact had some grievances and complaints from the past in relation with the club that he was unable to get over, and therefore it was unlikely that he would be staying around the Kop anymore.
The former Fulham manager reported Torres’s stance clearly.
Though Liverpool is becoming more stable with each day, the clouds over Anfield still look uncertain with a couple of key decisions still to be made. For instance the transfer of Torres, the transfer of Mascherano and the team’s decision focus on the English Premier League.
Torres had been linked with deals from Barcelona, Chelsea and Manchester City but they all have withdrawn their interest now.
The Argentinean maestro Mascherano has long been demanding to return to his former boss Benitez at Inter.
Hodgson has announced that the team as a whole will decide if they want to concentrate on Europa Cup or Premier League as the Cup starts earlier and playing in it would mean risking their star players for the rest of the season.
Now another worry has been added to the mind of Hodgson. After the defeat this Saturday against Kaiserslautern in Germany, the Englishman has to rethink his lineup for the games ahead. Hodgson and Co. lost 1-0 in which Hodgson tried to feature his young players.
After Steven Gerrard convinced Joe Cole to play for Liverpool, he hopes that Torres will not abandon faith in the team and make a comeback. Gerrard himself wasn’t sure about his future but later committed to the “You’ll Never Walk Alone” motto of the club a day after Joe Cole.
One is forced to speculate and think that it was very unlike Torres to be so lambasting about his club in public last season. Torres is the kind of person who usually stays out of the media messes but since last summer he has been quoted many times speaking against his then coach. Rafael Benitez has been accused of poor decision making and in the end was even accused of being indifferent because of his ego. Well that can be said for both stars.
It is being rumoured that although Chelsea has backed off from the bid for Torres, they in reality were the most enthusiastic bidders for Torres having announced 50 million pounds for him. Manchester City had made an unofficial bid of 60 million pounds. Torres has played 214 matches for his former club, Atletico Madrid in which he has scored 82 goals. He has capped 79 times at Liverpool and scored 56 times. For Spain he has played in 80 and produced 24 goals.
However, under the current circumstances it is certain that Torres will be sold at a lower price than that and the reason for that are the latest performances given by the striker. The forward has been marred with injuries over past season. Torres himself has admitted that he hadn’t properly healed form his groin injury when he came to South Africa for the World Cup and his show there was tarnished because of that. Indeed he did get himself demoted from the starting line up to a substitute and then in the last moment of the final which Spain won he tore his thigh muscles and went out of action for 3 weeks.
While talking to media, Hodgson stated clearing on the issue, "Unfortunately, I cannot do much more. His beef is with the club and not me. Fernando's situation has nothing to do with me, he made that perfectly clear over the phone during the World Cup and when I met him face to face”. Hodgson had given Torres a deadline earlier to submit his answer if he wants to play for the team as he had to finalise the matter and get started with some serious practice.
Hodgson also added, “He knows what I would like to do with the club. He knows how much I value him. But his issues are with what has gone on in the past rather than the future. If he has problems with the club for things in the past, it is difficult for me to dismiss that”.
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