Liverpool Manager Roy Hodgson insists Fernando Torres going nowhere
Liverpool star Fernando Torres scored a stunning double against the Champions and current league leader Chelsea as Liverpool now move to 9th
on the League table. Manager Roy Hodgson was delighted to see his Spanish striker back in form. The World Cup winning striker showed once again that form is temporary but class is permanent, by scoring two stunning goals against Carlo Ancelotti’s team.
Since the start of the season, Torres had been in terrible form due to various injuries and uncertainty over his Liverpool future. After this emphatic
performance, in which the striker simply destroyed their title rivals, Hodgson hailed the return of form for his Spanish international.
With Steven Gerrard also firing at all cylinders, a Champions League spot seems a lot more realistic now, since Liverpool were in the relegation zone
only just a few weeks ago.
The 26-year-old, who was a record £21 million signing from Atletico Madrid, ended his misery when he scored his 1st double since March. The
match-winning performance is evidence for those who doubt his ambitions; it is also understood that new owner John W. Henry’s arrival at Anfield has helped removed any apprehensions over the striker's future.
Hodgson insists that he talks to the player all the time and he wants the club to do well and wants to see if the club is going in the right direction.
Now he has no fears for the future of the club, and is only concerned to take Liverpool back on top where the club belongs.
The Reds manager said: “'He will get the plaudits today, and rightly so, because on that evidence, he is right up at his best again. It showed why he
is a vital player for Liverpool. He would be for any club. Hopefully, Fernando will look back and say that even though, like the team, he didn't start brightly, he ended up having a great season.”
Manchester United are now only two points behind Chelsea and Carlo Ancelotti is left wondering what he needs to do to get points away from home as they
managed only four points from their last four away games.
The Italian understands that it is not easy to improve the lead, but nonetheless is content to still be in the lead.
He said: “We have to stay focused and not be worried, because we are still in a better position compared to the other teams. But Liverpool have the opportunity
to come back into the top four places. They can fight for this.”
Torres has urged his team to maintain the same level of performance against the smaller sides. After 9 games, they had had the worst start of the season.
Although there can be no excuse for the slow start, the Spaniard admits that their team took longer to adjust with the new manager and players. But now they must show the teams ‘in the middle of the table’ that they can play with the same intensity and quality
they showed against the Champions.
The Reds’ next three games are against teams that lie in bottom four on the League table: both Wigan Athletic and Stoke City away from home and then
against West Ham United at home. These are must-win games for them and if they manage get the desired results, they may find themselves in the top four very soon. Torres admits that last season was very tough for him because of the World Cup and he suffered
a lot of injuries but now he feels he is improving every day.
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