By Matthew Day ⋅ July 9, 2007 ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

Liverpool, Premier League

Young footballers are prone to excess and misdemeanours and some have squandered bright futures because of their unruliness. Fernando Torres could have wandered down the same path after a breathless rise up the Atlético Madrid ranks that saw him make his La Liga debut at just 17, but Liverpool’s record signing has been diligent throughout his career and largely shunned the celebrity lifestyle that increasingly comes with today’s sports stars. He has subsequently excelled for club and country, and has been one of the most coveted strikers over the last two years as his price tag suggests.

Liverpool’s risk is considerable. The near £26.5m they splashed is expected to bring immediate results and 30 goals next season, though individual expectations for Torres are tied to the club’s ambition to win the Premier League. Rafa Benítez has had granted his wish for major funding on a level to match Manchester United and Chelsea and so must now provide Liverpool’s most serious title challenge since his arrival. The Champions League is the zenith of the modern game, undoubtedly so, but a winner and loser medal in three years has quelled the hunger for success on the continent. Craving for domestic glory is huge and supporters pinpoint the lack of goal threat as a key reason for failure in recent times. The likes of Djibril Cisse, Craig Bellamy and Fernando Morientes have been disastrous in the ongoing mission to find a Didier Drogba or Thierry Henry. A predatory, free-scoring forward has the ability to keep an underperforming title challenger within touching distance of the top and Benítez has moved to fill the recent void with the talent and dexterity of Torres.

Torres picked up the captain’s armband at his boyhood club at 19 and has been their leading scorer in each of the last five campaigns, but Atlético have underachieved in recent times. For such a large club with the capabilities to spend £16m on one player – Sergio Agüero in 2006 – and invest heavily in the transfer market, success has been lacking. They have not qualified for Europe in seven years and contesting for the league has lingered as a dream despite the significant investment. In fact, Atlético were relegated in the 1999/2000 season in one of their darkest periods and the traditional working class club have forever been in the shadow of illustrious Real. Torres, however, was their galactico, highly desirable but seemingly always unavailable as Manchester United found out last summer. Now that Liverpool have forced Atlético’s hand, Torres will no longer be able to dwell in his comfort zone as an untouchable. Instead, he has some convincing to do.

Benítez is purchasing goals – the dynamic missing in the Anfield club’s arsenal

‘El Niño’ has averaged 15 goals for the last five seasons in La Liga – totalling 75 – and managed 14 in 36 starts in 2006/7. Contrary to popular belief, Atlético aren’t a middling side in the mould of Manchester City destined to finish mid-table and rot in Real’s presence. Their billing as Spain’s third largest club has come about because of a talented squad, including the likes of Maxi Rodríguez, Maniche, Martin Petrov, Agüero and Costinha. Torres has had a wealth of internationals around him and though the supply and service may be more consistent at Liverpool, the 23-year-old must satisfy those who contend that he is unreliable in front of goal. His ability is not in question, nor is his suitability for the Premier League, but Benítez is purchasing goals – the dynamic missing in the Anfield club’s arsenal.

Pace and power are Torres’s main qualities. He’s quick and much stronger than he looks and has often been utilised in the lone striker role.

Spain impressed at the World Cup albeit they exited at the second round phase, and it was during the tournament in Germany that Torres indicated to the world his great potential. He demonstrated he could play with the very best players and unsurprisingly his value soared, above what Manchester United were prepared to offer. In fact, he scored one of the top goals of the tournament against Ukraine, finishing an exquisite move by hammering in from 20 yards.

Teams within Spain seemed reluctant to bid for the forward, so it was left to those competing in the Premier League to fight for his signature. As Liverpool won an expensive battle, they also acknowledged that there were few guarantees. The likelihood is Torres will thrive if given ample opportunity. Liverpool are still in the hunt for a winger and Benítez appears to bear little confidence towards his current strikers, one of whom will have to accompany Torres.

The Madrid-born pin-up boy is likely to blossom if ably supported by an industrious forward and skilled winger, but he has been bought for his promise and as yet untested attributes in the very different climate of the Premier League. Benítez’s job is to extract his genius and put Liverpool on top of the league and with so many botched striker signings in the past, the ex-Valencia coach realises Torres must succeed if he is to prove spending big yields the desired result of domestic success. George Gillett and Tom Hicks have put up the cash as promised, so the attention turns from the owners to the manager, whose excuses tank is now empty. The tactical mastermind must deliver over the course of a marathon season rather than in cup competitions to vindicate Liverpool’s greatest ever gamble though clearly capturing the Premier League crown is dependent on his risk paying dividends and Torres sparkling. Can the brightest under-25 prodigy on the continent alone transform perpetual underachievers into league champions?

Are Liverpool capable of winning the league? Share your views by leaving a comment below.

Tags: Atletico Madrid, Fernando Torres, La Liga

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