Setanta Torres article

[JohnnyH]

http://sport.setanta.com/en/Blogs/A-...-about-Torres/

Rafa Benitez has to be the only manager in England who can dump the Italian champions out of the Champions League - on their own turf - and get criticised for doing so.

Liverpool moved ominously into the last eight of the Champions League for the third time in four years on Tuesday, yet despite a European record that Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger dream about, Benitez instantly faced scarcely-veiled criticism.

It surrounded Fernando Torres, who had just leathered in his 26th goal of a wonderful season, justifying a huge Benitez gamble in spending £20.1 million on the Spanish superstar, who had scored just 14 goals the previous season for Atletico.

Liverpool had just beaten Inter, and looked comfortable doing so, so what could Benitez expect as his first question?

This is what he got: "Fernando Torres is in wonderful form, but should he have played more games at the start of the season, and can Liverpool fans expect to see him play every game until the rest of the season?" Or words to that effect.

Now I won't mention names, but anybody watching coverage of the game on T.V will know who I mean when I then turn to an even worse comment: "How many goals could Torres have scored had he not been in and out of the team all season? Wouldn't Liverpool fans swap the Champions League for the League?"

More criticism of Rafa's 'rotation policy', where apparently he has dropped Fernando Torres more times than Paul Robinson drops footballs.

So here is a fact for all those who bang on with this 'if only Torres had played more games' nonsense.

Of the Premier League games that Torres has been fit for this season, he has been rested only twice, the last of which came six months ago. The only other game he came off the bench for was on his return from injury against Fulham. A game he scored in and Liverpool won.

Cristiano Ronaldo meanwhile, has been rested three times, and United lost one of those games away at Bolton.

Liverpool aren't trailing United because Torres missed two games, they are trailing because they are not good enough over the course of the season - yet.

The two games Torres was rested for, came just two weeks before he picked up a thigh injury that saw him miss over a month of the season. Maybe Rafa knew something.

After all, Frank Rijkaard suffered similar criticism for resting Lionel Messi, right before the Argentine also suffered a muscular injury.

As crazy as it sounds, maybe Rafa knows more than these clueless pundits who continue to use magnificent victories like Tuesday night to bash the Liverpool boss.

I wouldn't bet against him having a second European Cup in his locker to prove it in May.

[Tom R]

Spot on Johnny old boy.

[lebron]

Originally Posted by JohnnyH

http://sport.setanta.com/en/Blogs/A-...-about-Torres/

Rafa Benitez has to be the only manager in England who can dump the Italian champions out of the Champions League - on their own turf - and get criticised for doing so.

Liverpool moved ominously into the last eight of the Champions League for the third time in four years on Tuesday, yet despite a European record that Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger dream about, Benitez instantly faced scarcely-veiled criticism.

It surrounded Fernando Torres, who had just leathered in his 26th goal of a wonderful season, justifying a huge Benitez gamble in spending £20.1 million on the Spanish superstar, who had scored just 14 goals the previous season for Atletico.

Liverpool had just beaten Inter, and looked comfortable doing so, so what could Benitez expect as his first question?

This is what he got: "Fernando Torres is in wonderful form, but should he have played more games at the start of the season, and can Liverpool fans expect to see him play every game until the rest of the season?" Or words to that effect.

Now I won't mention names, but anybody watching coverage of the game on T.V will know who I mean when I then turn to an even worse comment: "How many goals could Torres have scored had he not been in and out of the team all season? Wouldn't Liverpool fans swap the Champions League for the League?"

More criticism of Rafa's 'rotation policy', where apparently he has dropped Fernando Torres more times than Paul Robinson drops footballs.

So here is a fact for all those who bang on with this 'if only Torres had played more games' nonsense.

Of the Premier League games that Torres has been fit for this season, he has been rested only twice, the last of which came six months ago. The only other game he came off the bench for was on his return from injury against Fulham. A game he scored in and Liverpool won.

Cristiano Ronaldo meanwhile, has been rested three times, and United lost one of those games away at Bolton.

Liverpool aren't trailing United because Torres missed two games, they are trailing because they are not good enough over the course of the season - yet.

The two games Torres was rested for, came just two weeks before he picked up a thigh injury that saw him miss over a month of the season. Maybe Rafa knew something.

After all, Frank Rijkaard suffered similar criticism for resting Lionel Messi, right before the Argentine also suffered a muscular injury.

As crazy as it sounds, maybe Rafa knows more than these clueless pundits who continue to use magnificent victories like Tuesday night to bash the Liverpool boss.

I wouldn't bet against him having a second European Cup in his locker to prove it in May.

Journalist (?) in speaking-sense shocker! I've tried to argue that him resting against Portsmouth and Birmingham was due to him not being fully fit/as a precaution too. Unfortunately Rafa did himself no favours picking him for the Carling Cup tie against Reading... That made some of the more blinkered Reds furious (even though he won a potentially difficult tie for us on his own...).

[Elite]

Its that stupid cunt Redknapp, he needs knee capping.

[Carra_is_legend]

It was the same after the 1st leg - we were the only English team to have come out with a victory and all we got was more bollocks from the media.

Imagine if Yernited had won at San Siro last night - Keys, Gray and everyone else would have had a collective orgasm.

Fuck them. The lot of them.

[Bridgey]

Brilliant piece of reading. Arsenal have the pundits cuming in their pants for beating a team that is over the hill and nowhere in Serie A we beat the Champions and get slated for it.

[OnizukaEikichi]

RedCkrap

[Unrighteous]

I hope he's right about second big ears in his locker come may...

[Dicko]

It's mad Rafa's the only manager I know that would get openly criticised for actually winning the CL.
It fucking beggers belief.

[Ged B]

Originally Posted by Dicko

It's mad Rafa's the only manager I know that would get openly criticised for actually winning the CL.
It fucking beggers belief.

Agreed.
I'm not Rafa's biggest fan but some of the stick he gets is a fucking joke, the man can do no right in some peoples eyes.

[05 Milan]

No this can't be true! Torres is always in and out of the team! Benitez the tinkerman! Play your best 11 week in week out! Ferguson never rotates! AAAAAAAAAAAArrggggggggggggh!

*explodes*

[rebel23]

i'm shocked someone in the media has pointed this out

[The Chief]

Originally Posted by rebel23

i'm shocked someone in the media has pointed this out

Me too, problem is the rest of the cunts will take no notice. What it all boils down to is, most of the so called 'experts' (hahahaha) all support other teams, and they just can't keep their pathetic jealousy hidden.

[aws]

Originally Posted by The Chief

Me too, problem is the rest of the cunts will take no notice. What it all boils down to is, most of the so called 'experts' (hahahaha) all support other teams, and they just can't keep their pathetic jealousy hidden.

Why should the rest of the media take notice though when loads of our fans are happy to buy into the bullshit?

[Brownie]

It's infuriating when they mention the fact that Torres hasn't played enough because it's just factually incorrect.

Rafa learnt his lesson after the Portsmouth and Birmingham games earlier in the season and has picked Torres for pretty much every game when he's been fit.

There's been games when he's been on the bench but that was due to injury (apart from the FA Cup where he was totally rested).

My issue with Rafa isn't how he's used Torres and the pundits really need to look elsewhere.

[Bob Spunkmouse]

although what its saying is entirely right, does anyone else think this is just a chance for setanta to have a dig at sky? After all, their pundits after our games come out with exactly the same shite about rotation and what not.

[coop]

Torres has been rested for games we should be winning without needing him.

The latest game against Barnsley been a fine example.

[DT]

Certainly, if you consider last week's post-match response to yesterday's, you'd think Arsenal had beaten the best team ever and that we'd lost to Havant and Waterlooville.