Torres injuries cost us

[JMARKH]

BBC SPORT | Football | My Club | L | Liverpool | Torres injuries cost us - Benitez

 

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez says his side would be closer to Manchester United in the title race were it not for injuries to Fernando Torres.

 

The Spanish striker will be missing again with an ankle injury when Liverpool host Sunderland on Tuesday.

 

"The worst thing has been the injuries to Torres," said Benitez. "He has been our main striker and scored a lot of goals for us last season.

 

"And this season could have been totally different with him."

 

Torres has been sidelined with hamstring and ankle problems and has played just 15 league games this season, scoring eight goals.

 

Liverpool have taken just 10 points from seven games in 2009 and fell seven points behind Manchester United, having played a game more, with a 2-0 defeat at Middlesbrough on Saturday.

 

They remain a potent force in Europe, however, and are on course for the last eight of the Champions League after a superb 1-0 win at Real Madrid last week.

 

"The title was difficult before, it is more difficult now," said Benitez. "What we have to do is take our chances, and that is something that has been the same problem the whole season.

 

"Maybe if Torres had not been injured so much things would be different, but we cannot change the situation now. Everybody has players who get injured.

 

"Since the Champions League win in Madrid we have had some problems, several players have been injured, among other things."

 

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has only just returned after a hamstring injury and Benitez admits his squad lacks the depth of some rivals.

 

The Reds started the match against Boro with young striker Nabil El Zhar up front, but he was replaced in the second half by French teenager David Ngog after failing to make an impact.

 

"At this stage of the season when every point is important, having your best players available is the most important thing because they have the experience," he said.

 

"It is not fair to expect young players to come in and change games, that is when you need your more important players to bring something more to the side.

 

"We must keep going in the title race, to try to win each game as it comes along.

 

"Now we have the opportunity against Sunderland to do things right, to be able to approach the Real Madrid second leg next week with confidence. We have to remain positive.

 

"We have learned we must be more clinical, to finish games when you have chances.

 

"But we played with anxiety at Middlesbrough, we gave the ball away too easily with simple passes. These are things we have to improve if we are going to fight for the title."

 

And Benitez insists that his side are improving overall, despite seeing their early lead in the title race overturned.

 

"We must not forget that our league performance is better than last season," said the Spaniard.

 

"Still we have to improve. Yes, we have had key players injured and maybe that could have cost us four or five points.

 

"In this title race that would be a massive difference. We are in a good position but we could be in a much better position.

 

"We are now rated in the Uefa rankings as the best team in Europe over the last five years - that underlines how we have done in those seasons.

 

"But we must go forward for the rest of the season, and in the future. The squad is good, but there are too many games when things go wrong and that makes a massive difference."

 

Were we not top when Torres was out? I don't really blame that , I think the contract talks he demanded didn't help along with other things, there are a few other quotes he said in the video interview that are not here but he doesn't seem as upbeat as usual.

 

I also disagree with the performances being better this season, maybe away but not at home, besides last years league performances are nothing to write home about.

Edited March 2, 2009 by JMARKH

[Unrighteous]

... orrr... if we had a decent striker who could score the odd goal or two to back him up.

[WaltonRed]

Excuses, excuses

[Carra_is_legend]

Rafa was going to use that excuse sooner or later. Of course we bloody missed him - it is not rocket science is it?

 

But then, Rafa, if you had chosen to invest that £20m wisely, you would have had another attacker in the books by now. But, at any case I thought you rated N'gog as our saviour, eh Rafa? Isn't that why you sold Keane without getting a replacement, Rafa?

[Dicko]

BBC SPORT | Football | My Club | L | Liverpool | Torres injuries cost us - Benitez

 

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez says his side would be closer to Manchester United in the title race were it not for injuries to Fernando Torres.

 

The Spanish striker will be missing again with an ankle injury when Liverpool host Sunderland on Tuesday.

 

"The worst thing has been the injuries to Torres," said Benitez. "He has been our main striker and scored a lot of goals for us last season.

 

"And this season could have been totally different with him."

 

Torres has been sidelined with hamstring and ankle problems and has played just 15 league games this season, scoring eight goals.

 

Liverpool have taken just 10 points from seven games in 2009 and fell seven points behind Manchester United, having played a game more, with a 2-0 defeat at Middlesbrough on Saturday.

 

They remain a potent force in Europe, however, and are on course for the last eight of the Champions League after a superb 1-0 win at Real Madrid last week.

 

"The title was difficult before, it is more difficult now," said Benitez. "What we have to do is take our chances, and that is something that has been the same problem the whole season.

 

"Maybe if Torres had not been injured so much things would be different, but we cannot change the situation now. Everybody has players who get injured.

 

"Since the Champions League win in Madrid we have had some problems, several players have been injured, among other things."

 

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has only just returned after a hamstring injury and Benitez admits his squad lacks the depth of some rivals.

 

The Reds started the match against Boro with young striker Nabil El Zhar up front, but he was replaced in the second half by French teenager David Ngog after failing to make an impact.

 

"At this stage of the season when every point is important, having your best players available is the most important thing because they have the experience," he said.

 

"It is not fair to expect young players to come in and change games, that is when you need your more important players to bring something more to the side.

 

"We must keep going in the title race, to try to win each game as it comes along.

 

"Now we have the opportunity against Sunderland to do things right, to be able to approach the Real Madrid second leg next week with confidence. We have to remain positive.

 

"We have learned we must be more clinical, to finish games when you have chances.

 

"But we played with anxiety at Middlesbrough, we gave the ball away too easily with simple passes. These are things we have to improve if we are going to fight for the title."

 

And Benitez insists that his side are improving overall, despite seeing their early lead in the title race overturned.

 

"We must not forget that our league performance is better than last season," said the Spaniard.

 

"Still we have to improve. Yes, we have had key players injured and maybe that could have cost us four or five points.

 

"In this title race that would be a massive difference. We are in a good position but we could be in a much better position.

 

"We are now rated in the Uefa rankings as the best team in Europe over the last five years - that underlines how we have done in those seasons.

 

"But we must go forward for the rest of the season, and in the future. The squad is good, but there are too many games when things go wrong and that makes a massive difference."

 

If you watch the actual interview right at the end the interviewer asks him what do you think about United winning the carling cup which I thought was strange and uncalled for.

 

I watched LFC TV earlier, that dodgy transcript makes it look like he was making excuses, but if anyone actually saw it they would clearly see he wasn't.

 

He mentioned other teams have had injuries as well, our's just happened to be Torres.

[Antynwa]

I've got a question in the name of a player...

 

Robbie Keane?

[Code]

I`m so glad this thread was posted because I thought about starting another one earlier but with another angle to the Torres injury situation.

 

Torres got injured after 22 minutes against Madrid on Wednesday but Rafa did not take him off before after 62 minutes.

 

In the 40 minutes in between he had jogged around doing nothing.

 

For me it was evident that he should have been brought off once he got injured and no one is going to tell me his injry got better by playing those 40 extra minutes without really contributing at all.

 

If we had brought him off once it happened he might have been able to recover for the Boro game and the result could have been completely different as could our season.

[lamai]

Excuses, excuses

 

END OF TOPIC

[SpeedyG]

I`m so glad this thread was posted because I thought about starting another one earlier but with another angle to the Torres injury situation.

 

Torres got injured after 22 minutes against Madrid on Wednesday but Rafa did not take him off before after 62 minutes.

 

In the 40 minutes in between he had jogged around doing nothing.

 

For me it was evident that he should have been brought off once he got injured and no one is going to tell me his injry got better by playing those 40 extra minutes without really contributing at all.

 

If we had brought him off once it happened he might have been able to recover for the Boro game and the result could have been completely different as could our season.

 

You don't even have the facts and those you guess you have wrong, but you're going to condemn anyway. Class.

[JMARKH]

I`m so glad this thread was posted because I thought about starting another one earlier but with another angle to the Torres injury situation.

 

Torres got injured after 22 minutes against Madrid on Wednesday but Rafa did not take him off before after 62 minutes.

 

In the 40 minutes in between he had jogged around doing nothing.

 

For me it was evident that he should have been brought off once he got injured and no one is going to tell me his injry got better by playing those 40 extra minutes without really contributing at all.

 

If we had brought him off once it happened he might have been able to recover for the Boro game and the result could have been completely different as could our season.

 

I think that and it shows where his priorities lie.

[Code]

You don't even have the facts and those you guess you have wrong, but you're going to condemn anyway. Class.

 

What facts is it I dont have, that he got injured after 22 minutes and could not run properly afterwards or is the facts about how long such a injury takes to recover if its treated right or might it be the difference for how long it will take to heal it if you carry on playing or get the right treatment straight away.

 

I`m a bit confused.

[Dicko]

So now we slaughter a manager based on a dodgy transcript that bears no resemblance to what was actually said.

[lawrie]

Rafa was going to use that excuse sooner or later. Of course we bloody missed him - it is not rocket science is it?

 

But then, Rafa, if you had chosen to invest that £20m wisely, you would have had another attacker in the books by now. But, at any case I thought you rated N'gog as our saviour, eh Rafa? Isn't that why you sold Keane without getting a replacement, Rafa?

 

He's hardly going to say "N'gog isnt up to the job but I had to get rid of Keane before we lost too much money on him in the summer (and before he caused any more disruptionin in the changing room) and it was just too late to get anyone else in" - is he?

[Carra_is_legend]

He's hardly going to say "N'gog isnt up to the job but I had to get rid of Keane before we lost too much money on him in the summer (and before he caused any more disruptionin in the changing room) and it was just too late to get anyone else in" - is he?

 

Well he already said "it was a good business to sell Keane in January".

[JohnnyH]

"Maybe if Torres had not been injured so much things would be different, but we cannot change the situation now. Everybody has players who get injured."

 

Yeah, that's a disgraceful comment!

 

Jesus, people really are looking for any reason to hammer the manager now. Yes, Rafa has got some things wrong, but there is no doubt that having either no Torres or one struggling for fitness this season has affected us. If Ronaldo had spent the whole season injured or searching for fitness I guarantee you Utd wouldn't be where they are.

[Dicko]

"Maybe if Torres had not been injured so much things would be different, but we cannot change the situation now. Everybody has players who get injured."

 

Yeah, that's a disgraceful comment!

 

Jesus, people really are looking for any reason to hammer the manager now. Yes, Rafa has got some things wrong, but there is no doubt that having either no Torres or one struggling for fitness this season has affected us. If Ronaldo had spent the whole season injured or searching for fitness I guarantee you Utd wouldn't be where they are.

 

Repped.

The rest of you ignore mine & Johnny's posts and carry on talking amongst yourselves.

[Gav]

Turned another corner.......shots on target......control....injuries.....

[Vulmea]

Shouldn't Babel be able to step in for Torres?

 

Struggling at the moment about whether this is the crucial time to support Benitez or whether he's had his chance and enough is enough

 

His european performances (Marseille at home aside) have been top drawer and if the Prem. was a tactical battle we'd win it - it isn't, it needs games to be won not drawn you could actually win the Champs league never winning a game.....

 

So what should the expectation be for the league -

 

can it be won against the odds - Arsenal did it not so long ago but that was before Chelsea kicked in and the whole idea of buying the league became a reality - since then both United and Chelsea have included squad players who cost over £30 million -

 

or did we have a genuine opportunity this year - if we'd been a little braver would it have made a difference?

 

Has Rafa done well with transfers or wasted what he's had?

 

Would Warnock and Guthrie have contributed as much as Dossena and Lucas?

 

Should Anderson or Hammil have been blooded rather than Pennant or El Zhar?

 

Were Bellamy and Crouch useful stop gaps or failed attempts at building the squad?

 

Has Rafa deployed his squad correctly

 

Should Agger play more? Is the rotation policy counter productive, is zonal marking a failure?

 

Should he have replaced Keane or given kids their chance?

 

There are more questions than answers and until he does win the league they will continue and grow.

 

Benitez has out performed Arsene Wenger over the last 5 years. Yet Wenger is untouchable at Arsenal. Wenger had the 'untouchables' when Rafa took over a bunch of misfits who barely scraped 4th.

 

Then there is the whole sorry political disaster which is the background to the club . How mmuch is that Benitez doing and how much has been done to him?

 

Its all just a little too hard for me to take in but I am getting old

[Archer]

Excuses, excuses

 

Exactly. United seemed to manage without Ronaldo for the first two months of the season, Chelsea without Essien (probably their best player) and Drogba, Arsenal without Fabregas, etc. Injuries happen to every team.

 

It's about adapting, and not crying and trying to blame everyone and everything but yourself.

I've had enough of Benitez and his excuses.

[philyhamann]

[JohnnyH]

Jesus. Words fail me.

[bossy]

Repped.

The rest of you ignore mine & Johnny's posts and carry on talking amongst yourselves.

 

I'm with you, unfashionable as it may be.

I don't believe Rafa is anywhere near the awfulness that was Houllier's last couple of seasons.

[Maldini]

It's true though isn't it? We were all saying it a few weeks back. I think we'd we well clear at the top now if we'd had Torres all season.

 

Also, while we're on the subject of striker injuries, I think Nemeth would have stepped up and done well if he'd been fit.

[INTORRESTING]

anything to have a dig at the boss, so tedious.

 

Nice to see fans giving up too even though we can still win the double.

 

Pathetic.

[hamstrung]

Getting silly. Criticise him, fair enough, but no need to go looking for spurious shite.