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Posts Tagged ‘chance’

• Blues’ Spain striker could face former club on Sunday
• ‘I will never say anything bad about Liverpool’

Fernando Torres would have no qualms about scoring against Liverpool if he makes his Chelsea debut in Sunday’s Premier League match against the Reds at Stamford Bridge.

By coincidence, this weekend’s game could be Torres’s first for his new club following his record-breaking £50m move from Anfield last night.

The 26-year-old has not asked to be left out to avoid risking the wrath of his former club’s fans, some of whom burned replica shirts bearing his name shortly before his switch to west London was sealed last night.

“It is like destiny,” Torres said of the prospect of playing on Sunday. “It is not perfect for me but we will see what happens and I only have good words about Liverpool. They made me a top player and gave me the chance to play at the top level.

“I will never say anything bad about Liverpool. I have been very happy there, but now the history is different and I am playing for Chelsea. If I have the chance to play, I will do my best for Chelsea and hopefully I can score.”

Torres’s commitment to Liverpool this season was questioned prior to his move and he admitted he had begun thinking about leaving Anfield last summer.

“I felt from last summer that I needed to do a step forward in my career and for my ambition as a footballer,” he told Chelsea TV, claiming the Blues were on another level to his former club. “I am joining a team that is at the top level. There is not another level after Chelsea.

“I am joining with big names like [John] Terry, [Frank] Lampard, [Didier] Drogba and [Nicolas] Anelka and I can be part of this great team.”

He added: “Also, I wanted to join because Chelsea always have shown a big respect for me. They really want me and it is important when you have the support of the people in the club, and the support of the fans who always showed respect to me when I came to Stamford Bridge and at Anfield. Now I am very happy to be a Chelsea player.”

The Spain striker had been the scourge of the Blues, scoring seven goals in eight appearances against them while at Anfield. “When I played against Chelsea, there was always a big motivation because it was a special game – it was always one of the biggest games of the season,” Torres said.

“I want to say thanks to the Chelsea fans because I have seen them very, very happy with me for joining Chelsea. If they are happy as well because I am not going to score any more against them then it is good.”

He added: “I have good memories and bad memories of games against Chelsea. All the goals are good memories because all of them are special.

“I have a very bad memory of the semi-final of the Champions League in my first season in England when they beat us and they played the final and not us. It was a frustrating day for me but hopefully now I am here we can go through to the final together and win.

“The Champions League is a big ambition and all the footballers want to play in it. It is a very important competition. But also Chelsea have the chance every season to win all the trophies that they play for, so when you have the chance to play in a team like this, you cannot say no.”

Torres is looking forward to linking up again with his former Anfield team-mate Yossi Benayoun, who is close to returning from long-term injury.

“He is my friend and on the pitch we have a very good relationship,” Torres said. “Hopefully he can play as soon as possible and he will be fully recovered. It is exciting the possibility to play with him again, but as well with my other new team-mates.”

Torres revealed he had yet to meet his new manager, Carlo Ancelotti, whom he nevertheless described as “a winner”.

Ancelotti is ecstatic at last night’s capture of Torres and David Luiz, according to Chelsea’s chief executive, Ron Gourlay.

The signing of David Luiz, who was set to arrive in London today, took Chelsea’s transfer deadline day spending spree to over £75m and Gourlay said: “Carlo is over the moon. He did say we needed to bring a couple of players in, and I said six months ago if we had to bring someone in then it would be a big signing and I’m sure this is great for the team and the morale, and great for the fans who have two major signings to look forward to at Stamford Bridge.

“I can’t wait to see them both in action, and we’re in fantastic shape bringing Fernando and David in.”

Press Association Sport understands that David Luiz’s arrival could see the youngster Jeffrey Bruma seal a loan move to either West Brom or Leicester.

Fernando TorresChelseaLiverpoolTransfer windowguardian.co.uk

• Agger claims ‘our play has changed’, say reports
• Defender quoted: ‘I’m here to play, not to unload’

Daniel Agger has criticised the Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson’s tactics, according to reports. The Danish defender, who was a late substitute in Sunday’s 3-2 defeat by Manchester United at Old Trafford, was quoted as saying on a Danish television programme: “The manager has a philosophy that we’re playing football further up the pitch and then you have to play a different kind of football at the back.”

According to the Daily Express, Agger continued: “That’s not my style. That’s not the type of football player I am. I like to keep the ball on the ground. And I’m going to keep doing that. Whether he’ll use me or not, time will tell.

“I guess I’ll try to change even though I’m not going to be the player that unloads the ball every single time I get it. I’ll fight for my chance. I’ll get the chance. I know what I represent and I think he [Hodgson] knows that.”

Agger was reported to have repeated his view on another Danish TV programme, saying: “Our play has changed, so I’ll have to adjust a bit. But to be honest, I’m not going to adjust 100%. I’m a footballer who keeps the ball on the floor. I’m here to play, not to unload.”

LiverpoolRoy Hodgsonguardian.co.uk

• Torres, Gerrard and Benayoun ruled out through injury
• Spanish striker takes aim at owners for lack of investment

Liverpool have not altered their view that Rafael Benítez is the man to revive their fortunes despite yesterday’s dismal FA Cup defeat to Reading, but will review his position at the end of the season. The manager’s task of delivering the top-four finish that would save his job was made more difficult when Steven Gerrard, Yossi Benayoun and Fernando Torres all returned to the treatment table, the latter with a withering attack on the club’s owners.

Torres’s absence for six weeks will be the most damaging blow to Benítez, whose long-term future at Anfield is in serious doubt after the Championship strugglers inflicted the latest humiliation in a season in which the club have suffered early exits from the Champions League, the Carling Cup and now the FA Cup, and failed to challenge for the league title.

Benítez’s immediate future remains at Liverpool, however, with the club’s hierarchy unwilling to change managers during a season and at a time of deep uncertainty over the club’s finances. They are also aware of the cost of sacking the Spaniard and installing a replacement, less than a year after the manager signed a five and a half-year contract worth more than £4m a season.

Despite the mounting pressure and the constraints on transfer budgets, the Liverpool manager has no intention of quitting and sparing Tom Hicks and George Gillett, the club’s co-owners, the compensation he would be owed for the remainder of his contract. Benítez is entitled to a full payout if relieved of his duties, a sum the club cannot afford.

For now, Hicks and Gillett are anxious to present a show of stability as the club’s managing director, Christian Purslow, continues to pursue investors willing to join a divided boardroom, reduce Liverpool’s debt and enable work on the stalled stadium project to begin.

A new investor would have a say on Benítez’s future while increasing Liverpool’s ability to agree a severance package should the Spaniard fail to deliver on his guarantee of a top-four finish. The Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish would be in the frame for a sensational return as manager should the opportunity arise; the Scot has an ambassadorial role at Anfield.

The uncertainty over Liverpool’s finances partly explains the club’s determination to give Benítez the chance to revitalise a sorry campaign. The club have now told the manager he can spend the proceeds should Ryan Babel be sold this month, having initially insisted minimal funds would be available, and are closing in on a pre-contract agreement for the Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh. There has been no indication that significant funds will be released as a result of the news that Torres, Gerrard and Benayoun are facing six, two and four weeks out respectively with injuries sustained in the 2-1 FA Cup third-round replay defeat.

The loss of the trio is a serious setback and the timing is appalling for Benítez as he seeks a reaction to the Reading defeat, with a trip to Stoke City on Saturday and a rearranged home game against their close rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday. Gerrard will be absent for a fortnight as a result of the hamstring strain that forced his withdrawal at half-time against Reading, Benayoun is out for three to four weeks with a broken rib and Torres is not expected back until late February having torn cartilage in his right knee.

The Spain striker will undergo surgery this week and has launched an outspoken attack on Hicks and Gillett, whom he blames for Liverpool’s woes as a result of their failure to back Benítez with significant transfer funds following last season’s runners-up finish.

Torres said: “It’s frustrating. We finished second last season; this season should have been a turning point for us – the chance for us to do something great. Manchester United sold Carlos Tevez and Cristiano Ronaldo, while Chelsea didn’t sign anyone. But it hasn’t been.

“It’s now the owners’ turn. They have to sign players so that this does not happen again. If we want to compete with United and Chelsea we need a much, much more complete squad. We need more genuinely first-class players and we can’t let our best players leave.”

Champions League qualification will have a greater bearing on Benítez’s future but the Europa League now represents Liverpool’s last realistic chance of silverware and Torres admits victory there is essential. The Liverpool striker added: “We didn’t want to win the Europa League at the start of the season but it’s a reality now. Now we have to win it. Anything less than winning the tournament would be terrible. If we do not win it then we have to say it’s been a very, very, very bad season in Europe.

“We need to improve, to take responsibility and to get into the top four and win something. We have virtually no chance of winning the title now. Now we need to make the best of this situation.”

Rafael BenítezLiverpoolAndy Hunterguardian.co.uk