FA Cup final 2012: Chelsea did not show enough confidence in Fernando Torres, says Pepe Reina
Liverpool’s goalkeeper, Pepe Reina, has amplified the FA Cup final tension by blaming Chelsea for the confidence crisis endured by their record signing, Fernando Torres.
Misunderstood: Liverpool's goalkeeper Pepe Reina insists they should have given Fernando Torres more support Photo: GETTY IMAGES
By Chris Bascombe
11:00PM BST 04 May 2012
Torres has only recently begun to rediscover the form which prompted his £50 million transfer from Anfield to Stamford Bridge, with Roberto Di Matteo’s leadership seeming to have ended a torrid 18 months.
Reina, still a close friend of the former Liverpool striker, fears Torres has shown signs of improvement at the wrong time for his former club as the duo meet at Wembley on Saturday.
He believes Torres missed the sense of affection he enjoyed at Anfield as he struggled under former manager Andre Villas-Boas and believes his lack of form was down to Chelsea’s failure to offer him the same support he had on Merseyside.
“When you move there is always a question mark,” said Reina. “We knew how good he was here but he needed to change city, team-mates and the mentality of the team. That is a hell of a change.
“He had to get used to that but also keep delivering and the expectations when a team has spent £50 million on a player are also very high. The pressure was there but I don’t think it was only down to Fernando. I don’t think Chelsea as a club delivered for him.
“We built a team for Fernando here. Along with Stevie, Fernando was our star player. We had no problems admitting that. He deserved that and he earned that credit. I’m not sure it’s like that at Chelsea.
“The difference between Fernando and myself is that I have had the confidence of the people at my club all the time. I don’t think that has been the case for Fernando at Chelsea. It is much easier to get over your mistakes when you know you have the confidence of your manager and your team-mates. With Villas-Boas especially, I don’t think Fernando felt that confidence.
“That was the situation when Fernando was performing at his best. I’m not saying Chelsea have to do that because Fernando can perform for any club in the world, but it is easier when you have that situation.
“I told him he was going to be back. People, and the press in this country especially, were killing him but he has been carrying that weight all his life. He was captain of Atletico Madrid when he was 19 and that gave him a lot of experience. We knew Fernando at Liverpool and Fernando is a great player. He will always be a great player.”
Reina admits he would love to have Torres back at Anfield and suspects, at his lowest ebb, the striker would have liked to return.
“I would like to play with Fernando every day of my life,” said Reina. “We are close friends. Our families are close. We shared a lot of things in those three years and we know each other very well. He will be a friend forever.
“He was very grateful to Liverpool and to the Liverpool supporters. He always says that. I have spoken to many former players and when they took the decision to leave Liverpool, most of them have ended up regretting it. Obviously when Fernando was struggling he probably missed Liverpool. I’m not saying he made a good or a bad decision, it’s up to him, but he was an icon and an idol here.
“I’m happy for him because he has been showing great form lately and has been more involved in their games. Physically he looks sharper.
“I’m glad. It’s good for the national team and good for himself. Maybe not so good for us but I wish him to be at that level all the time.”
By his own admission, Reina has suffered his own dip in form this season. Liverpool are hoping to add their former goalkeeper coach Jose Ochotorena to the coaching staff next season, a man who brought the best out of Reina.
Asked how to sum up his own performances, Reina said: “Bad. I don’t think my season has been good at all. It has been below my standards but I am working hard and trying to improve. I know I haven’t been great this season but first of all I want to help the team in the final and then get back to my best next season.
“Unfortunately there have been a number of mistakes by me this season. Fortunately I am able to get over them easily. You have to be strong and prepare properly. We will make plenty of good saves out there as well but you cannot afford to get carried away with the good saves and the good performances or the mistakes. You have to stay normal and try your best every time.”
In his last FA Cup final, in 2006, Reina was Liverpool’s penalty-kick hero and says a win today would compensate for a miserable league position.
“If anyone said to me that we would be in the same league position, or maybe even a place lower, but you would win two titles then I would take that,” he said.
Liverpool’s goalkeeper, Pepe Reina, has amplified the FA Cup final tension by blaming Chelsea for the confidence crisis endured by their record signing, Fernando Torres.
Misunderstood: Liverpool's goalkeeper Pepe Reina insists they should have given Fernando Torres more support Photo: GETTY IMAGES
By Chris Bascombe
11:00PM BST 04 May 2012
Torres has only recently begun to rediscover the form which prompted his £50 million transfer from Anfield to Stamford Bridge, with Roberto Di Matteo’s leadership seeming to have ended a torrid 18 months.
Reina, still a close friend of the former Liverpool striker, fears Torres has shown signs of improvement at the wrong time for his former club as the duo meet at Wembley on Saturday.
He believes Torres missed the sense of affection he enjoyed at Anfield as he struggled under former manager Andre Villas-Boas and believes his lack of form was down to Chelsea’s failure to offer him the same support he had on Merseyside.
“When you move there is always a question mark,” said Reina. “We knew how good he was here but he needed to change city, team-mates and the mentality of the team. That is a hell of a change.
“He had to get used to that but also keep delivering and the expectations when a team has spent £50 million on a player are also very high. The pressure was there but I don’t think it was only down to Fernando. I don’t think Chelsea as a club delivered for him.
“We built a team for Fernando here. Along with Stevie, Fernando was our star player. We had no problems admitting that. He deserved that and he earned that credit. I’m not sure it’s like that at Chelsea.
“The difference between Fernando and myself is that I have had the confidence of the people at my club all the time. I don’t think that has been the case for Fernando at Chelsea. It is much easier to get over your mistakes when you know you have the confidence of your manager and your team-mates. With Villas-Boas especially, I don’t think Fernando felt that confidence.
“That was the situation when Fernando was performing at his best. I’m not saying Chelsea have to do that because Fernando can perform for any club in the world, but it is easier when you have that situation.
“I told him he was going to be back. People, and the press in this country especially, were killing him but he has been carrying that weight all his life. He was captain of Atletico Madrid when he was 19 and that gave him a lot of experience. We knew Fernando at Liverpool and Fernando is a great player. He will always be a great player.”
Reina admits he would love to have Torres back at Anfield and suspects, at his lowest ebb, the striker would have liked to return.
“I would like to play with Fernando every day of my life,” said Reina. “We are close friends. Our families are close. We shared a lot of things in those three years and we know each other very well. He will be a friend forever.
“He was very grateful to Liverpool and to the Liverpool supporters. He always says that. I have spoken to many former players and when they took the decision to leave Liverpool, most of them have ended up regretting it. Obviously when Fernando was struggling he probably missed Liverpool. I’m not saying he made a good or a bad decision, it’s up to him, but he was an icon and an idol here.
“I’m happy for him because he has been showing great form lately and has been more involved in their games. Physically he looks sharper.
“I’m glad. It’s good for the national team and good for himself. Maybe not so good for us but I wish him to be at that level all the time.”
By his own admission, Reina has suffered his own dip in form this season. Liverpool are hoping to add their former goalkeeper coach Jose Ochotorena to the coaching staff next season, a man who brought the best out of Reina.
Asked how to sum up his own performances, Reina said: “Bad. I don’t think my season has been good at all. It has been below my standards but I am working hard and trying to improve. I know I haven’t been great this season but first of all I want to help the team in the final and then get back to my best next season.
“Unfortunately there have been a number of mistakes by me this season. Fortunately I am able to get over them easily. You have to be strong and prepare properly. We will make plenty of good saves out there as well but you cannot afford to get carried away with the good saves and the good performances or the mistakes. You have to stay normal and try your best every time.”
In his last FA Cup final, in 2006, Reina was Liverpool’s penalty-kick hero and says a win today would compensate for a miserable league position.
“If anyone said to me that we would be in the same league position, or maybe even a place lower, but you would win two titles then I would take that,” he said.
