From The Times September 18, 2009
Fernando Torres happy to take blows for Liverpool
Tony Barrett
There are professional boxers who have suffered fewer black eyes than Fernando Torres in recent weeks.
Four shiners in a month is the present running total, leading to inevitable suggestions that the Liverpool centre forward is either coming in for some rough treatment by those charged with stopping arguably the world’s most dangerous attacking player or — more simply — that he needs to protect himself better.
The man himself is not fazed by his sudden proclivity to pick up the kind of injuries more usually associated with the ring than the pitch, however.
For Torres, it is just part of the inevitable rough and tumble that comes as standard in what he considers to be the most competitive league in world football.
What is more, the Spain forward insists that not only does the damage inflicted on his boyish looks not deter him from putting his head in where it hurts, but it also spurs him to inflict even more pain on his opponents by delivering some knockout blows of his own.
“Scoring goals is always the best answer,†Torres said at the launch of his new book, El Niño: My Story.
“I have to stay focused on football. I got this black eye with the national team, not in England, but football is like this. This type of thing happens. I have to learn from games like Reading in the Carling Cup.â€
That particular match came two years ago and during it André Bikey and Michael Duberry, the Reading central defensive duo then, subjected Torres to the kind of rigorous physical examination that he was warned about when he left La Liga behind to test himself in the Barclays Premier League.
Both Bikey and Duberry were booked for fouls on the former Atlético Madrid player, but even the intervention of Martin Atkinson, the referee, failed to stop the onslaught, leaving Torres to take matters into his own hands. He scored a devastating hat-trick.
“I have to learn,†Torres said. “I have to adapt and protect myself because I think the referees don’t have to protect just three or four players, they have to protect all of them.
“England is a physical league and we have to learn and try to be safe. Of course, I have to be aware of defenders paying more attention to me.
“I have to improve and try to play to my strengths. Halfway through my first season, the defenders knew me as well. I cannot use that as an excuse. I have to be ready. I know people know me now. I have to try and be a little bit better.â€
There have been times this season when Torres has appeared to allow the ongoing bombardment to get the better of him. His shoulders have drooped, forlorn appeals have been made to referees for greater protection and his performance levels have suffered as a result.
At one stage, Rafael BenÃtez, the Liverpool manager, became so concerned about his record signing’s apparent loss of focus that he issued him with a rare public rebuke, imploring the 25-year-old to get his mind back on scoring goals.
It is a message that Torres has heeded. “I have been speaking to Rafa all the time and he said to stop talking to referees, they are just doing their job,†he said.
“I was watching clips of my performances from the first and second seasons with Rafa and I am just trying to keep on improving and do the things I was doing then.
“I have to learn to play like this. I have to improve every season. It doesn’t matter if I had a good first season, I want to make a better season than the first one. Three goals in five games is not bad but I want to improve. If you get frustrated then you cannot win the game.
“I know for the good of the team I have to be aware and beat the defenders. That is my job. Sometimes it is difficult playing in games because the defenders are very strong — every team, not just the top ones. I try and know about the opposition defenders.
“Rafa is talking to me about individual players before each game and looking for their weaknesses. We are looking at that.â€
Good to hear him sound positive again.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/liverpool/article6839128.ece?print=yes&randnum=1253224203861
Fernando Torres happy to take blows for Liverpool
Tony Barrett
There are professional boxers who have suffered fewer black eyes than Fernando Torres in recent weeks.
Four shiners in a month is the present running total, leading to inevitable suggestions that the Liverpool centre forward is either coming in for some rough treatment by those charged with stopping arguably the world’s most dangerous attacking player or — more simply — that he needs to protect himself better.
The man himself is not fazed by his sudden proclivity to pick up the kind of injuries more usually associated with the ring than the pitch, however.
For Torres, it is just part of the inevitable rough and tumble that comes as standard in what he considers to be the most competitive league in world football.
What is more, the Spain forward insists that not only does the damage inflicted on his boyish looks not deter him from putting his head in where it hurts, but it also spurs him to inflict even more pain on his opponents by delivering some knockout blows of his own.
“Scoring goals is always the best answer,†Torres said at the launch of his new book, El Niño: My Story.
“I have to stay focused on football. I got this black eye with the national team, not in England, but football is like this. This type of thing happens. I have to learn from games like Reading in the Carling Cup.â€
That particular match came two years ago and during it André Bikey and Michael Duberry, the Reading central defensive duo then, subjected Torres to the kind of rigorous physical examination that he was warned about when he left La Liga behind to test himself in the Barclays Premier League.
Both Bikey and Duberry were booked for fouls on the former Atlético Madrid player, but even the intervention of Martin Atkinson, the referee, failed to stop the onslaught, leaving Torres to take matters into his own hands. He scored a devastating hat-trick.
“I have to learn,†Torres said. “I have to adapt and protect myself because I think the referees don’t have to protect just three or four players, they have to protect all of them.
“England is a physical league and we have to learn and try to be safe. Of course, I have to be aware of defenders paying more attention to me.
“I have to improve and try to play to my strengths. Halfway through my first season, the defenders knew me as well. I cannot use that as an excuse. I have to be ready. I know people know me now. I have to try and be a little bit better.â€
There have been times this season when Torres has appeared to allow the ongoing bombardment to get the better of him. His shoulders have drooped, forlorn appeals have been made to referees for greater protection and his performance levels have suffered as a result.
At one stage, Rafael BenÃtez, the Liverpool manager, became so concerned about his record signing’s apparent loss of focus that he issued him with a rare public rebuke, imploring the 25-year-old to get his mind back on scoring goals.
It is a message that Torres has heeded. “I have been speaking to Rafa all the time and he said to stop talking to referees, they are just doing their job,†he said.
“I was watching clips of my performances from the first and second seasons with Rafa and I am just trying to keep on improving and do the things I was doing then.
“I have to learn to play like this. I have to improve every season. It doesn’t matter if I had a good first season, I want to make a better season than the first one. Three goals in five games is not bad but I want to improve. If you get frustrated then you cannot win the game.
“I know for the good of the team I have to be aware and beat the defenders. That is my job. Sometimes it is difficult playing in games because the defenders are very strong — every team, not just the top ones. I try and know about the opposition defenders.
“Rafa is talking to me about individual players before each game and looking for their weaknesses. We are looking at that.â€
Good to hear him sound positive again.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/liverpool/article6839128.ece?print=yes&randnum=1253224203861
