Torres: Replaceable or Not

There was something in the stars tonight, they shone so bright Fernando.

A sentence so loved by millions of ABBA fans, but which represents so truly of Liverpool’s formidable No. 9. There is many a player up and down the country who is greatly talented at the beautiful game, but none so much as Fernando Torres. Now being a Liverpool fan you make think that I am sitting on the red fence of Stanley Park and partially I am. I am going to write this as a premier league fan, a fan of football, a fan of blessed footballers.

However you look at it, may it be that you are a Man Utd fan or Everton, Torres is one of the most gifted footballers on the planet. Simple as that.  Torres hasn’t played a game for Liverpool since injuring himself playing for Spain, now this was a bit of a hick up for the club. Knowing that a possible chance at the title really was on the cards, not having your star striker could really affect that. Possible points dropped losses against teams that really shouldn’t have been losses. But no. Not this time, the red train just kept chugging along at such force that it even bypassed Chelsea as league leaders, beating the blues one nil at the Bridge. I now believe that Liverpool Football Club are ready to step up to the plate with or without Torres, I’m not saying if Torres was not there, Liverpool would still be in the same position . But now they have other players who want to win for Liverpool. This is because knowing Torres is out injured, they will and to be perfectly honest have to perform to impress. And impressed they have.

Now for me there are two players who have shown how good they can be, because of Torres’ absence. First is Dirk Kuyt, the guy runs and runs and runs. He knows it, I know it and I’m sure most people know it; Kuyt is not the world’s best player and quite frankly never will be. He has realized for Liverpool his services as a forward are no longer required, and of course has been playing as a right winger and on a few occasions as a lone striker due to the absence of Keane. For me Kuyt is fourth favourite with the fans behind the two scousers and Torres. Second is Xabi Alonso, what a player. For me the best passer this side of Los Angeles.  When Benitez plays a 4-4-2 he usually has either Gerrard and Mascherano or Gerrard and Alonso in the middle of midfield, with Gerrard playing the attacking role. Now due to Rafa not having two fully fit strikers he plays a 4-5-1 meaning there are two holding midfield players. For me when called upon Alonso has been exceptional and this is down to Torres not playing and allowing Alonso to play more often. You might be saying but why wouldn’t you play Alonso. Benitez doesn’t think like that, he sets up his team not to lose, meaning he will play a proper defending midfielder, which is Mascherano. Knowing that Torres is out and he will get the chance to play, Alonso has performed out of his skin and has been Liverpool’s most consistent player this season.

Torres needs to be thanked for what he has brought to Liverpool, not only at the club but how the rest of the Premiership and Europe look at the club. Liverpool has always been a presence in the league and in Europe but somehow has fallen at the last hurdle, with exception of that night in Istanbul, which still beggars belief. Torres has changed that, big style, not only do people admire his talent, but people are scared witless when that face him. Now that can create exactly the same thing which Chelsea had with Mourinho, teams where already beaten before kick-off, players would be crapping themselves knowing they were playing against £200 million of top crop players. Now I know that Liverpool have two of those players in Torres and Gerrard, they need more. How many more I don’t know, it could be one or it could be ten. But one thing I do know is that the more Fernando Torres’ there are at Anfield, a better place it will be for all Liverpudlians.