Torres calls for signings

Reds striker urges owners to bring in new faces

Last updated: 15th January 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Torres calls for signings

Torres: wants new faces at Anfield

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.

Fernando Torres
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Liverpool striker Fernando Torres has pleaded with the club's owners to buy new players.

Liverpool are out of the UEFA Champions League and effectively out of the Barclays Premier League title race.

Wednesday's FA Cup third round replay defeat to Reading has left them with just the Europa League trophy to chase.

And Torres wants the club's American co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett to back his fellow Spaniard and manager Rafael Benitez.

Torres said: "It's frustrating. We finished second last season. This season should have been a turning point for us - a chance 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."

Torres, currently out with a knee injury, told Four-Four-Two magazine: "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. We need to improve, we need to take responsibility and we need 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."

Comments (86)

Oseunfunmi Adegbohun (Liverpool fan) says...

We need to look beyond the performances of the players and focus on whatever psycological effect the numerous scandals is having on them. We also need to understand what exactly is going on in the lockerroom because I fail to understand why the players keep playing with demoralized spirits, despite promising the fans a change. I do not believe bringing in a stream of players would solve the problem, although it might be necessary. Believe it or not, if this trend continues and a sokution is not found, I bet you the team will be on its way into relegation before you could say 'fer-nan-do'm

Posted 14:40 15th January 2010

Joe Wilson says...

I can't believe how bad the team has gotten in under 12 months. I remember towards the end of last season when we sticking 4 goals past everyone, including United, Villa, Chelsea and Arsenal. It was great football to watch, now it is painful. I was almost disappointed when we got the goal before half time in midweek, as we didn't deserve it. Reading were by far the better team, and if their win means Rafa gets the boot then at least some good will have come from the result. He's wasted money time after time, Aquilani looks like has the potential to be one our the Prem's worst ever signings, alongside Josemi, Lucas, Kromkamp, Voronin et al. The way Rafa treated players like Keane, Alonso, even Crouch has shown that he has no man-management ability, and the trophies which he did win were mainly made up of Houllier's players. Out of all his signings I'd say about 6 have been worthwhile (Alonso, Torres, Reina, Kuyt, Mascherano. Benayoun) when you consider the amount of money he has spent that simply isn't good enough, so by allowing him to spend money (that we really have't got) is not going to accomplish much. Time for a change, Hiddink in?

Posted 14:39 15th January 2010

Mike Peers (Liverpool fan) says...

Shak Ahmed what planet are you on?? lucas is not a bad player at all!!!! he was the only player with heart and pride on Wednesday (i was at the game) and he gets a load of criticism leveled at him from people who know nothing about football at all!!! he may not fit your typical brazilian players mould, but then again when was the last time they produced a decent defensive midfielder?? answers on a post card you muppet.

Posted 14:19 15th January 2010

Tom B (Liverpool fan) says...

Why are so many of our fans blinded to the truth? Rafa needs to go, simple as. He has won 2 trophies, 1 of them with Gerard Houlliers squad! And speaking of Houllier, he won more trophies and wasn't given this kind of backing or time! Rafa is so stubborn and doesn't have a clue of how to field a Premiership winning side. Why cant he see where the problems lie when everyone else can!? His tactics are predictable and Reading exploited that. I envy Aston Villa and Tottenham for the quality home grown players they have. Why didnt we go for Milner, Dunne or Lennon? It baffles me. We need a change now before the situation gets any worse.

Posted 14:14 15th January 2010

James Watson (Bolton Wanderers fan) says...

Compete with Chelsea and Man Utd??? You cant compete with Arsenal either.... You should really be thinking about competing with the likes of Villa, Man City, and Spurs...

Posted 14:14 15th January 2010

Tom B (Liverpool fan) says...

Why are so many of our fans blinded to the truth? Rafa needs to go simple as. He has won 2 trophies, 1 of them with Gerard Houlliers squad! And speaking of Houllier, he won more trophies and wasn't given this kind of backing or time! Rafa is so stubborn and doesn't have a clue of how to field a Premiership winning side. Why cant he see where the problems lie when everyone else can!? His tactics are predictable and Reading exploited that. I envy Aston Villa and Tottenham for the quality home grown players they have. Why didnt we go for Milner, Dunne or Lennon? It baffles me. We need a change now before the situation gets any worse.

Posted 14:07 15th January 2010

Jeff Shaw (Arsenal fan) says...

Benitez has spent something like 200 mil since he's been there and has no squad to show for it. Liverpool have and entire squad made out of squad players. Aside from Reina, Gerrard & Torres how many would make it into the ther top four teams?? None i think. Liverpool is a great club but the fans may now realise that dominating football 20-30 years ago and winning a champs league gives you no divine right to current success. If you get Hiddink as manager i think you will be genuine title contenders next year. He'll sort out your squad players and get them playing well.

Posted 14:07 15th January 2010

Steve Lilley (Liverpool fan) says...

Why its it everyone wants Rafa to get the sack?At the end of the day it is the players who cross the white line. Aquilani can't be judged till last season as very few players come to the premiership and hit it of straight away. It does often take time to adapt to speed and physical side of the game. Rafa has shown he can win trophies look at his record. As for ths season, the problem seems to be in defence and midfield. Last few years the back line has been rock solid and this year a slight change aberloa out and johnsoon in. Yest alonso's gone but they are theye only 2 real changes. So does that mean Liverpool were not a four man team last year?well if you look at two players who were sold who wanted to go and then take out Stevie G and Torres. At the end of the day most of the players are showing a lack of passion and commitment on the field, questions should be do any of them show they deserve they obseen wages?What should happen is all those underachieving players refusing to be paid to play till they turn things round and then see who has the passion and comitment to give back to the fans who pay there obseen wages which they are proving they don't deserve!At the moment very few of them deserve more £1K a week.So pay them what they deserve till they turn it round and show the pride that playing for Liverpool deserves!the player are letting Rafa down which is the case in most managers when theyend up getting the sack for the wrong reasons!

Posted 14:05 15th January 2010

David Hampton (Chelsea fan) says...

Benitez has not got the best board backing him but he has still been given the tools over the past 5 years to make Liverpool consistent Premier League/Champions League contenders. Its usually true that when a manager is given time success will follow but I just can't see it with Benitez at the club. Everyone in the land can see Liverpool have been crying out for a second quality striker for a few seasons now. That's everyone except Benitez by the looks of it. He's just bought in a decent right sided winger but again, everyone could see they have needed one for years. Too much averageness has been signed - Kuyt, Benayoun, Insua, Krompkamp, Luis Garcia, Riera etc and then a lot of rubbish has also been bought - Lucas, Pennant, Dossena etc and they still get linked to average players like Scott Parker. He's done as much as he can at this club, bringing in average squad players but its clear he does not have the eye for World Class talent as Ferguson, Mourinho and Wenger have. Benitez's one outstanding signing is Torres but then again, everyone could see the talent he had. When things don't go Liverpool's way, like the 2-1 defeat to Reading the other day, he always always comes out with the same old comments - "we will improve". Well that excuse is now wearing a but thin after 5 years. Liverpool need to cut their loses and get him out quick and with the repuatation Liverpool have it won't be hard to attract someone like Hiddink who has proved to be a top rate manager. Yes it will cost Liverpool £20 odd million to sack him but they are not gonna be a world class team until they get in a world class manager.

Posted 13:57 15th January 2010

Chris Crook (Manchester United fan) says...

Torres is bang on about this one.. Liverpool all fit can put out a solid starting 11... its the same 11 practically (minus Alonso) thats pushed all the way last season... the problem has simply been form... not a player in the liverpool team is playing well at present.. insua is pulling his weight in that he is rarely responsible for a goal and is popping up with assists going forward.. gerard has been a non entity and torres is just begging for a strike partner.. its no wonder he's regularly injured when he is so easy to single out for punishment.. if liverpool had a top striker alongside him defences would not be able to allocate extra resources on torres for fear of leaving space for the other quality striker.. and lets face it... carragher was a pool legend but sadly his legs are well and truly gone.. totally off the pace he is.. regularly bullied by the better strikers.. a good centre half, striker and left sided midfielder would lighten the load.. but they have to be good for day one not just average like the reira's and babels of this world... exposed!!! Rafa is utterly out of idea's

Posted 13:53 15th January 2010

Joe Traynor (Liverpool fan) says...

Its all very well saying we need money to buy world class players, we've had money and its been spent on 'squad' players, the only fear i have is that even if we do get the money to spend the same will happen again. And I'm not a fan of all these so called supporters asking for Benitez to get sacked either are these the same people who were singing his name last year ??

Posted 13:50 15th January 2010

Richard Murphy (Liverpool fan) says...

Kuyt is not a waster. Dave Craggs

Posted 13:49 15th January 2010

Redda Khan (Cardiff City fan) says...

Liverpool should be selling not buying anymore! Enough with the spending if anything. What happeded to the days of having a solid british contigent in the team ? Rush, Mcmanamum, Barnes, Fowler. Liverpool need to do what they've done best previously and thats give the young english talent a chance. If they want a market for players then why not look at the lower divisions ? Makes no sense that clubs and I dont just mean liverpool are always buying foreign and no longer have faith in young english stars. This is the ENGLISH premier league after all.

Posted 13:47 15th January 2010

Andy Dunn (Liverpool fan) says...

We do have the money but it is that fact that we have 2 owners that dont get along with each other and are only in this to make money, yes we have had serious amounts of money over the past 2 seasons but why the change now because they think we have a strong team and i fell we do were just not using it right. people saying that Aqualani was a wast of money, but he really aint he has not played that much first team football to get his confedence up. But i do agree that we need a few fresh pair of legs, we need a creative midfelider like alonso was becasue lucas and masharnio are defending midfelders that can support the back 4 and when we have torres as the only striker we have problems :/ lets hope we pick up are game up and start to perform well aD.

Posted 13:47 15th January 2010

Reg Iredale says...

I am a season ticket holder and must have watched over 1000 Liverpool matches live/TV. Let me comment on the current squad and the players. I have differing opinion to many of your writers. Johnson: A total waste of space defensively, requires constant cover when he wanders aimlessly upfield, exposes Carragher. Mascheranno, Overated , cant pass, cant shoot. Insuea, Too easily beaten for pace, too small. Lucas, Not good enough, poor mans Mascheranno. Babel Got it all,less guts & determination. Skirtel Squad player Agger is gifted but needs to produce the goods more often. Kyte Gifted footballer with no pace therefore too predictable Riera Where is he? Ngog First touch useless Benayun Has skill and determination we need, physically too light Torres, Magic, needs more support Carragher Top class centre back forget right back Gerrard, The real deal, get fit soon.

Posted 13:45 15th January 2010

Jim Balloch (Liverpool fan) says...

What £40m did Rafa get from the board; it was not new money but the money from Alonso and Arbeloa; as for Mourinho and £50m; he can't do it without £250m. Torres is right, he was brought on the back of the Hicks and Gillet promise of 'more of the same'... all they have brought to the club is more and more debt in the Glazier mold!! I am not saying we all agree with some of the decisions Rafa has made but is still a world class manager and one of the very very few that can manage a club like Liverpool. Its a poor season, no-one can deny that but it is only one season... look at Arsenal and Wenger... nothing in the whole time Rafa has been at Liverpool, do you hear the fans and press hounding him? Man U are struggling (by their standards) without players they have sold and also with expensive players that are not perfoming. Injuries not withstanding clearly there are issues behind the scenes; and we do not want to lose Torres or Gerrard in the transfer market.

Posted 13:33 15th January 2010

Mike Thomas says...

It is strange how everything is blamed on the Americans . Where is the evidence to support the idea that things would have or indeed would be better if the yanks were replaced or indeed the previous owner had remained. Lets face it the manager has spent a lot of money and the squad isnt really that strong as evidenced by this weeks FA cup match Liverpool had a fantastic 30 years at this point in time Liverpool are on the downward spiral and dont have the resources to compete at the very very highest level Liverpool supporters are struggling to come to terms with the fact that other clubs are on the up . Another rant from RAFA today based on facts yet the facts I think speak for themseves

Posted 13:33 15th January 2010

Rohit Verma (Liverpool fan) says...

Liverpool dont have the money, because Benetiz has spent all the valuable cash on second rate players. At least play Babel upfront or Kuyt, not Ngog. Benetiz should have went a long time ago. If we sell about 5 or 6 of our second rate players, then we may get about £40m of cash to buy 2 star players. Aron Lennon would be a brilliant home buy. We also need a star defender as Carragher is losing his form. Its true, Torres has basically said he is playing with average players. Benayoun has been our star player this season and Benetiz has not used him to the full extent. Lucas, Ngog, Caragher and off form. Babel is playing in the wrong position.

Posted 13:29 15th January 2010

David Burden (Fulham fan) says...

To all those who are saying "Liverpool need money to compete again", I would say look at what Sir Woy Hodgson has done with our lot on a tight budget. And we did the 'Pool 3-1earlier this season, totally outclassing them. No need to say any more really. COYW

Posted 13:27 15th January 2010

Rod De fierce (Manchester United fan) says...

Youse are all a bit wingy aren't you? You talk about last season being a step forward when really apart from the excellent start you had it was more or less the same as this season! The only difference now is that instead of scoring last minute goals to scrape a point you're conceding goals in the last minute to lose games. So I don't think much has changed really, its just Scouser fans making up something to complain about. How about getting behind your team and having faith rather that doing what Newcastle fans did and get their team relegated!

Posted 13:26 15th January 2010

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