Bulld0gs Liverpool Thread

[Ebro]

Looks like Portsmouth are finally putting some cash up for Crouch this week. 10 million should help towards another striker.

Also Risse, is finally going. Such a shame, always liked him.

[Bulld0g]

Torres interview

Guillem Balague Website

Guillem: What did you learn from your first coach?


Fernando Torres: I?ve had lots of coaches, from when I was five, but my first professional coach was Manolo Rangel at Atl?tico when I started there at about ten years old. He was the first one who told me I was going to play in the top flight, but he also used to remind me I should always aim to enjoy myself. He used to let us choose the training exercises, one player each day.

He?d ask one of the kids: ?What do you want us to do today?? Over the years you forget the details, but the thing he taught me that has stayed with me is the importance of enjoying yourself, as if it wasn?t a job.

I learned from him that you have to apply yourself every day in training, but above all, that this is a game to be enjoyed.


Guillem: And the man in the street?


Torres: I remember something from the day I left to join Liverpool. It was at Madrid airport, and there were loads of people and cameras everywhere. It was a very emotional time, and my parents were upset to see me leaving. There was this old guy there, nobody knew who he was, but he was quite indignant and he came up to me really upset and said: ?It?s a shame that you have to leave Atl?tico, but I can see that you need to leave to realise your full potential and to be all that you can be; to show the world what we all already know: how good you really are.?

When you play for a football team, it?s times like that you realise many people love you more and care more about you as a person than a footballer. I took those words to heart. Of course, people had said similar things to me before, but this was different.

This was a 60-year-old guy I?d never met before, who?d been an Atl?tico fan all his life, who loved his team ? but at that moment he was more concerned about my well-being than anything else. What makes it even more special is that I realise those are
the things football is losing little by little. But I will carry those words with me for a long while. That really moved me.

Guillem: What has your father taught you?


Torres: A lot. A person is a reflection of his parents. I?ve never been one for trying to stand out, and I?m embarrassed being the centre of attention, but whenever I am in the foreground, I know my father is always there in the background watching over me. I remember playing a match for Atl?tico when I was eleven or 12 years old in the village of Legan?s, and the coach decided to substitute me. There was a guy watching the game, hurling abuse at me, calling me all kinds of names. I put my head up and looked at him, and my father was there, right next to him, but he didn?t say a word; he was completely impassive. He didn?t even look at this guy, let alone say anything to him or start a fight like some parents might. He was just there.

I will never forget that. He was watching everything that goes on and accepting that is the way things are. And that?s how he always is: there, supporting me regardless of what?s going on around him and always with a very gentleman-like attitude.
People might be surprised with my dad?s reaction, but it is a reflection of his personality, the way he has always been, in the background, accepting things as they come.

I learned from him at that moment, this is something I would have to put up with for the rest of my career: Insults, criticism from people that don?t know me. I have had it from packed stadiums, but I know my dad has been in the stands watching me. So, I have learned to prefer to stay in the background, to let people around me take the spotlight, something I?ve never been comfortable with. I?ve never forgotten, thanks to my dad, the importance of the ?other person?.

Of course there have been occasions where I haven?t been able to avoid the plaudits, or to be in the headlines, but I have always preferred the people closest to me to get the attention.

Guillem: And your mother?


Torres: I learned all about self-sacrifice from her.

She gave up a lot to see me fulfil my ambitions. She didn?t go to work because she was too busy taking me to and from training: every day, from where we lived in Fuenlabrada into Madrid, which meant getting a train, then a bus, then walking through a park. She did it at eight in the morning and again at six in the evening, just to make her son happy. I sometimes think about many old teammates of mine that didn?t make it, and they had mothers who did the same for them.

Both my mum and dad gave much more importance to looking after their son than to themselves. It?s a gift they gave me ? I am much happier when I see people around me happy than when I am happy myself.

Everything I am now is a tribute to my mother?s hard work and all that she gave up for me.

Guillem: What about your girlfriend, Olalla?


Torres: I?ve learned a great deal from her. That?s how it is when you find someone you want to share your life with: you have a lot in common and you learn from one another but, above all, they give you something you don?t have yourself. She is a calming influence on me whenever I?m being impulsive, when things are not going well or when we lose a match.

She has had to suffer much disappointed ranting and moaning, especially when I was at Atl?tico. Now she is also having a good time herself. She has always known how to calm me down when I haven?t been able to see the way out of the tunnel, or wake me up when I?ve been sleeping. She pushes me when I need to be encouraged.

The person that lives with you is sometimes the only one capable of helping you up when you don?t realise how down you are.

Guillem: How about your dogs?

Torres: That it?s not all about the material things in life. It?s not about the things you have or what you have achieved. Life?s about the little things, like five minutes playing in the garden with my dogs. It helps me forget about everything else.

Sometimes ten minutes with my dogs can mean as much to me as playing in a big game of football.

Guillem: What have you learned from playing alongside Steven Gerrard?


Torres: I really admire Steven Gerrard because I know the pressure he is under every day, everybody talking about him all day long ? in the changing room, in the pubs, in the stadium?


I?ve heard people say he should be stronger, have a stronger personality. And I know by experience how difficult it is to deal with all that, and he?s at another level of course ? because Liverpool is a huge club. I was captain of my team from a very young age and I knew everybody was talking about me. I could feel it, I could see it out of the corner of my eye, especially when things weren?t going right. People look at you from a distance and challenge you with their eyes. All that happens every day to Stevie and he copes with it, everything that is expected of him all the time.

He?s always under tremendous pressure to perform, and everyone looks to him to show leadership, to lift the team. He?s a great example to everyone, and those of us who have been in a similar situation know how difficult it is to handle. It?s incredible the way he carries himself regardless of what is going on around him.

I?d love to be captain of another team one day, and Steven has shown me how to be a great leader.

Guillem: Anything from a referee?


Torres: Well, first of all that these guys aren?t the enemy!

We?re all just trying to do a job: players and referees. I?ve chatted with refs in Spain for like half an hour about football and stuff, and you know what? We shouldn?t complain about their decisions, get too angry or protest too much, because, after all, they are just trying to do the best that they can. We?re all in the same business.

There was one ref in one of our matches ? I can?t remember that well what happened, but I know I was the subject of abuse ? and he came up to me and said: ?Now you know how I feel every weekend.? Before that, I hadn?t given it much thought, I used to have a go at them myself. Now I try to help as much as possible.

We have to realise everybody is fighting his own corner .

Guillem: What has Rafa Ben?tez taught you?


Torres: To demand a lot of myself daily, not to relax.

When you are in a team where things are going mostly well, players tend to relax. But you must always push yourself; never become complacent; try to do your best every single day. At a club like Liverpool, you can?t sit back after scoring 20-odd goals and say: ?Well that?s it.? After you score 20, Ben?tez is at you during the next training session and stays on top of you all day, all week. He tells you to go off on your own and do new exercises.


There are days when you think: ?My God, this guy doesn?t let you breathe!?

At times like that you don?t realise all he wants is for you to improve. I want to progress in life, not relax, not be complacent, and you need someone close to you telling you to keep at it. It is impossible to do it otherwise. We don?t always fancy having someone like that so close, but in the long term I am sure everybody will thank him for it.

Guillem: Did the Atl?tico fans teach you anything?

Torres: I?m an Atl?tico fan, and I would love the chance to go back there.

Maybe I?ll be able to play them in the UEFA Champions League! I like to think I?d get a good reception from them. Whenever I bump into an Atl?tico fan in the street, I?m still considered one of them, one of their own, and that?s a wonderful thing.

It would be really hard for me if I ever went back there and I didn?t get a warm reception. That would be very difficult to deal with. I hope it is not the case.

Guillem: And the Liverpool supporters?


Torres: You can?t imagine better support.

They are totally behind their team, supporting us through thick and thin. No matter what happens they are always behind me and the team ? when you?re wearing that red shirt of Liverpool, they give you their full support, to the death.

If you make a mistake they won?t criticise you ? because you are wearing the Liverpool shirt, and they support the shirt well above any name.

They enjoy the players they have at any time, and they are gracious when former players return with other teams, showing them their appreciation. When things are going well, they love their players; when they are going not so well, they are still proud of their team.

As players, we always feel we have their backing, that they?re 100% behind us ? and we appreciate that very much.That?s the big difference between here and Spain.

Guillem: What about books or films? Have you got anything out of them?

Torres: Different things from books, but above all, friendship is very important. Your relationships are all you have, even when there is nothing else left, and I?ve learned that your friends should be for life. The other thing is that because books are written from, and reveal, people?s personal experiences, they have taught me that deep down we are all the same; we all have the same hopes, desires and fears; the same basic needs in terms of security, family and relationships.


I?ve learned, too, that envy can be a very bad thing, a bad quality. However, it?s not something I?ve encountered here. The people you meet just aren?t like that. Wherever I go, whether it?s Liverpool or Manchester, the people have always been very kind and respectful.

Ultimately, I?ve learned to enjoy what I have in life.

Guillem: What about the journalists who write about you?


Torres: I?ve learned a lot from a number of journalists!

At the end of the day, we footballers are quite egoistical, and most of us would probably say that good journalists are the ones who say good things about us, and the bad ones are those who paint us in a bad light. I?ve learned that there are some who print bad things and criticise me ? but not as a way of helping me, but to do me harm, and hinder me. I won?t name names and they?re not worth worrying about ? but do I want to show them they are wrong?

Whatever I do, I do for myself, but yes, sometimes I also do it to show them they are wrong. Perhaps their criticism has been right at times, but now, whenever I step out on the pitch, I make sure they can?t say that any more.

Guillem: Finally, have you been affected by a journey or a place you?ve visited?


Torres: I?ve been to quite a few poor places like Polynesia, Bora Bora, Natal, the Amazon in Brazil, parts of Mexico: places where the people are exploited, where they have next to nothing. And the thing that has stuck with me most is that the people who have the least are always those who are willing to give the most.

In these places, devoid of material things and the envy that we obsess about in our world, I?ve found the people are so generous and prepared to share everything.
That?s an incredible thing.


And you know what, it makes you realise that sometimes we players live an unreal life. I would love sometimes to live away from some of the stuff that surrounds us, the excess of money, the jealousies. I go away to these places and it makes me want to share everything with everybody. Then I come back to Europe and, well, it is different here, isn?t it?

[Bulld0g]

Looks like Crouchy is off

Peter Crouch is poised to complete his switch from Liverpool to Portsmouth in a deal that could be worth up to ?11m.

The two clubs reached an agreement over the weekend and Liverpool confirmed on Monday they had given the 27-year-old permission to talk.

"We have reached a verbal agreement with Portsmouth and have given them permission to speak with Peter," a Liverpool statement said.

Crouch wants to link up with Pompey again six years after leaving.

He will team up with Jermain Defoe in a new-look Portsmouth attack next season.

Liverpool are expected to initially receive in the region of ?9m for Crouch, who joined the club from Southampton in July 2005 but only started nine Premier League games last term.

Anfield boss Rafael Benitez initially said he would consider offers for Crouch in the region of ?15m but has been forced to scale back his demands for a player with only a year left on his current contract.

Crouch has scored 40 goals in 135 appearances for Liverpool but has struggled to hold down a regular first-team place in recent times.

He was relegated behind Fernando Torres, who scored 33 goals for the Reds after signing from Atletico Madrid last summer.

However, he was a popular figure with Liverpool fans and still managed to net 11 goals as he was mainly used as a substitute by Benitez.

Crouch started his career as a trainee at Tottenham before moves to QPR, Portsmouth, Aston Villa, Norwich - where he had a spell on loan - Southampton and Liverpool.

[Mike83]

I'll miss Crouch, hope we use this to fund a new striker, and not Gareth Barry.

[Bulld0g]

Torres Nke advert

YouTube - Fernando Torres - Nike Advert

<--Bulld0g added 6 Minutes and 3 Seconds later...-->

FC Lucerne 18 35 Today Channel 5

[Ebro]

QUE! Scorchio.!

[biffo1]

Premier League - Keane joins Liverpool from angry Spurs

Full Story

Here

[shy9010]

cant wait for the new season to start, hope we can get silva

[Smellyjocks]

Its great to see robbie at liverpool, I hope we get to see him tonight on sly sports 1

[Bulld0g]

Liverpool 1 Chelski 0

Liverpool demonstrated their growing title credentials by ending Chelsea's 86-game unbeaten run in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge and moving three points clear at the top of the table.

Xabi Alonso's deflected 10th-minute goal gave Liverpool victory and shattered a Chelsea sequence stretching back to February 2004 on home turf.

It was a deserved triumph for Rafael Benitez's side ? achieved without Fernando Torres ? and the first setback for the reign of Luiz Felipe Scolari at Chelsea.

Chelsea enjoyed long periods of possession, but Liverpool never flinched and could have doubled their victory margin had Alonso's second-half free-kick not hit an upright.

Ashley Cole missed Chelsea's best chance after the break, allowing Liverpool to record a victory which is of huge significance in terms of their confidence and self-belief.

If this game was a measure of Liverpool's ability to finally mount a serious title challenge, then they will have left west London in the knowledge that they now appear to have the ability to finally challenge Chelsea and Manchester United in domestic battle.

Chelsea simply ran out of ideas in the face of a red wall of defensive resistance, with Liverpool's defence ? led magnificently by Jamie Carragher ? impenetrable.

Scolari's side opened with a surge of confidence, but took a real knock when Alonso gave Liverpool the lead.

He latched on to a half-clearance, and while his effort carried little power, a deflection off Jose Bosingwa was enough to wrong-foot Petr Cech.

The rest of the opening period was a tale of Chelsea dominating possession ? but Liverpool were superbly organised and carried an ever-present threat of a second goal on the break.

Steven Gerrard almost provided it after 23 minutes with a dipping effort from 25 yards that required the fingertips of Cech to turn it to safety.

Javier Mascherano was offering Liverpool's defence fierce protection, and an atmosphere of frustration was growing around Stamford Bridge.

But Deco almost provided the equaliser nine minutes before the interval when Gerrard lost possession, and the Portugal midfielder advanced before sending a left-foot shot inches wide.

Chelsea may have enjoyed territorial superiority in the first 45 minutes, but the resilience Liverpool have demonstrated throughout this season ensured keeper Pepe Reina had not had any serious work to do.

Liverpool's increasing confidence was demonstrated at the start of the second half, with Gerrard pushed into a more advanced role in support of Robbie Keane.

There was a moment of anxiety for Reina after 54 minutes when he brought down Florent Malouda as he raced into the area, but the linesman's flag had already been raised.

It was Malouda's final contribution as Scolari made a double change, sending substitutes Franco di Santo and Juliano Belletti, with Salomon Kalou also taken off.

Liverpool sent on Ryan Babel for Robbie Keane ? and they came within inches of doubling their advantage after 61 minutes.

Alonso's low free-kick left Cech motionless, but for Liverpool it agonisingly struck the base of the post and stayed out.

Cole, having already been booked, ran the risk of a red card with a needless foul on Babel, but the foolish intervention of Mascherano in an attempt to ensure he was sent off ended with a yellow card for the Argentine.

Liverpool had applied pressure points to Chelsea all over the pitch, and as the clock ticked down on their formidable home record, some of the calm and order that had characterised their play had disappeared.

But they fashioned their best chance of the game after 72 minutes, only for Cole to slice hopelessly wide when Di Santo knocked Frank Lampard's cross into his path.

Carragher defended heroically to block Deco, but Babel then showed his threat with a rising drive that was just inches away.

Chelsea pressed in the closing stages, but never in any convincing fashion on another day when Liverpool confirmed their growing stature.

[hideous.ape]

Great stuff yesterday

I'm actually less worried about the big teams now after seeing off United and Chelsea once already.
I think we will beat Arsenal at least once this season too.
It's when we play the mid to low end teams that stick 11 behind the ball that we struggle.
Beating United and Chelsea is great and all but we need to be hammering the weaker teams - home and away.

Right now Liverpool are the most consistent team in the EPL...if we get Keane, Torres and Gerrard firing on all cylinders and avoid major injuries we are genuinely in with a shout this year

[nickoskip]

hi new today

liverpool fc!!!!

[king kenny]

Hi all

New to all this but trying to fill in my liverpool dream team. Stuck on one position, who was LFC's best central midfielder Gerrard or Souness?

[gwilson1]

Liverpools chances

So whats the chances of Liverpool winning? i say slim

[hideous.ape]

I'd pick Gerrard...simply because Souness had a lot of equally good players on the park with him at the time. In fairness, at times Liverpool are a one man show these days!!!

Without Gerrard, Liverpool today often look completely lost.
Without Souness, the team in his day would have had the talent to pull through.

Well if this team are serious about the league then a home win Monday should be expected. United and Chelsea may have dropped some more points with the games they have this weekend.

I reckon we will draw or lose too many games against poor opposition and miss out on the league by a few points, we've already dropped six or seven points that we shouldn't have.

Regards,
hideous.ape