Chelsea, Liverpool, Fernando Torres: Understanding The Situation
It appears Liverpool fans are yet to understand the striker’s decision. Yes, it can seem mysterious to anyone, and one might not even see anything positive about it. Fernando Torres clearly put his feelings and dreams above his relationship with his supporters at Anfield; however, he refuses to accept that he did it unwarrantedly.
It seems Torres would prefer to see his former supporters look upon his Chelsea transfer simply as strange, without misapprehending it. Yet, in no way such a favour would be granted easily by a “former-addict” of the Spanish attacker.
Still, before going deeper into assumptions and accusations, there are a few observable facts that Liverpool fans—especially those who used to cheer up the Spaniard—need to consider. Interestingly, these facts can rightfully be discovered through the following 3 questions: Has Fernando Torres ever loved Liverpool FC? How did he regard the club throughout his career at Merseyside? Why was he so willing to quit the Reds for Chelsea FC?
If we decide to concentrate on the first question, we realize that the answer is not so outlandish. Like any player eagerly completing a massive transfer, Torres was happy to kiss Atletico Madrid goodbye to join the Premier League titans. He had great expectations ahead of him, and times just seemed profitable. After all, it was not so long after Liverpool had lifted the FA Cup trophy.
Hence, not only did he accept to fight for the club’s objectives, but also did he embrace the idea of a bright future ahead of him in a great team. Now, with this in mind, it is logical for a Liverpool fan to believe that a major turnaround stroke Torres’ career with the Reds, pushing him to force a move at all cost. Perhaps, one could also think that this turnaround was so mighty that it even pushed him to resist the anticipated pressure and critics from his devotees at Anfield.
Leaving was indubitably the elemental desire of Torres, who took even more pleasure in pursuing his dream when he heard that the identity of the club interested in him was that of Chelsea. Yet, the World Cup winner did not necessarily rush to take his chances in the manner of a traitor.
In August 2010, Fernando Torres pledged his future to the Liverpool club, saying: "My commitment and loyalty to the club and to the fans is the same as it was on my first day when I signed (the contract). I am looking forward to the challenge ahead (during the season).”
He also added: “This is the best club in the country so the targets and expectations are always high. [...]At Liverpool, the aim is to fight for every title.”
Bizarrely, in January 2011—just days before he left—Torres again assured the “Liverpool Family” that he would remain faithful to them. In a period where the club was hanging between the options of buying players to improve and making the most out of what they already had, the striker declared: "More than ever, we need to stick together.”
There is of course no doubt that his late Chelsea transfer appeared as nothing but an act of betrayal to followers of the Blues’ rivals. Nevertheless, what Liverpool fans apparently needed to know from the beginning was the nature of the forward, and what he really wanted.
Unfortunately, the followers of the Reds only found out about Fernando Torres’ true colours when they were openly revealed to them all. Tired of being thrown deep in the guilt, the Spanish international frankly stated that he never gave his heart fully to clubs he signed for. He explained that his well-being as a player on a long journey was what counted the most, even though he has always taken his clubs’ objectives very seriously.
"I never kissed the Liverpool badge,” he said blatantly, exposing the lack of passion he unobjectionably felt when he was at Liverpool. "I see some players do that one week after they join a club but the romance in football’s gone.
“It's different now, people come and leave. When you join a club you want to do the best for yourself and for that club, that's all. Some people like to kiss the badge, but I only want to score goals, do my job and achieve all the targets the team has.”
So clearly, Torres is not a player who would sacrifice himself for a club, and perhaps, he never asked any Liverpool fan to love him so much either. However, notwithstanding these facts, it is still not clear why he decided to flee from the Reds’ camp to join their enemies after he pledged his future to the club.
Really, Why Did Fernando Torres Leave Liverpool For Chelsea?
Well, Torres recently unveiled the ideological ambiguities which conflicted with the state of mind and visions of the players at Anfield. It is unknown if it is for this same reason that his fellow-Spanish stars Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa decided to end their days in England to welcome a new era in Spain.
Regardless, Torres portrayed Kenny Dalglish’s club as one living under the negative effects of exaggeration, frustration, and discontent. In line with his fresh blunt statement, he finally refused to stay in an atmosphere that offered nothing but disillusionment, despite all his efforts to make things right.
Speaking about the intolerable mistakes in Liverpool’s administration and management, Fernando Torres said: “It's not just the last summer, really, but the last two years. [...] Last summer, with the change of manager and the sale process very serious, I was excited about the new season, and I heard the big expectations.
“But it is best to be honest about what you can achieve every year. People were talking about Liverpool winning the Premier League (title) or finishing in the Champions League places, but maybe the club has to go slowly... step by step. I could see from the beginning—when we were in the relegation zone with a month gone—that it would not be like that.”
Despite saying all this, the striker was not done yet. With the intention of clarifying things between him and his new haters, Torres went on to say: “But when you have an opportunity to play for a team who have a chance of winning the Champions League and the Premier League (Chelsea), and you are at the right age to do that and compete with the best, you can't say 'no'.”
In the end, he decided to go straight to the point, and asserted: “To call me a “traitor” makes no sense. I played three very good seasons there (at Liverpool FC), and left them with massive money, scored lots of goals and put in good performances. I also helped the sale process, but I have to think about my career, and this (Chelsea transfer) is a step forward."
By making such a statement, it is visible that Torres would like his haters to acknowledge his work at Anfield, and understand the situation better by recognizing their club’s mistakes, rather than looking upon him as a “traitor”, a “betrayer”. The questions asked above are therefore not some with mysterious backgrounds, and we can then answer them without any difficulty in the next lines...
Fernando Torres’ True Colours
As a player having achieved quite a lot at national level with Spain, Fernando Torres is simply a player wanting to earn more attainments at club level. His moves to clubs are consequently not done through passion for the teams he joins, but rather through the desire of selecting the right sides for the most benefits.
Knowing that unity and devotion are key qualities to success in football, Torres always does his best to follow his teams’ dreams, and reach their targets. Rush followed by disappointment is however not something he can take, and losing control of situations is even worse for him.
When such dilemmas happen to extend themselves over a long phase of time, a potent club with a satisfying season and a tempting offer are just enough to send the Spaniard off to a new chapter in his career. Sadly for the seduced Chelsea side, they might also suffer a bitter break-up, if ever his expectations are not met after a long time period.
“I've won honours with Spain,” the No.9 playmaker said. “But when I'm 40 or 45, I'd like to look back at my career and see pictures of me as a champion for my club.”
Conclusion
In conclusion, seeing the true, honest, and self-directed sides of the Spaniard, one can wonder if Liverpool fans really knew who they were cheering up and worshipping. The 26-year-old in fact never “divorced” the Reds, he just never got “married” to them and gave them his whole heart.
In a matter of hours, the superstar will be featuring in the Premier League’s biggest fixture of the weekend: Chelsea vs Liverpool. But Fernando Torres knows just what to expect: hostility from the opposition.
