Fans View: Fernando Torres provides plenty of hope

Nov 12 2007 by Paul Gillooly, Liverpool Daily Post

WHEN Fernando Torres joined Liverpool I must confess I didn’t quite know what to expect.

I’d seen him on TV for Spain and Athletico and he looked useful. My excitement though was tempered by reports of erratic finishing and a modest goal-scoring record.

The ghosts of Djibril Cisse and Stan Collymore lurked to remind me that a big price tag does not automatically translate into goals and championships. But, Torres is the real deal.

A genuine world-class striker fit to wear the same shirt as Dalglish, Rush, Keegan and Hunt. Without Torres this game was going to end goalless, Liverpool would have surrendered two points to a resolute but ordinary Fulham and tabloid hacks would have written off the team trying to unsettle Rafa.

However, a sublime piece of control and a great finish ensured Liverpool enter the international break unbeaten and with their second home win. With the season a third of the way through Reds fans should be mildly encouraged. Our away form is as good as any in the Premier League.

We now have a world-class spine in Carragher, Gerrard and Torres. Players such as Alonso, Agger, Finnan and Mascherano would walk into any Premier first 11. The key to the campaign will be Rafa’s ability to maximise home advantage and secure 35-plus points from the remaining 13 games at Anfield.

To do so will require our wide players raising their performance levels. I’m not a Pennant fan and for me the answer, this season will lie with Benayoun, Kewell and Babel – a player that reminds me of John Barnes. The way he picked the ball up 30 yards from goal and drove at pace into the heart of the Fulham defence before delivering an inch-perfect pass for Crouch to earn the penalty was very reminiscent of the great number 10.

The Africa Nations Cup after all will hurt Liverpool far less than Arsenal and Chelsea.