Guillem Balague on

[Jezzman]

Really interesting quotes, especially about Eto'o from Ballague:

 

"I was with Fernando Torres this week as we have an interview with him on Revista de la Liga next Tuesday and he insists that he has to grow as a player surrounded by the best players. He wants to play in Europe in the Champions League and I do feel that over the last few seasons he has been the best player outside that competition. It's time for him to move up to the next level and my opinion is that if a club makes a big enough bid for him then he will leave because he deserves to be playing for a better side".

 

 

"I don't think that Barca will want to let Ronaldinho and Eto'o go at the same time. There have been initial moves for Eto'o to leave and my personal wish would be for him to go to Liverpool, and I hope he does because he would be the striker that Liverpool needs".

 

Ballague link

[Maldini]

Torres has sights set on England and clause for thought

Guillem Balague

 

Fernando Torres started playing football in his district, but one day the coach of a rival team sent a formal complaint to the federation because he was not the legal age to play in that competition. It was true ? his parents had faked his registration ? but he was not too old, he was two years younger than permitted. And he was the top goalscorer that season.

 

Later on, when he was a tall, thin 11-year-old, he went for a trial at Atlético Madrid. ?He showed intelligence, explosive pace and bravery. He did not think football like a child would,? Manolo Rangel, the coach who gave marks to the youngsters and who became his mentor, said. He gave Torres 11 out of 10.

 

What makes Torres special, though, is not his ability, but his mental strength. Listening to him in a restaurant near the Atlético training ground, the reaction to his words is one of amazement ? he sounds older than his 23 years.

 

?At 17 you can earn lots of money,? he says. ?If you don?t have sensible parents, you could be lost for football very soon. Some parents think they have a goldmine in their kid ? I see it every weekend in the youth matches I go to. I have had colleagues that were better than me and they never made it because their parents never allowed them to enjoy their football.?

 

Torres was born in a modest district in the southern part of Madrid. ?It is a working-class area,? he says. ?When you grow up in a place like that, you never forget where you are from. My parents taught me to respect the family, the authority of the elders.

 

?Those are also the values of Atlético, the humble, poor club of the city. Atlético fans come from similar backgrounds to me and that is why there is such closeness to them. And why I will never play for Real Madrid. Once your life starts changing, it is important to remember who helped you.?

 

Torres talks with a monotone voice, looking you in the eye. The voice says shyness, the eyes confidence. And his words reveal the extent to which he has had to grow up quickly.

 

He is the youngest player, at 17, to play for Atlético and the youngest, at 19, to become captain. He made his debut in 2001 against Leganes and scored his first goal the next week against Albacete. After two years in the second division, Atlético returned to the top flight and Torres scored 13 goals. Since then, he has been the club?s top scorer in every season.

 

?I have lots to improve still,? Torres said. ?I love learning from the best forwards in the world. [Thierry] Henry has been better than any other player in the world. Till recently, people didn?t talk about the Premiership that often. But for the last two years it is almost an obligation to sit down to watch the Premiership.?

 

In 1999, he was voted best young player in Europe and Arsenal tried to sign him because he had no contract. He got one straight away. Recently it was extended until 2009, but the buyout clause was reduced from ?60 million to ?40 million (about £27 million). He said then that ?the club will grow and me with it?, but also that ?we have to make it into Europe, be top four?, which sounded like conditions to stay.

 

Rumours last summer suggested that Torres was close to joining Manchester United. There were meetings between Sir Alex Ferguson and his representatives in Paris, but after United signed Michael Carrick from Tottenham Hotspur, the chance had gone.

 

Two weeks ago, friends gave Torres a captain?s armband for his birthday bearing the logo ?We?ll never walk alone?, which led some to speculate that he would be moving to Liverpool. ?My group of mates have got that logo tattooed on their arms,? Torres says. ?I have been told about Anfield and how special it is, but I haven?t managed to go yet. I would like to, though.?

 

Torres is probably the best player outside the Champions League, a competition that he has never been involved in, even though Atlético are considered, in terms of fan-base, history and financial strength, one of Spain?s top three clubs. ?In Spain, clubs have no patience,? Torres says. ?In the last seven years I have had six coaches. If there is a new boss, seven new signings, we start every year from zero.? Some consider this the reason why his progress has faltered. Initially, he had been greeted as the next big star. He was different from the typical Spanish striker and seemed to have come from the French school of forwards, from the same mould as Henry and Nicolas Anelka, who are skilful, powerful and score goals.

 

But now people concentrate more on his weaknesses, saying that he is more interested in raising his profile, in the manner of David Beckham, than improving on the pitch.

 

?I change my hairstyle, so what?? Torres said. ?I think it shows football is becoming more like showbusiness, but what can I do about that??

 

Luis Aragonés, the Spain head coach, also said recently that Torres ?still has a poor first touch and doesn?t finish well?, and despite fitting the profile of the player Manchester United and Liverpool are looking for, he is, as a friend said, second in many lists of potential targets. But Torres appears to be keen to play abroad.

 

?It is important that Spanish players go to another league,? he said. ?All those in England have grown as players, they are more complete.?

 

Those words will have many Premiership managers pricking up their ears.

 

Direct criticism

 

José Mourinho has been accused of destroying the beautiful game by Jorge Valdano, the former Real Madrid coach, who has labelled Rafael Benítez as being just as bad. Of the second leg of the Champions League semi-final at Anfield last week, Valdano said: ?Put s*** hanging from a stick in the middle of this passionate stadium and there are people who will tell you it?s a work of art. Chelsea and Liverpool are the clearest example of the way football is going: very intense, very tactical, very physical and very direct.?

[Magic8Ball]

Torres has sights set on England and clause for thought

Guillem Balague

 

Fernando Torres started playing football in his district, but one day the coach of a rival team sent a formal complaint to the federation because he was not the legal age to play in that competition. It was true ? his parents had faked his registration ? but he was not too old, he was two years younger than permitted. And he was the top goalscorer that season.

 

Later on, when he was a tall, thin 11-year-old, he went for a trial at Atlético Madrid. ?He showed intelligence, explosive pace and bravery. He did not think football like a child would,? Manolo Rangel, the coach who gave marks to the youngsters and who became his mentor, said. He gave Torres 11 out of 10.

 

What makes Torres special, though, is not his ability, but his mental strength. Listening to him in a restaurant near the Atlético training ground, the reaction to his words is one of amazement ? he sounds older than his 23 years.

 

?At 17 you can earn lots of money,? he says. ?If you don?t have sensible parents, you could be lost for football very soon. Some parents think they have a goldmine in their kid ? I see it every weekend in the youth matches I go to. I have had colleagues that were better than me and they never made it because their parents never allowed them to enjoy their football.?

 

Torres was born in a modest district in the southern part of Madrid. ?It is a working-class area,? he says. ?When you grow up in a place like that, you never forget where you are from. My parents taught me to respect the family, the authority of the elders.

 

?Those are also the values of Atlético, the humble, poor club of the city. Atlético fans come from similar backgrounds to me and that is why there is such closeness to them. And why I will never play for Real Madrid. Once your life starts changing, it is important to remember who helped you.?

 

Torres talks with a monotone voice, looking you in the eye. The voice says shyness, the eyes confidence. And his words reveal the extent to which he has had to grow up quickly.

 

He is the youngest player, at 17, to play for Atlético and the youngest, at 19, to become captain. He made his debut in 2001 against Leganes and scored his first goal the next week against Albacete. After two years in the second division, Atlético returned to the top flight and Torres scored 13 goals. Since then, he has been the club?s top scorer in every season.

 

?I have lots to improve still,? Torres said. ?I love learning from the best forwards in the world. [Thierry] Henry has been better than any other player in the world. Till recently, people didn?t talk about the Premiership that often. But for the last two years it is almost an obligation to sit down to watch the Premiership.?

 

In 1999, he was voted best young player in Europe and Arsenal tried to sign him because he had no contract. He got one straight away. Recently it was extended until 2009, but the buyout clause was reduced from ?60 million to ?40 million (about £27 million). He said then that ?the club will grow and me with it?, but also that ?we have to make it into Europe, be top four?, which sounded like conditions to stay.

 

Rumours last summer suggested that Torres was close to joining Manchester United. There were meetings between Sir Alex Ferguson and his representatives in Paris, but after United signed Michael Carrick from Tottenham Hotspur, the chance had gone.

 

Two weeks ago, friends gave Torres a captain?s armband for his birthday bearing the logo ?We?ll never walk alone?, which led some to speculate that he would be moving to Liverpool. ?My group of mates have got that logo tattooed on their arms,? Torres says. ?I have been told about Anfield and how special it is, but I haven?t managed to go yet. I would like to, though.?

 

Torres is probably the best player outside the Champions League, a competition that he has never been involved in, even though Atlético are considered, in terms of fan-base, history and financial strength, one of Spain?s top three clubs. ?In Spain, clubs have no patience,? Torres says. ?In the last seven years I have had six coaches. If there is a new boss, seven new signings, we start every year from zero.? Some consider this the reason why his progress has faltered. Initially, he had been greeted as the next big star. He was different from the typical Spanish striker and seemed to have come from the French school of forwards, from the same mould as Henry and Nicolas Anelka, who are skilful, powerful and score goals.

 

But now people concentrate more on his weaknesses, saying that he is more interested in raising his profile, in the manner of David Beckham, than improving on the pitch.

 

?I change my hairstyle, so what?? Torres said. ?I think it shows football is becoming more like showbusiness, but what can I do about that??

 

Luis Aragonés, the Spain head coach, also said recently that Torres ?still has a poor first touch and doesn?t finish well?, and despite fitting the profile of the player Manchester United and Liverpool are looking for, he is, as a friend said, second in many lists of potential targets. But Torres appears to be keen to play abroad.

 

?It is important that Spanish players go to another league,? he said. ?All those in England have grown as players, they are more complete.?

 

Those words will have many Premiership managers pricking up their ears.

 

Direct criticism

 

José Mourinho has been accused of destroying the beautiful game by Jorge Valdano, the former Real Madrid coach, who has labelled Rafael Benítez as being just as bad. Of the second leg of the Champions League semi-final at Anfield last week, Valdano said: ?Put s*** hanging from a stick in the middle of this passionate stadium and there are people who will tell you it?s a work of art. Chelsea and Liverpool are the clearest example of the way football is going: very intense, very tactical, very physical and very direct.?

attribution !!!!

[floyd]

Interview with Torres by Balague on Revista De La Liga at 6.30 tonight on Sky Sports 1

Edited May 8, 2007 by floyd

[kacangpool]

José Mourinho has been accused of destroying the beautiful game by Jorge Valdano, the former Real Madrid coach, who has labelled Rafael Benítez as being just as bad. Of the second leg of the Champions League semi-final at Anfield last week, Valdano said: ?Put s*** hanging from a stick in the middle of this passionate stadium and there are people who will tell you it?s a work of art. Chelsea and Liverpool are the clearest example of the way football is going: very intense, very tactical, very physical and very direct.?

 

t***.

[Eskimo]

I dunno if anyone watched the RM-Sevilla game at the weekend but he mentioned something about a NW club during a picture loss, anyone know which player he was talking about?

Edited May 8, 2007 by Eskimo

[Maldini]

Puerta

[Eskimo]

Puerta

 

in that case its probably the scum he was referring to..

[Mikey]

in that case its probably the scum he was referring to..

Where does he play?

[Maldini]

LB/LM

[matty]

I like Torres. Think he'd do well with us. I'd be as happy with him as I would with Eto'o or Villa.

[McBain]

He could play Zorro i know that

[Magic8Ball]

T'N'T - Torres and Tevez Liverpools new explosive attack

[Sheida V]

I'd definitely prefer Eto'o over Torres.

[Mikey]

I'd definitely prefer Eto'o over Torres.

I'd prefer Torres over just about everybody.

[Lee W]

Have only seen Torres and Villa a handful of times in La Liga and the WC, but not convinced by either at the moment - they're not what I call proven either. Think both could easily struggle in the English League.

 

I really hope we go after Samuel Eto'o.

[oran]

I'd prefer Torres over just about everybody.

yep,me too.

[Dule]

Eto is a no gamble, Torres or Villa are potentially brilliant.

[Guest JV]

Torres and Tevez

I like the idea of getting these two

[cymrococh]

We need a goalscorer, which is why I would favour Eto'o over Torres or Villa.

[The Hitman]

We need a goalscorer, which is why I would favour Eto'o over Torres or Villa.

What,because neither of them score goals?!!?

And as for the fact that neither Torres nor Villa are proven,I'd say Villa definitely is,he's scored goals everywhere,including the highest level.

All three would be a gamble,because we don't know how they'd play over here.What makes people think that Eto'o would find it easy playing over here?

[Lee W]

What makes people think that Eto'o would find it easy playing over here?

 

His pace and movement.

[The Hitman]

Villa and Torres are both lightning,and from what I've seen,their movement is none too shabby either.

[Magic8Ball]

Strikers exchange rates

 

1 Eto'o = Torres and Tevez

1 Villa = Eto'o and Tevez

1 Tevez = Bellamy + 4M

1 Torres = Bellamy + Tevez

 

 

so if we cant get Eto'o lets get the equivalent

[Leo No.8]

Villa and Torres are both lightning,and from what I've seen,their movement is none too shabby either.

 

I wouldn't say Villa is anything more than 'nippy' myself, he doesn't rely on pace. Torres is very quick though.

 

For me it's Eto'o's physical strength and the fact that he's played outside his home country which would make him a safer signing. Villa and Torres are both quite slightly built, and by all accounts could struggle to adapt to the English lifestyle.

 

Eto'o is a warrior as well, wheras I could see Torres and Villa not being up for a rainy Monday night game at Bramhall Lane. I think they are both fantastic footballers, but have my doubts about their suitability for England and English football.