A matter of time - SkySports

"If Torres felt so strongly he could have given Liverpool more time to prepare. It wasn't handled the best from his point of view."

David Fairclough

Quotes of the week

David Fairclough believes Fernando Torres conducted himself poorly in the lead up to his switch from Liverpool to Chelsea.

The 26-year-old completed his move to Stamford Bridge for a British record £50million on deadline day after handing in a transfer request at Anfield and making it clear he saw his future lying elsewhere.

That irked ex-Liverpool striker Fairclough who told Sky Sports News HD that Torres had let the fans down by revealing his desire to move on so late in the January window.

"Torres could have done things a whole lot better," said Fairclough. "He must have known how loved and appreciated he was by the fans here.

"They've invested a lot of emotion in Fernando Torres. They've stuck with him through thick and thin, and then he drops it (the transfer request) on them.

"If he felt so strongly he could have given Liverpool more time to prepare. It wasn't handled the best from his point of view."

Good business

However, while admitting that he was sad to see the Spaniard exit Anfield, Fairclough insists the deal that saw Torres move to Chelsea represents a terrific piece of business for Liverpool.

"It was disappointing to see him go but it was good business. I think £50 million for Torres, given the form he's been in and his age, was probably an offer that Liverpool couldn't refuse. And the fact they had been looking to bring in one or two replacements, it probably fitted in nicely.

"Maybe the timing could have been a bit better but we got it done in the end, and that's the most important thing."

Kenny Dalglish moved quickly to compensate for Torres' departure by bringing in Ajax striker Luis Suarez for £22.8million and then, as the transfer window edged shut, completing the signing of Newcastle powerhouse Andy Carroll for £35m.

That represented a vast outlay by Liverpool's new owners, but Fairclough believes both new recruits will prove to be money well spent.

Exciting

"We've got two new buys which will change Liverpool's style of game, I think, and that's a very exciting prospect to look forward to.

"People will look back at Kenny's previous time as manger here when he had Peter Beardsley in the line-up, and Suarez is not too different in ways.

"He can invent things and he doesn't score obvious types of goals. He's clever and has little nuances about his game.

"He also has that South American attitude; he is a feisty character, plus he's mobile and clearly wants to be at Liverpool."

On new No. 9 Carroll, Fairclough added: "Maybe he was a bit expensive at this stage of his career, but we've got somebody who is as equally exciting as Suarez and has captured the imagination of the British public.

"His rise has been meteoric. I watched him in previous seasons in Newcastle's reserves and never thought he would be a £30m+ player, but he has made a huge impact.

"He scares the life out of defenders and I don't think there is any defensive partnership in the league that fancies playing against him.

"But there is more to him than just heading the ball. He is mobile, has raw aggression and scores goal with his feet as well."

Britishness

Fairclough believes that by sanctioning such a high-level of spending, the owners have shown the faith they have in Dalglish.

And he reckons that means the Scot could be the Reds' manager far and beyond the end of the season, while he also praised Dalglish's traditional Liverpool ways.

"The owners value Kenny. They appreciate his knowledge and approach to things," added Fairclough.

"He knows what it takes to be a Liverpool player, and the type of player the fans want to have, and by appointing Steve Clarke (as first-team coach), he is bringing some Britishness and the old ways of the club back - and that's no bad thing.

"Kenny has done a fantastic job to make such an impression and he has the potential to be the Liverpool manager going forward, not just in the interim."

Post to your View!

Be the first to post a comment on this story