Fernando Torres: Loyalty Not Part of the Deal?

The January transfer window has come and gone, as have two high profile and arguably overpriced footballers from their respective clubs. Now, if you have no interest in the sport they call football then I suggest you won’t find any of the following remotely interesting, however if you would like to hear/read my rant then by all means continue…

We all know that the January transfer window is usually less than exciting. However this year, the winter window was so frantic, Jim White could barely contain himself. I am of course referring to the two biggest transfers of the day that saw Liverpool’s star striker Fernando Torres force a £50 million move to Chelsea, while Newcastle’s talisman Andy Carroll made a shocking switch to Liverpool for a staggering £35 million. Now as a Liverpool supporter, you can imagine transfer deadline day was a rather eventful one for me. And if you’re reading this as a non-football fan I’m sure you’re thinking ‘wow she needs to get a life’.  Anyway…

When Fernando Torres dropped the bombshell, also known as his transfer request, I felt deflated, disappointed and distraught. Well, not really distraught but I wanted to keep the alliteration going... Torres has been one of Liverpool’s most valued and loved players since his arrival in 2007 and I think I speak on behalf of the majority of Liverpool fans when I say we believed he would go down in LFC’s history as a legend. Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be.

It was clear Torres had been unhappy at Liverpool since he returned from the World Cup last year and I honestly wouldn’t have been shocked to see his departure in the summer, however the way the Spaniard has conducted this move has been disrespectful, insulting and a PR nightmare. When he joined us, he claimed to be a Liverpool fan as a young boy and I distinctly remember him saying he would never play for another English club. This wasn’t the case. I also remember him saying around 5 months ago that his commitment to Liverpool hadn’t changed since the day he joined in 2007. This also wasn’t the case. Of course I believed him and thought he would remain loyal because anyone that plays for the team they support will surely stay. This wasn’t the case either.

My biggest problem with Torres is not necessarily that he left, but the way in which he did it. My problem is that he is yet to offer an explanation as to why he went, or an apology for his sudden departure. He’s yet to pay tribute to the fans that spent huge amounts of money on his shirts and bought tickets to cheer him on every week even when he wouldn’t play at his full potential.

The next blow to Liverpool fans came from his first interview as a Chelsea player when he said he’s always wanted to play at a big club “and now I can”. To be fair, he may not have meant it as an insult to his former club because despite living in the UK for a number of years his English isn’t the best and his mumbling can be hard to comprehend…. However, if he honestly believes Liverpool is not a big club then he could never have been a supporter like he has claimed for so long.

Ok, I have ranted a lot about my feelings over Torres but the point I’m trying to make (if somewhat long-windedly) there seems to be no place for loyalty in the modern game. Yes, there are the odd few players that remain committed to their clubs until the end of their careers but it is becoming rare. I don’t even take notice about how many years players sign to on their contracts because we all know contracts mean absolutely nothing.  When a footballer joins a new club they come out with the standard “I’ve always admired this club”… “They’re one of the best teams in Europe”… and they might even go as far to say “I grew up supporting this club”. That last quote is what I clung onto when there were rumours that Torres would leave the club he apparently loved so much. After his departure I’m left questioning, was he really a supporter? Did he mean anything he said? Or are all these statements and interviews fabricated by agents and PR pros? I guess we’ll never know.

Luckily Liverpool were able to bring in two brilliant signings in the names of Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll which definitely cushioned the blow for losing our former number 9.  I’m still angry and even though we like to deny it, most of us football fans are fickle, so I’ve gone from adoring him to hating him. I’ll act like I’m not bothered during Chelsea and Liverpool’s match on Sunday but I know when I see him walk out at Stamford Bridge in that Blue shirt, my heart will sink a little. Although if we beat them and he suffers a slight injury, I may brighten up…