Fernando Torres has arrived at Anfield with the burden of a huge price tag around his neck but even bigger expectations from the Liverpool faithful. Despite what Anfield says there is immense pressure on Torres to score the goals that can catapult Liverpool into genuine title contenders.
Torres has scored on average 15 goals a season for the last five seasons at Atlético Madrid, while Liverpool will expect more it has to be remembered that he was the best player at Madrid and spent a lot of time playing deeper trying to create chances. But at Liverpool he will have a different role, his job will be goals, goals and more goals. His most likely strike partner, Dirk Kuyt found himself in a similar position last year playing deeper and trying to create chances, he too i hope will be asked to concentrate more on scoring and give the midfield more of a responsibility to link and create chances.
Liverpool's midfield is where the biggest changes will come, no longer will we see Gerrard wasting his talents on the right wing, the central position his most natural and where he can influence a game most and that is where he will play this year, who his partner in the centre will be is anyones guess, Alonso and Mascherano are the leading contenders and although Mascherano was the better of the two at the end of last season an on form Alonso would be very hard to ignore.
On the right of midfield Yossi Benayoun and Jermaine Pennant will fight it out, and as much as Pennant has and still is improving, Benayoun seems a class act and although he is more used to playing behind the front two, he seems to have adjusted very well to the wing and showed how creative he is when setting up Torre`s goal with a sublime pass in the game against Feyenoord. On the left wing its a way more complicated, the options are Babel, Kewell, Leto, Riise and maybe even Vorornin or El Zhar. I think because of Kewells experience he may start the season there, but because of Babel`physical presence and some glimpses he has shown in pre-season of what he is capable off he may adjust to life in the Premiership sooner than a lot of people think. But this left position we may see Rafa doing a lot of changes to try and find his best option.
In defence it should be the same as last year with Finnan and Arbeloa fighting it out for the right back position, or if media reports are correct and Liverpool are after the Brazilian, Cicinho then perhaps Arbeloa may put pressure on Riise for the left back position which would hopefully end the Gabriel Heinze saga, 6.8 million just seems too much for a 29 year old who does not seem to be the same player that he was before his injury.
Liverpool should be playing a more attacking brand of football this year and this will inevitably mean that we will be taking more chances at the back and may concede more goals, but it is what has to be done to make us genuine title contenders, now im not saying that we are heading for the crazy Kevin Keegan Newcastle days, when their motto seemed to be `don't worry if they score three, there is a good chance we will score four´, but we have to give the defence more responsibility and have more faith in them. And that added pressure on the defence is nothing compared to what is expected from new boy Torres, but if Torres can live up to the dreams and expectations of his newly acquired Kop following , he will be revered as much or even more at Anfield than he was at his previous home Atlético, its a lot to ask of 'El Niño' but if he can get those goals we have been sorely missing then the holy grail that is the Premiership could finally be finding its way home to Anfield.
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