The Spanish striker sparked outrage with his move to Chelsea in 2011, but his participation in a charity match at Anfield on Sunday means he can finally build bridges
The chance to stand in the middle of the pitch, wave one last time to their adoring public, receiving the thanks for their contribution while offering gratitude for the appreciation provided during their years of service.
So few experience it nowadays many have taken to posting farewell e-mails on official web pages instead – or even full page adverts in local newspapers. It’s football’s equivalent of the break-up letter from player to fan.
“It’s not me – it was never me – it wasn’t you either, it was probably that manager or board member who didn’t want me, who never understood what we had … or maybe it was that club that just offered mega millions for me to go … maybe it was them … but I will never forget you.”
On Sunday, Liverpool will welcome back some of its men of letters in what the club say could be an annual charity match. It will be a classy event for a fine cause. Many of those attending feel they never had the chance to experience that final farewell to The Kop that Jamie Carragher enjoyed when he retired, and Steven Gerrard will be afforded this May ahead of his U.S. trip.
Some of those have been welcomed back swiftly, but for others the healing process has taken years and they may be a little anxious about the public reaction.
Luis Suarez and Xabi Alonso’s relationship with Liverpool was not damaged when they moved to Barcelona and Real Madrid, respectively. They have no worries about the red carpet being brushed in preparation for their arrival.
Maybe they retain cordial relations because The Kop had a year to mentally prepare for the separation. Both their final seasons almost ended with the title and the club was able to maximise profit from their sale. They were as close to amicable departures as possible under the circumstances.
Contrast this with Fernando Torres, for whom stepping onto the Anfield turf this weekend will feel like reforming a relationship with a long-lost friend, the dearest he ever had in England.
There is little point exploring why Torres was not granted the same understanding as Suarez and Alonso when he left Liverpool. He joined Chelsea.
That is pretty much as far as it goes. Going in mid-season a month after Kenny Dalglish replaced Roy Hodgson made it worse. On his first return to Anfield after his £50 million transfer he was jeered more than John Terry.
It would be too strong to suggest Torres has been forgiven for his decision, but the fact he was never the same player at Stamford Bridge as Anfield helps the rehabilitation process immeasurably. When his career is reviewed, the chapter on the Merseyside years will highlight a world-class striker who scored every type of goal.
Liverpool fans have memories of Torres those at Chelsea could never cherish. They never bounced to the Torres anthem as jovially in London as in Liverpool.
Now he is an Atletico Madrid striker again, Torres is likely to be applauded. Any barracking will be pure pantomime, rather like that for Michael Owen when he featured in Carragher’s testimonial in 2010.
Four years on from the resentment that followed Torres’ move, it is the right time for Liverpool to appreciate those performances between 2007-2011. The greater the sense of distance, the less emotion is applied when considering his decision to leave.
When supporters think of Torres, it is the 100 appearances – most of them thrilling – more worthy of celebration than the week when he made it known he wanted out.
The player himself will know he handled his transfer poorly. In retrospect, he should have pushed harder to move in the turbulent ‘who is launching a Liverpool takeover this week?’ summer of 2010, or more appropriately waited until June 2011, when in the ongoing absence of Champions League football, no-one would have begrudged his sale.
Torres worried January 2011 was his last chance to join a club capable of winning the European Cup – a trophy he did lift as a Chelsea player. Torres has no cause to regret moving on from Anfield, regardless of how his form dipped, but the fact he did not stay for his whole career was never really the point.
It is not the leaving of Liverpool that sours a relationship between a great player and The Kop, it is how you leave that matters.
Now Torres has come to understand this, he can grant his old club a favour after mending his relationship with the Liverpool supporters this weekend. He can have a quiet word with Raheem Sterling.
0 comments:
Post a Comment