Football Focus

[Mick Mac]

Torres signed official now

Eurosport -TORRES HAS JOINED CHELSEA -OFFICIAL: "Liverpool Football Club can confirm Fernando Torres is now a Chelsea player after the Club accepted a British transfer record fee for the Spanish international. New record signing Andy Carroll will now wear the No.9 shirt."

[Keef]

As has just been pointed out to me, we've just signed 2 strikers who can score, for 7 or 8 mil. That doesn't sound too bad.

[Annasfield]

One has played in the Premiership for 6 months. The other is not Premiership proven.

We had the best striker in the Premiership ever (goals to games ratio).

I know who'd I rather have in my team.

[Keef]

Right now yeah. But if it works out, this will look like great business.

[Annasfield]

If

[Narnia]

Jah Lush Wrote:

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> Down to three strikers without Keane. One out one

> in. We do seem to have a surfeit of midfielders

> though.

So Arry tries to buy Charlie Adam and Phil Neville? I think he just likes spending other peoples money.

[Jah Lush]

NEWS FLASH: Torres move to Chelsea breaks down after John Terry fails to agree terms with Torres' wife!

[Keef]

Heh. I may have missed a quote ms something, but on the bbc website, all the Torres quotes are about how great Chelsea is, and how he's always wanted to play for a top team. Not even a farewell to Liverpool. Ian StJOHN was on radio 4 earlier, and he sounds well pleased about getting Carroll. He seems to think Torres has been plotting this for a while, and hasn't been tryin for the reds. No idea if that is true, but he's certainly shown no love for the pool.

[Mick Mac]

Looks like Anna may have misjudged this "boyfriend"? off he goes without even a backward glance. Cheeky bugger. I think this really is poor show after the hero worship he received at Liverpool.

A bit disrespectful in implying Chelsea is his first "top team" too. I respect his right to move on but he has to be diplomatic and perhaps a statement to Liverpool fans is in the pipeline.

Liverpool may adopt a more conventional style of play with a big centre forward??? Which might be a bit more exciting to watch, even if some think its less graceful. Lets see.

[SeanMacGabhann]

I think that has been apparent for a while - and if I was Hodgson I'd be pissed off too

Is Carroll a better player than Torres? Nope. But will Liverpool score more goals now? Oh yes

[Ladygooner]

and Arsene didn't spend a penny, as usual! Let's hope we can get through Feb without any more injuries or suspensions...

[Keef]

A bit disrespectful in implying Chelsea is his first "top team" too. I respect his right to move on but he has to be diplomatic and perhaps a statement to Liverpool fans is in the pipeline.

I hope so, because this

"This is the target for every footballer - to try to play for one of the top clubs in the world,"

Is taking the p!ss.

Is Carroll a better player than Torres? Nope. But will Liverpool score more goals now? Oh yes

I think so too, and as well as Carroll, we're forgetting Suarez

Suarez, 24, will wear the coveted number seven shirt, made famous by his boss Kenny Dalglish.

The striker scored 49 goals in 48 games for Ajax in the Eredivisie last season.

Now it may not be the greatest league, but he definitely knows where the net is!

As I said before, I'm actually quite excited, and good riddance to a player who thinks he'll do better elsewhere, and so didn't even bother for the team paying his wages.

[Atticus]

well, we managed to get a 250k young greek centre-forward who will be lucky to get a game for the reserves, however we did show our ambition in declining an offer from Spurs of 250k for Phil Neville. Isn't football great? Really excited about the Emirates tonight, can not wait!

[Mick Mac]

I would argue the Liverpool number 7 shirt was made famous by Kevin Keegan.

[Jah Lush]

The last time Torres showed a bit of effort in a match for Liverpool was against Chelsea. Funny that.

[Keef]

Ha, that is a very good point.

[Ridgley]

I would like to ask, all you footy experts as I do not have a clue about football which football team would be better to own the Olympic Stadium?

[Jah Lush]

Andy Carroll's Agent In A Spot Of Bother

[Narnia]

Ridgley Wrote:

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> I would like to ask, all you footy experts as I do

> not have a clue about football which football team

> would be better to own the Olympic Stadium?

Leyton Orient.

Not Spurs as they want to knock it down and build another one.

Not West Ham as it's too close to Leyton Orient's ground.

[Jah Lush]

After what happened to Chris Hughton at Newcastle who'd want to manage them now under their current regime? How many times did Alan Pardew say that Andy Carroll wasn't for sale? Surely he must now know what he's up against. He's had the club's prize asset sold for ?35 million and given no money to spend. He's just another puppet manager at the mercy of an owner who has made it very clear by selling arguably their best player against the manager and the fans' wishes. An owner that quite clearly doesn't give a fuck about the club or the fans and is only in it for the money.

[Emerson Crane]

Who'd be a manager indeed. It seems you can count on the fingers of one hand the Prem managers who are, relatively, secure in their positions.

[Narnia]

Well not according to Pardew. He, in his own words, heard about the bid at 8pm. Told them to refuse it. Carroll who obviously was aware of it asked for a new contract, like NOW. Sale agreed because of this and Pardew told he would have all of the money to spend on players.

[Jah Lush]

Apparently Andy Carroll interviewed by a local Newcastle fanzine is gutted at leaving his hometown club and didn't want to leave. It's one of the reasons he recently signed a five year deal.

[SeanMacGabhann]

"Leyton Orient.

Not Spurs as they want to knock it down and build another one.

Not West Ham as it's too close to Leyton Orient's ground."

which is true as far as it goes but realistically what would be the point of that - would LO acquire 40 thousand fans to fill the thing?

there are pros and cons to the other argumenst

I agree with football grounds NOT having a running track (which it would do with West Ham bid)

but equally I agree that no British bid would be worth anything if this committee reneged on a key promise before being awarded the bid

I think it's West Ham's manor (ish) so would support that - but for the reasons I mention above I don't support the athletic track

Spurs moving would be just about do-able (in the face of justified and massive opposition from their own fans and Hammers alike) - but they would have to jettison the Tottenham bit of the name (just as Arsenal lost the Woolwich bit years ago)

[Keef]

To be fair to Mike Ashley (and believe me, I don't want to be), he just got ?35m for Andy Carroll. Whilst I'm pleased Liverpool signed him, that is a massive amount of money for the player.