Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Rafa's Made Me Kop Great, Says Fernando Torres

Fernando Torres has branded Rafa Benitez an obsessive taskmaster.

But Torres believes the extraordinary lengths the Liverpool boss goes to in preparation for games has turned him into a world-beater.

The Spain striker admits it has been tough coming to terms with the physical demands of life in England.

But he now feels he can cope with the tough tackling and aims to prove his strength by winning his duel with John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho at Stamford Bridge in tomorrow’s Champions League semi-final clash.

Torres has been a revelation since his £21m move from Atletico Madrid last summer, scoring 30 goals in 42 games.

The striker said: “Rafa Benitez is obsessed with details. He calculates everything, including runs and flights of the ball and studies it on his computer.

“And if he tells you to stand five feet from the penalty spot, it’s not in your best interests to be six feet from it.

“He’ll show you that the extra distance makes the difference between a goal and a missed chance – and it has worked for me.

“The proof for me is I had never scored a club hat-trick in my life before joining Liverpool but I’ve since got three.

“Rafa explained everything to me before I even signed – how we would play and what our aims were. He even gave me a work schedule in advance.

“He has great powers of seduction, and he makes crazy demands on us.

‘‘At the end of training, when we are all tired, he can make us repeat routines 20 or 30 times.

“Training sessions here are tough and committed – and at the same rhythm as proper matches.

“The spirit is the same at the weekend. English football is physical and reasonably honest – in contrast to La Liga.

“The Spanish game is more vicious and you get studs-first challenges and elbowings off the ball.

“All defenders in England are tough, the good ones and the less gifted likewise. It must be written in their contracts!

“But now I’ve taken that on board. I am paid to deal with this, and I am not scared of a scrap so long as it is fair.

“I have wanted to play against guys like John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho for a long time and they do me an honour by giving me a tough time.

“Now I’m going to try to respond to them by getting a couple of goals against them.

“Everybody dreams about playing in the Champions League and in the space of a few months I have gone from watching it on TV to having a part in it.

“I have already got plenty of memories. My goal at the San Siro when we beat Inter Milan 1-0, the 4-0 win over Marseille, and my goal in the 4-2 win over Arsenal.

“And now it is the turn of Chelsea. I don’t ask myself questions – I just know I have done the right thing to join Liverpool.”

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