Liverpool striker Fernando Torres is not the only Spanish Premier League star being quizzed on why they cannot recreate their club form for country, but he insists he is still adapting.
Torres, 24, enjoyed a magnificent debut season in England with Liverpool on a personal level, finishing joint second in the Premier League goal scoring charts and netting 33 in all competitions - breaking Ruud van Nistelrooy's record made at Manchester United for most goals in a debut season by an overseas player.
For his country, he still performs very much as he did at his hometown club, Atletico Madrid. His ability is rarely called into question, but his failure to apply himself and win games for his side on a consistent basis has made him the subject of scrutiny.
However, coach Luis Aragones - an Atletico Madrid legend himself in his day - persists with El Nino and we await results at this summer's European Championship, with added interest from England adding to the expectation.
Torres explains that the difference in style means he too must adapt in order to succeed: "This tournament is different, with more vertical and long passes, so I have adapted my game to fit the national team."
Spain kick off their campaign against Russia this evening in Group D, which also contains Sweden and holders Greece.
No comments:
Post a Comment