Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has asked Fernando Torres to ensure he does not get frustrated or distracted in the biggest games.
Torres scored in the Reds' clash with Manchester United at the weekend, but was also caught kicking the penalty spot in frustration after referee Howard Webb awarded a penalty against his side, and was unable to prevent the visitors failing to a disappointing 2-1 defeat.
Benitez was not upset by the striker's display of petulance, but believes he needs to try to channel his energy more positively.
"Fernando knows he has to focus a little bit more," Benitez told the Press Association.
"We were talking about this at half-time [against United] so that is something that will be better for him and better for the team.
"He can score more goals by concentrating on football.
"All strikers, especially top-class strikers, they are marked a little bit more closely than others and that is normal.
"It is not easy every game. People don't understand when you are a player on the pitch and you are fighting and sometimes you cannot understand these things."
Torres has scored 17 goals in a season that has been ravaged by injuries and, despite his problems against United, Benitez believes that the former Atletico Madrid captain has contributed greatly to his side when he has been fit.
"Sometimes when you talk about big names, top-class players, you are expecting something from them when the team is not doing well," he said.
"You expect them to say: 'It's okay, follow me'."
"We have had this conversation with Fernando and the rest of the team.
"It was something we were expecting from Torres and he was really good the other day [scoring twice against both Portsmouth and Lille]."
Fully fit for much of last season, Torres led Liverpool to a title challenge on the back of his 33 goals. Benitez can only wonder how differently the Red's disappointing season might have progressed, had he been fit for its entirety.
"It was a pity because it was a very good season [last year] and if we were doing more or less the same we would be up there," he said.
"We have seen some games where we couldn't score and we conceded and after we didn't have the same reaction as last year."
Torres scored in the Reds' clash with Manchester United at the weekend, but was also caught kicking the penalty spot in frustration after referee Howard Webb awarded a penalty against his side, and was unable to prevent the visitors failing to a disappointing 2-1 defeat.
Benitez was not upset by the striker's display of petulance, but believes he needs to try to channel his energy more positively.
"Fernando knows he has to focus a little bit more," Benitez told the Press Association.
"We were talking about this at half-time [against United] so that is something that will be better for him and better for the team.
"He can score more goals by concentrating on football.
"All strikers, especially top-class strikers, they are marked a little bit more closely than others and that is normal.
"It is not easy every game. People don't understand when you are a player on the pitch and you are fighting and sometimes you cannot understand these things."
Torres has scored 17 goals in a season that has been ravaged by injuries and, despite his problems against United, Benitez believes that the former Atletico Madrid captain has contributed greatly to his side when he has been fit.
"Sometimes when you talk about big names, top-class players, you are expecting something from them when the team is not doing well," he said.
"You expect them to say: 'It's okay, follow me'."
"We have had this conversation with Fernando and the rest of the team.
"It was something we were expecting from Torres and he was really good the other day [scoring twice against both Portsmouth and Lille]."
Fully fit for much of last season, Torres led Liverpool to a title challenge on the back of his 33 goals. Benitez can only wonder how differently the Red's disappointing season might have progressed, had he been fit for its entirety.
"It was a pity because it was a very good season [last year] and if we were doing more or less the same we would be up there," he said.
"We have seen some games where we couldn't score and we conceded and after we didn't have the same reaction as last year."
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