Liverpool Coach Benitez Says Club Can Cope Without Expensive Signings

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez expects less spending power in the transfer market, despite a plea by star striker Fernando Torres to sign more big-money players.

Benitez doubts getting much cash to bolster his squad to mount a Premier League title challenge against the backdrop of an unremitting feud between American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr.

Newly released accounts show that the Americans, who gained control in March 2007, had net losses of 33 million pounds (then US$67 million) by July 31, 2007.

Hicks has prioritized raising equity to buy out his estranged partner's 50 percent-stake and fund a new stadium.

Torres said last week that Liverpool needs "a lot of 20 or 25 million pound (US$39 or 49 million) players'' like Manchester United and Chelsea to bring the league title back to Anfield for the first time since 1990.

"Some teams around us are spending 20 million pounds and 30 million pounds (US$59) on one or two players,'' Benitez responded.”But the important thing is to get the right players and my staff are working hard to do that.''

Benitez said fellow Spaniard Torres was one of the key inspirations for keeping him at Liverpool, which finished fourth last season in the league and was ousted in the Champions League semifinals by Chelsea.

Benitez 100% Committed To Liverpool

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has moved to alleviate concerns that he may still be unsettled at Anfield.

The Spanish tactician endured an incredibly tough season both on and off the pitch. The Reds ended trophyless again, but far more pertinent in respect to Rafa's job was the drama off the pitch with co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

Disputes began to lessen and the situation seemed placated towards the end of the season, but as the transfer window re-opens and the finances of the club once again come under scrutiny, many feel the former Valencia coach may leave if he does not get the backing he feels he deserves.

However, he told the Liverpool Echo he is fully focussed on the job at hand and nothing more: "I said at the end of the season I was very happy here and I will say it again.

"The supporters have been absolutely magnificent with me and the staff are working very hard.

"I would not have brought players like Fernando Torres and the young players we have here if I did not have a long term vision for the club. Now is not the time to be saying goodbye.

"Fernando's agent has asked about my Liverpool future and my answer is that I am 100% committed.

"If we had a lot of money to spend it would obviously be better," he said.

"But if we don't it doesn't matter.

"It is not about buying the most expensive players, it is about buying the right ones.

"We have the spine of the team and we can sell some players to get the others we need."

Anderson Set To Discover Liverpool Intentions

Liverpool FC youngster Paul Anderson is set to discover his part in the Reds' future when he meets with chief executive Rick Parry tomorrow.

Several Championship clubs are intent on capturing the 19-year-old winger's signature for a loan deal, while Premiership clubs have expressed an interest in a permanent deal.

The moves have come after Anderson completed a successful loan spell with League One champions Swansea City, who are also among the chasing pack.

Reports at the end of last week suggested Nottingham Forest were favourites to land Anderson, from John O'Gaunt, on a season-long loan, but he is still unsure as to exactly what the Anfield club has in store for him.

Forest's rivals Derby County have also staked a claim, as have Watford, Burnley, Ipswich Town, Doncaster Rovers and Leeds United among others.

Dad Phil Anderson said: "At this stage there is no story until an agreement is reached with Liverpool and until they know what they want to do with him.

"It hasn't been discussed with Paul yet, but I think it should be a lot clearer by Friday.

"Forest have expressed an interest and made an official approach, but no agreement has been made.We were hoping to have all this sorted out prior to going away on holiday, but the wait has happened for all the right reasons."

While Liverpool's intentions should be known by the weekend, a deal with another club is not expected to be finalised until the middle of next week.

Villa Full Of Praise For Unselfish Torres

David Villa strengthened his reputation as one of Europe's most lethal finishers with his hat-trick in Spain's 4-1 drubbing of Russia.

The 26-year-old took his international tally to 17 goals in 32 games with his Euro 2008 Group D treble at the Tivoli Neu stadium in Innsbruck on Tuesday.

Villa has a significantly better strike rate than attacking partner Fernando Torres, who has scored 15 goals in 50 games for his country and has only found the net twice for Spain since the last World Cup.

But Villa, who notched 18 league goals last season despite a difficult campaign at troubled Valencia, praised Torres for his unselfish work and explained why he had gone over to the bench to celebrate his hat-trick with his substituted team mate.

"I scored two goals benefiting from his work," Villa told a news conference on Wednesday. "He did the unseen work and I got the credit and that's why I celebrated with him."

Villa said he hurt his finger when he got it tangled in Torres's shirt as the two celebrated the first goal but described the injury as nothing important.

When Luis Aragones named his squad for Euro 2008 the main talking point in the Spanish media was the absence of former captain Raul but Villa's neatly-taken treble has helped lay that debate to rest.

Although Villa, who wears the number seven shirt once favoured by Raul, said Tuesday's performance may not have been his most complete, he called it his most memorable.

"It was my best game because of the circumstances. It was our opening game in Euro 2008, we won and I got three goals," said the striker.

Villa said he had English-speaking team mates Pepe Reina and Xabi Alonso to thank for getting Austrian referee Konrad Plautz to agree to give him the match ball as a souvenir of his hat-trick.

"The referee said he couldn't give it to me because of a UEFA rule but Pepe and Xabi Alonso talked to him in English and managed to get the ball for me."

Liverpool To Make Fresh Gareth Barry Bid

Liverpool are to test Aston Villa's resolve by launching a £15 million cash-only bid for Gareth Barry.

Villa have already turned down two offers from Liverpool for Barry, with the midlands club reportedly valuing the England international at £20m.

Earlier this week, Barry told manager Martin O'Neill that he is keen on a move to Anfield, but last night Villa issued a statement saying: "Gareth Barry has stated in discussion with our manager that he would like to leave Aston Villa to join Liverpool. But Liverpool's bid for the player has been rejected and Liverpool have been informed of Villa's decision on this matter."

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez originally tabled a £10m offer for the midfielder which was rejected out of hand. A £12m bid ensued, which was also met with a flat no.

Benitez, however, is known to be a big fan of Barry, who has shone for England on the international stage as a holding midfielder, and will come back with a new £15m offer that Villa may find hard to turn down.

Benitez is also reportedly willing to do a player-plus-cash deal that O'Neill would be swayed by if it involved Peter Crouch or Yossi Benayoun.

Benitez`s Modest Budget Won't Be Cut

Rafa Benitez has reportedly been assured that his transfer budget will not be affected by the losses suffered by Tom Hicks and George Gillett since their takeover of Liverpool - but any euphoria at the news will be quelled by suggestions that the Spaniard has relatively little money to spend this summer.

The first set of accounts published since the Americans arrived last year reported a loss of £33million in the year ending July 2007.

However, according to The Guardian, 'Despite these ominous figures, has been assured his transfer budget will not be reduced'. But the sting in the tale is that 'Spaniard's spending rests heavily on the amount raised through player sales this summer and the budget 'is understood to be far from what the manager would like'.

This suspicion is borne out by fresh reports linking Pool with Middlesbrough's Stewart Downing - hardly the type of high-calibre player the club require to produce their long-anticipated title bid.

According to the Daily Mirror, 'Benitez has been a longtime admirer of Downing and considers that he can play not just in the wide left role, but also in a more central position.

'He is prepared to bid around £12m for the England international.'

Xabi Delays Juve Decision

Liverpool star Xabi Alonso is delaying any decision over a move to Juventus until he has completed his Euro 2008 mission with Spain.

The Basque playmaker has hinted that he wants to quit Anfield for Turin and there have been reports that Juve and Liverpool have agreed a fee of just over £10m.

But the 26-year-old has put the brakes on somewhat by insisting that he won’t be making any decision before this summer’s events in Austria and Switzerland are complete.

“I know that Juventus are interested,” Alonso told El Mundo Deportivo.

“But right now I won’t talk about that because I have enough to think about here with the national team.”

Meanwhile, Juve could make space for Alonso by selling unsettled forward Raffaele Palladino.

The former Azzurrini star has been frustrated at a lack of first-team football in Turin and is reportedly close to agreeing a deal with hometown team Napoli.

The Old Lady may insist upon a co-ownership agreement rather than an outright sale and are expected to ask for around £6m for 50 per cent of his rights.

Barry Seeking Reds Move

Gareth Barry wants to join Liverpool in the summer, according to the Aston Villa captain's agent.

Liverpool have made the England international a leading transfer target and have already had one bid rejected by their Premier League rivals.

Villa boss Martin O'Neill is determined to ward off any further interest in the 27-year-old, who has spent his entire career with the club.

But Barry's agent Alex Black says the player has held talks with O'Neill to outline his desire to play UEFA Champions League football.

Black also intimated that Barry is keen to discuss a move to Liverpool after making almost 400 appearances for Villa.

"Gareth has spoken to Martin since he returned from England's game in Trinidad and told him how he feels," Black told The Sun.

"At this stage of his career Gareth wants to be playing Champions League football and believes this is his chance to do it."

Reds skipper Steven Gerrard recently admitted that he is 'desperate' for his good friend to join him at Anfield.

Liverpool FC In Hunt For Espanyol Winger Albert Riera

Liverpool are back in the hunt for want-away Espanyol winger Albert Riera – but will not allow themselves to get caught up in a bidding war.

Manager Rafael Benitez is lining up a £9m offer for the former Manchester City winger but will resist the Spanish club’s attempts to inflate his value.

Espanyol initially insisted that Riera would only be allowed to leave if a club triggered his release clause of £16m, way beyond what Liverpool are prepared to pay.

They are ready to come down to accepting £12m but Benitez will be loathe to pay over the odds for the 26-year-old.

Liverpool’s transfer budget is unaffected by the £33m loss that was revealed yesterday in the accounts of Kop Holdings Ltd – the company set up by George Gillett and Tom Hicks when they bought the club.

But the money needed to prise Gareth Barry from Aston Villa, after the Midlands club already rejected bids of £10m and £12m, means Benitez is unwilling to enter into an auction.

He is wanted by a number of clubs across Europe, after they were alerted to his availability following an outburst against Espanyol at the end of the last campaign when fans protested against the team’s displays.

Riera said: “I want to leave Espanyol. I don’t want to be part of a club that does not take care of or protect its players.

“I do not know if I will go to Liverpool or some other team. But I do not want to be at a club where supporters have no love for the players.”

Riera, who is a left-sided midfielder, played in the Premier League for Manchester City when he was on loan from Espanyol towards the end of the 2005-06 season.

Benitez is keen to add to his options in wide areas, and has already tied up deals for full-backs Philipp Degen and Andrea Dossena.

Benitez’s stance on players’ valuation has the full support of the man he paid a club record transfer fee for, Fernando Torres.

“If we can’t keep up with them (United and Chelsea) economically, then we have to get it absolutely right in the transfer market,” said Torres.

Torres Adapting His Game For Spain

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.

Fabio Capello Wants Steven Gerrard To Captain England For World Cup Qualifiers

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has emerged as the leading contender to take over the England captaincy full-time.

According to the Sun, England manager Fabio Capello says he will make a decision in a fortnight.

And the Italian has also revealed that he sees a midfielder as the ideal choice to take the armband when England begin their quest for World Cup qualification against Andorra in September.

Last week, Capello revealed the battle for the England captaincy had been narrowed down to two candidates with Gerrard and Rio Ferdinand leading the way.

The England head coach has also given John Terry, David Beckham and Gareth Barry the captain's armband during his first four matches in charge.

Beckham started as skipper in England's last friendly against Trinidad and Tobago before Barry took over from the LA Galaxy midfielder when he was substituted.

A source close to Capello said: "Fabio is thinking very hard about this decision but likes to see his captains in the middle of the park bossing the game.

"No one has been ruled out but it looks like Gerrard is ahead."

Capello has been happy with the progress made in the four friendly internationals since he replaced Steve McClaren nearly six months ago. "I think we will be okay the minute we play against Croatia,” he said last week.

"For the qualification games, we will be okay. I am very happy with the progress we are making."

We Want You Out, Liverpool FC Fans Tell Owners

Hundreds of Liverpool fans united to protest at Anfield against the club's American owners.

They gathered on Walton Breck Road outside the Kop yesterday in another message of opposition to Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

Banners saying Yanks OUT and Repossessed were pinned on railings around the ground.

A padlock was fastened to the Shankly Gates in a symbolic gesture to signify their unhappiness with the current regime.

The SOS fans group also planned to lobby supporters visiting the club shop about the protest.

Alan Kayll, from Spirit of Shankly, said: “When David Moores sold the club, he did so to allow the club to compete for the very best players and simultaneously build the stadium.

“The stadium finances are nowhere near being secured and we cannot compete for top quality now or have any great prospects for the future.

“Selling the family silver to Hicks and Gillett has proven to be a massive mistake, and every Liverpool supporter has to act and campaign against what is happening to our club.”

Red Francis Stanton added: “Our repossession is about the rightful owners of the club claiming it back from the "tenants".

“Why can the club not afford to bid for 17-year-old prospects even when the manager wants them? We have paid the rent for our custodians long enough. It’s time for an eviction.”

The ownership of Liverpool remains in the balance with American co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett at loggerheads.

The Dubai-based consortium DIC has shown interest buying the club, but Hicks has repeatedly stated his intention of keeping hold of his 50% share.

Liverpool Owners Claimed £1.4m In Expenses

The cost of Tom Hicks and George Gillett's takeover of Liverpool is becoming clear after the club published their first set of accounts since the Americans arrived last year.

Kop Football (Holdings), the company set up by the Americans to buy Liverpool, made a loss of £33million in the year ending July 2007, quite the achievement when one considers the pair only took over the club in the February of that year.

Given that the Americans transferred the debt they took on to buy Liverpool to the club, it is not surprising to learn that interest of £64million on those loans must be paid to Kop Football Ltd, the club's immediate parent company.

However, while those figures were largely expected and anticipated, Liverpool fans may not be best pleased to learn that Hicks and Gillett claimed more that £1.4million in expenses in the period covered by the accounts, and given that they have paid plenty more visits to Britain since, that won't be the end of things.

The Time reports that the owners wrote off another £10.3million when they scrapped the existing plans for a new stadium when they took over. The pair brought in their own design, a design that they have been forced to scale back in recent months because of the constraints of the global credit crunch.

A number of Liverpool fans held a demonstration at Anfield on Sunday, demanding 'repossession' of the club and posting eviction notices for Hicks and Gillett.

Bolton Eager To Hold Onto Liverpool Prospect

Bolton boss Gary Megson has confirmed that he is keen to sign Danny Guthrie to a permanent deal following his strong showing while on loan from Liverpool last season.

Indeed, the 21-year-old midfielder enjoyed an impressive campaign at the Reebok, becoming an important factor in their survival in the Barclays Premier League.

Guthrie made 25 Premier League appearances and also featured 7 times in the UEFA Cup last season and has himself stated that he is happy to stay at the Reebok Stadium having thoroughly enjoyed his loan spell at the club.

Megson said: "Nothing's hard and fast. Danny did well for us. I don't think he'd been involved too much before I arrived and in his time since then I know there were times when he was disappointed when I picked a team to get a certain result. But he's got some good qualities."

"Danny is only a young player and is one we might look at as the summer goes on," he added.

"We have some things at the moment that need to be sorted. Other things can take a little longer."

With Liverpool already strong in central-midfield with the likes of Javier Mascherano and Xabi Alonso, along with Aston Villa captain Gareth Barry still being heavily linked with the club, a future on Merseyside looks unlikely for the youngster.

Lucas Is A Step Closer To Olympics With Brazil

The possibility of Liverpool being without Lucas for the start of the season moved a step closer after he was called up for an Olympics warm-up game.

The Brazilian’s absence has been on the cards since he was named in an initial preliminary squad of 74 and his latest call-up for a friendly on June 22 only heightens his chances of making the final cut.

The tournament coincides with the start of the Premier League season and could keep players away from their clubs for more than two weeks – which leaves Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez with a midfield dilemma. He is confident of landing Gareth Barry once a fee has been agreed for the England man with Aston Villa – but losing Lucas, Javier Mascherano and Ryan Babel at once could leave him short of reinforcements.

Especially as Xabi Alonso has admitted his interest in a move to Juventus days after his agent declared the clubs were close to agreeing on their valuation of the player.

Benitez still hopes that Mascherano doesn’t feel obliged to answer any call from Argentina and will discuss the issue with him when he returns for pre-season next month. Mascherano, who was 24 yesterday, is wanted as an over-age player as he looks to repeat the gold medal victory he enjoyed in Athens in 2004. But clubs are powerless to prevent players who qualify directly for the under-23s going on international duty. In the case of Babel, while he is wanted by Holland, Benitez will be keen to ensure he has fully recovered from the ankle ligament damage that is keeping him out of Euro 2008, before releasing him for any competitive action.

Lucas has, however, already signalled his determination to join up with Brazil in Beijing.

“Hopefully I will be picked,” he said. “That would mean I would start the pre-season here with Liverpool and then later on I would go to the Olympics. I need to wait for the squad to be picked but hopefully I will go.

“I know that would mean me missing some games for Liverpool and that is not good, but when you talk about your country you always want to play for them.

“And for Brazil the Olympics is like the World Cup because Brazil has never won the gold medal.

“It is also important for my future as an international player because the World Cup qualifiers are coming up and obviously I would like to be in the squad for those.

“So now I need to think about the Olympics and I will speak with Rafa about this.”

Manchester United’s Anderson is also among 12 overseas-based players named by Dunga to play in the warm-up game.

Brazil are yet to announce an opponent or venue, but that did not stop Dunga releasing an initial squad following Friday night’s shock 2-0 loss to Venezuela in Foxborough in the USA.

O'Neill Fancies Finnan - Report

Liverpool defender Steve Finnan could be set for a ₤2million summer switch to Aston Villa, according to reports.

Villa boss Martin O’Neill is desperate to sign a new right-sided defender following the departure of Swedish international Olof Mellberg for Juventus.

And reports from England indicate the Ulsterman has targeted Irish full-back Finnan to replace the former Racing Santander man in the Villa back-line.

Finnan, who moved to Anfield from Fulham in 2003, struggled for starts last season due to consistent injury problems and a general loss of form.

The former Notts County man is only likely to fall further down the pecking order following the arrival of Swiss international Philipp Degen from Borussia Dortmund, and may be keen on making the move to Villa Park.

The 32-year-old has two years remaining on his deal with the Merseyside giants, while Villa are prepared to offer the ex-Birmingham defender man a three-year deal.

Reds boss Rafa Benitez may be keen to use Finnan as bait in his attempts to prise Gareth Barry away from Villa, having had previous offers involving John Arne Riise and Jermaine Pennant rejected.

Reds In Shock Bid For Gunners Ace - Report

Liverpool are reportedly planning a sneaky ₤6million bid for Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner.

Reds boss Rafa Benitez is keen to add depth to his forward line over the summer, and reports from England claim he is considering a shock swoop for the Danish youngster.

The 20-year-old has received limited opportunities with the Gunners due to the emergence of Togolese striker Emmanuel Adebayor, with whom the Dane has had a rather drastic falling out.

Bendtner has generally struggled to live up to his billing as one of the most promising young strikers in Europe, although late last season he exhibited glimpses of his significant potential.

Wenger will be reluctant to sell given the respective injury issues of Robin van Persie and Eduardo da Silva, not to mention the growing uncertainly surrounding Adebayor’s future at the Emirates.

But Benitez will almost certainly have to replace the unsettled Peter Crouch, and is willing to offer ₤6million for a player Wenger snatched virtually free of charge from Copenhagen outfit Kjøbenhavns Boldklub.

The deal would prove something of a coup if it went through, given that almost all Premier League clubs flat-out refuse to trade with their rivals these days – as evidenced by Benitez’s failure to secure defender Gabrielle Heinze from Manchester United last summer.

Financial Figures Pile Pressure On Reds Owners

Liverpool co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr. will no doubt be forced to endure increased animosity from supporters following the publication of the club’s accounts.

More than 300 disgruntled Reds fans congregated yesterday to post eviction notices all around Anfield, continuing their push to oust the Merseyside giants’ warring possessors.

And the pressure on the bickering Americans will only continue to mount after the release of their first set of financial figures since they took control of the club in February 2007.

The Times reports that, according to accounts submitted to Companies House last week, one of Liverpool’s parent companies Kop Football (Holdings) Ltd endured a ₤33million loss as of July 31, 2007.

The club’s ₤350million in loans must be refinanced by January, while they will also have to pay interest on a ₤64million borrowing from Kop Football.

The accounts also revealed that Hicks and Gillett wrote off some ₤10.3million when ditching designs for Liverpool’s new stadium, while claiming in excess of ₤1.4million for personal expenses – figures which will do nothing to improve their standing with Reds fans.

Toon Outraged At Reds' Milner Bid

Liverpool have reportedly offered up three youngsters in an ambitious bid for Newcastle United winger James Milner, incurring the wrath of the Tyneside club.

The Evening Chronicle reports that Reds boss Rafa Benitez is hoping to trade Argentine full-back Emiliano Insua, central defender Jack Hobbs and one other in exchange for Milner.

Aston Villa boss Martin O’Neill was livid when Benitez attempted to capture Gareth Barry with a similar deal, although the Ulsterman never revealed which players his Reds counterpart had put forward.

But a Toon source claimed Insua and Hobbs, both 19, were definitely involved in the Milner offer, although the third player was such a “nonentity” that his name was not even worth remembering.

Magpies boss Kevin Keegan is reportedly insulted by his former club’s meagre advances, and will no doubt seek a significantly more attractive proposal before he considers parting with the England under-21 international.

Liverpool signed Insua from Boca Juniors in 2004 and is highly rated within the club, while Hobbs is expected to be offloaded after spending the second half of last season on loan at Scunthorpe.

Ability To Adapt The Key For FernandoTorres

It is not just the hair, blonder with each dye, that makes Fernando Torres stand out in the company of his countrymen. In a squad conspicuously short of six-footers, most look quite a way up to their centre-forward. The public already give him a status above any other Spanish footballer. As the squad left Santander for what they hope will be an absence of nearly a month, the loudest squeals from fans were for Torres, formerly El Niño. Now he has a right to be appreciated as El Adulto.

Torres does not naturally seek what Spaniards call protagonismo; he’s not a loudmouth attention-seeker and has a gentle, low-key way with autograph-hunters and those who want their photograph taken alongside him. He would not have appreciated that his team had been booed from the field in Santander at half-time the previous evening by their own public after a stultifying final preparation match - they beat the USA by a solitary late goal - but he used to hear far worse when he was the one man band, teenaged captain of Atletico Madrid. Besides, the vat of self-confidence Torres takes to the European Championship remains full.

He has just broken local records in Liverpool marking the impact of a new striker at a club that so prizes its No 9s: 24 goals in his debut Premier League season. And his national team are undefeated in 16 matches, winning all but two. Spain, like Liverpool, have their dogmas. If they are to win their first major championship since 1964, they will do it with elegance, with overwhelming possession and passing accuracy. “For us, the most important thing is to keep the ball as much as we can,” says Spain coach Luis Aragones. “We are a team that can find it hard to win the ball back.”

Aragones, 69, has been around the block, and if he seems set in his ways, it is because ways are set for him. “Idiosyncrasies exist in certain teams,” he says. “Barcelona have always played better-looking football. It so happens that Real Madrid tend to win more. The best counter-attacking team in Spain has tended to be Atletico.” And in England? “In England the pace of the game is very high,” says Aragones. “I like it, but I prefer the ball to be doing the fast moving, and sometimes the players. That’s what we are good at.”

So here’s the contradiction: Spain will stress the virtues of Spanish football while taking on the rest of the continent with the most expatriate XI in their history; at a pinch, five of their team could be footballers who work in England. Euro 2008 stands ready to applaud Spain for the elegance of their passing and swift geometry of their midfield exchanges, while audiences recovering from another breathless 10 months of the Premier League perk up at seeing leading figures from Liverpool and Arsenal’s last seasons wearing the red of España. Yet Cesc Fabregas, who drives the sweet machinery of Arsenal’s football, may not get into Aragones’s first lineup, against Russia on Tuesday. Liverpool’s Torres will, but must alter his game significantly.

“Spain’s style is slower with many more touches on the ball. With Liverpool everything is more direct,” says Torres. Which did he prefer? “The style of play with Liverpool suits me very well, but now I am with Spain and I have to adapt.” Adapt what? “Liverpool is a hard-working team and that gives you more time to pace yourself up front. I have teammates like [Dirk] Kuyt, who is out of this world with his physical effort. He does his work and some of mine, too. Maybe with Liverpool I get fewer chances in front of goal, but in a way, I have a better chance to convert them.” So what does the adaptation, from prolific Liverpool Red to Spain’s Roja, mean?

His goals for Liverpool would more likely come from crosses, he gives as an example, while those for Spain will be “a one-two in the penalty box, a piece of individual skill, maybe via a reverse pass. You have to be ready for that.” And the alteration, the distinction between the adrenalin of Anfield and the tension around Spain, the team who eternally wait to be the sum of their parts, remains one of these championships’ main intrigues. Will Spain be more worldly for their Premier League nous? Or less Spanish? Torres would like an amalgam of the two. And he’d like one extra piece of Liverpool to become Spanish these next three weeks. Which one? “Steven Gerrard, of course,” says Torres, smiling.