TORRES: I WILL FIRE LIVERPOOL TO DERBY DELIGHT
Fernando Torres has urged his Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez to play him for a full 90 minutes against Everton - as he believes he can fire the Reds to victory in the Merseyside derby on Monday.
Spain's Euro 2008 final match-winner has been struggling to shake off a hamstring injury and last played a whole game in November.
But the former Atletico Madrid hotshot wants to help Liverpool to prove that they are the best side in the city, in a game that is "more than a football match".
"I am well up for playing from the first minute after recovering from the hamstring injury," said the 24-year-old, who scored the winner in the same fixture last year and netted 33 in his first season in England. "But it is the manager who decides who plays.
"I already know what the atmosphere will be like having played in the Anfield game last year and it has the same feel of the Atletico-Real derby in Madrid.
"It is lived in the streets throughout the week and for us it is more than a football match. It is important for us to win for the fans and so we continue leading the Premier League."
While Benitez's team are second / first in the table after Manchester United won / drew / lost at Bolton, David Moyes' Everton are also riding high in sixth. Midfielder Mikel Arteta has been in sparkling form for the Toffees - but Torres thinks it would be wrong to just focus on his countryman.
"Both teams are doing well at the moment, so that will add extra excitement and emotion to the game," Torros continued. "It is necessary to demonstrate that we are the rightful leaders and win every match.
"But to win against Everton, our eternal rivals, would give us a great morale boost. We must play with our heads because this type of match can be complicated from the first moment to the last.
"It would be an error to think that the Everton's only threat is Mikel Arteta. The truth is that the Spaniard is playing very well at the moment, but the Toffees have many other attacking options that we will have to be careful about."
Fernando Torres has urged his Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez to play him for a full 90 minutes against Everton - as he believes he can fire the Reds to victory in the Merseyside derby on Monday.
Spain's Euro 2008 final match-winner has been struggling to shake off a hamstring injury and last played a whole game in November.
But the former Atletico Madrid hotshot wants to help Liverpool to prove that they are the best side in the city, in a game that is "more than a football match".
"I am well up for playing from the first minute after recovering from the hamstring injury," said the 24-year-old, who scored the winner in the same fixture last year and netted 33 in his first season in England. "But it is the manager who decides who plays.
"I already know what the atmosphere will be like having played in the Anfield game last year and it has the same feel of the Atletico-Real derby in Madrid.
"It is lived in the streets throughout the week and for us it is more than a football match. It is important for us to win for the fans and so we continue leading the Premier League."
While Benitez's team are second / first in the table after Manchester United won / drew / lost at Bolton, David Moyes' Everton are also riding high in sixth. Midfielder Mikel Arteta has been in sparkling form for the Toffees - but Torres thinks it would be wrong to just focus on his countryman.
"Both teams are doing well at the moment, so that will add extra excitement and emotion to the game," Torros continued. "It is necessary to demonstrate that we are the rightful leaders and win every match.
"But to win against Everton, our eternal rivals, would give us a great morale boost. We must play with our heads because this type of match can be complicated from the first moment to the last.
"It would be an error to think that the Everton's only threat is Mikel Arteta. The truth is that the Spaniard is playing very well at the moment, but the Toffees have many other attacking options that we will have to be careful about."
Labels: David Moyes, Everton, Fernando Torres, Liverpool, Mikel Arteta, Rafael Benitez
