Torres, who is now out injured, has issued an ultimatum to Liverpool's owners
He has demanded they find the cash in order to prevent the club being cast adrift as also-rans. Striker Torreswas yesterday told he must undergo surgery to repair a torn cartilage in his right knee and will be ruled out for six weeks as the shockwaves from Wednesday night’s embarrassing FA Cup loss against Reading left beleaguered bossRafa Benitez reeling.
Skipper Steven Gerrard is out for a fortnight because of a hamstring problem and Yossi Benayoun a month after breaking a rib in
the 2-1 reversal as Liverpool’s hopes of salvaging their season by
finishing in the top four of the Premier League suffered a devastating
triple injury blow.
Liverpool’s elimination
from the competition has left Benitez’s reign under scrutiny like never
before following early exits from the Champions League and the Carling
Cup. But his immediate future is not under threat.
Instead,
Torres pushed the spotlight firmly on George Gillett and Tom Hicks and,
in a stark appraisal of the club’s fortunes, said: “It’s now the
owners’ turn.
“They have to sign players so that this does not happen again.
“If we want to compete with Chelsea and Manchester United we need a much, much more complete squad.”
The
inference is clear that if Liverpool do not find the funds to operate
at the top end of the transfer market, Torres will consider his future.
He
has only ever won a Second Division title medal with boyhood club
Atletico Madrid and he came to Anfield in 2007 on the premise that
Liverpool would be competing to win trophies.
His decision to sign a new contract in the summer was motivated by the prospect of medals rather than money.
And Liverpool will brush aside his comments at their peril.
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