Clubs a part

Torres must have seen the storm coming. Its part of professional football.

When Fernando Torres,nimble striker,squeezed himself through the narrow transfer window at the last minute a week ago,he must have foreseen the storm of name-calling that would chase him around. Such is the premium put at the feet of mega-pound strikers; and the British record £50 million paid by Chelsea for successfully approaching (that is,poaching) Torres is not the issue. The fissure that runs down the middle of professional club football is the interest of the player and the sentiment of the fan,with the pocket and focus of the club framing the divide. That fan is now calling the Spaniard a Judas.

Part of the sustained global viewer interest in European club football is the curiosity raised by the periodic and,often,anticipated moves of players,especially the best in the world,from one homeground to another,even across national leagues. Yet,if

Torres finds himself called a traitor by the Reds now,its because he had once famously promised he would never play for another English Club. Those who had then taken that promise at face value are unwilling now to entertain Torres complaints about promises not kept by Liverpool. Inches within reach of Manchester United,Liverpool recently began letting go of stars and seem to be floundering at the moment betraying a lack of the very vision that the Blues apparently have,who are making up for their lack of history with their current form. Yes,Liverpool have immensely more history; ironically,much that in recent years had been made by Torres,especially against his new teammates.

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A parallel,although much more vicious,comes to mind. Remember Luis Figos move from Barcelona to Real Madrid in 2000? And the whiskey bottles and the pigs head thrown at him in 2002?

Perhaps,if Liverpool were not fated to face Chelsea a week after they lost Torres,El Niño would have had it a little easier.