Benitez: Torres not guaranteed place

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has warned striker Fernando Torres he cannot expect a guaranteed place in the Reds' starting line-up.

The Spain international was left on the bench and openly criticised by his manager ahead of Liverpool's 2-0 win at Bolton.

Benitez had hauled off Torres, searching for form and fitness after his hamstring injury, after an insipid performance in the embarrassing Carling Cup defeat by Spurs in midweek.

The Anfield chief publicly condemned Torres for a "bad'' display at White Hart Lane, and blamed the senior players for letting down the youngsters.

Torres was given 31 minutes to impress at the end of the victory over Bolton and did so, creating a sitter which Steven Gerrard missed, hitting the post and being thwarted by Jussi Jaaskelainen when the Liverpool skipper had put him clean through.

Torres also provided a sublime outside-of-the-foot pass to set up Gerrard's header to clinch the game, Dirk Kuyt having headed Liverpool ahead in the first-half.

Despite his lively display, though, the message from Benitez was clear - not even one of Europe's best strikers is sure of a place.

Benitez said: "The players have to compete for their positions in the side, be it Torres or anyone else. Torres has to improve, if he does and he is fit then I will decide what to do, although I expect to be criticised.

"I did not have to explain to Fernando why he was not playing, it was very clear. The team had been playing well and he has to compete for his position. He played well when he came on, but then other players who come on as substitute also did well, not just him.

"That is the key if you want to have a winning mentality and a winning squad.''

Torres will now join up with the Spain squad this week, having played just 105 minutes of football in nearly five weeks since he was injured on international duty.

Benitez said: "Torres will join up with Spain. I am not happy, but I cannot do anything about it. We are talking to international managers and asking them to protect our players.

"We have asked that the Spanish set-up does not take any chances, that they protect the player.''

Benitez did, though, praise referee Rob Styles' decision to disallow a Bolton 'goal' from Gary Cahill because Liverpool keeper Jose Reina's path to the ball had been impeded by Kevin Nolan.

Bolton boss Gary Megson was furious with Styles, who upset the Trotters earlier in the season by incorrectly awarding penalty against them at Manchester United.

Megson insisted that there had been no infringement in the six-yard box against Reina and claimed Styles "had made another mistake''.

Benitez said: "Players in front of the keeper are there to disturb him, and that is wrong. The FIFA rules are for everyone, and that includes in England. They are for everyone.

"It is very difficult for the keeper with a lot of people around him for set-pieces. It was a good decision from the referee to disallow the Bolton 'goal' in the first-half. The rules are very clear and he got them right.''

Megson disagreed, though, saying: "Nolan did not do anything but stand his ground and there's nothing wrong with that.''
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Another of Rafa's mind games this will certainly make Torres stay on his feet and discover his pre-injury form

As much as such a statement may anger many supporters and cause the media to have another field day against Rafa and his rotation...I totally agree with Rafa on this one. We play as a team and when every team member contributes 100% when playing, the results will come.
Torres was very poor in the Spurs game and rightly taken off.
This is just a reminder to all players to give their best in every game and also to reinforce the notion that this is a team sport where nobody is "bigger" than the club.

You could see that the message stuck with Fernando, coz he contributed in his short appearance against Bolton.

Good warning RAFA, no time for complacency now!!!

Rafa knows best! He is doing his job.

RAfa doesn;t know best cause Torres is our best striker we have and to let him in bench is crazy.

The Tottenham game in midweek is a bad example because Torres was unfit. He wasn't able to contribute because he was strugglin to walk never mind run.

But the gist of the comment is spot on. Every player should know they have to work hard for their place in the first XI.

He wasn't able to contribute because he was strugglin to walk never mind run.

BS

He wasn't interested in playing and you could of seen it from the first time he touch the ball he had no drive in him. He was more concern about not getting hurt.
 

He just needed a run out after being out for so long. After all, that team against Tottenham don't give him services like the first team does.

Well, It's true that Torres was in the starting XI of this match just because he need to find back the feeling of touching ball before the match with Bolton, so that's exactly why he didn't want to get hurt in a match like this. It must be stupid if he was about to be aivalable and then got to be out of injuries agian because of that match. Can't blame him about his performance in that match.
Boss Rafa said It partly because he wants Torres to try to give his all out as soon as possible, partly because he wants to show that at Liverpool, no player is treated differently just because what he did well in the last season, if he can't play well, he's out and the Premier League has no place and time to wait for him to find his form back. It's not a pressure, It's a warning for the seniors and a promise of chance to the youngs. I like the way boss make our players give out all, there're always competition in every spot in the field but Liverpool is always a team. Unlike Sir Ferguson who always put pressure on players, make them think that they'll soon be put in the bench, give thier place for others if they don't play with efficacity or if they go against him. I'm always proud that Liverpool is not like Manchester United at that fact.

I agree with RAFA , no player should be guaranteed a place in the team,they should get in the team through effort,ability and most important the desire to play well and further the cause of Liverpool Football Club.-And wear the RED SHIRT with the pride that is associated with it. P.S. Torres meets all those requirements as far as i am concerned.

that's the way how Rafa makes them play well and improve. Instead of directly complimenting them, he points out their weaknesses and how they can be better