King Kenny Roars In Support Of Estranged El Nino

KENNY DALGLISH has leapt to the
defence of Fernando Torres – as
Roy Hodgson prepared to take
the Liverpool striker out of the
firing line this week.
Torres came in for strong
criticism following a
disappointing performance
during the dismal goalless draw
at Birmingham City at the
weekend.
Former Liverpool midfielder
Jamie Redknapp even went as far
as to describe the Spaniard ’s
display as “diabolical”.
Hodgson countered by
defending the striker and
insisting the player was gradually
improving his fitness following
knee and adductor injuries
earlier in the year.
And Anfield legend Dalglish
believes Torres simply had a “bad
day” and will be eager to prove
his doubters wrong when
Liverpool visit Manchester United
on Sunday.
“I don’t think Fernando would
think it was one of his better
games but certainly he came as
close as anybody in that
Liverpool team to score a goal, ”
he said.
“He’s been through a lot; he had
a lot of injuries last year and even
in the World Cup final he was
injured. He ’s come back this year
and I think he’s only played two
or three games but he scored the
winner against West Brom.
“He might have had a bad day
but he’s not a bad player. There’s
no one anywhere who wouldn’t
have him in the side.
“It might have been a bad day at
the office for Fernando but he’s a
really good guy, a real quality
player and I ’m sure he’ll be
looking forward already to
Manchester United on Sunday.
He ’s not got a bad record there.”
With the trip to Old Trafford in
mind, Hodgson is almost certain
to rest Torres from the starting
line-up for Thursday ’s Europa
League group opener at home to
Steaua Bucharest.
Hodgson has used the qualifying
stages of the competition to give
a break to a number of senior
players, instead relying heavily on
fringe players or youngsters in
progressing against FK
Rabotnicki and Trabzonspor.
And the 62-year-old has already
intimated he will continue with
such a policy throughout the
group phase.
It means David Ngog is poised to
be given the opportunity to
improve his record of three goals
in this season ’s Europa League.
With Hodgson ringing the
changes, goalkeeper Brad Jones
is likely to be handed a debut in
place of Pepe Reina following his
summer move from
Middlesbrough, while £11.5m
man Raul Meireles could be called
upon.
Paul Konchesky should also be in
contention to face the
Romanians despite leaving the
field on 78 minutes with a
hamstring complaint at St
Andrew ’s on Sunday.
“He hasn’t played for a couple of
weeks and he started to feel his
hamstring a little bit so we took
him off as a precaution and put
Daniel Agger on, ” said Hodgson.
“I thought he did well. He was
very competent and it bodes well
for the future. ”