With our match against Liverpool on Sunday, Feb 6th, approaching fast, will we get our firts glimpse of Torres in a blue shirt?

I guess the options are:

• Play him in the starting eleven. We paid £50m, he should be professional enough to take a bit of stick (albeit likely to be ferocious).
  
• Bring him on as a sub, allow things to simmer down a bit first (although, I doubt it, as the baiting from the Shed is likely to be non stop).
  
• Leave him on the bench, it's not just a bit of stick we need to worry about, it's former team mates as well. We need to protect our investment and it is unfair to put him under that much pressure on his debut.

He would start if I was Carlo.

f**k yeah

If he's fit, he starts. I can't imagine that he wouldn't play at all.

Bet Joe Cole is happy as f*ck this has happened

I wouldn't even have him on the bench to be honest . Say hello to the crowd at half time and sit in a box for the game .

On a purely personal note....the anticipation of the atmosphere in that ground Sunday if he walks out of the tunnel, is enough to make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

He should start. There's nothing wrong about playing against your old team. If he would score I guess he wont celebrate though.

I'd play him from the start, but I think he'll most likely be on the bench.

It will also be interesting to see if Joe Cole is involved at all. I hazard a guess he won't get too much of a positive response.

Definitely not playing at all, would be very worried about Gerrard and the like trying to to break his legs.

But if he scores and doesn't get injured that would be lovely.

I worry about #3. Thankfully, thats mostly because the Scousers are all talking like big men about what Stevie G will do. Carjacker is still injured, and he is the real loose cannon I would worry about. Guys like Poulsen, Skrtel, Agger, Spearing or whoever, probably dont care, and I doubt someone like Gerrard is unprofessional about this enough to seek some kind of vengence (hell, he is probably organizing his own departure now). And really, they shouldnt. What Torres said in his broken english was really not that bad and clearly not meant as a jibe. Its just like us, because we overread into the Joe Cole situation.

I thought this was gonna be about the game today, in which I expected to see him on the bench!

If he doesnt make his debut tonight, then I would leave him on the bench to start. Its a needless storyline and unelss the players are going to get fired up about the abuse he gets, I dont think its worth it. And i think the adjustment will take some time for the existing 11.

I'd play him from the start, but I think he'll most likely be on the bench.

It will also be interesting to see if Joe Cole is involved at all. I hazard a guess he won't get too much of a positive response.

Alan! Maybe Im not too observant but it has been a little while since I have noticed you outside of your own forum. Good to see ya.

And wouldnt it be funny if we had some kind of dentente with them? "Okay, you keep Cole in the box, and we will leave Torres there." Except, obviously we would be getting the short end of that stick on current form.

Alan! Maybe Im not too observant but it has been a little while since I have noticed you outside of your own forum. Good to see ya.

And wouldnt it be funny if we had some kind of dentente with them? "Okay, you keep Cole in the box, and we will leave Torres there." Except, obviously we would be getting the short end of that stick on current form.

Hey mate! Yeah I haven't been on here for a while. Uni's been pretty busy but I still manage to get myself down to the Bridge every other Saturday.

If tonights team performs well, that has to be the starting eleven for Sunday. He has to come in and earn his place like the rest of the team, its just nice now to have 3 top strikers to choose from.

Fernando Torres up against four from a kid, Jamie Carragher (who has just returned from injury as well), Agger, Johnson and Skrtel? Why ever not?

Edited February 1, 201115 yr by PloKoon13

I don't know if he'll start exactly, but I have no doubt he'll make an appearance even if its from the bench

I really hope he starts, Im looking forward to seeing him in action. Should be a good atmosphere up there on Sunday.

I'd love to see both Drogba and Torres fit in somehow against the scousers, would destroy them I reckon!

Is it really a consideration that he wouldn't play? I can understand not playing against Sunderland Tonight but after almost a week he should be ready to go against Liverpool. Why wouldn't he play? Is he gonna get tackled harder or something? The Liverpool players are all highly compensated professional athletes most of whom probably like Torres personally. I seriously doubt they're going to try and intentionally injure him and risk suspension and whatnot for it. Players see teammates bought and sold all the time I really doubt they take it personally.

I expect Torres to play some minutes TODAY, so I don't see why not on Sunday.

Is it really a consideration that he wouldn't play? I can understand not playing against Sunderland Tonight but after almost a week he should be ready to go against Liverpool. Why wouldn't he play? Is he gonna get tackled harder or something? The Liverpool players are all highly compensated professional athletes most of whom probably like Torres personally. I seriously doubt they're going to try and intentionally injure him and risk suspension and whatnot for it. Players see teammates bought and sold all the time I really doubt they take it personally.

not sure about that . Steve Me wouldn't think twice about flying in knee high and gladly take the 3 match ban and the I am Liverpool FC karma that would come with it . Or any other player (Mr. Joe Cole) trying to become a hero with Liverpool fans ...............clatter Torres and you would be a ledge in the fans eyes . I don't even think Dalglish would be to upset if it happened

I expect Torres to play some minutes TODAY, so I don't see why not on Sunday.

You expect? It's already been stated on the official site that neither Torres nor Luiz will be ready to play TONIGHT.

As for Sunday's game, there were suggestions of a gentleman's agreement that he wouldn't play. This could well be unsubstantiated, but it might be considered wise for Torres not to start given the atmosphere. Any Liverpool player who takes Torres out will be an instant Anfield legend. This would be my biggest concern.

Sounds like he wants to score against his old team, at least thats the way that the BBC is spinning it

BBC Link

Edited February 1, 201115 yr by KrazyTea

Sounds like he wants to score against his old team, at least thats the way that the BBC is spinning it

BBC Link

He has nothing but good things to say about Liverpool in the article but they lead with that comment ? Lazy jurno's after a headline

My guess is the majority of Liverpool fans will be ignoring this:

"I only have good words about Liverpool. They made me a top player and gave me the chance to play at the top level.

"I will never say anything bad about Liverpool. I have been very happy there but now the history is different and I am playing for Chelsea."

Reading that, I'm thinking if only Joe Cole had said something like that.

Bruce Buck in an interview on CTV intimated Torres would be available for Sunday's game.

It will be interesting to see if Carlo plays him. I don't believe he should.

I can visualise in a momentt of heated tempers, Carragher or Gerrard, out to get Torres to remind him he once played for them. It could end up in a nasty injury.

It is not worth the risk. I don't want to see Torres carried off on a stretcher.