All I can say right now is “WOW” about Fernando Torres. No matter what I try to think up as far as superlatives, adjectives, descriptions, or explanations, it all fails to truly sum up the impact El Nino is having on this season up to this point. With 8 goals in 8 matches, there is the sense that this is perhaps his season… and that’s quite the statement given his 33 goals in 2007-2008. What’s so frightening for everyone outside of the Liverpool camp is that he appears incredibly focused right now. Last season he was in and out of injuries and appeared more frustrated than determined. My theory of when it all changed is Rafa’s statement in the media that Torres “needed to stop arguing so much and get on with it.” Since then, he has been a man on a mission and looks totally dedicated to winning football matches.
And that’s exactly what has happened since he started banging in the goals. In our nine matches played this season (he didn’t play against Leeds), we have won 7 of them, which is a pretty good record, and two of those losses were early on when he was perhaps still a bit jaded and recovering from a long summer. Now he is fit, is red hot, and there really appears to be no end to his goals.
Onto the match:
The 6-1 thrashing was an interesting one, because in reality we did not look like winning by such a margin until about five to ten minutes into the second half. During the first 45, we were a bit sloppy in possession, but finished our chances decently. Well… Torres finished his chances, and HOW! His first goal was top class, dragging a fabulous ball from Riera out wide, and then smashing the ball with composure into the far corner with the inside of his left foot. Against the run of play, Hull equalized through Geovanni (thanks to a poor Skrtel clearance), and we were left thinking “great, not again…” Fortunately we were playing with the inspired Torres, and we grabbed our second only moments later. Benayoun played Torres into the box, and El Nino side stepped (again) around the defender, cheekily rounded the keeper, and then slipped the ball into the empty net despite needing to beat yet another onrushing defender. It was a GLORIOUS goal, one that completely underlines the pure class that oozes out from the Spaniard’s every move.
At halftime, I was thinking, “right… let’s step on it.” And that’s exactly what happened, with Torres being the provider yet again, capping a marvellous display with a hat-trick. One-0n-one with the keeper at a tough angle, Torres cut inside, dragging a defender off-guard, and then slammed it into the far corner with his left foot through the legs of a Hull defender and BAM. 3-0. Our hat-trick hero’s accomplishments were quite impressive, but perhaps the most impressive goal came in the 61st minute when Steven Gerrard pulled an absolute rabbit out of a hat… or did he? One has to wonder whether or not he meant this goal, as it COULD have been a cross. Regardless, after a cleared corner, Insua found Gerrard from about 25 yards out and far out on the left flank, well inside the 18 yard area. Gerrard took one touch, looked up, and then curled in a venomous strike to the far post corner, hitting the bar and crashing in to the side netting. Was it intentional? I think it was, but what matters for “goals of the season” videos and such is whether or not HE thinks it was! My guess, like I said, is that he meant it. The intent of the shot and the venom behind it is why I think it was. Why would he whip in a ball with so much pace and height otherwise? FABULOUS strike.
At 4-1, we were cruising, and all of a sudden we looked like we could win by any scoreline. Rafa made sure that didn’t happen by taking out Gerrard and Torres, but we managed to extend the lead thanks to a relieved Ryan Babel. Our fifth goal was one that screams of ESP, with Kuyt and Babel playing a lovely “double Dutch” move that led to Babel sidefooting it in from 4 yards out. The sixth and last goal of the match was an EXQUISITE backheel from Babel with all of the intent as his backheel against Besiktas. When Riera shot it, Babel was clearly just pretending to stand there doing nothing and having it ricochet off of his heel and looping over Myhill and in. CLEARLY. 
Either way, Babel will be delighted to have scored twice, and it is GREAT for Liverpool that he did so. An in-form Babel will be a very useful weapon for us as a “super sub.” Right now the goals are flowing, we are winning matches, and the more in-form players we have out there, the better. At the moment, we are playing quite well.
Fiorentina next!
