Progress will make Torres feel at home
Many have misconstrued Fernando Torres` recent comments and are using them as yet another stick with which to beat the Liverpool manager.
I think Torres was trying to say that he`s already left home - Atletico Madrid - once; that he saw Liverpool as a step up, but not home, not his definitive home.
He`d love nothing more than to see Liverpool solve their problems and spearhead the fight to put them back where he feels they belong, but if he or the club gets stuck he needs to find another challenge, another place - even in England - where he could win titles.
I`ve got the impression he is appreciative of the effort made by the people that run the club on a daily basis and what is required (the £100million investment, for instance) to improve the situation of the club.
Is £100million enough? It will reduce the debt, but won`t stretch to cover the four or five top signings Torres demands.
During Euro 2008, Torres was disappointed when he realised neither Ribery nor Silva were genuine targets because Liverpool lacked the resources.
The relationship between Benitez and Cristian Purslow has not always been untroubled, and Torres - like Gerrard and other key members of the squad close to the chief executive - knows Purslow has no magic wand to resolve all their problems.
So, what would make Torres leave Anfield? Firstly, the sense that the club is not progressing fast enough, then an offer in excess of £70m.
Decisions will be made about his future in May, and it will have nothing to do with a top four finish (something that technical staff and players feel is more than attainable).
For Torres, it`s more a question of whether he feels they can win the league title or a European competition next year. My impression is that Torres will be at Liverpool for another season at least, that he will be convinced there`s mileage in the current regime.
