Source: Daily_Mail
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard backs Fernando Torres to fire club into the top four
Scary stuff: Fernando Torres' poor form has had many questioning his commitment to Liverpool[LNB]Steven Gerrard has no doubt 'the best striker in the world', Fernando Torres, will prove his critics wrong and fire Liverpool back to their rightful place in the Premier League's top four.[LNB]Spanish striker Torres has been woefully out of form for much of the year as he struggles to come to terms with a series of groin and hernia injuries. [LNB]His captain believes that the lack of goals is a mere blip on the road to recovery and the rush will start once the 26-year-old regains full-fitness.[LNB]Gerrard has also rubbished claims Torres' heart is elsewhere following a summer of speculation. The striker's delay in committing his future to Liverpool angered sections of the fans and many observers have criticised his attitude on the pitch.[LNB]'That's all completely over the top,' he said. 'It's easy to watch a football match and, if the centre-forward doesn't score or pull a rabbit out of a hat, say his body language isn't right.[LNB]'If a player's form isn't there or he's fighting for full fitness after injuries it's normal that their body language isn't perfect. [LNB]'I'm the same. If I'm not playing at the levels I know I can, or if I'm struggling with an injury, people say the same things about me.[LNB]'The only time a centre-forward's body language is 100 per cent right is when they're scoring in every game, that's the way they are. [LNB] Off target: Torres has failed to score on all but one occasion so far this season[LNB]'That's why players like that are the best in the world, because if they come off the pitch without scoring or producing a nine out of ten or ten out of ten performance they're not happy. That's what helps to make them so good.[LNB]Not his fault: Roy Hodgson has endured a torrid start to life on Merseyside[LNB]'You only have to look at Fernando's record since he walked through the door to know how good he is. He's had a bad time with injuries of late. He wasn't 100 per cent going into the World Cup and he had a lot of criticism over the summer. But he'll bounce back.[LNB]'We all believe in him, he's our top man. He's a top player and he's our goal-scorer. We all need to get behind Fernando and help him to get back to the form he showed in his first season here. [LNB]'On that form he's the best centre-forward in the world.'[LNB]Liverpool have won just once in the league this season and sit in the bottom three for the first time in more than half a century. [LNB]New boss Roy Hodgson has copped much of the blame for the shakey start, with several of his additions to the squad failing to justify their multi-million pound price-tags. [LNB]Gerrard, though, would rather see the blame spread throughout the team and asked everyone to pull together for what could be a season-defining match against Everton next weekend.[LNB]'It's unfair for people to just blame the manager for the bad start to the season,' he added in the interview with LFC Weekly. 'We're all in this together, everyone at the club, from top to bottom. [LNB] Glory days: Steven Gerrard has backed Torres to rediscover his early-Anfield form[LNB]'We've all got to accept responsibility and pull together if we are to turn things around. A good win in the derby would be the perfect way to start doing that.[LNB]'We've had some wonderful Champions League nights at Anfield and I'm sure the supporters would agree with me when I say we want all that back.[LNB]'Obviously the only way to bring it back is to finish in the top four places. That's the main priority for the club and the players. [LNB]'It's where we belong. Over the last five or six years we've proved that we're one of a number of clubs that deserve to be at that level and we are all determined to get back to it.' [LNB] England's leading question: Why did Capello leave it late to crush Gerrard?Liverpool takeover D-Day: High Court to hear Tom Hicks and George Gillett's legal challenge on TuesdayThe battle for Liverpool! Sportsmail's guide to Tuesday's High Court dramaPiers Morgan: Don't blame the owners, it's Liverpool's players' faultLIVERPOOL FC
