Liverpool striker Fernando Torres

Liverpool striker, Fernando Torres, has said that the club are paying the price for not replacing some of the best players the club have had.

Liverpool sold a couple of key players to Real Madrid last summer and Torres says the reason the side is struggling is because they have not been adequately replaced with consistent and quality players.

Torres is the biggest asset still at the club and there are rumours circulating daily that he could be tempted to move away from Liverpool this summer if the club don’t get back into the Champions League.

The Spaniard said: “There have been various important factors, like being so far behind the top teams so quickly. That killed us psychologically. After that, injuries hit us hard and we have suffered a lot because of them.”

“But after a good season last year, we needed certain reinforcements and we needed to keep the squad we had together. But circumstances dictated that we had to sell players and so everything got messed up. The sales of (Alvaro) Arbeloa, (Sami) Hyypia and (Xabi) Alonso were important losses.”

“Alvaro always did a vital job for us, always played to a high level, and his flexibility was a huge bonus. Sami did not play every week but he was a 10 out of 10 on and off the pitch. And Xabi? Players like him are very rare. He was the team’s engine, and you know that when you change an engine, it takes time to work again.”

“The biggest clubs in Europe always go through difficult spells where there appears to be no light at the end of the tunnel. But because they are big clubs, they always come back and they do so with a vengeance. It is just a matter of time. Rafa signed a five-year contract last summer. He did that because he wants to help the club grow. Rafa’s new era is just starting.”

Liverpool will have to play consistently well for the rest if the season if they want any hope of being able to attract the best players to the club. This is something they have not done all season and there are no signs that this will change soon.

The side need to have faith in the manager and hope that he knows what he’s doing. The club are short in one or two areas of the team and this will have to be sorted out in the very near future.

If Torres goes or if Liverpool lose one more influential player then the club will quickly run into difficulties. They cannot afford this if they want to get back to the high Level they have just been at.

If the club was pitted against a Barcelona at the moment then they would get ripped apart and it is this gulf in quality that Rafa Benitez has got to get rid of as quickly as he can.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger

Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger, has said that his team are ready to dry and do the unthinkable by beating Barcelona in the quarter final of the Champions League.

The teams are tied after the first leg ended up 2-2. However, the manner of the display from Barcelona has led many to say that Arsenal stand no chance of winning as they prepare to meet for the second clash.

Barcelona have been praised by all sections of the football community after their display in the first game at the Emirates. Arsenal managed to hang on by their fingernails and they seem up for a huge task.

Wenger said: “At 2-0 down, I felt we needed a miracle but always had hope,” Wenger said. “The players have come back from the dead once and can do it again. They know they escaped being out of the competition and we have a chance we have to take tomorrow. It’s Easter you know, a time of resurrection. That’s what we want to do.”

“The late comebacks this season show that this team has character. We’ve shown that consistently throughout the season. We were written off before the season started, but there are five games to go in the Premier League and we are still in there. In the Champions League, it’s the same. People have written us off, but we’re halfway through and will give a good game to Barcelona.”

“This team has character and when you have character you always have hope. What gives me belief is the quality of players I still have on the pitch. I still have some good players to leave out. They can turn up with a massive performance. With character and quality, you can fight anywhere in the world.”

“This Barcelona team are the best I’ve ever faced because they play at a higher pace collectively. And I don’t think we have ever been dominated so much at home. At the moment, Barcelona are the best team in Europe and we have to show that we can beat them. We have won away almost everywhere in Europe, but Barcelona is a place where we have not done it. I am confident despite the injuries we have that we can do it. This team has such a great mental strength and I believe they can fight against the odds.”

Arsenal will be missing some key players for the match, who would have ultimately given them a better chance of winning in Spain. Captain, Cesc Fabregas, will not play due to a broken leg, which will come as a bitter disappointment to him and fans of the club he is tipped to join this summer.

Arsenal will have to work very hard to keep all areas of this Barcelona side very quiet. How they get on remains to be seen but they are expected to give the match a good go in front of a very expectant and excited crowd.