Has Torres been disrespectful to Liverpool?

menalawyerguy wrote:There's nothing disrespectful per se about a transfer request. I doubt it's personal. It's business: Torres's business being the promotion of his career. It's understandable he would want to be on a team that is competitive and playing in the Champions League. And it's not like he's jumping ship at the first sight of trouble. Liverpool has been a troubled outfit for sometime now. Torres has been good for Liverpool and Liverpool has been good for Torres. But do you think Liverpool wouldn't sell him if somebody offered 80 million GBP for him? It's not about loyalty. It's business.

It's also about jumping ship to sombodies rivals. No offence, maybe it's no as evident in America yet, but that is something that you cannot do without some form of backlash. Why do you think we hate Michael Owen?

James ♠ wrote:

kyro7 wrote:

James ♠ wrote:"Torres will be starting for Liverpool, Drogba will be starting for Chelsea"


Do you remember you said that Kyro?

I was talking about for the remainder of this season because Liverpool wont let him leave this transfer window..

Change of direction.

That's not a "change of direction" you twit.

menalawyerguy wrote:

James wrote:

kyro7 wrote:

James wrote:"Torres will be starting for Liverpool, Drogba will be starting for Chelsea"


Do you remember you said that Kyro?

I was talking about for the remainder of this season because Liverpool wont let him leave this transfer window..

Change of direction.

That's not a "change of direction" you twit.

It's because we argued or whatever yesterday, so now he'll try and start arguments any way he can.

Cunt.

Dan wrote:

menalawyerguy wrote:There's nothing disrespectful per se about a transfer request. I doubt it's personal. It's business: Torres's business being the promotion of his career. It's understandable he would want to be on a team that is competitive and playing in the Champions League. And it's not like he's jumping ship at the first sight of trouble. Liverpool has been a troubled outfit for sometime now. Torres has been good for Liverpool and Liverpool has been good for Torres. But do you think Liverpool wouldn't sell him if somebody offered 80 million GBP for him? It's not about loyalty. It's business.

It's also about jumping ship to sombodies rivals. No offence, maybe it's no as evident in America yet, but that is something that you cannot do without some form of backlash. Why do you think we hate Michael Owen?

My nationality has nothing to do with it. Contrary to what James might have you believe, American's aren't all retards. I perfectly understand why Liverpool fans would be angry. I didn't say otherwise. But this is about whether or not Torres is being disrespectful. If Torres is thinking to himself "I'll go to Chelsea just to piss these guys off," then I could see your point. But I don't think that's the case. Chelsea is an interested suitor, and Torres wants to play for a competitive team. He didn't say "transfer me to Chelsea." He said "transfer me." It just so happens that Chelsea is one of like 4 clubs in Europe that can afford him. If accepting a transfer to any rival makes it disrespectful, then you're basically saying he has to leave England. That's not reasonable. He's thinking of his career, first and foremost. And he has every right to do so. It's not personal. It's business.

I've been telling Liverpool fans Liverpool aren't a big club any more for years, did they listen? No. They just kept banging on about their history and individual good results even when their best players are leaving in their droves to move to more important clubs, Alonso, Mascherano, Arebloa, Owen now Torres. Even Steven Gerrard handed in a transfer request. Sacking Benitez and appointing Hodgson was a sign of the times, and sacking Hodgson and appoint Dalglish was a sign of total desperation. You people need to listen to me more in the future, because I'm usually, if not always, correct.

I actually feel quite sorry for Liverpool fans, they have been essentially conned into thinking they are still a big club because of a few flukes, 2005 CL and 2008/09's faux title challenge. That and the seemingly endless stream of Messiahs in Hicks and Gillet, Thaksin Shinawatra, John Henry and Kenny Dalglish, and people talking up the size of Liverpool. I think you need to accept that your club is in terminal decline.

You can't blame Torres for wanting to leave a sinking ship, although his timing could have been a lot better.

ResurrectionRooney wrote:I've been telling Liverpool fans Liverpool aren't a big club any more for years, did they listen? No. They just kept banging on about their history and individual good results even when their best players are leaving in their droves to move to more important clubs, Alonso, Mascherano, Arebloa, Owen now Torres. Even Steven Gerrard handed in a transfer request. Sacking Benitez and appointing Hodgson was a sign of the times, and sacking Hodgson and appoint Dalglish was a sign of total desperation. You people need to listen to me more in the future, because I'm usually, if not always, correct.

I actually feel quite sorry for Liverpool fans, they have been essentially conned into thinking they are still a big club because of a few flukes, 2005 CL and 2008/09's faux title challenge. That and the seemingly endless stream of Messiahs in Hicks and Gillet, Thaksin Shinawatra, John Henry and Kenny Dalglish, and people talking up the size of Liverpool. I think you need to accept that your club is in terminal decline.

You can't blame Torres for wanting to leave a sinking ship, although his timing could have been a lot better.

The former City owner?

Ok

ResurrectionRooney wrote:I've been telling Liverpool fans Liverpool aren't a big club any more for years, did they listen? No. They just kept banging on about their history and individual good results even when their best players are leaving in their droves to move to more important clubs, Alonso, Mascherano, Arebloa, Owen now Torres. Even Steven Gerrard handed in a transfer request. Sacking Benitez and appointing Hodgson was a sign of the times, and sacking Hodgson and appoint Dalglish was a sign of total desperation. You people need to listen to me more in the future, because I'm usually, if not always, correct.

I actually feel quite sorry for Liverpool fans, they have been essentially conned into thinking they are still a big club because of a few flukes, 2005 CL and 2008/09's faux title challenge. That and the seemingly endless stream of Messiahs in Hicks and Gillet, Thaksin Shinawatra, John Henry and Kenny Dalglish, and people talking up the size of Liverpool. I think you need to accept that your club is in terminal decline.

You can't blame Torres for wanting to leave a sinking ship, although his timing could have been a lot better.

you sound distinctly familiar..... have we met before

menalawyerguy wrote:

Dan wrote:

menalawyerguy wrote:There's nothing disrespectful per se about a transfer request. I doubt it's personal. It's business: Torres's business being the promotion of his career. It's understandable he would want to be on a team that is competitive and playing in the Champions League. And it's not like he's jumping ship at the first sight of trouble. Liverpool has been a troubled outfit for sometime now. Torres has been good for Liverpool and Liverpool has been good for Torres. But do you think Liverpool wouldn't sell him if somebody offered 80 million GBP for him? It's not about loyalty. It's business.

It's also about jumping ship to sombodies rivals. No offence, maybe it's no as evident in America yet, but that is something that you cannot do without some form of backlash. Why do you think we hate Michael Owen?

My nationality has nothing to do with it, so let's try to act like we don't think each other is a convoluted twit because of where he was born and raised. I perfectly understand why Liverpool fans would be angry. I didn't say otherwise. But this is about whether or not Torres is being disrespectful. If Torres is thinking to himself "I'll go to Chelsea just to piss these guys off," then I could see your point. But I don't think that's the case. Chelsea is an interested suitor, and Torres wants to play for a competitive team. He didn't say "transfer me to Chelsea." He said "transfer me." It just so happens that Chelsea is one of like 4 clubs in Europe that can afford him. If accepting a transfer to any rival makes it disrespectful, then you're basically saying he has to leave England. That's not reasonable. He's thinking of his career, first and foremost. And he has every right to do so. It's not personal. It's business.

It's not your nationality. I meant American football.

And to me, handing in a transfer request, this late in the window for a clubs rival is not only a piss-take, but bang out of order. Especially after what the club has done for him. Gives us no time to find a replacement, and if we do find one, we'll be paying over the odds for them.

Danny wrote:

ResurrectionRooney wrote:I've been telling Liverpool fans Liverpool aren't a big club any more for years, did they listen? No. They just kept banging on about their history and individual good results even when their best players are leaving in their droves to move to more important clubs, Alonso, Mascherano, Arebloa, Owen now Torres. Even Steven Gerrard handed in a transfer request. Sacking Benitez and appointing Hodgson was a sign of the times, and sacking Hodgson and appoint Dalglish was a sign of total desperation. You people need to listen to me more in the future, because I'm usually, if not always, correct.

I actually feel quite sorry for Liverpool fans, they have been essentially conned into thinking they are still a big club because of a few flukes, 2005 CL and 2008/09's faux title challenge. That and the seemingly endless stream of Messiahs in Hicks and Gillet, Thaksin Shinawatra, John Henry and Kenny Dalglish, and people talking up the size of Liverpool. I think you need to accept that your club is in terminal decline.

You can't blame Torres for wanting to leave a sinking ship, although his timing could have been a lot better.

The former City owner?

Ok

Yup

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3700199.stm

ResurrectionRooney wrote:I've been telling Liverpool fans Liverpool aren't a big club any more for years, did they listen? No. They just kept banging on about their history and individual good results even when their best players are leaving in their droves to move to more important clubs, Alonso, Mascherano, Arebloa, Owen now Torres. Even Steven Gerrard handed in a transfer request. Sacking Benitez and appointing Hodgson was a sign of the times, and sacking Hodgson and appoint Dalglish was a sign of total desperation. You people need to listen to me more in the future, because I'm usually, if not always, correct.

I actually feel quite sorry for Liverpool fans, they have been essentially conned into thinking they are still a big club because of a few flukes, 2005 CL and 2008/09's faux title challenge. That and the seemingly endless stream of Messiahs in Hicks and Gillet, Thaksin Shinawatra, John Henry and Kenny Dalglish, and people talking up the size of Liverpool. I think you need to accept that your club is in terminal decline.

You can't blame Torres for wanting to leave a sinking ship, although his timing could have been a lot better.

You also have been telling us that Michael Owen was a better player for us than Kenny Dalglish. So your opinion, counts for nothing.

ResurrectionRooney wrote:
Yup

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3700199.stm

Good to see that move worked out.

Dan wrote:

ResurrectionRooney wrote:I've been telling Liverpool fans Liverpool aren't a big club any more for years, did they listen? No. They just kept banging on about their history and individual good results even when their best players are leaving in their droves to move to more important clubs, Alonso, Mascherano, Arebloa, Owen now Torres. Even Steven Gerrard handed in a transfer request. Sacking Benitez and appointing Hodgson was a sign of the times, and sacking Hodgson and appoint Dalglish was a sign of total desperation. You people need to listen to me more in the future, because I'm usually, if not always, correct.

I actually feel quite sorry for Liverpool fans, they have been essentially conned into thinking they are still a big club because of a few flukes, 2005 CL and 2008/09's faux title challenge. That and the seemingly endless stream of Messiahs in Hicks and Gillet, Thaksin Shinawatra, John Henry and Kenny Dalglish, and people talking up the size of Liverpool. I think you need to accept that your club is in terminal decline.

You can't blame Torres for wanting to leave a sinking ship, although his timing could have been a lot better.

You also have been telling us that Michael Owen was a better player for us than Kenny Dalglish. So your opinion, counts for nothing.

That's not just what I'm telling you, that's what facts are telling you

Ballon d'Or
Michael Owen: 1
Kenny Dalglish: 0

That's also what the official Liverpool website tells you

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/media-watch/owen-to-play-for-lfc-in-testimonial

Owen, though, regards Carragher as one of his closest friends in football and the organisers hope the goodwill felt towards the long-serving Liverpool defender will persuade the Anfield crowd to go easy on their former player and maybe even demonstrate some warmth and appreciation for a man who scored 158 goals for the club in eight years and has been described by Steven Gerrard as "the best striker in the history of Liverpool Football Club."

ResurrectionRooney wrote:

That's not just what I'm telling you, that's what facts are telling you

Ballon d'Or
Michael Owen: 1
Kenny Dalglish: 0

That's also what the official Liverpool website tells you

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/media-watch/owen-to-play-for-lfc-in-testimonial

Owen, though, regards Carragher as one of his closest friends in football and the organisers hope the goodwill felt towards the long-serving Liverpool defender will persuade the Anfield crowd to go easy on their former player and maybe even demonstrate some warmth and appreciation for a man who scored 158 goals for the club in eight years and has been described by Steven Gerrard as "the best striker in the history of Liverpool Football Club."

Oh fucking dear

Forgot to bold another part of the sentance:

has been described by Steven Gerrard as

Dan wrote:

menalawyerguy wrote:

Dan wrote:

menalawyerguy wrote:There's nothing disrespectful per se about a transfer request. I doubt it's personal. It's business: Torres's business being the promotion of his career. It's understandable he would want to be on a team that is competitive and playing in the Champions League. And it's not like he's jumping ship at the first sight of trouble. Liverpool has been a troubled outfit for sometime now. Torres has been good for Liverpool and Liverpool has been good for Torres. But do you think Liverpool wouldn't sell him if somebody offered 80 million GBP for him? It's not about loyalty. It's business.

It's also about jumping ship to sombodies rivals. No offence, maybe it's no as evident in America yet, but that is something that you cannot do without some form of backlash. Why do you think we hate Michael Owen?

My nationality has nothing to do with it, so let's try to act like we don't think each other is a convoluted twit because of where he was born and raised. I perfectly understand why Liverpool fans would be angry. I didn't say otherwise. But this is about whether or not Torres is being disrespectful. If Torres is thinking to himself "I'll go to Chelsea just to piss these guys off," then I could see your point. But I don't think that's the case. Chelsea is an interested suitor, and Torres wants to play for a competitive team. He didn't say "transfer me to Chelsea." He said "transfer me." It just so happens that Chelsea is one of like 4 clubs in Europe that can afford him. If accepting a transfer to any rival makes it disrespectful, then you're basically saying he has to leave England. That's not reasonable. He's thinking of his career, first and foremost. And he has every right to do so. It's not personal. It's business.

It's not your nationality. I meant American football.

Are you familiar with what happened in Green Bay when Brett Favre joined the Minnesota Vikings? Not only is this concept that you're speaking of "evident" in American football, it's utterly palpable.

And to me, handing in a transfer request, this late in the window for a clubs rival is not only a piss-take, but bang out of order. Especially after what the club has done for him. Gives us no time to find a replacement, and if we do find one, we'll be paying over the odds for them.

What about what the OP pointed out about Suarez? He waited until after Suarez was signed up. Maybe he thought that it's ok to leave now. If you didn't get Suarez, I bet Torres would have gone the remainder of the season without a stink. Nor has he done any damage to your club. You don't have to sell Torres before the window closes. And I don't think Torres will mind. He won't be able to play Champions League games this season anyway.

Im confused i have read his book and he speaks so well of the club and the fans

blackskar wrote:Forgot to bold another part of the sentance:

has been described by Steven Gerrard as

Exactly, he hardly has a way with words does he?

Santa Cruz wrote:Im confused i have read his book and he speaks so well of the club and the fans

I'm not confused. Footballer's are cunts, who change their minds about things every fucking second

Torres can play in the Champions League if he signs for Chelsea. I'm not really sure where they'll play him though.

ResurrectionRooney wrote:

Dan wrote:

ResurrectionRooney wrote:I've been telling Liverpool fans Liverpool aren't a big club any more for years, did they listen? No. They just kept banging on about their history and individual good results even when their best players are leaving in their droves to move to more important clubs, Alonso, Mascherano, Arebloa, Owen now Torres. Even Steven Gerrard handed in a transfer request. Sacking Benitez and appointing Hodgson was a sign of the times, and sacking Hodgson and appoint Dalglish was a sign of total desperation. You people need to listen to me more in the future, because I'm usually, if not always, correct.

I actually feel quite sorry for Liverpool fans, they have been essentially conned into thinking they are still a big club because of a few flukes, 2005 CL and 2008/09's faux title challenge. That and the seemingly endless stream of Messiahs in Hicks and Gillet, Thaksin Shinawatra, John Henry and Kenny Dalglish, and people talking up the size of Liverpool. I think you need to accept that your club is in terminal decline.

You can't blame Torres for wanting to leave a sinking ship, although his timing could have been a lot better.

You also have been telling us that Michael Owen was a better player for us than Kenny Dalglish. So your opinion, counts for nothing.

That's not just what I'm telling you, that's what facts are telling you

Ballon d'Or
Michael Owen: 1
Kenny Dalglish: 0

So anybody who has won a Ballon d'Or is automatically better than every player who hasn't? Don't be so simplistic.

ResurrectionRooney wrote:Torres can play in the Champions League if he signs for Chelsea. I'm not really sure where they'll play him though.

I thought playing for Liverpool in Europa makes him ineligible to play in UEFA competitions for any other team for the remainder of the season.

If he leaves im going to abuse my mate so bad he's Torres's number 1 fan and i gave him my book and never had it back i said have you used all the pics yet

menalawyerguy wrote:

ResurrectionRooney wrote:

Dan wrote:

ResurrectionRooney wrote:I've been telling Liverpool fans Liverpool aren't a big club any more for years, did they listen? No. They just kept banging on about their history and individual good results even when their best players are leaving in their droves to move to more important clubs, Alonso, Mascherano, Arebloa, Owen now Torres. Even Steven Gerrard handed in a transfer request. Sacking Benitez and appointing Hodgson was a sign of the times, and sacking Hodgson and appoint Dalglish was a sign of total desperation. You people need to listen to me more in the future, because I'm usually, if not always, correct.

I actually feel quite sorry for Liverpool fans, they have been essentially conned into thinking they are still a big club because of a few flukes, 2005 CL and 2008/09's faux title challenge. That and the seemingly endless stream of Messiahs in Hicks and Gillet, Thaksin Shinawatra, John Henry and Kenny Dalglish, and people talking up the size of Liverpool. I think you need to accept that your club is in terminal decline.

You can't blame Torres for wanting to leave a sinking ship, although his timing could have been a lot better.

You also have been telling us that Michael Owen was a better player for us than Kenny Dalglish. So your opinion, counts for nothing.

That's not just what I'm telling you, that's what facts are telling you

Ballon d'Or
Michael Owen: 1
Kenny Dalglish: 0

So anybody who has won a Ballon d'Or is automatically better than every player who hasn't? Don't be so simplistic.

No, but it is worth taking into consideration.

menalawyerguy wrote:

Dan wrote:

menalawyerguy wrote:

Dan wrote:

menalawyerguy wrote:There's nothing disrespectful per se about a transfer request. I doubt it's personal. It's business: Torres's business being the promotion of his career. It's understandable he would want to be on a team that is competitive and playing in the Champions League. And it's not like he's jumping ship at the first sight of trouble. Liverpool has been a troubled outfit for sometime now. Torres has been good for Liverpool and Liverpool has been good for Torres. But do you think Liverpool wouldn't sell him if somebody offered 80 million GBP for him? It's not about loyalty. It's business.

It's also about jumping ship to sombodies rivals. No offence, maybe it's no as evident in America yet, but that is something that you cannot do without some form of backlash. Why do you think we hate Michael Owen?

My nationality has nothing to do with it, so let's try to act like we don't think each other is a convoluted twit because of where he was born and raised. I perfectly understand why Liverpool fans would be angry. I didn't say otherwise. But this is about whether or not Torres is being disrespectful. If Torres is thinking to himself "I'll go to Chelsea just to piss these guys off," then I could see your point. But I don't think that's the case. Chelsea is an interested suitor, and Torres wants to play for a competitive team. He didn't say "transfer me to Chelsea." He said "transfer me." It just so happens that Chelsea is one of like 4 clubs in Europe that can afford him. If accepting a transfer to any rival makes it disrespectful, then you're basically saying he has to leave England. That's not reasonable. He's thinking of his career, first and foremost. And he has every right to do so. It's not personal. It's business.

It's not your nationality. I meant American football.

Are you familiar with what happened in Green Bay when Brett Favre joined the Minnesota Vikings? Not only is this concept that you're speaking of "evident" in American football, it's utterly palpable.

And to me, handing in a transfer request, this late in the window for a clubs rival is not only a piss-take, but bang out of order. Especially after what the club has done for him. Gives us no time to find a replacement, and if we do find one, we'll be paying over the odds for them.

What about what the OP pointed out about Suarez? He waited until after Suarez was signed up. Maybe he thought that it's ok to leave now. If you didn't get Suarez, I bet Torres would have gone the remainder of the season without a stink. Nor has he done any damage to your club. You don't have to sell Torres before the window closes. And I don't think Torres will mind. He won't be able to play Champions League games this season anyway.

Firstly, not your sport. Actual football, soccer.

And Suarez hasn't even completed the deal yet. So to me, that's wrong.

ResurrectionRooney wrote:

Dan wrote:

ResurrectionRooney wrote:I've been telling Liverpool fans Liverpool aren't a big club any more for years, did they listen? No. They just kept banging on about their history and individual good results even when their best players are leaving in their droves to move to more important clubs, Alonso, Mascherano, Arebloa, Owen now Torres. Even Steven Gerrard handed in a transfer request. Sacking Benitez and appointing Hodgson was a sign of the times, and sacking Hodgson and appoint Dalglish was a sign of total desperation. You people need to listen to me more in the future, because I'm usually, if not always, correct.

I actually feel quite sorry for Liverpool fans, they have been essentially conned into thinking they are still a big club because of a few flukes, 2005 CL and 2008/09's faux title challenge. That and the seemingly endless stream of Messiahs in Hicks and Gillet, Thaksin Shinawatra, John Henry and Kenny Dalglish, and people talking up the size of Liverpool. I think you need to accept that your club is in terminal decline.

You can't blame Torres for wanting to leave a sinking ship, although his timing could have been a lot better.

You also have been telling us that Michael Owen was a better player for us than Kenny Dalglish. So your opinion, counts for nothing.

That's not just what I'm telling you, that's what facts are telling you

Ballon d'Or
Michael Owen: 1
Kenny Dalglish: 0

That's also what the official Liverpool website tells you

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/media-watch/owen-to-play-for-lfc-in-testimonial

Owen, though, regards Carragher as one of his closest friends in football and the organisers hope the goodwill felt towards the long-serving Liverpool defender will persuade the Anfield crowd to go easy on their former player and maybe even demonstrate some warmth and appreciation for a man who scored 158 goals for the club in eight years and has been described by Steven Gerrard as "the best striker in the history of Liverpool Football Club."

touché.

got to take ya hat off to that retort.

fergiesrednose wrote:

ResurrectionRooney wrote:

Dan wrote:

ResurrectionRooney wrote:I've been telling Liverpool fans Liverpool aren't a big club any more for years, did they listen? No. They just kept banging on about their history and individual good results even when their best players are leaving in their droves to move to more important clubs, Alonso, Mascherano, Arebloa, Owen now Torres. Even Steven Gerrard handed in a transfer request. Sacking Benitez and appointing Hodgson was a sign of the times, and sacking Hodgson and appoint Dalglish was a sign of total desperation. You people need to listen to me more in the future, because I'm usually, if not always, correct.

I actually feel quite sorry for Liverpool fans, they have been essentially conned into thinking they are still a big club because of a few flukes, 2005 CL and 2008/09's faux title challenge. That and the seemingly endless stream of Messiahs in Hicks and Gillet, Thaksin Shinawatra, John Henry and Kenny Dalglish, and people talking up the size of Liverpool. I think you need to accept that your club is in terminal decline.

You can't blame Torres for wanting to leave a sinking ship, although his timing could have been a lot better.

You also have been telling us that Michael Owen was a better player for us than Kenny Dalglish. So your opinion, counts for nothing.

That's not just what I'm telling you, that's what facts are telling you

Ballon d'Or
Michael Owen: 1
Kenny Dalglish: 0

That's also what the official Liverpool website tells you

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/media-watch/owen-to-play-for-lfc-in-testimonial

Owen, though, regards Carragher as one of his closest friends in football and the organisers hope the goodwill felt towards the long-serving Liverpool defender will persuade the Anfield crowd to go easy on their former player and maybe even demonstrate some warmth and appreciation for a man who scored 158 goals for the club in eight years and has been described by Steven Gerrard as "the best striker in the history of Liverpool Football Club."

touché.

got to take ya hat off to that retort.

Not really though. Seeing as the 2nd part has been taken apart as the Liverpool site don't say he was the best striker at Liverpool at all. It says Gerrard thinks he was, and Gerards a cunt.

Torres > Owen.

gerrard though is the heartbeat of liverpool. his word mean something to Liverpudlians.

still a cunt though.

Yes.

Dan wrote:

menalawyerguy wrote:

Dan wrote:

menalawyerguy wrote:

Dan wrote:

It's also about jumping ship to sombodies rivals. No offence, maybe it's no as evident in America yet, but that is something that you cannot do without some form of backlash. Why do you think we hate Michael Owen?

My nationality has nothing to do with it, so let's try to act like we don't think each other is a convoluted twit because of where he was born and raised. I perfectly understand why Liverpool fans would be angry. I didn't say otherwise. But this is about whether or not Torres is being disrespectful. If Torres is thinking to himself "I'll go to Chelsea just to piss these guys off," then I could see your point. But I don't think that's the case. Chelsea is an interested suitor, and Torres wants to play for a competitive team. He didn't say "transfer me to Chelsea." He said "transfer me." It just so happens that Chelsea is one of like 4 clubs in Europe that can afford him. If accepting a transfer to any rival makes it disrespectful, then you're basically saying he has to leave England. That's not reasonable. He's thinking of his career, first and foremost. And he has every right to do so. It's not personal. It's business.

It's not your nationality. I meant American football.

Are you familiar with what happened in Green Bay when Brett Favre joined the Minnesota Vikings? Not only is this concept that you're speaking of "evident" in American football, it's utterly palpable.

And to me, handing in a transfer request, this late in the window for a clubs rival is not only a piss-take, but bang out of order. Especially after what the club has done for him. Gives us no time to find a replacement, and if we do find one, we'll be paying over the odds for them.

What about what the OP pointed out about Suarez? He waited until after Suarez was signed up. Maybe he thought that it's ok to leave now. If you didn't get Suarez, I bet Torres would have gone the remainder of the season without a stink. Nor has he done any damage to your club. You don't have to sell Torres before the window closes. And I don't think Torres will mind. He won't be able to play Champions League games this season anyway.

Firstly, not your sport. Actual football, soccer.

And Suarez hasn't even completed the deal yet. So to me, that's wrong.

Well, true. Intense rivalries haven't really developed yet in MLS because MLS doesn't have much in the way of a passionate following yet (not sure it ever well). But as an American sports fan, I get the concept you're talking about. I understand perfectly why Liverpool fans would be upset. But that's a different question to whether or not Torres has been disrespectful. I think you have to look at the intent of the player to decide. I think Torres probably feels terrible, probably wishes it would work at Liverpool but he sees that he's 26 and is in the prime of his career. At this stage of his career, he wants to be playing a key role for a team that's winning important trophies. I don't think he's trying to be a dick.