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NOTTINGHAM FOREST'S ANDY COLE: ALEX FERGUSON MADE MISTAKE NOT SIGNING TORRES TO MAN UNITED
Nottingham Forest player Andy Cole says Sir Alex Ferguson made a mistake when he failed to sign Fernando Torres to Manchester united
And Cole claims Manchester United’s players agree.
Cole’s goals helped fire Manchester United to their historic Treble in 1999.
But he said: “I know United watched Torres closely but decided that, given the likely fee, he wouldn’t be good enough to play at Old Trafford.
“United scouts judged him receiving the ball in all different positions and watched his reactions.
“We all make mistakes and not signing Torres was one because I’ve spoken to several of the current United players about him and they all say the same thing – top, top player.”
Cole reckons Ferguson missed out on the best striker in the world when Torres moved to Liverpool in a £26m deal from Atletico Madrid two years ago.
At the time, Ferguson suggested Torres didn’t score enough to warrant the huge fee.
But Torres, 25, has struck 60 times for Liverpool – and is even being linked with a move to United, though Anfield boss Rafa Benitez says he wouldn’t sell for £100m.
Cole, 38, now coaching the strikers at Huddersfield, can understand why.
Torres has terrorised United in the last two meetings with Liverpool, scoring in each victory for the Merseysiders.
Cole said: “Torres stunned me when he arrived from Atletico Madrid because he settled so quickly.
“The Premier League is totally different to the Primera Liga, but you wouldn’t know it watching Torres.
“He reminds me of that great Liverpool goalscorer Ian Rush. He seems to drift in and out of games while always remaining a threat.
“At times, Torres can make out he’s almost disinterested and then tunes in, just like that, and he’s away with the ball with fantastic pace.
“Torres’ game isn’t just about the box but he’s most dangerous there because his close control allows him to take possession in confined areas.
“He can transfer the ball from foot to foot to create space to get in a shot.”
While convinced Ferguson missed a trick with Torres, Cole is equally sure that, in Wayne Rooney, the United boss signed a gem. Neither Dimitar Berbatov nor Michael Owen have shown signs of filling the goal void caused by the exit of Cristiano Ronaldo.
United have scored only 23 goals in the Premier League, trailing Arsenal, 36, Chelsea, 29, and Liverpool, 27.
Rooney, with eight strikes, is the leading light, though even he has managed only one goal in his last seven appearances.
But Cole is convinced Rooney is among the best in the world.
“Wayne Rooney can play centre-forward, right and left wing,” he said.
“His work ethic is faultless. He plays for the team and he’s got everything.
“When United look at young, new players they search for seven or eight key attributes.
“They’ll usually sign a player if they have six. When they first saw Rooney at Everton, they privately admitted that he had everything.”
If Cole doubts Ferguson’s judgment over Torres, United midfielder Paul Scholes believes his boss, who is 68 next month, should stay in charge into his 70s.
Scholes, 35, said: “His record speaks for itself.
“Twenty-three years is a long time and hopefully he can continue to be here and win trophies for a long time to come.”
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Posted: Fri 20 November 2009, 15:29:01 , by Webbo
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Posted: Fri 20 November 2009, 12:42:17 , by devilred
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Posted: Fri 20 November 2009, 10:33:40 , by lizred
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