Published: 04th May 2012
PEPE REINA reckons he knows why Fernando Torres’ Stamford Bridge nightmare dragged on for so long — because Chelsea let him down.
When Torres was being battered from pillar to post for firing blanks earlier this season, no one felt his pain more than the Kop keeper, one of his closest pals.
After all, Reina was going through his own hell at Liverpool as he struggled to match awesome displays of previous years.
Yet while Reina was never short of backing at Anfield, it was a different story for his pal on the King’s Road.
And the Liverpool stopper believes that lack of a support system was crucial when ex-Kop striker Torres suffered a six-month domestic goal drought before his FA Cup quarter-final double against Leicester.
Reina insisted: “Fernando had to change city, team-mates and team mentality. That’s a hell of a change.
“He also had to keep delivering and the expectations when a team has spent £50million on a player are very high. But I don’t think it was only down to Fernando. I don’t think Chelsea as a club delivered for him.
“We built a team for him. Along with Stevie Gerrard, he was our star player. We had no problems, he deserved that and earned that credit, but I’m not sure it’s like that at Chelsea.
“The difference between Fernando and myself is I have the confidence of the people at my club all the time. I don’t think that has been the case at Chelsea. It is much easier to get over your mistakes when you know you have the confidence of your manager and your team-mates. With Andre Villas-Boas, I don’t think Fernando felt that.”
Now Torres is flying again, bagging the goal in Barcelona which sealed a Champions League final slot then hitting a Premier League hat-trick against QPR.
In those dark days, Reina acted as a long-distance counsellor.
He revealed: “We speak regularly and I told him he was going to be back.
“People were killing him but he has been carrying that weight all his life.
“He was captain of Atletico Madrid at 19 and that gave him a lot of experience. Fernando is a great player. He will always be a great player.” Now Reina could not be happier to see his mate back on a high — even at Wembley today.
He said: “He has everything so you have to be ready for everything, although I am sure my defenders would not let that situation happen.
“But he has been showing great form lately. It’s good for Spain and him, although maybe not so good for us.
“But our families are close and we shared a lot in three years together at Liverpool. He will be a friend for ever.”
Reina is not scared of straight talking, particularly when assessing his own form. He admitted: “I don’t think my season has been good. It has been below my standards. You just have to keep working hard and your form will return. I am sure I will be better next season.”
But Reina is so self-critical, not even a wonder show in an FA Cup final victory today would bury the memory of any earlier mistakes.
Reina is hoping for a better personal afternoon than in the 2006 final win over West Ham — even though he made THREE penalty saves in the shootout.
He was at fault for both Hammers goals in regulation time and has not forgotten.
He recalled: “I had a nightmare 90 minutes and then a really good 30 minutes plus the shootout.
But whether it is positive or negative you have to stay focused until the end. And if I play badly and the team wins, I would take that all day long.”
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