Torres rules out Liverpool title challenge

Fernando Torres admits Liverpool have to focus on success in the Europa League and FA Cup because they have no chance of winning the Premier League.

Rafael Benitez’s side have endured a dismal first half of the season which has seen them eliminated from the Champions League and slide to seventh in the league table.

The Reds are 12 points behind leaders Chelsea and Spain striker Torres, who returned to action after injury as a substitute in Wednesday’s 2-1 defeat to Fiorentina, knows the best they can hope for now is to win the cups and finish in the top four.

“This season is not the season we were expecting at the beginning of the season, but these things happen,” he told Sky Sports News.

“We were thinking of trophies, first choice was the Champions League and the Premier League – we are out of the Champions League, and we are really far out from the Premier League, so we now change our targets.

“We have to think the Europa League and FA Cup are the two competitions we can win this season and obviously trying to stay in the top four.”

Torres, 25, admits Liverpool’s players need to stick together now as criticism of their performances begins to increase.

“Staying together is the main thing now,” he said. “If we can stay together, manager, players, staff, everyone at the club, we have quality enough to stay in the top four and win trophies.

“At the end of the season if we win one trophy, it will have been a nice season, so we are on target.

“The people of Liverpool deserve to play in finals, whether it be in Europe or England, it is a long time since we played in a final and they deserve, they deserve more trophies.”