John Aldridge: Fernando Torres was right to warn owners about Liverpool’s need for new signings

I’M GLAD Fernando Torres has come out and warned the owners they need to stump up cash to strengthen the squad.

Normally, you wouldn’t want one of your players to speak out like that but this needed to be said.

I just hope Torres voicing his frustration finally scares Hicks and Gillett into putting their hand in their pocket and backing the manager.

Torres only said what we’ve all known for a long time. From the moment we started to get injuries this season, it was painfully clear that the squad wasn’t strong enough.

Rafa Benitez has just moved out two players who clearly weren’t up to it and there are a couple more we could do with off-loading.

It’s clear from what Torres said that the top players realise there simply isn’t enough quality at the club. That probably explains why there appears to be such a lack of belief.

When you go out on to the pitch knowing you haven’t got good enough players around you then it’s easy to lose a bit of heart.

I was pleased to read Christian Purslow’s comments in the ECHO earlier this week about getting new investment in the club in the near future and the promise that star players won’t be sold.

I really hope it all comes to fruition but we can’t afford to wait until the summer to bring players in, we have to do it now. If we don’t strengthen it’s going to be extremely difficult to get fourth spot. Just look at our striking options now that Torres is out for six weeks. We’ve only got Ngog and Kuyt.

We have to get another striker in and if money is tight Benitez might have to be canny.

Someone like Kevin Davies from Bolton would do a job. He’s strong, can hold the ball up and put himself about a bit. We might have to sell Babel to strengthen but that wouldn’t be a bad thing.

The performance against Reading in the FA Cup in midweek was shambolic. They created more chances, defended better and deserved to go through, but we have to move forward now.

I was very disappointed to see a so called interview with myself this week in a magazine I’ve never read – never mind ever done an article with – claiming I said Rafa should be sacked.

It was a disgrace and caused me some embarrassment, but it’s something that my lawyers have dealt it.

My view is that Rafa has to stay and be given the chance to turn things around.

This isn’t the time to press the panic button like other clubs would and change the manager. We have to get behind him.