Some Premier League managers feel Fernando Torres is marking time at Liverpool.
Torres has been criticised for his lacklustre performance against Birmingham City last Sunday.
A Premier League coach told the Daily Mail: "I feel I have been watching a different striker for a long time, since before the World Cup.
"To me, he looks like he doesn't want to be there. Players play their best football when they feel utterly and 100 per cent right in their environment. It could be that he is frustrated with his situation. It could be mental or physical. I would say it's quite possibly both.
"One thing people haven't mentioned, though, is how much Liverpool miss Javier Mascherano in midfield. That has left Gerrard playing a bit deeper and the effect of that on Torres is huge.
"I know Gerrard is not a striker but he and Torres - when things are going right for Liverpool - effectively play as a partnership. They are a great foil for each other and, as a coach trying to stop them, it's daunting.
"Torres stretches your defence in the corridors with his runs and then Gerrard gets into the spaces and ahead of the ball. If those two are doing that, then they will get 30 goals between them over a season and that will get you halfway to the top four on its own. This season, that is not happening."
