johnnythefirst

Wasn't on the pitch anymore.

He appears to be very well loved among fellow players. Good to see.

Great goal nonetheless. I guess you never truly forget if you were ever on that level...

It's funny to me how some people on here now consider Torres the perfect substitute for Eto'o, because he showed one little flash of his former talent, after I don't know how many awful, useless matches. Opinions seem to change with the wind...

Aaaaaw! ^^

Well that's easy to say afterwards, when your emotionions got you down.

Well, it's admirable that he wanted to take one, but I kinda feared he was going to miss as soon as I heard. Hopefully this won't drag him down. (Some commenters are just awful though.)

Well, if he's the factual number two in line, that's nurturing him. Anything below is blocking his development. Seriously, I wouldn't even complain if he started 90% of the matches off the bench. It's putting Torres above him for no deserved reason at all that seriously tingled my justice-senses.

If you want to build a team that'll last for years and years, you have to cherish your young talents and not block them with 32 year old panic-buys. Rooney would have been a completely different case...

We'll talk in a year. Eto'o was one of the world's top strikers a couple of years ago, but he'll be 33 in March. Good to fix things for one year max. IF Lukaku is used as the main supersub behind Eto'o (if he's still good enough, we don't know that), I could agree this is a good deal. If they're gonna use Torres though, and Lukaku becomes 3rd in line, he will waste another year, and he'll probably be gone next summer. He's not one to sit on his ass and wait if he knows his chance is not coming. Still believe he was made to play in the PL. So if you don't let him flourish, you'll live to regret it.

He had to win every game since he was 16 years old. Anderlecht wins one title every other year and if they don't, it's crisis. He was dropped into the first team after the second week of the competition I think. This man doesn't need to be protected, he's not a normal 20 year old. And when Van Persie joined Arsenal, there was fierce competition from other strikers. The thing that makes me mad here is that Romelu is by far the best striker Chelsea has right now, but this is not recognised by the staff. Experience doesn't matter, the best guys should be on the pitch. How can you not agree to that?

One of the other reasons Long still got his fair share of starts at WBA in the second half of the season, is that Clarke knew Lukaku was a goner. Better keep the striker you actually own happy enough to face the coming seasoh.

Please tell me how Clarke didn't think he was ready. He started in 20 matches and came in in practically all the others...

Well, as much as I respect him as a manager, I strongly believe he's dead wrong in this case. You can burn me all you want.

Either release him a couple of times in the next month or stop playing around with him and release him on the market. This guy deserves to be in a PL first team.

No experience? It seems to me he scored more goals in the PL than Eto'o, right? He has no Chelsea experience because they don't seem to find the balls to put him in the team and give him a chance. You know what would damage his mentality? NOT PLAYING HIM. I don't mind him being a supersub, but come on? Putting Torres ahead of him? As a sub in a locked up game like this one? Sorry but I can only explain it as a total lack of thrust in his abilities...

Lukaku would be a better option than Eto'o at this time.

My point was: Either get a world class striker, or work with the ones you have now. Eto'o went to Russia for the cash only. He's been taking it very easy ime. In a couple of months, you'll have two overpaid has-beens to deal with. Rooney would have been a far, faar better deal.

What's next? Hasselbaink? Shearer? Maradona?

Then why did he specifically asked for him not to be loaned out. I'm having the scary feeling Chelsea is going to wreck his career.

Just imagine what a faster, stronger, bigger, younger and more motivated striker could have done if he came off the bench in stead of him. Oh wait...

I'm actually very disappointed. I mean, he specifically forbade him to go on loan. F*ckin' give him a decent shot then. And Eto'o? Seriously? He's probably been taking it easy for two years now. Is the board seriously expecting to get the player he was at Barca and Inter? Ugh.

Waw, so little trust Mourinho played without a striker. Harsh...

Tried it once in the friendly vs England too, wasn't involved in the game at all. Ok, Belgium now is a whole lot different than Belgium 13 months ago, but still.

Nah, not his best position. Keep him in midfield.