Tortilla9

Some say he's trying/pressing too hard and doing things he normally wouldn't do if he was confident. I have no idea myself and I'm sure he is tryng variations of everything to find the magic answer. It's a head scratcher.

There should be an ABMU option. Anybody but Manchester United.

If Carlo wants to start Malouda then tell Torres to stay at home with the family. Won't do anything for either player or the team. Two months later and it's like they're strangers. Reminds me of a one-night stand (not that I ever had one), you see the person a few weeks/months later, and you try your damndest to avoid them. At least with the one-night stand there would have been some satisfaction.

Or a basket with flowers in it. I still have the Atletico avatar on my screen so I'm not seeing the new avatar. Will have to check on another computer.

Thank YOU! I love Torres and it makes me laugh. Too bad it's not a .gif with the pigtails swinging as he moves. That's the only thing missing.

Bottom line he needs the summer off to get away from the English media and football. The team is currently built to Drogba's strengths which is not the same as Torres' strengths. Are the changes made or not? That's the 50M question.

That stupid picture made me laugh.

I was going to type something witting or enlightening about Torres but I just can't be bothered. Its like watching a slow moving car wreck right now. I have no idea what the future holds for Chelsea, Carlo, Torres, Drogba, et al. All I know is the man with the scruffy beard forked over 50 million pounds for Torres and even though he's rich as hell you don't fork over that amount of money and just give up on it. The rest of the season - let Torres come on as a super sub with Yossi. Let Drogba start and continue to be the top dog. Then reassess after the season.

The inmates are running the asylum and that's never a good thing.

According to Lalkovic Milan on twitter: Drogba is still top class player After Drogba came on the pitch it looks much better. Lol this is not bout respect or his quality (re Torres) if is not workin then work at least for team!!

Cech, Ivan, Alex, Terry, Cole, Ramires, Essien, Lampard, Anelka, Torres, Malouda

Unconfirmed United starting: Van der Sar, O'Shea, Ferdinand (hate him), Vidic, Evra, Nani, Park, Carrick, Giggs, Hernandez, Rooney

Rumor - Drogba not starting

Why's everybody so down today? I'm not a Pollyanna by any stretch of the imagination but the gloom and doom here is damn depressing. 1. Chelsea may not be playing great and didn't play great last week but it's only 0-1. 2. For United's domination of Chelsea last week they're only up 1-0. 3. Neither Chelsea or United are playing great, beautiful football. Both are managing to get wins no matter how ugly. Why does United get credit for playing ugly soccer and winning and proving their champions but Chelsea does the same and Chelsea is sh*t and/or old. I have my blue sunglasses and I'm drinking my blue kool-aid until the final whistle.

I am strangely optimistic over here in California. Maybe its because I'm still boycotting the media and not reading anything negative (except Chelsea forums). I have my head in the sand and I feel a Chelsea win and advance tonight.

The two new boys having fun.

Too funny! I saw it without the photoshop added and thought WTH is he doing?

LFC 13 pts against top 4 teams. 8 pts against bottom 4 teams. As my friend dodojojo reminded me, Torres and Suarez would have probably been a hit together at Liverpool. BUT.... Liverpool still won't be in the CL next season. Or Europe.

They still won't be in Europe next season. And they'll still blow it to teams like West Brom.

I think this is key not just for Torres but any forward on Chelsea.

Am I the minority that think Anelka and Torres seem to play together better than Torres and Drogba? TBH I don't see the problem so much with Anelka and Torres.

I'm a huge Torres fan and I kinda see where you're coming from but...... It's one thing not to start him, another to completely bench him. I don't care what the scouse brigade or the red-leaning media think or say. There's not an original thought anywhere in that group. Torres at 27 and a 5.5 year contract IS the Chelsea future whether Drogba, Anelka, and/or Malouda like it or not. It is what it is. Roman has spoken and paid. Torres needs to perform and being benched for the next two months does absolutely nothing for him or the team. Following Torres, this is the longest goalless streak of his career. I watch him and feel like I'm getting my tooth pulled without the anesthesia. Something just isn't clicking right now. If the entire pitch was an open net except a small section, that's where he would hit right now. The only luck he has on the pitch right now is bad luck. I'm still a #9 believer and believe he will score lots of goals for Chelsea. I hope its one or two this season. I'm willing to get a bucket of chicken and sacrifice it (see "Major League") if that will help.

I'm in a media blackout but I've read a view different Chelsea forums and there seems to be a split on the Torres/Drogba issue. This seems to summarize the general tone. Pro-Torres camp: Not being funny, but Drogba had one clear sight of goal and put it straight down the keeper's throat. Other than that he mis-controlled, poorly passed, or otherwise ceded possession all night. In the 10-15 minutes before the substitution he was regressing into his normal selfish, one man army routine that helps nobody. After Drogba went off, we nearly scored several times - including Torres bringing a world class save from VDS. Pro-Drogba camp: If thats how you saw it fair enough, but I disagree . I thought Drogs was far busier and posed far more of a threat than Torres. The Spaniard once again flattered to deceive. I thought Anelka made a difference when he came on and I feel that had Drogs still been on the field we would have created better chances than we did with Torres. The VDS saves were class but did not result from 'great' chances which I think Drogs/Anelka might have manufactured. It was pathetic to see Torres diving. Is he really that desperate ?

I love Fernando but right now it's just not working for him. A combination of factors (him, the team, the tactics, voodoo, the moon and stars not being aligned, who knows what else). His movement is good but nobody seems to understand it except Pat Nevin. His understanding with the other forwards and midfielders is non-existent at times. I'd rather Carlo use him as a supersub. Let Drogba and Anekla/Kalou do their thing out there. Then bring Torres on with the other subs. Yes, Torres is the new flavor of the month. Yes, Torres is expensive. Yes, Torres is not setting the world on fire. But... they're all highly paid professionals and they can't put aside their angst, ego, hurt feelings, to try and play as a team? United may have players older than dirt, Shrek, and that putz Ferdinand, but at least they play as a team.

That's a sad state of affairs. I'm under self-imposed media blackout because I can't stand to read the media spin anymore.