Tortilla9

I was watching at the office on a stream that kept freezing and going back and forth on the forum. I thought "Chelsea were shit". Came home, turned down the volume and watched the DVR. Chelsea were dominant at streches of the match - first ten minutes, last five of the first half, last 10-15 minutes of the second half. Unfortunately they weren't the other stretches. I don't think you have to have two creative center mids but can at least one keep the ball, move forward, and be a little creative? Carrick who doesn't impress me easily outplayed both Lampard and Essien. That may be the worst I've seen Lampard play in a while. I think the game was won and lost in the middle. Terry had a very good game IMO. He was calm and composed in the back and looked to be the most attacking at times. That's sad to think. Onto the Torres/Drogba issue. They weren't all over each other as I thought they'd be. They were either dropping deep to get the ball or going wide to carry and try to deliver the ball. To me it was a tossup who you subbed out, both had their moments and both didn't. I thought Anelka on helped because he was actually a link between the middle and the forwards. Is Anelka the missing piece of the puzzle? One note, I actually like Drogba but the theatrics make watching him painful at times. The face clutching, the falling on the ground, the arm waving. Onto the ref. I'm not one to say that's a penalty whenever a player goes down in the box but how that one wasn't for Ramires makes you wonder. And Torres getting a yellow for diving? I rewound that a few times, paused it, and Torres' front foot got caught up with back of Valencia and he fell. If there was any over-reacting it was by United defenders. Disappointing was United getting in Torres face in the first half and second half and not enough Chelsea players support. How do Chelsea players stand by and watch while Ferdinand dragged Torres up off the ground in the first half? Don't quite get that. Last, Chelsea are only down one goal and they didn't play great. For the supposed domination of United, they are only up one goal. The middle can't play as bad as they did today (one would hope not) so that will improve. The defense will be ok. Carlo needs to get the lineup right and break down the United bus. The second leg is there for the taking. I'm drinking the blue koolaid.

I love him and it's painful to watch him play for Chelsea right now. Not that Carlo asked me but either play Drogba or Torres. Don't play both together. I'd rather Torres sit tbh.

Shocking is too mild. Torres had some bright moments and a lot of AWOL moments. Him and Drogba together is a lesson in how not to play two forwards together. It's painful to watch. Play one or the other but not both together. Don't think it was a dive. Torres isn't a diver unlike that United crew. I think he tripped over himself which he's known to do. He got right back up and didn't see him appealing for the penalty like United love to do. The midfield was the worst part of the match with the exception of Mikel when he came on. At least he helped control the middle and offer a semblance of control. Lampard and Essien looked like they were on their last legs. They looked like they'd played 700 games a piece instead of 500 and 200 respectively. The highlight for me was Terry and Ivanovic and Cole. They even offered more going forward which is a sad state of affairs.

Unfortunately not really surprising IMHO.

Rumor is that its 3 games now.

"I think there is a tendency to judge Torres in an outrageously simplictic way and focus on his lack of goals since he came to Chelsea. I just look at what I see and as someone who spent his career trying to create things for these guys, I think I could find Torres time and time again." - Pat Nevin in the buildup before the match (Monday)

Yes official. Echo your sentiments 100%.

Chelsea: Cech, Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Terry, Cole, Ramires, Essien, Lampard, Zhirkov, Drogba, Torres; Subs: Turnbull, Benayoun, Mikel, Malouda, Ferreira, Kalou, Anelka Utd: Van der Sar, Rafael, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Park, Carrick, Giggs, Valencia, Rooney, Hernandez ; Subs: Kuszczak, Berbatov, Smalling, Nani, Scholes, Evans, Gibson

Unconfirmed from that schmuck Collymore that Zhirkov and Ramires wide with Torres and Drogba up top.

If that's what it takes....

Trouble w/Torres This may be one of the better stories I've read about Torres without the media flop spin and why he was successful at Liverpool and why he's struggling at Chelsea. Some interesting points: 1. Arguably the biggest factor, however, is the exact shape and philosophy of the team he's trying to fit into. Basically, it's rare enough these days that you see Chelsea execute the kind of counter-attack that Liverpool did back on Torres's debut. 2. Despite Torres's sleekness of touch when in flight, by contrast, he can be conspicuously club-footed when it comes to close-range build-up (so true!!). That's been evident throughout his international career with Spain, where he's often looked slightly out of place. Luis Aragones finally realised the solution to this in the build-up to Euro 2008. He used Torres's acceleration and direct running as decoys, getting him to stretch defences and give the rest of Spain's artists more space to play. 3. It helped, of course, that Liverpool were built to play this way and had numerous key figures capable of providing that kind of pass above all, Xabi Alonso and Gerrard. The latter, for all his faults and frequent occasions that he blazed a ball into the stands, would generally hit one gem a game. 4. Chelsea, by contrast, don't currently have that kind of architect. In that sense, Torres is a season too late. He would have benefitted from playing with Deco who was well capable of threading through-balls or, to a lesser extent, Michael Ballack. At the moment, Frank Lampard always occupies the attacking-midfield position that would offer this type of pass. Although he has many qualities, perception like that isn't one of them. Instead, Lampard will often shoot where a true playmaker would look for the killer ball. Given the Englishman's goal return, this isn't a problem per se... unless you have a striker who is generally wasted if he doesn't have that type of ball. And it's why Ancelotti could be best served by again dropping Torres tonight. Until they buy a necessary playmaker or sufficiently develop a different approach, Chelsea are a more cohesive unit without the Spaniard.

I hope you are right and we're celebrating his goal(s) this time tomorrow.

Please NO!!!!! No guarantee that Torres will be called up but he and the rest of Spain need the rest. Spain to participate in Copa America this summer?

McManaman I can tolerate. For an ex-scouser he's not too hard to listen too. Drake makes me want to mute the tv. I'm listening to TalkSport on the computer at work which is one of the few internet radio sites I can access. Collymore is a tool. He's kissing Harry's butt so much it's a miracle he can talk. "Alonso, formerly of Liverpool Football Club. Arebloa, formerly of Liverpool Football Club." Idiot. Thank God Collymore isn't on US TV.

FSC seems to be the main one with a game a week from ESPN. Ian Darke on ESPN makes the FSC announcers look top-flight.

Boys seem relaxed and in good spirits. Training Pics

I get what you're saying and it's admirable that as a supporter and fan you support the player wearing the Chelsea shirt. It is frustrating to watch a player and wonder "what the hell are you doing?!" repeatedly. I'm going to take off my Malouda is making me drink glasses on Wed and support him no matter what. I'm hoping he proves you right and the rest of us wrong.

And maybe doesn't keep drifting in. And maybe tracks back when he loses the ball. It's April now. When is he going settle down?

Why then does Carlo continue to play him? Does Malouda have videos of Carlo or something like that? That's the only thing I can figure. By continuing to play him Carlo only reinforces that Malouda can play like sh*t and continue to take playing time from somebody else. Why do you think Malouda doesn't like Torres? Is it a solidarity thing with Drogba, Anelka, etc?

I am a Torres supporter from his Atletico days. I want to believe but I'm beginning to lose the faith that he will be personally successful this season with Chelsea. He will continue to work for the team to go as far as possible in the CL games and the drive for Top 4. I don't think he is on the same wavelength as the other forwards or midfield. I don't get it either because I don't think he is football stupid and I don't think the players around him are either, barr Malouda. I watch Torres with Chelsea and it's the way I feel watching him with the Spanish NT and their formation and style of play - a square trying to fit into a circle. The best I hope for this season is he continues to work hard, continues to give the opponent's defense a player to watch/mark, hopefully his teammates can be freed up to make something happen for the team. I would love to see Drogba and Torres work but I don't see it happening. I think they are too similar in the way they want to play and where they want to play on the field. I see Torres working better with Anelka or Kalou then Drogba. I know they haven't spent much time on the pitch together but do you see Carlo giving them that time? I don't. Instead I see Carlo continue to force Malouda on the pitch while everybody and their brother wonders WHY?????

Were you at the match or did you watch on tv? I thought he looked quick (watching in sunny California) but sometimes its different in person. I also ask because the Telegraph (I think) said he's lost his pace. He seemed quick to me.

He did but there were large moments where neither he (or Drogba) were anywhere near the ball. Coincides with Stoke controlling the game for large moments.

Carlo Ready to Rotate "The squad has trained lightly the past two days and before he chooses his front pairing for tomorrow's game, Ancelotti will observe Friday afternoon's more intense session with his eye especially on Fernando Torres and Salomon Kalou, who returned from internationals with a slight fitness problem." Did they both get hurt? First I've heard of it and you know TorresandIarelikethis.

Were you one of the 12 Chelsea faithful? Torres Spanish Ceremony Happy April Fool's. I'm sure there will be more coming.

If you don't have Malouda in this game you might get him on Wed. Which is worse?