Tortilla9

Happy for the performance for 3 reasons:
1. Good for Chelsea
2. Good for Fernando
3. Probably pissed off Carragher

Spoke to a friend in Madrid, long-time, multi-generational RM supporter. His viewpoint which he feels is shared by many RM supporters is that this team has taken on the negative characteristics of their manager and they don't like it. Drama with the manager and press, manager and players, players and players. Winning and trophies hides the ugliness. Losing and no trophies exposes it and RM supporters feel he's chipped away at the dignity of the RM institution, made it more about Jose, and less about RM. The club in Spain is bigger than player or manager and Jose hasn't respected that. He said Spanish football has a lot of drama, real and fake, but Jose has taken RM to soap opera status. Many feel he has out stayed his welcome and feel CFC fans will feel the same in a few years. He said "a little of Jose goes a long way".

Spoke to a friend in Madrid, long-time, multi-generational RM supporter. His viewpoint which he feels is shared by many RM supporters is that this team has taken on the negative characteristics of their manager and they don't like it. Drama with the manager and press, manager and players, players and players. Winning and trophies hides the ugliness. Losing and no trophies exposes it and RM supporters feel he's chipped away at the dignity of the RM institution, made it more about Jose, and less about RM. The club in Spain is bigger than player or manager and Jose hasn't respected that. He said Spanish football has a lot of drama, real and fake, but Jose has taken RM to soap opera status. Many feel he has out stayed his welcome and feel CFC fans will feel the same in a few years. He said "a little of Jose goes a long way".

Spoke to a friend in Madrid, long-time, multi-generational RM supporter. His viewpoint which he feels is shared by many RM supporters is that this team has taken on the negative characteristics of their manager and they don't like it. Drama with the manager and press, manager and players, players and players. Winning and trophies hides the ugliness. Losing and no trophies exposes it and RM supporters feel he's chipped away at the dignity of the RM institution, made it more about Jose, and less about RM. The club in Spain is bigger than player or manager and Jose hasn't respected that. He said Spanish football has a lot of drama, real and fake, but Jose has taken RM to soap opera status. Many feel he has out stayed his welcome and feel CFC fans will feel the same in a few years. He said "a little of Jose goes a long way".

Spoke to a friend in Madrid, long-time, multi-generational RM supporter. His viewpoint which he feels is shared by many RM supporters is that this team has taken on the negative characteristics of their manager and they don't like it. Drama with the manager and press, manager and players, players and players. Winning and trophies hides the ugliness. Losing and no trophies exposes it and RM supporters feel he's chipped away at the dignity of the RM institution, made it more about Jose, and less about RM. The club in Spain is bigger than player or manager and Jose hasn't respected that. He said Spanish football has a lot of drama, real and fake, but Jose has taken RM to soap opera status. Many feel he has out stayed his welcome and feel CFC fans will feel the same in a few years. He said "a little of Jose goes a long way".

Gotta give him credit for the torres goal. What a terrific cross that was...

It's fair though. Torres may well have seen his poorest footballing days here at Chelsea, and honestly, at this point I would take somebody else over him too (because he doesn't fit). That however doesn't change the fact that our style doesn't suit him. People seem to have this daft idea that because the excuse of "no service" is old that it some how becomes redundant. And no, simply naming names like, Hazard and Mata, which so many fans like to do, doesn't equal actual service provided but rather describes where we expect the service to come from.
As that Daily Mail article rightly pointed out, just over 2/3 - 56 of 81 - of his Liverpool goals were delivered via defense splitting passes. How often do we split defenses? Exactly. When you look at how many goals he's actually scored, allowing for the lack of defense splitting passes that he needs and that we don't provide, he's scored just about as many as you'd realistically expect him to.
The other thing people need to understand is that our squad really isn't much stronger than it was last season. We might well have bought plenty of players, but most of those players have yet to get any significant game time, if any at all, with Hazard as the obvious exception. So most of our new signings have yet to make their assumed impact, and as such, we're playing basically the same team as last year.
Lets not also forget that we're seeing players used in different roles than they're used to. Ramires - a player I love - being entirely wasted on the wing were he can't play. Lampard playing a more defensive role where he offers next to nothing.
To expect Torres to bang them in for fun - based on how we currently play - would be to expect him to carry the whole team. The complaints he gets after a game where the entire team is gash is ridiculous and completely disproportionate to the rest of the players (although so is much of his praise). Our problems aren't all about Torres, they're squad deep.
To end, I don't make any unnecessary excuses for him. He's one of a few players who our fans constantly whine about when it's really quite clear that the majority of the team and tactics are really the problem. What I suspect is going to disappoint a lot of folks on here - and I'll happily eat crow if I'm wrong - is if and when we buy a player, Falcao for example, he'll come along and probably not score either because we don't play football that's even close to that of Atletico.

he was one of the better players out there, if it wasnt for lamps and brana running like headless chicken we would came out differently

I don't get it. Why would Chelsea loan him to a competitor, even if it's a sh*t competitor like LFC? Hate Fergie but would you see him loaning out a talented player to Arsenal or Liverpool? We're not talking about a Benayoun level player here. If you need to loan him why not outside the Premier League?

How much are hosting fees? This site keeps me off the porn and gambling sites.

& the fact he fights w/ his own fans & the opposing team's mascot xD

Torres was getting better and better towards the end of last season, and with the Euro's, he has taken his form further ahead.
He is looking very sharp and confident, and it is best that there is no real holiday break for him during off season, as he can continue picking up his sharpness, rather than go on holiday and hope he gets his form back.
People here are always on his case no matter what. He finished the season well, and has done really well at the euros, with the limited time he had on the pitch. Doesnt matter who the goals were against, as those were the only times the coach played him. He was played, and he scored.
We did not have a energetic and fast moving team last season, which we will now.
Torres was bought from liverpool being completely off form for atleast a year or so..... Its not like we bought a player who was killing it and then he became shit for us. He tries his best , makes runs, tracks back and makes tackles....... and even when he was "shit", he worked for the team and started alot of attacks and has a high no. of assists.
He did well for a player devoid of form and confidence, and now that it is back, He should have a great season.
There is a big difference between being skeptical and unappreciative. Once in a while, it is ok to just appreciate a good moment, rather than follow it up with a remark that takes away from a players achievement.
He might have a good season, or might have an average season. He has given every sign that he will have a good season , and with the new players around him, that becomes more likely.
Bring on next Season, for Chelsea and for Torres. I have a great feeling about 2012-13.

I'd hate to weigh in to the Torres debate because it bores the life out of me. But Spain were stinking tonight. In fact, Torres was single handedly responsible for their best chance in the first half. He didn't have a particularly bad game tonight, the whole team just weren't firing. Truthfully, they were lucky to go through.

Sometimes, i ask myself, why i read all this sh!t in this thread. who´s a flop, who´s not, who deserve a medal, who not ... who is better, who not ... and sometimes i think some people have to much time to discuss one point again and again ... weird.
jmarlow: do yourself a favour and leave it, you can not convince some people here.

I'm not sure how much he'll play for Spain in the Euros with the likes of Xavi, Iniesta, and Silva ahead of him on the VDB roster. He probably knows that too which is another reason why he wants to play in the Olympics.

"He is one of those players who brings us speed, draws markers away, never stands still, and gets into positions to receive passes behind the back line," said Del Bosque, who is without the injured David Villa for the tournament. "Fernando is very happy to be here, he's euphoric."

Soldado finished the season with 1 goal in 10 games. He was already on thin ice as Del Bosque has never fancied him. Don't know why but I have heard it's down to how Del Bosque balances his team on and off the pitch. In selecting Torres and Negredo, DB has taken one striker who plays fast and on the counter while the other has a good overall game and retains the ball well. Negredo is the latter and in choosing Torres, DB has gone with experience and team dynamics. Torres has been with the team for over 90 caps, is one of Spain's captains and whatever you say about him, he's part of the XIV that has won everything. Also Torres on form is better than Soldado on form. There is a class difference--and yes Soldado has been better than Torres the last 2 years but no on current form. Lastly, Torres is well-liked in the dressing room and has long term friendships/relationships with both Barca and RM players. Whereas I have heard Soldado can be prickly.
Lastly, I believed and was proven right that as long as Torres showed DECENT form, Del Bosque wasn't going to the Euros without both Villa and Torres. No way. Del Bosque is very much about familiarity and harmony.
I think Llorente or Negredo will start. If Del Bosque does start Torres, I hope he speeds up the Barca style a bit as methodical possession football is not really Torres' gig. I think DB really likes Negredo even though he may have had a meh season--he's pretty conservative at heart and likes Negredo's overall game and ability to hold up the ball. I know Torres' ball retention sometimes drives DB mad.

I remember right after one of the PL games (can't remember which one) that Steve Holland was interviewed by CTV. Steve mentioned that he'd been working with Torres on movement, etc. Very interesting to hear Torres mention Steve publicly and reiterate what Steve said in that interview.
While Torres is boycotting the English media, he should also boycott Guillem.

Good post-game Torres and Mata
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3VfbSIEed_Y

Good post-game Torres and Mata
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3VfbSIEed_Y

Sloth, for all his past achievements, goal records and ability, unfortunately sport by it's very nature is not a game of absolutes. And so my point still stands, anybody else makes that shot, the world goes, "oh, poor effort" and then forgets about it. Because it happens to the very worst, right up to the very best. However, because this is Torres, the harsh criticism gets milked for all it's worth, and then, despite the fact that he creates two assists and scores a goal, people still find the time to moan even though our teams problems are greater than him.

The motivation key:
"Either you score, or i am going to let Luiz be you hair-stylist!"

Better than Andy Carroll that's for sure.

His confidence seems to have taken big leaps since RDM took over.

I was too lazy to type the name out tbh.
Sidetrack - A few months ago, my daughter and I looked at the schedule, looked for good seats at a reasonable price, i.e. crappy opponent, and got tickets for the Lakers vs Minnesota game, first game after D-Wade broke Kobe's nose. My daughter already has 2 Kobe jerseys but needed a new one for the game. I'm a sucker and got her a new one. All I can say....Kobe is a beast and his desire to win is so palpable. After the game my daughter said, "He's kinda scary how intense he is, I like it".
Let's see some intensity from the Chelsea professionals . Too much to ask for?