dodojojo

I know Barca are hated...but congrats to David Villa also!! Besides being strike partners, he and Nando are good friends, so on and upwards for the two of them! Giddy!

This has to convince Ancelotti, no matter who he starts, Torres and Drogba shouldn't be on the pitch together. It just greatly imbalances the team. Sub like for like. I've been critical of Carlo but he got it right with the subs today. I was seriously wondering about Anelka coming on first. But he, Torres and Malouda did well upfront.

After 2 1/2 months, I missed Torres' goal when I lost my connection. And then I missed a possible assist because the laptop shut down due to overheating Doesn't matter! :champions: If it means a Torres goal and assist, I hope my connection and laptop fail every game! Relief. Now, Chelsea and Torres can just go on with business.

No, it was in April under Benetiz, against Birmingham IIRC. Think it was Nando's last league game as he injured his knee in the next game, which was the Europa League quarterfinals. He landed awkwardly on his knee early in the game but scored a brace anyway. He didn't play the rest of the season.

Not true. That happened in 2010 when Liverpool were desperately trying to finish in a CL place. I agree that Torres was played at times when he shouldn't have for Liverpool. The option was him and pretty much no one else. Mind boggling a "big" club didn't have more than one decent striker but they were pretty much fucked by the owner situation. Two knee operations within 4 months have certainly taken a toll. I'm still holding out hope that he can recover but those operations could haunt Torres. He said on Spanish TV that he told the surgeons for the 2nd op to do whatever was necessary to get him ready for the World Cup--even if it meant shortening his career. The surgeons may have taken his words at face value.

Ah, for the sake of Chelsea and Torres, he may as well be on the bench. Seriously, his confidence is shot already, he doesn't need to play out of position on the wing. Malouda will do a much better job out there.

Look at how those goals are scored. Torres ain't out on the wing somewhere, staring at the lint in his belly button. Stick him in the box, give him some space and deliver the balls. Repeat till he gets back in the groove.

Weird, here, it sounds like Ancelotti's going with the Birmingham line-up. Ancelotti mind games? Or genuine confusion in Carlo's head? ANCELOTTI - CHANGES WILL BE FEW

Yeah, hindsight between 20/20, Ancelotti's management and specifically his time management of Torres has been...hhmmm...assbackwards. Started him straight away. Held him out against the weaker sides and started him against the top teams. Now he's playing him less and in the very formations that don't help him. I'd rather Torres not start against West Ham and certainly not with Anelka.

I've seen that photo alot and I know people are having a laugh, mostly at Torres' expense. I would take that photo with a grain of salt but if it does indeed represent Drogba's attitude to Torres as Chelsea player, it's pretty sad. It's just not bad for Torres but it's not good for the club.

Where's the rest of the quote where Carlo said, "...due to the fact that I insist on playing Anelka, Drogba and Torres together"?

Why is Ancelotti so intent on playing Torres, Anelka and Drogba together? It didn't work against Liverpool, it hasn't worked since and I don't think it ever will. Please stop. I'd rather he sat Torres for the rest of season because it's like he's going out of his way to play Torres in every possible formation that doesn't work. Why does he not want to play Yossi and Torres together? Not even for sub minutes?

8 minutes last Saturday. If the same happens today and against West Ham...I think that pretty much answers our question on whether or not Ancelotti is going to be around next season. I can't imagine Ancelotti being here next season and yet not bothering to integrate Torres better now and making sure he's not at rock bottom confidence in the summer. I understand trying to win the league or placing 2nd...but playing Torres 10 minutes here and there, is not good man management.

He started Torres against the tough teams and when that didn't work, he's dropped him. Whereas he should have been giving Torres time against the lesser side to help with his confidence. But that was two months ago and now with only 6 games left, and Chelsea with a tiny chance of catching ManU--Ancelotti is retreating to the tried and true. It's a screwed up situation but you can understand why Ancelotti is playing it safe now. Too bad his prior management contributed to the current situation.

War isn't as much fan as soccer... And better late than never...

it's Tribal, not the Guardian...

She's an American based in Switzerland. Maybe she's a massive soccer fan? I'm an American too. Guess I shouldn't post anymore? Or maybe I've been a longtime fan of soccer and enjoy it enough to spend some time yakking about it online? I spent a few childhood years in New Zealand and loved cricket. Don't follow it as much now so I don't post online about it. Perhaps, it's more about the enthusiasm for the sport rather than location of residence? It's an okay article, it's nothing we haven't brought up here. The title is stupid.

I THINK it's what should be done. Whether it's happening or not, ask Ancelotti.

I wouldn't quite say he's not going to score anytime soon but obviously with each passing game the pressure mounts. What else is there to do but for the manager and club to continue to show confidence in him and offer support? For the long term, I think this is vital as shown by the way Ferguson stuck with Rooney and Guardiola continuing to play Villa. All strikers are sensitive to confidence issues and Nando seems particularly so.

When he scores a goal? That means he has to play? But he can't if he's not scoring goals...vicious...circle...

And how is handling a 50M/5 year investment well not in the best of interest of Chelsea? I've already said Drogba should start based on current form. And you and I agree that Torres shouldn't now be thrown on for a handful of minutes. What are the pros versus the cons on bringing on Torres for a few minutes each game? He most likely won't get out his funk playing a few minutes each game. If Ancelotti is going to do that, he should have done it when Torres first got to Chelsea and then gradually increased his time. But that's been the overall mismanagement of Torres transition into the team and it just seems to get worse and worse. Again, mid to long term, Ferguson has been proven right about the way he handled Rooney. He did drop him every now and then, but I don't remember Rooney being yanked early from games and subbed in for a few minutes here and there. Well, United are still on top of the league, still in the CL and Rooney is back on form.

Anelka played well? And what point was Carlo proving? That he's not handled the Torres situation well at all? I agree Drogba should have started based on form, but knowing what Torres is going through and the intense scrutiny on his goal drought, what's the point of bringing him on for 9 minutes? Can you imagine if Ancelotti keeps subbing Torres on for 10 or 15 minutes for the rest of the season? Okay, Torres is off-form, but that would be devastating to the man and his confidence. Do you want him to bring that into the next season? I guess if Carlo isn't going to be around, he won't care. If that's the case, it's s really crappy way to handle a player. Rooney's a dick and even Ferguson didn't yank his chain like this during his months and months of poor form.

Maybe Kalou is willing to track back and help? Seems to me that when Torres and Drogba play together, there's a disconnect to the midfield and they struggle because the team's essentially got two center forwards who don't really come back and help.

If it weren't for bad luck, he would have no luck at all. He's going to be a country singer soon, it'll all be about bad women, bad beer and disallowed goals.