Blue Armour

Not exactly...MALOUDA doesn't pass the ball to Torres even when he's free....Kalou on the other hand, does pass to Torres, but, only when he's surrounded by at least three defenders...

Exactly what I've been trying to point out. Torres should fight for his position and prove that he can consistently do a better job than the one Didier is doing right now...Tossing him back into a regular starting role now will only upset the rhythm Didier seems to have regained and will be detrimental to the team..This scenario where one striker plays two games and the one plays the next two will not benefit either of them...

Well..not all investments reap rewards... I'm not saying the Torres transfer is a failure...No he still has time to prove his worth..atm I believe he has lost his starting spot to Didier, and so he'll have to make the most of the minutes he has, namely as a sub or squad player. If he can prove that he's better than Drogba in those opportunities he should be given the starting spot back. Giving the starting 11 spot right now and tossing it back and forth between the two strikers will not be good for either of them, as they both need to settle down to hit, and more crucially, maintain top form.

If you had said that around the time he got carded I would have agreed, but in the last two games he was definitely more involved, and Torres is looking pretty hungry himself which is a good sign (I think you wanted something like this earlier in the season?) ... the fact that the Bridge was chanting Torres name doesn't concern me in the slightest....Heck they even had a banner ready for Torres before he hardly played a game for Chelsea..that's something Drogba never had in his three title winning seasons with the club.. Anyways, I'm pretty sure the Torres name chant had nothing to do with Drogba really,... they just wanted to see their star striker get at least a few minutes to dazzle them.... Also being a sub has its advantages..If you're experienced enough you'll know how to take advantage of tired legs

Meh..its easier to look good when you're a sub...Not taking anything away from Fernando though..hope he can show his worth and win his place back

Look, I support Torres as much as the next guy, and I hope he continues fighting well for his place this season, but to think he's going to be our man for "years to come"? That's ridiculous...Considering how long his previous slump in form lasted, there's every chance he can go into a downward spiral again and God knows how long he'll take to get out of that one...And I doubt he'll be as good a striker at 32 as Drogba was... The man who we're grooming for years to come is a certain Daniel Sturridge...Drogba and Torres are merely the supporting act, and right now the Ivorian is doing a pretty decent job...After these two "main" men hang up their boots, the role will maybe go to Lukaku (if he's good enough) or someone else...

That man Mata...needs some rest though, the little guy seems overworked...

Really excited by the way Danny played today..at the start of the season I said I was pinning my hopes on him, and today, despite the chances he missed, shows how much more we can expect from the lad.

Was quite solid and robust IMO, but anyone saying he makes more forward passes than Mikel, needs to get their heads checked

Well tbh, our midfield seems to lack a bit of shape without him but yes, RESTING him is good idea...Playing continuous games (and the whole 90 mins) is not the best thing for his fitness

He can come off towards the end of the game just to give Torres/some one else a few minutes.. AVB looks to be settling on a CF to rely on for this season, and right now it looks to be Drogba and I believe he should stick with it...Rotation of strikers for the sake of it DOES NOT help...Besides, I do not see any reason for him to be hauled off after just one half

Looks like AVB has finally decided on a CB pair and CF. Terry, Luiz and Drogba. I guess the door will still be left open for Torres, but I'm glad he finally realizes (I think) that rotation for the sake of it is just pointless.....

Finally someone who agrees with me! Yes with the current rotation policy neither striker is able to settle and maintain a good run of form...Drogba needs to maintain fitness while Torres needs to retain his match-sharpness..I don't think AVB is doing either striker a favour by dropping them every alternate game..

Yeah this is just as stupid as the Torres-Drogba debate... Heck, BOTH these players are here to help the club and not to compete against each other (at least not directly). On current form I would pick Sturridge and Drogba to lead the front two since they seem to link up very well, and because they can find each other in the final third with ease. However, Torres has barely played in the last month, and has not been given a chance to play games on the trot (and I mean starting during games) so that he can pick up consistency. Rotating your main strikers every time is NOT GOING TO WORK. This was what Harry Redknapp used to do with Crouch and Defoe. You only need to look at how successful Drogba and Anelka were for Carlo and how Rooney and Berbatov (when he was playing regularly last season) were good for Sir Alex, and now Van Persie for Wenger to see the benefits. AVB should choose his best Strikers and best CB pair and stick with them for the rest of the season, till injuries/suspensions do them apart

Yep, think we can all agree on that..

Yes, which is why we call them filthy hypocrites.

Don't understand why Torres has suddenly lost a lot of support here. Personally I would pick a Drogba-Sturridge front two because they link up so well, and because they're in form, but the Spaniard has hardly played at all in the last month and last time he did, he showed how much he had improved his game from his arrival last season. He has to take his form further (especially with making the most of his opportunities), but he still deserves the chance to play games on the trot, without being relegated to the bench every alternate fixture. In fact right now our biggest worry shouldn't be the attack, as we still manage to score in just about every game. It should be regarding the fact that we're giving away possession cheaply in dangerous positions, and the failure of our defense to react properly to goal-threats on a consistent basis.

'nuff said.

I think that was answered Hiddink and Ancelloti took the same squad Scolari had inherited and turned them into sides that won silverware. Anyways, its too early to judge AVB. The Scolari scenario was unique, and the guy never really had the support of the players (apart from maybe Deco). Still, there are similarities between this season and the 2008 one..let's hope AVB can turn things around.. I think he can, but his biggest problem is an unsettled back four and a captain constantly under the glare of the media. Not exactly a happy working environment.

I don't think he'll be any better than trying to start with Anelka to be honest... He's a good impact player and has his moments but when he starts a game, there's always a chance he'll be nothing more than a waste of space on the pitch. I thought he had turned over a new leaf under Carlo in 2010 but the good form last only so long... Constantly rotating your central strikers and centre backs is a WRONG decision imo..These players need to achieve consistency for the club to have a good season. Choose the most in-forms players and stick with them until need to be rested or become injured.

That's a pretty good suggestion...Sturridge will be more effective in a strike-partnership I feel..I think he can link up very well with Drogba/Torres (I've seen that happen quite a few times with the former this season and before), and with Mata feeding them it should work. Onus on wing play will rest in the hands(or feet) of our full-backs though...

Hey it wasn't all doom and gloom until that QPR game...Before that the manager's tactics were working like a charm, and our style of play was good, minus the occasional goal conceded. The latter fact has now come to bite us in the back, as our open play against top opposition (which ALSO includes Bayern at home) makes us more open. It remains to be seen if he can deal with this obvious flaw in how our team is set-up...whether it be changing parts of our back four, or the easier option, change our tactics slightly against the top sides..

Sorry if I sounded rude in my last post (just irritated whenever I think of our games nowadays!)... No, do not have the exact numbers, but I'm fairly certain Torres has had more starts than Didier, even if those starts were limited for him is well this season

Read my post again and notice the phrase "minutes played by them" Read my post again and notice the phrase "minutes played by them" Read my post again and notice the phrase "minutes played by them"