🇪🇸 Fernando Torres

[eldo 868]

[LDN Blue 7,903]

Terry: Can one of you do that please

[Tortilla9 390]

Know what you mean he looks a bit morose. Bit of a loner. Cheer up for fucks sake youre a multimillionaire from kickinga a bag of wind about a field.

I'm getting visions of Sutton Shevchenko, Kezman.......

By all accounts he's pretty much a quiet guy who prefers to spend time with his family and group of close friends from Spain. He's got a little bit of nerd in him - he likes to play video games.

He always looks a little pouty, bored, uninterested, whatever you want to call it on the field. Looked that way at Atletico, Spain NT, and Liverpool (good and bad days). I think it's just his nature so the whole body language thing is just a media spin. He can look like a spoiled brat one minute and then perform a piece of magic the next.

That said I'm not feeling sorry for Torres (much as I love him) because he's a grown man, making millions of dollars, and the choice was his. A lot of people see that baby/pretty boy face and think he's a lightweight. I think there's a ruthlessness and ambition to him that keeps him going. He stayed at Atletico when the white part of Madrid hated him and seemed to enjoy thumbing his nose at them. He left to Liverpool for a CL and trophy chance even though Atletico was his first love. He left Liverpool where they loved him for a CL and trophy chance. He himself said he understood the decision and ramifications and still made the choice.

I believe Torres will come good for Chelsea. I think the goals are coming but when? Who the hell knows. I personally don't think the 4-4-2 suits his best attributes unless he's at the top with the other forward supporting him. Chelsea have seen him for 3.5 years. They know what type of player he is and how he's the most effective. Does Chelsea make the decision to use tactics that get the best out of him? Yes, then Chelsea get their investment back. No, then there's going to be a lot of bashing of Torres to come.

He did seem genuinely happy for the team after each goal. He only seemed to be frustrated at the end when Malouda was doing whatever the hell Malouda was doing. Again, this is all psycho-babble from the recliner chair experts isn't it?

I watched the match last night and posted earlier Torres touches during the game. My daughter came home from practice and watched it so I watched a little here and there with her. Halfway through:

Daughter: Do they not like Torres?

Tortilla9: Why?

Daughter: they never pass to him

T9: the passing overall isn't that good

Daughter: I thought only girls did that (she plays GU16)

[dodojojo 510]

<br />Daughter:  I thought only girls did that (she plays GU16)<br />[/quote

LOL. Mean Girls in Chelsea. Oh well, it worked out well for Lindsey Lohan in the end (in the movie that is).

With only 10 games left, there isn't much Ancelotti and Chelsea can do to accomodate Torres' game. He's going to have hang on and try his best. It sucks because I don't think you'll see him at his best. He does however need to keep putting in his shifts and hope for the best. If changes aren't made over the summer to accomodate him SOMEWHAT, then why buy him? Somebody at Chelsea FC thought this one through right?

His face is his face and his personality is his personality. People talk about his body language but even during his best years with Liverpool did he have a giant smile on his face while running around on the pitch? This guy is not a happy-go-lucky fella. And everyone who has ever been asked about Torres always say he's very quiet. Did Kalou not say the same during his recent BBC interview? All you hear is quiet, shy and private. That isn't going to change because he's moved to London.

[dodojojo 510]

During the transfer saga, an journalist brought up Gerrard's almost jump to Chelsea and thought that it was more certain Torres would actually do it because he wasn't as mentally fragile as Gerrard. I was a little surprised by that because if you look at the two you'd think Gerrard's the hard steely guy and perhaps he is on the pitch. But as pointed out above, Torres has a very subtle but steely core. He's walked out on two clubs who adored him in order to pursue CL football. He's going to have dig deep to get himself through the rest of the season. It has certainly been the toughest of his career.

[Fulham Broadway 17,319]

By all accounts he's pretty much a quiet guy who prefers to spend time with his family and group of close friends from Spain. He's got a little bit of nerd in him - he likes to play video games.

He always looks a little pouty, bored, uninterested, whatever you want to call it on the field. Looked that way at Atletico, Spain NT, and Liverpool (good and bad days). I think it's just his nature so the whole body language thing is just a media spin. He can look like a spoiled brat one minute and then perform a piece of magic the next.

That said I'm not feeling sorry for Torres (much as I love him) because he's a grown man, making millions of dollars, and the choice was his. A lot of people see that baby/pretty boy face and think he's a lightweight. I think there's a ruthlessness and ambition to him that keeps him going. He stayed at Atletico when the white part of Madrid hated him and seemed to enjoy thumbing his nose at them. He left to Liverpool for a CL and trophy chance even though Atletico was his first love. He left Liverpool where they loved him for a CL and trophy chance. He himself said he understood the decision and ramifications and still made the choice.

I believe Torres will come good for Chelsea. I think the goals are coming but when? Who the hell knows. I personally don't think the 4-4-2 suits his best attributes unless he's at the top with the other forward supporting him. Chelsea have seen him for 3.5 years. They know what type of player he is and how he's the most effective. Does Chelsea make the decision to use tactics that get the best out of him? Yes, then Chelsea get their investment back. No, then there's going to be a lot of bashing of Torres to come.

He did seem genuinely happy for the team after each goal. He only seemed to be frustrated at the end when Malouda was doing whatever the hell Malouda was doing. Again, this is all psycho-babble from the recliner chair experts isn't it?

I watched the match last night and posted earlier Torres touches during the game. My daughter came home from practice and watched it so I watched a little here and there with her. Halfway through:

Daughter: Do they not like Torres?

Tortilla9: Why?

Daughter: they never pass to him

T9: the passing overall isn't that good

Daughter: I thought only girls did that (she plays GU16)

Lol @ your daughters analysis.

Thanks for that Tortilla9, very good insight into the young man. I beleive he'll come good as well just a matter of getting the first.....

[LDN Blue 7,903]

A friend of mine made an interesting comment about Torres (he's a Liverpool-fan so took it with a pinch of salt, still a bit relevant though [he actually knows his football])

"Torres takes 1 step forward, and two back. I saw him versus United on Tuesday and he looked much better, his movement and vision was reminiscent of his time at Liverpool. Then versus Blackpool he did a complete u-turn! Lazy, bored & dead weight. We saw that at Liverpool too, but at least there he had a good goal record, so we let it slide."

It's interesting because you can see how he's right. In fairness he did end with..

"That being said, Torres is a natural goal scorer, you can't doubt his talent. He'll come good eventually, when he's settled with his team-mates and gets good communication going"

[Tomo 21,751]

He needs more service than he is getting.

Ive always said on form he is the best forward in the world imo he is a lot better than Villa, put it this way if he was playing for Barca against Arsenal last night he would have laughed his way to a hat-tick maybe even more.

[ElNinoSemper 18]

During the transfer saga, an journalist brought up Gerrard's almost jump to Chelsea and thought that it was more certain Torres would actually do it because he wasn't as mentally fragile as Gerrard. I was a little surprised by that because if you look at the two you'd think Gerrard's the hard steely guy and perhaps he is on the pitch. But as pointed out above, Torres has a very subtle but steely core. He's walked out on two clubs who adored him in order to pursue CL football. He's going to have dig deep to get himself through the rest of the season. It has certainly been the toughest of his career.

Steely core is exactly it. He's a lot harder than the pretty boy looks and quiet nature suggest. I suspect why that's partly why Gerrard was reluctant to criticise him recently, Torres up and did what Gerrard could not, even though he wanted to. That and they seem to have clicked on and off the field. It's not going great guns at the moment but that's only temporary. Whatever the dressing room dynamics are with Malouda and co, I don't see him folding anytime soon, much to their dismay I would imagine.

He needs more service than he is getting.

Ive always said on form he is the best forward in the world imo he is a lot better than Villa, put it this way if he was playing for Barca against Arsenal last night he would have laughed his way to a hat-tick maybe even more.

Totally agree. I've always thought he is better that Villa.

[zolayes 14,489]

we need to keep patient ,,he is pure class ..KTF he will deliver

[LDN Blue 7,903]

He needs more service than he is getting.

Ive always said on form he is the best forward in the world imo he is a lot better than Villa, put it this way if he was playing for Barca against Arsenal last night he would have laughed his way to a hat-tick maybe even more.

Word up!

You could not be more right!

[Tortilla9 390]

I finally managed to watch the Chelsea TV interview (3/4/11) with Torres prior to the Blackpool game.

1. He said as long as Chelsea are winning and getting 3 pts that's what really matters, more important than his first goal

2. He knows he needs to score because he's a striker and that's the job of the striker

3. He's the last one to come so he needs to understand the way the team plays

4. It's one thing to play against a team, another to play with

5. Needs to adapts himself to the Chelsea style of play, movement of teammates, training

6. Feels more fit, sharper

7. Waiting for the first goal

8. Good players should be able to play together

9. Anelka, Drogba, Torres are different types of players and it's a good problem for the manager to have to decide lineup, formation

10. Dressing room has been good and teammates have been welcoming

His English has really come a long way since he left Spain and he seems more comfortable.

[dodojojo 510]

Well, he’s hardly going to say things are dire and that Drogba and Anelka give him wedgies in the dressing room…I don’t really put too much stock in the official team interviews.

I thought he was very articulate at the first Chelsea press conference (the one with Ancelotti) but he’s very difficult to understand in this one.

[Tortilla9 390]

Well, he's hardly going to say things are dire and that Drogba and Anelka give him wedgies in the dressing room…I don't really put too much stock in the official team interviews.

I thought he was very articulate at the first Chelsea press conference (the one with Ancelotti) but he's very difficult to understand in this one.

I doubt Drogba and Anelka are giving him wedgies. More likely having Malouda do it while they watch.

I actually understood this interview. I remember his first interviews in English and those were difficult to understand and I've been around a lot of ESL (English as a Second Language) speakers.

It goes back to I think he's deferring a little too much although the timing of the move and the run in make it difficult.

[dodojojo 510]

I doubt Drogba and Anelka are giving him wedgies. More likely having Malouda do it while they watch.

Voyeurs

[Term-X 7,891]

He also said he had been surprised at how easy it had been for him to settle in with his new team mates. "I expected something more distant with a team full of stars," Torres said. "There are more personal relationships and jokes between the players than there were at Liverpool. Everything was much more serious there. Here, you don't have to prove you are a professional, it is assumed."

Torres dissing liverpool..

http://www.guardian....+%28Football%29

[Tortilla9 390]

Torres dissing liverpool..

http://www.guardian....+%28Football%29

Cue RAWK meltdown.

[dodojojo 510]

It's difficult because the press, particularly the Spanish, will keep asking him about Liverpool, but for his own sake, he should go radio silent on this matter. I have no doubts that there are some tales he can share but at this point, anything he says will only bring on a barrage of criticism. Let's face it, other than him going on his knees and begging for forgiveness and even that would not be enough, Liverpool fans are always going think the worse of anything he says.

Though again, has he said anything that wasn’t true about Liverpool FC? Was the club not in some dire shit for the past 3 years because of the owner situation? The fans can stick with the club for a lifetime, Torres’ remaining top years can be counted on one hand. He’s not loud, his ‘fault’ here is that he’s blunt.

[dodojojo 510]

For the Spanish speakers/readers, here's the Q&A with Marca so you're not reading the English's press interpretation or selective highlights. I googled translated it and though it's not perfect, I got the gist of it.

Entrevista MARCA a Fernando Torres

Tranquilo, seguro de haber hecho lo correcto y cargado de ilusiones. Así está el 9 del Chelsea. Torres compartió una hora de charla con MARCA pasando revista a su pasado, su presente y su futuro:

- Ya lleva dos meses en Londres ¿Cómo le va?

Poco a poco. Es un gran cambio, una gran ciudad… Estoy de papeleos, con las semanas bastante ocupadas, pero muy contento.

- ¿Es el cambio que esperaba en su carrera?

Nunca se sabe. Cuando me fui de mi casa pensé que era el cambio definitivo, y cuando ha pasado el tiempo no ha sido así. Se presenta una oportunidad y nunca sabes si es la última. Tienes que dar todo lo que tienes para conseguir ese sueño. Ahora tengo cinco años y medio por delante para luchar por lo que quiero.

- ¿Dónde están esos sueños.

Creo que mucho más cerca. La ciudad y el club me dan todo lo que necesito para conseguirlo. Fue una decisión muy meditada aunque pareciera todo muy precipitado. Se tomó mucho antes.

- ¿En qué momento?

En el verano que se va Xabi Alonso me empiezo a hacer preguntas. En Liverpool pasé mis tres mejores años como profesional y tal vez en lo personal. No me preguntaba qué iba a pasar y pensaba que estaba en un gran club que con el tiempo ganaría. Cuando se fueron Xabi, Mascherano, antes Crouch y Arbeloa, no venían refuerzos, y me preguntaba si el Liverpool era el club que decía su historia o era un equipo vendedor. Me decían que no se vendía a nadie y yo rechacé una oferta del Chelsea en verano. Entendí los motivos del Liverpool para no dejarme salir, aun sabiendo que dejaba pasar una situación que no podía darse más. El club no era lo mismo, no iba hacia donde yo creía y vi que hacía falta un cambio.

- ¿Tuvo claro siempre que ese cambio era el Chelsea?

¿A qué equipos podía ir para mejorar? Al United no, por respeto al Liverpool; al Madrid no, por mi pasado; el Barça no creo que necesite a nadie; Italia no me apetecía… Sólo me quedaba el Chelsea. Y de repente, un día, a 20 días del final del mercado, pasó. No me lo esperaba y fue como una luz de un pasillo que venía negro. Pensaba que los seis meses que me quedaban en el Liverpool iban a ser como tres años. Esta vez tuve dos oportunidades.

- ¿Con quién habla del ‘Pool’?

Cuando sé que el Chelsea me quiere, hablo con el director deportivo y luego pido reunirme con todo el cuerpo técnico para decirle que me gustaría salir. Mis compañeros no supieron nada. Y quise ser honesto. Si otros no lo han sido, no es cosa mía.

- ¿Qué pasaba en el club?

Yo sabía que era el ídolo, pero no era lo mismo. Nadie ha vivido eso. El adiós de Rafa Benítez era un tercer punto. La entidad era un caos con la venta. Eran todo palabras de posibles proyectos. En muchas cosas me recordaba al Atlético: gran historia, muchas ideas… pero sin dinero hace falta tiempo. Y no me sobra.

- ¿Por qué dice eso? ¿Se sintió traicionado por alguien?

Porque el fútbol no es un deporte de gente honesta. No puedes decir la verdad o ser claro con la gente. Es un negocio y nadie es amigo de nadie.

- El Madrid buscaba un ‘9’. ¿Pensó que podían llamarle?

No. Nunca. No era una opción para mí. Sólo había una y es el Chelsea. De hecho, no había ninguna hasta que el Chelsea apareció de la nada. Era algo que estaba en mi cabeza, pero muy lejos de que pudiera pasar.

- ¿Le dolió lo que pasó en Liverpool al irse?

Repito que fui honesto. Sé que no fue la mejor manera, pero yo fui sincero. Si alguien utilizó la Prensa, no fui yo. Yo fui de frente y tengo la conciencia tranquila.

- Llega a Londres al equipo de Abramovich. ¿Cómo es el ruso?

Roman no vive aquí y cuando viene a ver al Chelsea y a ver los entrenamientos, he visto que es una persona muy cercana. No tiene nada que ver con la imagen que se pueda tener de él. Cuando aparece es como uno más en el club.

- ¿Ha hablado con usted?

Sí, pero no me ha dicho nada que se pueda contar.

- Cuatro partidos y aún no ha marcado. No está siendo fácil su adaptación.

No esperaba que lo fuera. Nunca es sencillo. En el Liverpool me costó lo mío. Hay dos meses de adaptación a algo tan nuevo, y más en febrero.

- ¿Esperaba una Prensa inglesa tan dura, siempre recordando los 58,8 millones que costó?

No sé qué están diciendo. Me pusieron internet el miércoles y tengo suerte de no seguir la Prensa aquí. Si leo algo, es la española. Los niños ya me ocupan bastante tiempo.

- Fue un mal guiño del destino debutar contra el Liverpool y perder.

Son cosas que pasan. Se acepta, perdimos y ya está.

- ¿Y qué ha cambiado hablando de fútbol puro?

El Chelsea ha demostrado que tiene jugadores de primer nivel en todas las líneas y que siempre va a competir pase lo que pase, con un dueño que va a invertir cuando haga falta.

- ¿Qué le sorprendió al llegar al vestuario?

El ambiente en la caseta. Esperaba algo más distante al ser un equipo lleno de estrellas. Hay más relación personal y bromas entre los jugadores que en el Liverpool. Allí era todo más serio. Aquí no hay que demostrar que eres profesional. Eso se supone. Fuera puedes hacer lo que quieras, entre comillas, porque la exigencia en el campo es máxima.

- ¿Quién fue su padrino?

Benayoun. Hablé mucho con él las horas antes de fichar.

- ¿Y la afición?

Impresionante desde el primer día. Casi tienen más ganas que yo porque marque el primer gol. La gente está entusiasmada.

- ¿La parte esencial de estar en el Chelsea es ganar títulos?

La única.

- ¿Premier o Champions?

Champions, sin duda. Después de ganar el Mundial y la Eurocopa es lo máximo. Me gustaría ganar la Premier porque es una competición preciosa, y estoy seguro de que ganaré al menos una. La Champions es otra cosa.

- ¿Se palpa en el vestuario que falta ese título?

La tuvieron a un penalti…. Como para que no se note. Se nota que es algo que se les escapó, como si se la hubieran quitado.

- ¿A quién ve como gran rival?

Depende de los cruces. Imagina que a un lado del cuadro van Schalke, Tottenham, Shakthar… Todo lo que se piensa cambia. Se supone que Barça, Madrid o United, pero el año pasado era el Barça y cayó. A dos partidos no es previsible. El Barça es el equipo que mejor está jugando.

- ¿Qué daría por un doblete esta temporada?

¿Qué quiere? ¡Lo que sea!

- ¿Ve la Liga española como la escocesa?

Para nada. Hay mucho nivel de los dos primeros, pero no ganan puntos porque los otros sean malos equipos y sí porque su ritmo es tan alto que los demás no le pueden seguir. ¡Tienen una barbaridad de puntos! Ellos han crecido, no es que Sevilla, Valencia o Atleti hayan bajado.

- ¿Ve al Barça mejor, como dicen los siete puntos de la tabla?

Sí. Como dijo Mourinho, el Barça es un equipo hecho. ¿A quién fichas o cómo lo mejoras?

- ¿Torres lo mejoraría?

No creo. Es que no creo que se pueda mejorar. Ibrahimovic no lo mejoró, es igual con y sin Eto’o… Puedes cambiar piezas y no equivocarte, ¿pero cómo lo mejoras?

- ¿Qué ha dejado Mourinho en el Chelsea?

Se le tiene mucho cariño. Es la persona que convirtió a este equipo en ganador. No pasa inadvertido. En el Chelsea es alguien muy especial Levantó al club, algo que como se ve en el City no es fácil. Queda mucho de él hasta en la forma de entrenar.

- ¿Le gustaría trabajar algún día con él?

[sonríe]. Va a ser complicado. Pero claro que me gustaría, como con Guardiola, con Wenger, Ferguson… con los mejores; saber qué tienen los grandes, su secreto para estar siempre arriba. De Mou, saber qué tiene para triunfar en todos los sitios, con dinero y sin dinero. Me encantaría.

- ¿Cristiano o Messi?

Me traería a los dos al Chelsea. Están haciendo cosas sobrenaturales. Sus equipos perderían mucho sin ellos. Están a mucha distancia del resto. Messi ha ganado más cosas con su equipo, pero si CR7 hubiera ganado hubiera más con su club, creo que no todo el mundo se quedaría con Messi.

- ¿Y su Atleti? Tras el doblete, parecía que se estabilizaba.

Yo imaginaba una temporada difícil porque repetir eso era muy complicado. Lo importante es que mantiene a sus jugadores importantes. Cuando yo estaba, ni jugué la UEFA, sólo la Intertoto. Ahora se pelea por estar en la Champions. ¡Ojalá hubiera vivido yo una crisis así! Puede que la gente que está allí ahora no lo vea, pero son tiempos mejores. El club da pasos pequeños y lo importante es no volver atrás.

- ¿Se lo imagina sin el Kun?

Como aficionado diría otra cosa; como futbolista digo que el jugador tiene que estar mientras sea feliz. Si se quiere ir, sé justo con él si se lo ha ganado bajando el precio o súbelo si no lo ha hecho. Se le da las gracias y se busca a otro que quiera venir. De nada sirve que se quede un jugador como el Kun si no está feliz.

- ¿Vaya a donde vaya?

A mí no me gustaría que fuera al Madrid, como a cualquier atlético, pero si va al Madrid yo no soy de los que le van a matar. Lo que decida está bien. Si un jugador como el Kun se quiera ir, puede que sea porque el club no crece al mismo ritmo que él. Si haces un equipo para competir arriba, el Kun no se va a querer ir. El problema es que hoy no se puede pelear con Barça y Madrid.

- ¿Se retirará en el Atlético?

No es una pregunta para mí. Por mí claro que sí. No sé si volveré a jugar allí o a formar parte del club. Yo no voy a cerrar la puerta nunca al Atleti. Quiera lo que quiera, yo estaré allí.

[Tortilla9 390]

A few things that may have translated slightly different, Spanish to English:

Atletico cannot compete with Real Madrid or Barcelona. It's not so much the other La Liga teams have gotten worse, those two have gotten that much better.

Doesn't follow the internet, busy with his children. Usually only reads Spanish media (probably for the best).

Fans have been great. They want him to score more than he does.

Yossi wasn't pulling the strings to make the move happen. Yossi made the move and transition easier for him.

He was surprised how light-hearted the Chelsea dressing room was with the superstar players. The atmosphere isn't as tense as Liverpool. The professionalism comment is implied that the players are professionals and don't need to be micro-managed by a manager. Possibly intended to Rafa who was a notorious micro-manager.

The loss of players like Alonso followed by no replacements made him think Liverpool was more about selling and less about competing for titles. The sale of the club and the inability to do anything because of it combined with Rafa's departure made the Liverpool situation unstable. He felt like it was Atletic all over again.