🇪🇸 Fernando Torres

[HRiver 1,512]

Torres is not finished. Can you say that he didn't improve in the last 3 months of last season? Once he ended his 24 games goal drought in March he transformed into a completely different player. He started to score goals that he couldn't score to save his life in his first three months at the club. Remember that it took him 14 games to score ONE goal in his first season.

2 goals v Leicester, 1 at Villa Park in the league, that famous goal at Camp Nou, then the hat-trick vs QPR just a few days after. And that's when he started to show signs of the old Torres - the Torres of the Liverpool days, the Torres that the club spent £50 million for. And that's 7 goals in two and half months, which in my opinion is a great improvement. Plus he scored 4 goals for his international team within just a month. And remember that RDM started with Drogba in our most important games of the season. Drogba started vs Napoli at home, in both of the clashes against Barca, against Spurs in the FA Cup semi and in both of the finals.

This season it will be him who will step up for the big occasions, now that Drogba's gone and he's the main man. And you will see that he'll score plenty.

[The Skipper 20,609]

His finish is unreliable, though, and that's what we can't afford. His runs are nothing out of the ordinary, every striker at a biggish club should be expected to do that. He's not Inzaghi.

Then again, not many players are like Inzaghi. Torres' movement isn't exactly the best ever but he's still good.

Again, I just want the season to start. If Torres fucks up, sell him. If he takes his last chance then he can do a good job for us upfront.

[Bir_CFC 3,455]

People are saying that he drops deep and drifts out because he's scared? I think that's more to do because he's scared about the media claiming he doesn't do shit so he's changed his play style, that if I'm not getting the service or finishing my chances, I'll have to at least redeem myself in some manner. He never used to do that Liverpool, even during his last season there when he lost form. That's more him trying to get more involved instead of getting scared. Chelsea's slow tempo build-up won't suit any striker who likes to play off the last defender.

The Brighton match, he stayed forward for a long time, omg omg his confidence is back because he's in the box now and didn't drift wide. He stayed near the box the whole match, got jack shit and then dropped deep in his last 10-15mins because he was so starved and didn't want to get subbed off after getting like 5 touches.

Anyways, I would love it if we can upgrade Torres, but that'll be very hard. I would love Cavani or Falcao but that would be very hard. Considering FFP selling Torres for a loss would surely screw us up, we're actually BETTER off keeping Torres than selling him this year. We can amortize the transfer fee but the loss we have to record in full, not sure we can afford to take that huge of a hit unless we win the PL and CL this year to compensate or somehow manage to sell Malouda and Benayoun for 20M lol.

He's a chelsea player, our first choice striker I will support him to the fullest.

[Kieran. 6,317]

@Bir_CFC,

The Torres-FFP argument doesn't make sense. He was signed before FFP, so how would that leave us worse off?

[manpe 10,861]

Even that Barcelona goal, a confident player would have taken a shot earlier than him- he took an extra touch to get it round Valdes.

I suppose Lampard wasn't confident either in his Ballon d'Or runner-up season.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fy1NAzeiWiI

Sometimes you're full of crap, cap, sorry. Rounding the goalkeeper in a 1 on 1 is the safest thing you can do. Chipping or anything else is much riskier. Lamps himself said it was the first time he ever rounded a goalie, because it was instincts of slotting it home safely.

[dan200 1]

I think 2012/13 will really be Torres' year. With Drogba not here I think he will really come out of his shell and show us what he's made of.

Take a look at this blog I found about him, it also has a pretty cool competition at the bottom where you can win a signed Chelsea football!

http://blog.oddslife.com/2012/08/201213-to-mark-torres-resurgence/

[Django 83]

Torres works hard for the shirt and deserves the respect we should give every Chelsea player. As long as he continues to work hard, I'll support him until the day he is no longer a Chelsea player.

[Bir_CFC 3,455]

@Bir_CFC,

The Torres-FFP argument doesn't make sense. He was signed before FFP, so how would that leave us worse off?

It doesn't matter when he was signed. Transfer fees can be either accounted in lump sum or amortized over the duration of the contract. Obviously we can't recognize anything in lump sum considering how much we spent on transfers, so we have to amortize everything. Hence we didn't play 50M for Torres, rather 10M each year for the duration of his contract. We've had him for 1.5 years, so we've only paid 15M for him so far. If we sell him now, for let's say 15M it means we have to recognize a loss of 35M-15M = 20M in THIS year. As opposed to a 10M transfer spend per year for the remaining 3.5 years.

Sure, the next year we'll be 10M better off, but considering how much we've spent this year I don't think we can take that 20M hit. And of course that will also mean buying more strikers, just not feasible.

[Peace. 4,352]

I am astonished when I see people bad-mouthing on Sturridge because he had 5 bad months at the end of the season, but on the other hand saying the Wonder Horse is a hard worker because he had a decent work rate during four months, at best, at the end of the season. Do I need to remind you the shit he did from January 2011 to January 2012 ?! Do I need to remind you that he was sulking on the bench, like a 8 years-old girl scolded by his mother, whenever Ancelotti and Villas-Boas played Drogba instead of him ? Did I need to remember you he wasn't even bothered to run, in order to show he wasn't happy, whenever he was coming off the bench ? Did I need to remember you he was often puting heartless performance under André and Carlo ?

[susu 41]

I am astonished when I see people bad-mouthing on Sturridge because he had 5 bad months at the end of the season, but on the other hand saying the Wonder Horse is a hard worker because he had a decent work rate during four months, at best, at the end of the season. Do I need to remind you the shit he did from January 2011 to January 2012 ?! Do I need to remind you that he was sulking on the bench, like a 8 years-old girl scolded by his mother, whenever Ancelotti and Villas-Boas played Drogba instead of him ? Did I need to remember you he wasn't even bothered to run, in order to show he wasn't happy, whenever he was coming off the bench ? Did I need to remember you he was often puting heartless performance under André and Carlo ?

well i´m astonished too ... how one man can be the measure everything and everyone ... kalou would score for fun with the new signings ... italy were tiered ... ireland no real opponent ... the barca-goal was nothing special ... there was no defender ... he is sulking, but in same time he changed the game ... he is scared ... everyone is fine but him ... he has no confidence ... sturridge is so much better than him ... what means a corner ... who is the biggest flop ... meh ... aaahhhh!

[Peace. 4,352]

well i´m astonished too ... how one man can be the measure everything and everyone ... kalou would score for fun with the new signings ... italy were tiered ... ireland no real opponent ... the barca-goal was nothing special ... there was no defender ... he is sulking, but in same time he changed the game ... he is scared ... everyone is fine but him ... he has no confidence ... sturridge is so much better than him ... what means a corner ... who is the biggest flop ... meh ... aaahhhh!

You've summed perfectly his situation. I couldn't even put it better myself. Well done

[Peace. 4,352]

How can we say he is finished even if the season has not started ? Maybe Because we have watched Chelsea during these 18 last months. Maybe because we have followed Football during these two past years. Maybe because we don't need to see the testicles to work out whether it's a male or female.

We dare to say he is finished because there have been evidences of it during these two last years. First of all, the most obvious evidence : he has been average at best during the last two seasons. When a footballer is playing way below his standard for two years, then you can genuinly wonder whether or not he will recapture his old form. Let alone when this footballer is supposed to be world-class. When a striker goes into a 14 games path without scoring a goal, and then beats his "record", i.e. to fail to score during 29 games in row, and all that in more or less 12 months, you can rightfully wonder if he will be ever good again. When a footballer suffer from an knee injury, and that his level drops significantly after he undergoing the surgery, you can have genuine concerns (i.e. Essien). When a footballer loses one of his best abilities (the pace, in this case), you can question his aptitude to bounce back. When an higly rated footballer fails to do the basics (i.e. to score easy goals... or at least hit the target ! To have a good first touch, to not push the ball too far), and look like a U21 (i.e. getting pushed easely off the ball, being woned by half good defenders, having no mental strength), then it isn't being unfair to wonder "what the hell happens ?".

I am deeply sorry to say this, but when you have all these questions I mentionned, about only one footballer, and that all happened in the same time... I presume it's safe to say he won't ever again be at the level he once was.

[zolayes 14,489]

OK so we have rubbished Torres ... isnt it time to give Mikel the treatment now.

[susu 41]

How can we say he is finished even if the season has not started ? Maybe Because we have watched Chelsea during these 18 last months. Maybe because we have followed Football during these two past years. Maybe because we don't need to see the testicles to work out whether it's a male or female.

We dare to say he is finished because there have been evidences of it during these two last years. First of all, the most obvious evidence : he has been average at best during the last two seasons. When a footballer is playing way below his standard for two years, then you can genuinly wonder whether or not he will recapture his old form. Let alone when this footballer is supposed to be world-class. When a striker goes into a 14 games path without scoring a goal, and then beats his "record", i.e. to fail to score during 29 games in row, and all that in more or less 12 months, you can rightfully wonder if he will be ever good again. When a footballer suffer from an knee injury, and that his level drops significantly after he undergoing the surgery, you can have genuine concerns (i.e. Essien). When a footballer loses one of his best abilities (the pace, in this case), you can question his aptitude to bounce back. When an higly rated footballer fails to do the basics (i.e. to score easy goals... or at least hit the target ! To have a good first touch, to not push the ball too far), and look like a U21 (i.e. getting pushed easely off the ball, being woned by half good defenders, having no mental strength), then it isn't being unfair to wonder "what the hell happens ?".

I am deeply sorry to say this, but when you have all these questions I mentionned, about only one footballer, and that all happened in the same time... I presume it's safe to say he won't ever again be at the level he once was.

ahhh i see ... you mean the time where every other striker at our club were scoring for fun, ... thats a very good reason ... boy you have it

[zolayes 14,489]

if Torres needs a role model about overcoming injury /// he need only look at Sam.

if he wants a come back model ....look at Steve Stricker

[Peace. 4,352]

ahhh i see ... you mean the time where every other striker at our club were scoring for fun, ... thats a very good reason ... boy you have it

This is exactly what I am speaking about. Id Est the time when Drogba saved our life in CL against Valencia, while Torres was missing sitters against Manchester United and Blackurn and going 24 hours without scoring. Great minds think alike

[zolayes 14,489]

This is exactly what I am speaking about. Id Est the time when Drogba saved our life in CL against Valencia, while Torres was missing sitters against Manchester United and Blackurn and going 24 hours without scoring. Great minds think alike

fools seldom differ...?????

[Pacquiao 1,834]

We're talking basics here. His 'movement' is hardly out of this world, its basic striker positioning. Any competent goal scorer would know where to be instinctively, and if they didn't, their coaches would drum it into their heads.

Now we've established that praising him for positioning is not valid, we have to examine his finishing, which is absolutely terrible, you cannot rely on him to tuck away a chance. You don't know if he'll hit the top corner or do something like this:

And that is exactly what's not needed in a striker. We need someone confident. Someone who'll tuck away the chances he will get. Any idiot can get himself in the same goal scoring positions Torres was in several times last season.

You mad mate?

Torres has unbelievable movement!!! i guarantee if you asked any PL defender who has played against him, if Torres is easy to mark they will all say no!!! he just needs the service to match his runs, which he may well get this season! and in terms of his finishing when he is confident he is clinical but when he feels the pressure thats when its hit or miss!

your clearly talking crap as usual! we get it you hate Torres you dont have to keep talking smack about the guy especially when the crap you talk isn't even entirely true!

[CHOULO19 24,332]

This has been going on for more than 18 months. When will we realize that this "discussion" is futile? I imagine us still fighting about Torres, using almost exactly the same words as in the above posts one year from now.

[zolayes 14,489]

This has been going on for more than 18 months. When will we realize that this "discussion" is futile? I imagine us still fighting about Torres, using almost exactly the same words as in the above posts one year from now.

the solution is simple ... bring back Kalou ,Bos and Ben Haim .... oh fuck go the whole hog and bring back Bogarde and Robert Fleck