Fernando Torres

[Blu4Lyf 46]

Fernando Torres insists he is feeling 'stronger than ever' after a turbulent start to his Chelsea career.

The Spanish ace believes he is a "better player and better person" since his record £50million switch in January 2011.

The striker is relishing playing for the Blues and looks certain to lead the line against former club Atletico Madrid on Friday in the UEFA Super Cup.

Speaking in Monaco on Thursday ahead of the tie, he said: "I would change nothing that happened to me last season.

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"That taught me a lot of things. I learned a lot about a lot of people, in both ways. I learned a lot of things last season - good, bad. It made me a better player, a better person, and I'm stronger than ever now."

He added: "In these 18 months, I've become a better player. I have played in a different way to that I played at Liverpool.

"I can play more outside the box, associating more with my team-mates. I gave a lot of assists last season. I can mix it more."

Torres admitted that last term he felt like a teenager having to prove himself all over again.

Never been

"In these 18 months, I've become a better player. I have played in a different way to that I played at Liverpool."

Fernando Torres Quotes of the week

"I'd never been on the bench like eight games in a row," he said.

"I started to understand everyone in the team. When you're playing, you don't think about these things.

"But when you're there, you understand what people go through on the bench. It was a new experience. I learned a lot of things about that, which made me a better team-mate.

"I always tried to be a good team-mate, as I was as captain in Madrid. But I lost that at Liverpool, when I was never captain.

"[At Chelsea] I went back to when I was 17 or 18, having to fight every day for my place.

"I never want to go back to that situation again."

Torres was the most expensive player ever transferred between British clubs and is likely to remain so for some time.

"The money Chelsea paid for me was never something I was worried about," he said.

Difficult change

"It didn't make me play badly. It was just a difficult change from Liverpool to Chelsea. The adaptation took more time than it should.

"But all these things are in the past. Let's think about the present. The future can be brilliant, even better."

He added: "You know you're going to play, or think you are, and that gives you more time to play your football.

"That's the main difference between this and the previous one-and-a-half seasons at Chelsea.

"I'm playing more minutes and the confidence is back."

Torres has doubtless been helped by Chelsea's summer signings and he was looking forward to a bright future.

"Let's enjoy now. The team is playing really well, the new players are settled and doing well, and we're in a good run now," he said.

"Let's go about winning the first trophy of the season for Chelsea tomorrow. If we do that, there'll be more to come for Chelsea."

[Atholy 1,293]

[Justin_3d 1,140]

Chelsea paid a lot of money for me... so I owe them, says revitalised Torres

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2196019/Fernando-Torres-ready-repay-Chelsea.html#ixzz254mCldes

[ZanSnake 1,211]

Good to sound confident, but he has to display what he says on the pitch - which i think he can!

[xPetrCechx 13,548]

Torres needs competition up front, says Di Matteo while Chelsea Schurrle interest rises

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2196181/Roberto-Di-Matteo-says-Fernando-Torres-need-competition.html?ITO=1490&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

[TacticalBlues 2,817]

Atletico fans singing Fernando Torres. Wanna swap?

[Henrique 9,133]

Torres is not revitalised yet, every time I see a striker like Falcao, I wonder when a world class player will arrive here to score goals and win matches.

[xPetrCechx 13,548]

Torres is not revitalised yet, every time I see a striker like Falcao, I wonder when a world class player will arrive here to score goals and win matches.

I'M SO WITH YOU!

[The Big Drog 1,110]

Torres is not revitalised yet, every time I see a striker like Falcao, I wonder when a world class player will arrive here to score goals and win matches.

I think he'll have a good season, might get 20 goals in all competitions. He will never be revitalised though, he'll never be the player he was early in his Liverpool career. The knee problems, the niggling injuries took their toll and robbed him of his really killer pace. He is still relatively fast but it was his killer pace that set him apart. As a result he's still adapting, trying to change his game because he can't physically play now as he did before.

[Henrique 9,133]

Must admit I am surprised people are still banging on about his price tag. Why would it bother any fan or anyone else other than Roman himself. If Roman decides to throw 50 million in what may be deemed as a 'panic' buy then so what. Our emperor is clearly unfazed about splashing the cash on our imperious club, weather it be 50 million on Fernando or 30 million on Shevchenko.

It should not be in anyway used to his detriment as there is no correlation to quality and the price tag attached to players in this current footballing climate.

Because his price tag is the only reason why the board gave him one last chance. If he was a 18m striker and after one season and half here, today probably Falcao or Cavani would be here as the main striker.

[BlueLyon 9,359]

The only reason Im still into Torres is because there WAS some harmony in the squad. Obviously tonight, there was absolutely no team work and no ''selfish'' players to try on their own. Striker is usualy player that pushes his team forward. Torres will never do it here. If Mata or Hazard play shit, he plays shit too.

[DDA 9,570]

Because his price tag is the only reason why the board gave him one last chance. If he was a 18m striker and after one season and half here, today probably Falcao or Cavani would be here as the main striker.

A part of me wish one of the two were here.

[Manuf 1,448]

I might be called a straight hater but I just had enough. I will criticize him in every match and it's not because he doesn't score goals like he was supposed to, it's because he simply doesn't give a fuck. I feel sorry now for Kalou because I also abused him, but looking at the past at least he was trying, not good enough, but always happy to play and score goals, even the flucky ones.

I think that today showed what a true striker is capable of. Running for the ball, not hiding behind defenders and rising arms, controlling the ball, making turns, helping team-mates all across the field. I supported Torres since the day he signed, always believed he will explode here and score goals left and right like he used to in Liverpool. Then he couldn't score his first goal and we started to blame Carlo for playing him against those northern cunts. We became a laughing stock for spending money we could easily buy 2 to 3 strikers if we only looked deeper in the market (best examples is Newcastle scouting or the Porto one).

But we supported him anyway, always singing that he was our number nine despite the fact he didn't accomplish anything. All he offered was his name and history of great performances. Than the West Ham goal came, it was lucky because of the rain but Stamford Bridge and all of us exploded like as if we progressed to some kind of a final. Many of us, including myself, started to be happy only because Torres was in the line-up, forgeting about the Legends who later turned out to be vital. There always was something lacking, or at least that's how we tried to cheer ourselves after yet another disappointing performance of our no 9. We blamed the luck, team-mates (especially Drogba and Malouda), manager or him not getting enough service. What we came up with was a team focused on satysfying one player, even making transfer to help him, blaming players like Lampard for not thanking Nando when the ball came to him after that wonder scissor-kick strike, and yet there is still something missing. I remember the 24 hours on the pitch when he couldn't score a goal, and I do remember his assists and occasional goals later on, even the burst of joy of that goal against Barcelona. We went as far as crediting him for our CL success only because he earned one corner kick. But looking at the wider picture, all the assists and all the goals were good enough for a squad player. We chose Fernando Torres to be our leading man when in fact he didn't deserve to be even starting. Last year was one of his most succesful seasons, but he didn't even contribute much in neither CL, FA Cup nor Euro victory. He was simply lucky. It's his third season for Chelsea, and our third season hoping he will, after almost two years, start to play at least slightly as good as other stikers. And he is the most expensive player in Premier League history.

He should be sold and it's not because he's not getting on the scoring sheet, but because he simply doesn't have the hunger, nor a will to fight the whole match anymore. His goal against Newcastle came only because of his anger at the referee. If we want to be succesful we need to have a squad capable of creating that little piece of magic. Fernando Torres does not supply us with such thing. I hope we survive somehow come January and realize that we chose the wrong man.

If he proves me wrong, I will be the first one to admit my misjudgement, but as the things stand I opt for giving a chance to younger striker on the bench who proved to be capable of scoring.

[Kojo 4,676]

Torres is not revitalised yet, every time I see a striker like Falcao, I wonder when a world class player will arrive here to score goals and win matches.

Same... besides Drogba we haven't had that main man to lead the line and win matches for a while.

ESPECIALLY one that will score over 20 goals a season.

[Amblève. 4,995]

[...]

You're spot-on mate!

[xPetrCechx 13,548]

Fernando Torres has set himself the personal target of scoring more goals for Chelsea this season than he did in his best campaign at Liverpool.

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11668/8049066/Torres-targets-goal-rush

[termninja 5,290]

Am I the only one that thinks Fernando talks a bit much to the media?

Still, nice of him to come out and say things like that full of confidence.

I wish him all the best, but if he fails to impress this season he must he sold while we can still return some money of his purchase.

[Jase 43,479]

Am I the only one that thinks Fernando talks a bit much to the media?

Still, nice of him to come out and say things like that full of confidence.

I wish him all the best, but if he fails to impress this season he must he sold while we can still return some money of his purchase.

That! What he said are all empty talk if he doesn't perform consistently ON the pitch and not just scoring goals. Action speaks louder than words Fernando!