Fernando Torres

[AGM_72 3,604]

Guillem Balague's posted some quotes from an interview with Torres on his twitter which I found quite interesting. The full interview will be on his site later. Here are the quotes:

Balague: about pens last night, version I heard: Torres volunteered to take one, di Matteo decided not to use him:Dont know about the Twitter version.

Torres: It’s contradictory because I feel like I’m at a peak moment in my career, with more desire and hunger than I’ve felt in a long time

Torres: "but I’ve had to spend the final on the bench. It was a huge disappointment when I saw the line-up, perhaps the biggest in my life"

Torres: This season I have felt things that I never had before. I’ve felt like they treated me in a way that I didn’t expect...

Torres: ...not in the way that was spoken of when they signed me. We’ve had a lot of talks and we’ll talk about my future

Torres: ...because the role I’ve had this season is not for me, nor is it the one I expected to play when I came here. I’m not comfortable

Torres: I want them to tell me what is going to happen in the future. Football has been fair on us, on me.

Torres: Now I do feel like football is worth it but I’ve been through a difficult time. The worst in my career. Dont want that again

Torres: there’s been many times when I’ve felt lost, I wasn’t sure what to do. I felt like I didn’t know where I belonged.

Torres: I’m eternally grateful to my family who have been by my side and also for the support of the owners who have stuck by me.

Torres: And especially to the fans, if it hadn’t been for them this season I would have given up

Torres: I need the club to tell me what is going to happen and what sort of role I will have within the team, what my duties are...

Torres: ...what the club expects of me. And then judge whether it is worth it.

Balague: I found Fernando Torres troubled, wounded. Nobody wants to hear this,but he is a young man under lots of pressure. The rest in my web later.

I'm interested in what else is to come from the interview.

[Daniel Amokachi 14]

They should play him wide right, he's put in a few good crosses from that area that have led to important goals. Chelsea are hugely lacking quality in the wide areas and Torres looks better outside the box now.

Kalou and Malouda are terrible.

[The Godfather 71,715]

He needs more players like Mata around him.

Next season he will have Marin, De Bruyne and hopefully another few players who can assist his style. The way Chelsea have played for more than 5 years now is very compact and direct...they don't tend to stretch teams but as the players have aged this has become more difficult.

The last few games Torres has looked far happier and more comfortable so maybe this is a corner turned. I would have had him in instead of Kalou in the final but I doubt he'd have been happy playing on the right hand side.

[Edmiston Drive 3,846]

Sounds like the stuff he came away with when he left Liverpool.......it was their fault not mine.

[bloonosed 14]

He was a cracking player before he joined liverpool,no doubt about it.I really enjoyed watching him.

I would not write him off yet.

[AGM_72 3,604]

He needs more players like Mata around him.

Next season he will have Marin, De Bruyne and hopefully another few players who can assist his style. The way Chelsea have played for more than 5 years now is very compact and direct...they don't tend to stretch teams but as the players have aged this has become more difficult.

The last few games Torres has looked far happier and more comfortable so maybe this is a corner turned. I would have had him in instead of Kalou in the final but I doubt he'd have been happy playing on the right hand side.

I've been discussing this with a friend on twitter and I think it has to be a culmination of that and his loss of form.

Chelsea have always used Drogba as a focal point, while the majority of their midfielders have been good at either going beyond the striker and getting on the end of crosses or picking off the scraps by arriving late (Lampard, specifically). Where as Torres is a bit more suited to having a Gerrard-like feeder supplying him or the likes of David Villa in the Spanish squad to play alongside.

As you said the directness of Chelsea's play is just not his style. While Torres lost his form and was unable to fit into their style of play, it must have got on top of him. I can't imagine it's good for your mental state, no matter how much you're paid or how good you are.

[King Jela 20,360]

I can't even begin to understand how he expected to start last night.

[Daniel Amokachi 14]

He was a cracking player before he joined liverpool,no doubt about it.I really enjoyed watching him.

I would not write him off yet.

He was a 20-25 + goal level striker prior to Chelsea. For 18 months now he has lacked any goal scoring consistency and I don't see that suddenly returning. 12 assists this season from sporadic appearances suggests he should maybe get a shot in a deeper role.

[bloonosed 14]

He was a 20-25 + goal level striker prior to Chelsea. For 18 months now he has lacked any goal scoring consistency and I don't see that suddenly returning. 12 assists this season from sporadic appearances suggests he should maybe get a shot in a deeper role.

Yeah, i don't know what has happened to him.

Maybe a return to Spain ?

[AGM_72 3,604]

I can't even begin to understand how he expected to start last night.

I couldn't decide whether it was an expectation that he would start or whether it was more a realisation of just how badly things have gone for him.

He made his move for trophies and medals, but I don't for a second believe that when he moved he thought he'd be on the bench and contributing very little to those medal wins.

[slimjim1690 4,534]

I can't even begin to understand how he expected to start last night.

Agreed, but when Kalou gets a game ahead of you then maybe it's time to realize maybe your not as good as you think you are, surely he didn't think he should have started ahead of Drogba.

Getting back to Kalou I just don't get it, what is his job on the park, maybe I'm missing something or maybe it's because I can only see him on the telly and don't see what he's doing of the ball, but for the life of me I don't see what he bring's to the team, his passing is awful his decisions ,control and composure, esp. in striking positions when under pressure are woeful and yet successive managers will continue to pick him, I suppose thats why I'll never be a manager.

[TheKingObv 10,639]

Probably should have.

[the goal machine 7,791]

He's probably just being melodramatic.

[Daniel Amokachi 14]

Agreed, but when Kalou gets a game ahead of you then maybe it's time to realize maybe your not as good as you think you are, surely he didn't think he should have started ahead of Drogba.

Getting back to Kalou I just don't get it, what is his job on the park, maybe I'm missing something or maybe it's because I can only see him on the telly and don't see what he's doing of the ball, but for the life of me I don't see what he bring's to the team, his passing is awful his decisions ,control and composure, esp. in striking positions when under pressure are woeful and yet successive managers will continue to pick him, I suppose thats why I'll never be a manager.

Kalou, Malouda and Essien (post injury) are dire and make no contribution to matches whatsoever.

Malouda was brilliant for about half a season then very poor thereafter.

[simplythebest 11,453]

Clearly it bothers him that he's been on the bench for his World Cup, Champions League and FA Cup medals.

[messiah10 58]

him and malouda should have started ahead of kalou(who is fucking hopeless at this level) and bertrand

ramires mikel lampard

mata de bruyne

torres

wouldnt mind that for next season, could get best out of torres

[Daniel Amokachi 14]

Should certainly be good enough to finish 6th again

[keithgersbear 3,225]

Just won the CL as part of a squad and this is all he can think about? Ego is out of control in some players. John Terry was more interested in his photo opportunity than anything last night.

[OneDavidCooper 2,505]

I thought he already had retired!

[The Godfather 71,715]

He is part of the biggest team in London and the only won to win the 'Big One'...he should be happy.

Fuck you Arsenal and Spurs.

[ChampionsAgain 1,373]

Should of started ahead of Bertrand.

[Thermopylae 15,286]

I suppose it must be a funny situation for these guys to be in I mean they already have more money than they could ever spend so is it realy that surprising that enthusiasm begins to lag after a few setbacks

[G.E.C. 18,712]

I never knew he was 28.

[KaiserJon 12,392]

He is part of the biggest team in London and the only won to win the 'Big One'...he should be happy.

Fuck you Arsenal and Spurs.

I know trophy wise they are the biggest in recent years-but both teams mentioned by you are ahead in terms of fans etc

[King Jela 20,360]

Christ, the media are making out he's fucking depressed after that interview.

"I'm looking forward to winning more trophies with Chelsea" sounds fucking suicidal so he does.