Fernando Torres ("Flores")
by Simon on Feb 1, 2012 7:53 AM GMT
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PrintWe are now all too familiar with the weekly ‘didn’t he do well’ excuses for Fernando Torres as the opinion amongst the supporters of the club on match days and followers of various web-sites seems to be pretty evenly divided.
I am not a fan of the player but I am pleased that there is rousing support amongst the 40,000 home crowd and several thousand travelling supporters each week, in the hope that he will continue to plug away and not lose heart. Likewise, AVB does his part in front of the cameras, suggesting that he doesn’t care who scores the goals so long as Chelsea are winning. You can be sure behind closed doors he isn’t so supportive.
Likewise, when it comes to assessing the merits on these web-sites, I think we should be more frank and cut through the lame old excuses that appear to suggest that he is a player worth persevering with.
We have had ‘Flores’ on our books for 12 months now:
- Last season’s record: 11 starts plus 7 as sub (18 games): 1 goal
- This season’s record: 18 starts plus 8 as a sub (26 games): 4 goals
It would be cruel to make a point that none of his 4 goals actually changed a result for us, afterall we have simply been grateful and relieved that he found the back of the net.
The early excuses were two-fold: the team don’t create enough chances for him and he isn’t playing regularly enough. Hopefully the month of January can finally put these two theories to rest.
Attention however seems to have switched to the matter of his role creating chances for others. This has been very evident, particularly in the recent game against Sunderland but we invested in the player as a long term replacement for Didier Drogba, as a centre forward and as someone who would provide us with 20+ goals a season.
The idea that he is now to be accepted as a back-up to others doesn’t get away from the point that we need a full time replacement for Dider Drogba, a centre forward and someone who can provide us with 20+ goals a season.
Let’s also remember that Florent Malouda and Nicolas Anelka were last season’s support for our centre forward and they scored 30 goals between them and, when they didn’t play, a little chap called Kalou came on and was able to find the net 13 times.
Beyond that, Frank Lampard has been providing support from midfield for the past 10 years averaging nearly 20 goals a season.
The good news is that Didier Drogba will be back with us for the Napoli games and hopefully beyond that, even looking into next season. Even better news would be that, for the start of that season, we will have a new signing keeping Didier out of the side, a centre forward, a player capable of providing us with 20+ goals a season.
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You can be sure behind closed doors he isn’t so supportive.
How can you be sure? Are you in the locker room and at training? I highly doubt it, so please for the love of all that is holy stop with the assumptions.
You don’t know, and you most likely never well. And you know they say about assuming anything.
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Well
We’ve had AVB and Roman post on here so I wouldn’t put it past him Timm. /sarcasm off
by dodgerboy03 on Feb 1, 2012 9:24 AM GMT via Android app up reply actions
So the point of this post
is to say that Torres sucks and that we will hopefully be signing a new CF over the summer?
by dodgerboy03 on Feb 1, 2012 9:21 AM GMT via Android app reply actions
Where did you come up with that name?
Is it any wonder that Fernando Flores has hardly scored for us? Can anybody honestly say that they would expect him to?
Torres/Flores
I simply felt he’s better suited to a name like Flores.
Torres (the bull) just seems inappropriate.
Do you forgive me?
Flores also mean "flowers"
1970 - 1984 - 2010
"Vamos Fluzão, vamos ganhar
Eu sou do clube tantas vezes campeão!
Vim pra torcer, vim pra gritar
E por você a vida inteira vou cantar!"
Which I think is actually his mom's name
or something like that. Wasnt sure if the author was calling him his mom, or just “flowers”. For a moment I thought it was a weird hybrid of Florent Malouda and Fernando Torres.
He's trying to say Nando is less like a bull (sic) and more like a flower
I got it, but it doesn’t seem many others did.
by Al Benson on Feb 5, 2012 12:02 AM GMT via mobile up reply actions
Got it after the explanation the OP gave above
Was just commenting on what I initially thought it was; a celebrity couple name.
Well,
Lampard and Terry are just Larry. And I can’t tell if that is hilarious or really boring. Kalouda will always be best, though. They were destined to be on the same team.
If I’m feeling creative I’ll bring the rest to the OT thread.
apologies
I am to Spanish what Torres is to scoring … crap!
As you rightly say, I thought his name meant ‘Bull’ whenin fact it means ‘Towers’.
Yes, he looks like a wilting flower to me skipping around the pitch with his hair-band.
The best I have seen from him over the past few weeks is playing out wide putting in crosses. His cross for Juan Mata yesetrday was perfect. Great goal.
… but that doesn’t get away from my main point … we need a a centre forward, a player capable of providing us with 20+ goals a season.
I still don't entirely understand
It’s not like Torres and Taurus are actually pronounced the same anyway…at least, not in any accent I can think of
But that's pretty hard to mix them up ...
even I knew that, and I speak no word Spanish
Tor ilisar'thera'nal!
Is there a special reason
why this font appears in bold? Is that to … emphasize the importance?
Tor ilisar'thera'nal!
"Hopefully the month of January can finally put these two theories to rest"
Did you watch the January games? Torres wasn’t that bad. Our midfield was mostly terrible, and almost always disjointed. I would also like to point out Drogba has not really performed this year (bar 2 or three games). Both players not performing I believe is a result of poor supply. (I sound like a Torres apologist, I’m not, but our midfield is freaking terrible. Everytime I watch us build up, I feel no anticipation/expectation that we will score. Right from when United turn the ball over, I feel that expectation.) Blame Torres, buy Cavani, even he won’t score with our terrible supply.
Yes, I watched all of January's games
Infact all the games since the start of the season.
I give a big thumbs up to Ramires (midfield) this season; I have a long lasting respect for Frank Lampard (midfield) and I have been pleased with a lot that Mata and Sturridge have done but the simple fact (for me anyway and I am glad you have your own opinion) is that Torres should be scoring goals and he isn’t.
If you chose to blame the midfield, then please do (I have mentioned that as being one of the excuses given for his lack of scoring).
Like you, all too often I feel no anticipation/expectation that we will score, unlike you however, I feel it’s because we have Torres leading the line.
Torres isn't completely innocent
A big part of our lack of goals is the midfield but some blame has to go to Torres. He has had some great chances this year that turned into some awful misses. He just doesn’t convert the chances he used to. He also gets far less of them due to our lack of midfield.
Maybe the return of Michael Essien will help
I actually felt he warranted MOM for the 30 minutes he played against Swansea.
It's crazy that we are left without a central striker that scores
whether it’s Torres’ or midfield’s fault, we should have got someone else NOW (well, too late for that) who can score and leave Torres sort his “problems” out on the bench. We wont get anywhere near where would want to be at the end of the season with our CF situation.
AVB said the following about Fernando today:
‘We don’t play to suit anybody’s game,’ he affirmed. ’There must be an understanding of a new way of playing in Chelsea, a dominant way of playing, where you have more of the ball and less spaces in behind.
‘This changes the nature of a player’s behaviours and movements and requires certain adaptation. That’s what we are trying to get.’
“Less spaces in behind” A.K.A. what Torres thrives on.
Might as well sell him this instant.
Not that he shouldn't continue to try to improve
and learn new tricks, but that definitely seems a case of trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. Hmm, guess I never thought of having some space as a bad thing.. I really hope this doesn’t mean he wants to be Barca v.2… I cant do with that much passing and buildup. :( A bit surprised they kept him this window then… I can only imagine they were hoping January would boost his reputation again and offers might come in for more than the rumored amounts.
Well.. he does say he likes to get the best out of his players… if AVB pulls this one off he will be dubbed a genius. ;)
I can't see it to be honest. Unless AVB completely changes Torres (essentially an elite goal
poacher) to a Drogba-style bulldozer, or a creative false nine (Messi-esque).
That sounds like he means spaces behind the ball / our players
As in, so that we can’t get caught out on the counter easily. Torres thrives on space ahead of the ball (behind the opposition)
How did you come to that conclusion? AVB's endgame is the high line + press aggressively
combo. If he meant less spaces behind us, that would essentially revert to us dropping very deep and countering. AVB knows Torres likes spaces in behind the opposition defense, that’s why he wants him to “adapt” to his style (otherwise why would he want Torres to adapt?).
Pressing leaves less space behind the ball
Although a lot behind our back line, yes.
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