FERNANDO TORRES : CLASS TEMPORARY, FORM TEMPORARY

FERNANDO TORRES : CLASS TEMPORARY, FORM TEMPORARY?

The downward spiral of Torres’s  form pops up almost every week and soccer pundits around the world seize the opportunity to criticize and highlight the once highly rated strikers disastrous form at Chelsea. It’s true they say ‘’Form Temporary, Class Permanent’’ but Torres’s temporary poor form has lingered on a bit too long. Every top player hits a run of bad form once in a while but it is their ability to emerge from it quicker and stronger that makes them the champions that they are. Wayne Rooney endured an even more traumatizing and career threatening episode earlier last season after his dalliances with a prostitute was made public, with his marriage on the line but that chapter seems to be so distant now after he quickly got his act together and rediscovered his form. We can’t forget that not too long ago, Fernando Torres was flying for Liverpool and spear heading attacks an Anfield with style and grace. From stunning runs into the penalty box and perfect shooting  abilities, to his superior aerial presence. It’s impossible that he has forgotten how to score and create chances overnight so what seems to be the problem?

I think the circumstances surrounding his transfer from Liverpool shook his confidence a bit which was expected considering the rivalry between both clubs but one would have expected him to have shrugged off the criticisms pouring in from the Liverpool fans and reclaimed his place in the echelons of top premier league strikers . He still looks clueless on the pitch and just can’t hold the ball and dazzle like he once did. The huge price tag seems to have overwhelmed him and he’s beginning to doubt his abilities to live up to the bill. His poor run of form has gone on to manifest itself even when he’s playing for his country Spain which has seen him drop down the pecking order with Pedro and David Villa all stepping up and getting the job done. The one man who would be baffled more than all of us already are is Roman Abromavich  who spared no cost in signing the highly rated striker to his team, probably to help push for the premier league title last season. Although he hasn’t publicly displayed any disappointments in his expensive new toy, it’s obvious he’s absolutely livid with the striker’s lack of goals  in over seven months scoring just one last season.

What I think is happening is that the Chelsea players haven’t really accepted Fernando Torres into the team with rumors about a rift between him and Didier Drogba rife, so intense that both players hardly maintain eye contact at the training grounds. How can a team score and win matches when their top two strikers are not in each others’ good books? There’s a fine line between healthy competitive rivalry and plain rivalry and until both players learn to work with each other, Chelsea are going to struggle to hit the goal scoring form that we know they possess.

With New Coach Adre Villas-Boas now at the helm of affairs, Torres is going to have to work harder if he wants to  enjoy more playing time. The emergence of  Daniel Sturridge and new boy MATA surely doesn’t help his situation. Who would have imagined Torres being left out on the bench  for Sturridge in a crunch away match against Sunderland? This highlights the low point of his form at the moment. Daniel Sturridge has always been a fighter and  his determination is what what I admire. After a successful loan spell at Bolton, it’s come as no shock to me that he’s back in the senior squad fighting for a place and scoring goals which is the most important. Mata has also scored twice already which heaps a load of pressure on  EL NINO. I still believe he has got what it takes to lead the Chelsea attack alongside Drogba but the more he delays in rediscovering his form the worse the situation might get with the unsympathetic Villas Boas looking to impress his new and ruthless employer real fast!. He has to totally ignore what everyone’s saying and come back with a  bang. His confidence is at an all time low and a run of goals in two or three games consecutively should see EL-Nino back to his former self. if not, he’s just going to be pushed further down the pecking order and eventually sold off and trust me, no team is going to want to pay above 15 million pounds for his services with his form so poor.