Fernando Torres Left off Spain Squad: Why It Will Be Wake-Up Call He Needs

Fernando Torres should be absolutely embarrassed of himself.

He was not selected for next week’s exhibition against Venezuela. It is the first time he’s been left off Spain’s roster by manager Vicente del Bosque since 2006. He’s been a first-team regular since 2004.

The manager claims “…this doesn’t mean anything. This is not a definitive list for Euro.” But this is obviously not a happy day for the striker.

Perhaps the most shocking aspect of his omission is that Spain’s oft-starting frontman, David Villa, has been sidelined since mid-December with a broken leg. Even with Villa’s absence, del Bosque couldn’t find a spot for him on the roster.

While the boss is quite right, it is not a given that Torres will be left off the squad that defends their Euro title, it’s yet another step in the wrong direction. Torres scored the winning goal for Spain at Euro 2008.

Despite being one of the best players in the world just a few short years ago, Fernando Torres’ career has been hampered by injuries since before the World Cup in 2010.

He has never fully regained his form for club or country, and

Poll of the day: Should Fernando Torres start for Chelsea against Napoli?

Chelsea striker Fernando Torres last week revealed that he ‘expected things to be better’ after failing to find his form since joining the Blues for £50 million over a year ago

The Spaniard netted 24 times in his first campaign with former club Liverpool and went on to become a favourite with the Anfield crowd, but after his record move to London in January 2011 the 27-year-old has not looked half the player.

He told ESPN: ”To be honest, after one year I was expecting things would be better than they are now.”

In his 34 appearances since his transfer to Stamford Bridge, the former Atletico Madrid man has scored just three times in the Premier League. In the Champions League, Torres has featured nine times for the Blues and only contributed with two goals.

And the Spain international admitted he just cannot score: “Personally I have to improve.

“In my time at Liverpool there were games where I would not be playing well or I would be doing nothing but every time I touched the ball I scored.

“It’s such a strange feeling now because I am feeling better than ever physically. I am not finding the chances and, when I do find the chances, I cannot score.”

The west London club face a tough first-leg tie away at Napoli on Tuesday and Andre Villas-Boas will need to think carefully when selecting his squad.

The Italian side have plenty of quality going forward so the Portuguese might sacrifice a frontman of his own and go with a more defensive team to set up the return game at Stamford Bridge.

£50m Torres admits ‘I cannot score’

Fernando Torres has finally admitted “I cannot score” after managing just three league goals in his first year at Chelsea following a £50 million move from Liverpool.

The Spaniard has not found the net in 20 matches, and fired blanks again before being substituted at half-time of Saturday’s FA Cup draw at home to Championship side Birmingham.

“To be honest, after one year I was expecting things would be better than they are now,” Torres told ESPN. “It is a difficult situation.

“On the pitch it is a difficult time for Chelsea because we are not finding the results but we’re changing things, like playing a different style.

“In my time at Liverpool there were games where I would not be playing well or I would be doing nothing, but every time I touched the ball I scored.

“It’s such a strange feeling now because I am feeling better than ever physically. I am not finding the chances. And when I do find the chances, I cannot score.”

Despite his lack of goals for Chelsea, Torres is not interested in moving on despite linked in a swap deal with Atletico Madrid.

“My present and my future are here,” he said. “I have many things to do here and I want to do it because I always did what I wanted in every club I’ve been at, so this is not going to be different.”

Chelsea to swap Torres in deal with Atletico

Fernando Torres maybe the first casualty of Chelsea’s slump in form – even before manager Andre Villas-Boas.

Torres, who joined Chelsea from Liverpool on a record British transfer fee of 50 million pounds, has been a total failure at Stamford Bridge and according to news reports, is being offered as a swap to Spanish side Atletico Madrid.

Chelsea will offer Torres in exchange for Atletico Madrid’s Colombian striker Radamel Falcao.

IANS quoted The Daily Star as reporting that the Stamford Bridge club sent representatives to every Atletico game for the past three months to keep an eye on the Colombian striker.

Torres is a reputed figure in Madrid as he captained Atletico for a number of years before his move to Liverpool.

Falcao too would be keen to reuniting with his former FC Porto boss Andre Villas Boas, currently managing Chelsea.

The Madrid striker has scored 62 goals in 72 games, including 33 in 36 outings under Villas-Boas last season.

Torres, however, has only scored five goals in 31 appearances for Chelsea.

TORRES PREPARED

Fernando Torres returns to Merseyside this afternoon expecting a rough reception from the home support.

The former Liverpool striker has a mixed record at Goodison Park, scoring twice on his first visit there back in 2008, and having enjoyed relative success against Everton in his time as a Red, believes he may well be singled out today.

‘Yes, sure – this is a situation you can’t control, and with a Liverpool past they will see you in this way, you stand out more than the others!’ he told the official Chelsea website.

‘It’s one of the proper English atmospheres. When you play away, Goodison Park, or White Hart Lane, these places have big atmospheres for big matches. Obviously when I used to play for Liverpool this game is a special day, and as an away player you have to be focused and try to ignore the atmosphere.’

His expectations for Goodison are in sharp contrast to what the 27-year-old has experienced at Stamford Bridge since becoming a Blue.

‘For me it’s very important, the support of your people makes a big difference,’ Torres said. ‘With Spain, when things are not going well even your own supporters can be against you, I had good luck with Atletico and Liverpool in that respect but it is a big surprise to me to come to Chelsea with the money the club has paid and everything that has happened where things are not going in the way we were expecting, the fans still support me, even more than if everything was good.’

Despite a lack of goals, there are still reasons to be cheerful. His cross for Juan Mata’s goal against Manchester United last week was the latest in a growing line of assists, particularly in favour of his Spanish team-mate.

‘I was aiming for him, I know he likes to move to the second post, he does that run in training and I know how good he is because he scores like that in almost every training session,’ explained the number 9.

‘I don’t think that the strikers are always the best crossers though, wingers should be because they are there more often than the strikers, but the way we play we move around a lot and it is easy for me to cross from the right side.

‘The worst thing is that it hasn’t been enough to win games but it looks like I am the one giving assists now. In the future I am sure it will be the other way around in the normal way but it wouldn’t matter how it works, if we were winning matches.’

With three league games without a victory, it is time to return to winning ways. For Torres in particular, it would be especially sweet doing so on a ground where we have not triumphed in the league since 2008.

The Hard Life of Chelsea’s Fernando Torres

It is blatant to see that Fernando Torres is not at his best right now. Two goals this Premier League season for ‘El Niño’ is far from impressive. In fact, it’s terrible. John Terry has scored double that amount this season, even though he spends 95% of his time playing stupid passes on his own eighteen-yard box. Flashes of his brilliance have been few and far between, but consistency is key, although it would appear that Fernando has forgotten the meaning of the word of late.

In his heydays at Liverpool, we were used to seeing a 4-4-2 formation with Steven Gerrard sitting just behind the lone striker, with aid coming from both flanks. Gerrard would get the ball; play Torres through, and goal. Inevitable. One of the leagues most deadly strike forces was feared by many, and adored by all. Torres had pace, skill, acceleration, strength, and all other attributes. Scoring 56 Premier League goals in three seasons said it all. Torres was one of the best strikers around.

Here is where it starts going wrong for the Spaniard.

The first half of the 2010/11 Premier League season was not the greatest for Torres. Recurring injury problems and below par performances showed a dip in the form of the once great Fernando Torres.

January 2011, Torres signs for Chelsea for £50 million. No one saw that one coming, but stranger things have happened. Seemingly not bought by the then Chelsea manager, Carlo Ancelotti, Torres continued his poor form until he fired in a goal against an ever struggling West Ham. Chelsea fans went wild! The sheer brilliance of it! Running at the centre halves, change of direction, fired it into the bottom corner! Boom! (With a little help from a large puddle in the middle of the West Ham area, which in fact stopped the ball from probably going out of play and allowed for Torres to swing a flailing left leg at the stationary ball which luckily went in the net for once!) Was he back? No. The end of the 2010/11 season drew to a close, much to Torres’ relief. Now there was chance for the lad to kick back, relax, and find his form again.

I wish.

With AVB now at the helm for the new season, change was all around at the Bridge. The signings of Romelu Lukaku, Juan Mata, Oriol Romeu and Raul Meireles, and the return of Daniel Sturridge showed that a policy of youth was crucial to the young tacticians plans. The ever-popular 4-3-3 formation was still in place with three attackers leading the line. However, the difference really lied in the style of play. Out was the typical Chelsea ways of getting the ball wide to the wingbacks on every possible occasion, and in came the calm and collective style. Surely the new implementations put in place by AVB could only help the Spaniard? His record says otherwise.

Since the arrival of AVB, their had certainly been a difference in the way that Fernando Torres plays. In most, if not all the games that I have seen the Spaniard play in a Chelsea shirt, I have seen him tracking back into midfield positions to try and win the ball back, which he probably lost in the first place. The way in which Torres is trying to play reminds me very much of Wayne Rooney. The continued high work rate. The harrying. The tackling. Chelsea vs. Swansea City; Fernando gets himself sent off for a two footed challenge on the half way line, where a midfielder should be challenging. Desperation? I think not. AVB, the man who would appear to be trying to revolutionise the way in which Chelsea play their football may have asked the young man to play this way. Much like David Villa and Lionel Messi of Barcelona. The second you lose a ball, you get that ball back. Idealistic? Yes. Realistic? No.

This isn’t the Fernando Torres of old. Rarely was Torres a man who would venture back into his own half to win a ball back for Liverpool. Its all well and good if you’re actually good at it like Wayne Rooney, but Torres just isn’t that type of player. Torres was a player who latches onto through balls, turns defenders inside out and leaves centre halves for dead. Torres is now a player who picks up the ball deep, a player who runs around like a headless chicken, a player who just isn’t very good.

At Liverpool, the team was built around Fernando Torres. Formations were changed to accommodate his needs and players looked for Torres on every attack. At Chelsea? Torres is still struggling to get in the team. The formation has stuck, and he is not being accommodated. Unknown territory for ‘El Niño’.

To get the best out of Torres, you need to make him the King, with his Bishops, Knights, Rooks, Pawns and his beloved Queen around him making sure he gets the best service. Torres isn’t finding this at the Bridge. No longer is he a big fish in a small pond. It has become apparent that he just doesn’t fit in with the Chelsea system.

So the question remains… Will Torres get back to his former standards? Nothing is impossible, but ‘El Niño’ needs to acclimatise to the team, not the other way round.

And miracles do happen…

Fernando Torres: 3 Reasons Why Striker Will Not Go to FC Barcelona

The rumor about Fernando Torres leaving Chelsea for FC Barcelona was popular during New Year’s Eve. The rumors were started by the Spanish Magazine El Mundo Deportivo and published in Sporting Alert.

According to the magazine, Andres Villas-Boas of Chelsea is willing to discuss with Pep Guardiola an exchange between Torres and three players from Barca (Sergi Roberto, Isaac Cuenca and Martin Montoya). The reason is to substitute David Villa while he is recovering from his lower-extremity fracture.

The idea of Torres at Barca deserved a second opinion, which was discovered in a B/Rarticle written by Anurag Bhatt. The result is the three reasons Torres will not go to FC Barcelona.

Financial

FC Barcelona is not going to waste precious money on bringing Fernando Torres if he did not score at Chelsea. The review of articles by Mr. Bhatt and theunderwriter explains the financial reasons that debunk the rumor.

Javier Faus, who is the FC Barcelona economic affairs vice president, approved a transfer budget for the 2011-12 season which would not go over $59 million. The previous two seasons for FC Barcelona resulted in a net loss of $137 million.

FC Barcelona spent an equivalent amount of money corresponding to the transfer budget for Alexis Sanchez and Cesc Fabregas. The personal opinion is that the exchange between Torres and the three players from Barca will not help the budget.

The transfer does not assure that Torres will perform better than when he was with Chelsea.

Torres’ Record At Chelsea

Fernando Torres transferred from Liverpool to Chelsea for the unheard-of-price of$79.5 million. The purpose was for Torres to score goals for Chelsea.

Torres has scored five goals for Chelsea (Premier League and UEFA Champions League) within one year. There have been other athletes who have scored more within their first year than Torres.

He even missed an opportunity to score during Chelsea’s match against Manchester United in Sept. 2011. Torres was unable to find the back of the goal net in order to score.

Does FC Barcelona want a striker with that problem? The answer is no.

Negative Comments About Team and Teammates

The cardinal rule of sports is to never make negative comments about past and current teams, including teammates. Torres violated that rule during an interview with theSpanish Primera Liga website.

During the interview, Torres referred to his teammates as “older” and “very slow.” The result was that Andres Villas-Boas demanded an explanation from Torres.

Torres replied that the interview was lost in translation. In a separate interview with Chelsea TV, Torres talked about signing with Chelsea in order to “play on a top-level club.”

The supporters of the Liverpool FC were not pleased with the comments. Whether Torres was aware (or not) of the comments, they were negative.

FC Barcelona does not need a person who would make comments of that nature.

The idea of Fernando Torres going to FC Barcelona will not materialize unless there is a miracle.

Chelsea’s £50m flop Torres up for sale

Chelsea‘s misfiring £50 million forward Fernando Torres will go on sale next month.

His departure from Stamford Bridge is imminent with the club willing to listen to offers for him in the January transfer window.

Chelsea are willing to bite the bullet and offload the Spain international for £20 million.

According to a report from The Daily Mail, Chelsea were prepared to allow Torres to depart on loan to rebuild his confidence but it is believed that the club is now ready to offload the striker altogether.

The former Liverpool star, who moved to Stamford Bridge in acrimonious circumstances just 11 months ago, has scored just three league goals for the Blues.

Chelsea’s patience with Torres appears to have snapped and are willing to swallow a massive financial loss on a player whom they splashed a whopping £50 million, making him the most expensive footballer in Britain.

The Blues are prepared to do business with any side that offers around £20 million forTorres and match his £150,000-a-week salary.

New Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas arrived in London in the summer determined to reinvent the Torres of old that made the forward one of the most scintillating and potent attacking threats in the world.

The signing of Juan Mata from Valencia was even designed to coax the best out of Torres but the former Kop idol has failed to forge any sort of understanding with his compatriot.

Having been patient with the forward as he struggled to come to terms with the backlash and stigma from Liverpool fans following his defection from Merseyside, Chelsea are now sounding out continental sides in the hope of getting Torres of their books.

The struggling Spaniard has now been firmly displaced from the starting eleven and is behind veteran Didier Drogba and Daniel Sturridge in the pecking order.

Torres was unsurprisingly an unused substitute in Chelsea’s 2-1 triumph against Manchester City on Monday night and did not take part in the celebrations that ensued between the Blues’ substitutes and coaching staff following Frank Lampard’s winner against the Citizens.

While Torres enjoys a good rapport with the Chelsea faithful, he has failed to live up to his hefty price tag and reputation.

However, it seemed as though the Spaniard turned the corner when he struck a beautiful effort against United at Old Trafford in September, but the former Liverpool front man needlessly got himself sent off against new boys Swansea in Chelsea’s next encounter.

Torres initially went through a 13-match goal drought when he jumped ship to the Blues, before finally opening his Chelsea account in their 3-0 win over West Ham on April 23.

He then went underwent another nine-match goalless streak before hitting the target against the Red Devils on September 18.

Torres has fared no better this season, having only found the back of the net a disappointing four times, despite having started 11 games.

Chelsea v Liverpool: five things we learned

André Villas-Boas is under increasing pressure while big-money signings are still struggling to settle at both clubs

Luis Suárez, the best of the big-money signings on show at Stamford Bridge, was in impressive form for Liverpool. Photograph: Nick Potts/PA

1 André Villas-Boas is already a manager under pressure

It was arguable that, given the summer transfer outlay, Kenny Dalglish should have come into this fixture as the manager under greater scrutiny. But in ensuring he has now gone 12 matches unbeaten against Chelsea while in charge of Liverpool he left the focus fixed on André Villas-Boas. The 34-year-old has never experienced toils quite this troubling in his fledgling managerial career. Chelsea had never lost successive home league games under Roman Abramovich’s ownership, though three defeats in four league matches is squeezing confidence at the club. Of course, Villas-Boas is charged with more than short-term success. He has to rejuvenate the team while the squad continues to evolve – transfer policy is aimed at more youthful recruits these days – which can only be a long-term project. He needs time to impose his ideas and make his influence properly felt. But Chelsea are understandably terrified of ever failing to qualify for the Champions League. Those fears did for Luiz Felipe Scolari in the winter of 2009, though the Brazilian dropped only seven points in his first 12 games in charge. The Portuguese has shed twice as many in the same time.

2 The days of Chelsea’s stingy defence are long gone

To suggest Chelsea are not as watertight as they once were is hardly revelatory. The runaround Arsenal administered here this month in plundering five proved as much, as does the sorry tally of two clean sheets in the Premier League to date all term. Yet this team are contriving to concede increasingly ridiculous goals. Petr Cech’s implausible throw to Mikel John Obi just after the half‑hour provided Liverpool with their opener, Charlie Adam’s snapped tackle and Craig Bellamy’s awareness duly cutting a swath through panicked defenders. The ease with which Glen Johnson glided past Ashley Cole and Florent Malouda for the winner was ridiculous. Chelsea may be experimenting with a more attacking approach but they have conceded 17 times in 12 games this season, two more than they did in the entirety of José Mourinho’s first season at the club. And Alex, a tower of strength in the blanks achieved at Stoke City and Blackburn Rovers in two of his three appearances this season, was not even in the 18-man matchday squad here.

3 Liverpool are still a work in progress

This was a result for Dalglish to savour, a victory to make the rest of the division sit up and take real notice. Yet, as his team contemplate a nine-match unbeaten run that has put them level on points with fourth place, there will be frustration at the wastefulness that has ensured Manchester City remain so distant at the top. Had Liverpool prevailed in matches they would have expected to win – most notably at home to Swansea City, Norwich City and Sunderland, but also even against Manchester United and Stoke City in games they dominated – they would be title contenders. Their unbeaten sequence suggests consistency, though that is deceptive. They are a team capable of startling results but they remain a work in progress. Even so, under Dalglish, the future feels decidedly bright again.

4 Big money arrivals are still to settle at both clubs

The dust has settled on the frenzied transfer dealings involving these clubs on the final day of the mid-winter window in January but Liverpool and Chelsea are still waiting to see any real return on their money. Andy Carroll and Fernando Torres began this match as £85m worth of substitutes, the pair granted a combined eight minutes to impress. Throw in Jordan Henderson and Stewart Downing, who began on the visitors’ bench, and Raul Meireles among the home replacements at the start, and there are plenty of new arrivals waiting to settle. Yet it is the forwards’ toils that hog the limelight. Torres and Carroll have now contributed seven goals in 41 Premier League games between them since leaving their previous clubs. Villas-Boas had been quick to praise the Spaniard in the build-up to this contest with former employers, only to leave him out. That said much. As did the decision to introduce Daniel Sturridge at the break rather than the £50m record signing.

5 Yet there was one solid signing on deadline day

The best piece of business achieved on the eve of the closure of the January transfer window still feels as if it was Luis Suárez’s £22m signing from Ajax. The Uruguayan has concerns off the pitch, with a Football Association charge for racially abusing Patrice Evra hanging over him, but his form is impressive. He was at his best slipping Craig Bellamy and Dirk Kuyt, such willing runners, through Chelsea’s obligatory high line in the opening period with clever reverse passes aplenty. His involvement in the rat-a-tat of passes that pre-empted Maxi Rodríguez’s goal was almost inevitable. The striker was not involved in Johnson’s winner here, but that was bizarre: he feels integral to every attack this Liverpool team muster at present.