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.
