The Official Thread of Chelsea FC

[Carmen Stateside]

Hope he enjoys all the medals he won by going to Chelsea. At least hes having great craic!

[Norf Tyrone]

Norf,

Was disappointed last night with Chelsea but I'm sure not as much as you were! Thought it was set up for a grand stand finish but not to be.

But anyways, I'd still have an eye on Torres and of course have fond memories of him. I've been shocked though at how poor he has been. He was bad before he left liverpool but at least he was getting the odd goal.

What happens him now? Just get him to the end of the season and start afresh next season with new manager and new players onboard. At 50m he's too expensive to disgard. When he was in his prime at LFC the team played to his strengths - one up top. Can Chelsea justify a spending spree to play to his strengths or do they need to go back to the drawing board?

I'd be off opinion that a club with the ambitions of chelsea shouldn't be building a squad to suit one player and they'll need different options.

On the plus size at least he has stayed fit and injury free since he joined.

It's all questions that need answered Bingo. The one 'hope' is that a summer's rest will help him. There was a great article in the paper yesterday that showed how Torres got his goals (I'll try and dig it out) that basically said that almost half his goals came from through balls- the like of Gerard would have played.

However that's been one major issue with Chelsea this year in that their build up play has been too ponderous.

I do think they will have to build a team around Torres, and the one bright point of that is that Sturridge is of similar ilk so he may be able to fit in there as well OR play alongside him. Both players have pace in abundence.

Chelsea will need to drop/ sell Essien, and play Lampard more sparingly, and inject some pace and an eye for a pass. MacEacheran is the best passer at the club and I'd like to see him feature more.

However I'll chat about the rest of the squad later. Not in the mood today!

Hope he enjoys all the medals he won by going to Chelsea. At least hes having great craic!

I'd say he maybe left Liverpool as he hated working Thursday nights.

[AZOffaly]

I'd say he maybe left Liverpool as he hated working Thursday nights.

Touché.

Although it appears he dislikes working Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays at the moment. And maybe if he did his work on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, he wouldn't have had to work on Thursdays.

[Norf Tyrone]

I'd say he maybe left Liverpool as he hated working Thursday nights.

Touché.

Although it appears he dislikes working Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays at the moment. And maybe if he did his work on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, he wouldn't have had to work on Thursdays.

If he had've worked Saturdays and Sundays he wouldn't have to work Thursdays you mean!

[Bingo]

I'd say he maybe left Liverpool as he hated working Thursday nights.

Touché.

Although it appears he dislikes working Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays at the moment. And maybe if he did his work on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, he wouldn't have had to work on Thursdays.

If he had've worked Saturdays and Sundays he wouldn't have to work Thursdays you mean!

The same whore dodged most of the Thursday nights as well 

Its going to be a tough one for Chelsea. First things first, I'd have little doubts that they'll be looking a new manager. They were super last year and started this season the same, you'd be a brave man to back against them winning the league in early part of the season. Since Wilkins left its all gone wrong, I'd wonder if this had a big impact and has even ancelloti lost interest sonce then, as his team seem to have.

[Norf Tyrone]

I'd say he maybe left Liverpool as he hated working Thursday nights.

Touché.

Although it appears he dislikes working Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays at the moment. And maybe if he did his work on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, he wouldn't have had to work on Thursdays.

If he had've worked Saturdays and Sundays he wouldn't have to work Thursdays you mean!

The same whore dodged most of the Thursday nights as well 

Its going to be a tough one for Chelsea. First things first, I'd have little doubts that they'll be looking a new manager. They were super last year and started this season the same, you'd be a brave man to back against them winning the league in early part of the season. Since Wilkins left its all gone wrong, I'd wonder if this had a big impact and has even ancelloti lost interest sonce then, as his team seem to have.

If Wilkins was the genius he is made out to have been, why is he making a fool of himself working for SKY, and he is making a fool of himself if you watched the Spurs game last week. He's a nice guy, a decent coach, nothing more.

The manager question's a strange one. We need someone in who can rebuild a team, and it doesn't need the radical overhaul people think. Luiz, Ramires, Ivanovic, Paizon, Alex, Mikel, Sturridge, Torres (!) MacEacheran etc. The spine is already there.

Can CA rebuild a squad?

[Dinny Breen]

Surprised at some of the more reasoned Liverpool supporters having a pop at Torres, he is a fantastic player and factors that seem to be ignored are

1. World Cup year and lack of pre-season, there is no doubt in my mind he is not as fit as he should have been
2. Burden of expectation, £50m is lot of money
3. Did not arrive at Chelsea in form, primarliy due to point 1 and playing for a side that had lost belief in it's ideals and it's manager
4. Thrown in at deep end, not his fault that Drogba and Anelka also were going through a bad spell and CA had to try something to ignite his faltering team..

So it was a gamble that failed but with a proper pre-season where he can get to grips with systems and build player relationships the kid will come good, pound for pound Chelsea have the best starting XI in the EPL and with some astue signings I can see this Chelsea side dominating the EPL next season with one Fernando Torres leading from the front...

[Denn Forever]

Ray Wilkins?

Terrible Pundit but was he the straw that scuppered ye this year?  Wheel seemed to come off after he left.

Or is that just something that an outsider would think?

[Doogie Browser]

Wilkins said last night that Torres was targetted by Ancelotti from last summer.

[AZOffaly]

I'd say he maybe left Liverpool as he hated working Thursday nights.

Touché.

Although it appears he dislikes working Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays at the moment. And maybe if he did his work on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, he wouldn't have had to work on Thursdays.

If he had've worked Saturdays and Sundays he wouldn't have to work Thursdays you mean!

True, and last year when they got knocked out in the Group Stages, Tuesday and Wednesday.

[Bingo]

I'd agree re Wilkins as a commentator, as an analysis after a match he not too bad. Spurs V Madrid was like a comedy!

Dinny, no one really having a pop at Torres, just questioning his form and desire. I don't think any of your points hold much water. Realistically he's been in this form for almost two seasons. Alright in and out of fitness may be a factor but he was always allowed time to recover and get right, he's been playing now for months and if anytime should be as fit as anyone at this stage. Obviously his confidence is at rock bottom but having watched him for last few seasons he gives off the impression he just isn't happy playing football.

I thought Torres would come back to himself ie early days with LFC but that seems a long time ago. His one game of note this year was against Chelsea at Anfield and that was it this season. I still think he'll come good but not near 50m good.

[Dinny Breen]

Alright in and out of fitness may be a factor but he was always allowed time to recover and get right, he's been playing now for months and if anytime should be as fit as anyone at this stage. Obviously his confidence is at rock bottom but having watched him for last few seasons he gives off the impression he just isn't happy playing football.

It's a bit of a myth that you can get your fitness by playing games, he needs a proper pre-season. I read an article about Barca recently and how they plan their pre-season and mini-pre-season are all about peaking in November/December and April/May hence why they were tiring towards the end of games and they were there for the taking by Arsenal in February (will see if I can dig it out). I remember Henry when he joined the Arse and how brutal he was but as he got more comfortable with what was expected well the rest his history. Torres can be that Henry for Chelsea imho.

[AZOffaly]

Alright in and out of fitness may be a factor but he was always allowed time to recover and get right, he's been playing now for months and if anytime should be as fit as anyone at this stage. Obviously his confidence is at rock bottom but having watched him for last few seasons he gives off the impression he just isn't happy playing football.

It's a bit of a myth that you can get your fitness by playing games, he needs a proper pre-season. I read an article about Barca recently and how they plan their pre-season and mini-pre-season are all about peaking in November/December and April/May hence why they were tiring towards the end of games and they were there for the taking by Arsenal in February (will see if I can dig it out). I remember Henry when he joined the Arse and how brutal he was but as he got more comfortable with what was expected well the rest his history. Torres can be that Henry for Chelsea imho.

Correct. But what worries me about Torres is the lack of desire to make the runs. If he was making them and not getting there, I'd say he's tired/unfit/not ready. But he is not trying to make runs across defenders, not trying to get to the ball, etc etc. There were some brutal examples there in one game I was watching, and I couldn't believe it. That should be 1st and second nature to a striker.

[brokencrossbar1]

Surprised at some of the more reasoned Liverpool supporters having a pop at Torres, he is a fantastic player and factors that seem to be ignored are

1. World Cup year and lack of pre-season, there is no doubt in my mind he is not as fit as he should have been
2. Burden of expectation, £50m is lot of money
3. Did not arrive at Chelsea in form, primarliy due to point 1 and playing for a side that had lost belief in it's ideals and it's manager
4. Thrown in at deep end, not his fault that Drogba and Anelka also were going through a bad spell and CA had to try something to ignite his faltering team..

So it was a gamble that failed but with a proper pre-season where he can get to grips with systems and build player relationships the kid will come good, pound for pound Chelsea have the best starting XI in the EPL and with some astue signings I can see this Chelsea side dominating the EPL next season with one Fernando Torres leading from the front...

Just having a bit of fun Dinny, we have nothing else to entertain us for the rest of the year apart from having cheap shots!  On his whole form he seemes to be playing just the exact same way as he was in the last few months with Liverpool, disinterested, lethargic, lazy in fact.  I don't think he has settled in as well as he would have hoped and I would think that Didier is a very big presence over his shoulder.  Much will depend on who is manager next season and also who are the available strikers.  I could see both Anelka and Drogba being moved on for younger similar models to come in, who can work on a relationship with Torres.  3 very big egos pushing for one spot at the minute and in the long run there will only be one winner.

[Norf Tyrone]

Alright in and out of fitness may be a factor but he was always allowed time to recover and get right, he's been playing now for months and if anytime should be as fit as anyone at this stage. Obviously his confidence is at rock bottom but having watched him for last few seasons he gives off the impression he just isn't happy playing football.

It's a bit of a myth that you can get your fitness by playing games, he needs a proper pre-season. I read an article about Barca recently and how they plan their pre-season and mini-pre-season are all about peaking in November/December and April/May hence why they were tiring towards the end of games and they were there for the taking by Arsenal in February (will see if I can dig it out). I remember Henry when he joined the Arse and how brutal he was but as he got more comfortable with what was expected well the rest his history. Torres can be that Henry for Chelsea imho.

Correct. But what worries me about Torres is the lack of desire to make the runs. If he was making them and not getting there, I'd say he's tired/unfit/not ready. But he is not trying to make runs across defenders, not trying to get to the ball, etc etc. There were some brutal examples there in one game I was watching, and I couldn't believe it. That should be 1st and second nature to a striker.

I think some of Dinny's points are fair, and there is some theory in the fact that Torres is struggling with the shadow of Drogba and to a lesser degree Anelka. To me Drogba will have to go, but then the pressure is on FT to get the goals Drogba got. No easy task.

AZ your point re the runs. He has made some runs that Chelsea had not the intelligence to pick out. However there are other times when he should've been in better places. Last week Bosingwa put in a classic cross across goal and Torres was on the back foot and not charging in. There was a PL game too where he went missing a few weeks back, and didn't even appear to want to get into places, but I too can't remember the game.

Some mature commentary here. Wait til the weins get out of school.

As I went to post I see BC1 has made similar points to my first paragraph there.