Chelsea and Spain striker Fernando Torres’ goal drought has extended to two months, which has everybody wondering what has happened to the World Cup winner, and is he another flop for the big-spending Blues?
Lately it’s become a common theme for teammates (at club and international level) along with coaches to defend the Spaniard’s form.
Torres’ Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti said in early March: “We are happy about his performance. He is a top scorer and he will score, this is not a problem.”
Torres’ Spain teammate Alvaro Arbeloa said after his another goalless performance against the Czech Republic on the weekend: “When you are as good as him you don’t need to worry. He needs to keep doing his job and the goals will come.”
But for a player of his quality, this is an alarming run as it’s now stretched to over two months. His confidence seems down.
It’s initiated comparisons with former Chelsea flops such as Chris Sutton or Andriy Shevchenko.
There’s no doubt about Torres’ quality in the past. He memorably scored the winner in the final of the 2008 European Championships as Spain lifted the trophy.
‘El Nino’ was also named in the English Premier League PFA Team of the Year in 2008 and 2009, as well as the FIFPro World XI in the same two years.
But in recent times he hasn’t convinced. We shouldn’t forget his form at the 2010 World Cup, where he struggled for Spain, with his lack of goals costing him a place in the starting eleven for the final.
Torres has shown flashes of his brilliance this Premier League season, most notably while still with Liverpool when his two goals fired the Reds to a 2-0 win over Chelsea.
Perhaps that performance alone prompted the Blues to chase his signature. We shouldn’t forget, many believe he was a Roman Abramovich signing rather than Carlo Ancelotti’s.
So far, he’s proven to be not worth the money spent.
But Torres is confident he is having an influence at Chelsea, who have improved in the past month or so. And the Spaniard is also confident his Blues debut goal will come.
“I am not anxious about the fact that I haven’t scored my first goal for Chelsea,” Torres said. “This is an issue for the papers, not for me. I am confident that the goal will soon come, but it is more important that Chelsea win than I score.”
To say he’s not anxious about scoring his first goal for the club is a lie. When he does, you can guarantee there’ll be quite the celebration as the weight is lifted off his shoulders.
He will score for Chelsea eventually.
But the bigger question is what has happened to the Torres of 2008 and 2009? Does he need a full off-season to get it right? Because this player we’re seeing at the moment doesn’t seem to possess the ability to consistently produce his real quality.
If that’s the case, then Chelsea may have another flop on their hands.