Torres: An Honest Reflection
Let’s face it, we all knew things weren’t right for Fernando Torres under AVB didn’t we? I mean, it didn’t take a genius to work that out at the time, one look at his body language was enough and that was without the sort of below par performances we got from him at the time.
Things are clearly different now. Whilst some will inevitably still knock him, the vast majority kept faith with our Spanish striker and he’s started repaying that faith now his head is where it needs to be. Under Roberto Di Matteo, this season Torres is definitely looking hungrier and happier – and that is reflected in his work-rate.
Obviously though, as much as some of us willed it to be the case all along, it wasn’t as Torres explains “Halfway through last season, I distanced myself from the values I had grown up with. I had team-mates who didn’t care if the team won or lost because they were not playing. I never wanted to be like that. (But) one day I discovered that I was like them, that it didn’t matter if we won or lost if I was not playing. I wasn’t part of the group. I discovered that I was not happy because I had stopped being what I had always wanted to be. In the dressing room, you can never lose that group concept. But I learned to look at myself and to realise that the only person that can change is you. The only person who can say: ‘You’re making mistakes, you’ve got to do something’ is you.”
As we know, a large part of his frustration – and not only his – was down to not only the manager but also the system, with Torres saying “I became a different player because I was serving the team. It was to my personal detriment but it was the only way to play. At times I thought: ‘I’m going to run in behind the defender, I’m going to offer myself and go into the space.’ And I could go 70 minutes without touching the ball. If I played in my (natural) position, I wasn’t involved in the game. What do I do? It was so different to what I was used to with (Rafa) Benítez that I was not happy and you could tell.
When we changed coach (and Roberto Di Matteo took over) it was a bit more similar (to Benítez’s style). That had a good side to it, which was that I learned: I became a better player. I can now do things that I was not able to before. You can be the player that your coach wants but you’re not the player that people expect you to be. I spoke to Steve Holland, the (Chelsea) assistant, a lot and we worked hard on it. I became more mature, I came to know myself better and became conscious of the fact that it depends on me. I learnt to be more self-critical, to understand everyone better and to accept the situation.
I learnt that if we won it didn’t matter that I hadn’t played. I had to keep working. You can settle into a comfort zone or you can accept your role and (Paulo Ferreira) taught me to say to myself: ‘This is the situation now.’ He always trains as hard as anyone, he always has a smile, he is always close to the young players. He has taught me a lot.”
And now, with Torres having come through a really difficult season and the selfless play we’ve seen from him of late demonstrating he’s very much a team player, he says “When I retire the only thing that concerns me is that no one can say that I was a bad team-mate or disrespectful or self-important.”
Filed under: Current Players, Managers
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u dont care whether chelsea won or lose???
Really?????????????????????????
Torres is such a selfish and uncompromised subject………………..
Ever since torres arrive from liverpool
I see no serious in him…..
Imagine a sinior player saying he dont care whether his team won or lose whenever he found himself on the bench!!!!!
the word will be unaceptable for a real chelsea fans!!!
Drogba,terry,lampard this three legend pays attribute to their teams whenever they are on the bench!!
May be chelsea was wrong to bought him from liverpool!!!!!!
I will ask torres a minute how many trophy have u won with liverpool???
I can still remember ur word before our match against atletico madrid in uefa super cup.
U said u will not celebrate if chelsea score any goal against atletico madrid….
Truely on that day in 90 minute ur leg was not located with the ball…….
U r no longer with atletico madrid stilll yet u wanted them to win ur team…..
Now u r saying the same thing that u owe liverpool.
What did u owe them????????
I will like di matteo to be benching this guy he is not a gud attitude at all….
May be by january u will be sell out…..
Rubish!!!!!!
Interesting perspective of Paulo …
What a nonsense coment,plz read that artical very well.
I will only advice Torres to be more serious to his game and pray regularly for revival of his form as of old. And not alway holding ball he need to shoot the ball, he should be trying to play long rage shot to the Goalkeeper, because a striker must not lack of shot on target atleast 7-8 in a single match by so doing you will get back to your form. You can call me on this mobile number for detail(+2348178040545) or mail me at Kogdramnetwork@gmail.com, it is very important
I’m sure mike is one of those. Plastic,glory hunting,thug-like african “chelsea fans”…we know people like u are just there cos we’re winning…every player has a right to be honest..and I’m sure if el-nino was some other player,he would’ve been suicidal.the guy went though”hell” from the moment he joined chelsea and the “anti-chelsea”british press didn’t help either.I believe he’ll get back to his best soon..it’ll take time,but he will soon
@Mike, u’re obviously dumb 2 b able 2 vomit this much thrash, @donsijeccio, u dnt av 2 bring race into this. All d best El-nino
Paulo is a legend, my opinion of him has sky rocketed since reading this, a true professional
As for nando, well…I am not sure how wise it is to.come out and say you didnt care whether your team won or lost, that said…
So long as he performs this season onwards I don’t mind too much, obviously it was a hard time for him…he owes Chelsea fans some excellent seasons now, we have stuck by him….time for him to show his gratitude, hopefully he’ll get the golden boot and help Chelsea to the premier title
Odd response to what was really candid reflection. Is it any wonder players end up bullshitting so much if that’s the sort of reaction honesty gets them?
@chbone
You don’t know anything……….
What do u know about football????????
Rubish!!!
if u have no comment to make why don’t u go ur toilet and spite out in ur smeiling bathroom?????
Idiot!!!
@mike
It is shocking that somebody can post that kind of a comment after reading that article. I just think that you have difficulty understanding it and S̶̲̥̅Ơ̴̴̴̴̴͡ are taking it the wrong way. Please go back to elementary school and get some education. Pathetic illiterate!