DAMN! Thought this thread was going to get out of the first page

It was. I just waned to share what I saw in the paper today and my thoughts on this season's attack.

José on Torres:

 

http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/clubfootball/news/newsid=2138359.html?cid=rssfeed&att=

José on Torres:

 

http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/clubfootball/news/newsid=2138359.html?cid=rssfeed&att=

 

"He's not good in compact spaces, he needs lots of room."

 

Well to be fair, if I don't have any defenders anywhere near me I probably look half-decent too.

I think I know Fernando quite well in terms of a player, I think I know the best way for a team to play to try to get the best out of him, so I will try to help him, the same way I try to help other people.

 

No... no.... no, this is the last thing I want to hear

Don't make the same mistake as everyone else, José!

"He's not good in compact spaces, he needs lots of room."

 

Well to be fair, if I don't have any defenders anywhere near me I probably look half-decent too.

That's not what he is saying though is it. He is saying torres likes to have room to spin behind defenders instead of having the ball played to his feet with 2 players on him. Pretty much what everyone has said since he arrived.

José on Torres:

 

http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/clubfootball/news/newsid=2138359.html?cid=rssfeed&att=

Well he has to say all this, doesn't he? He can't very well say he plans on selling him. The fact he hasn't called to reassure Torres of his place in the team speaks volumes.

Jose, you can bleat all you want about how this system and that system or this player or that affects Torres. You can even make him regain his pace and strength.

 

The core problem is that he is simply not aggressive enough to be a top class striker. He just doesn't take enough shots or make enough runs to want the ball. I'm not sure you can coach that, it comes from within the player, and once that top-class hunger has gone it is very, very hard to regain.

Yeah you all know better than Mourinho!

 

From the day I joined here I've been saying that it was because of wrong system that Torres doesn't score, that we need to play counter attacking football instead of possession to get goals out of Torres, and that when Jose comes he will employ that. And everyone was like "man, what the hell you talking about"?

 

Neither Ancelotti, AVB nor Di Matteo couldn't figure this out, so much of them being "top coaches". All one had to do was watch two or three Liverpool games while Torres was there and it would be clear to you.

The post above did make me chuckle.

At the moment our most important attacking players Mata and Hazard are playing in positions they need to be in and we are not exactly strictly possession football team either. Depends on the opponent. If Torres can't score with our current setup he is not playing. Basically Jose is saying there are opponents that suit Torres and opponents that don't. To me that means he will be used sparingly if not sold.

I agree with that

im with you evissy, if the squad stays the same (ie not signing roon) I think Mourinho is going to put Lukaku as the main striker and we will return to the old days of 1-nil chelsea with two wingers and a brute of a lone striker...i cant wait to see what happens...just having mourinho on the touch will be exciting!

im with you evissy, if the squad stays the same (ie not signing roon) I think Mourinho is going to put Lukaku as the main striker and we will return to the old days of 1-nil chelsea with two wingers and a brute of a lone striker...i cant wait to see what happens...just having mourinho on the touch will be exciting!

 

Love how some think that this will be Mourinho's set style of play now.

im with you evissy, if the squad stays the same (ie not signing roon) I think Mourinho is going to put Lukaku as the main striker and we will return to the old days of 1-nil chelsea with two wingers and a brute of a lone striker...i cant wait to see what happens...just having mourinho on the touch will be exciting!

 

Not gonna happen, in recent interview Mourinho said his favourite formation is 4-2-3-1 and that will be the one he will be employing most of the time. Sometimes, he says he will switch AM to DM and sometimes if we are behind, he will play with two strikers.

Yes but the problem here is that Torres wants to be the main man. He has always made that clear. He isn't happy with being a bit-player. Which is undoubtedly what he will be if we end up signing Rooney. Maybe if we fail to make that signing he will have a bigger role, although I can still see Mourinho using Lukaku should he be scoring goals for us regularly rather than starting Torres. But Torres needs to be starting games and he needs to be our main striker. Isn't this the reason he kicked up such a fuss after the CL win? He says he's all for healthy competition, which is natural, but he wants to be the winner at the end of it.

Think Jose is bang on about Torres being ineffective in congested spaces. A good example of this would be the game we had against Qpr last season when we drew nil nil and Ryan Nelsen pretty much had him in his pocket.

Yes but the problem here is that Torres wants to be the main man. He has always made that clear. He isn't happy with being a bit-player. Which is undoubtedly what he will be if we end up signing Rooney. Maybe if we fail to make that signing he will have a bigger role, although I can still see Mourinho using Lukaku should he be scoring goals for us regularly rather than starting Torres. But Torres needs to be starting games and he needs to be our main striker. Isn't this the reason he kicked up such a fuss after the CL win? He says he's all for healthy competition, which is natural, but he wants to be the winner at the end of it.

 

He was given the chance last year and failed, miserably. He wants healthy competition? Then why was he basically the sole striker from August-February? Why weren't we in for Van Persie? Why did we sell Sturridge and bring in Ba, knowing that he can't play every game? 

If no striker is signed then Lukaku deserves to start ahead of Torres, he's still raw but he actually looks up for it and he loves the club.

Yeah you all know better than Mourinho!

 

From the day I joined here I've been saying that it was because of wrong system that Torres doesn't score, that we need to play counter attacking football instead of possession to get goals out of Torres, and that when Jose comes he will employ that. And everyone was like "man, what the hell you talking about"?

 

Neither Ancelotti, AVB nor Di Matteo couldn't figure this out, so much of them being "top coaches". All one had to do was watch two or three Liverpool games while Torres was there and it would be clear to you.

 

Mourinho is entitled to his opinion, however, it doesn't mean he is correct. Expert opinions are still only just opinions if they are not backed by proper evidence. 

 

Di Matteo and Benitez certainly played counterattacking football and Torres showed little improvement. In fact, Torres' best performances and form were saved for the Europa League against teams of a decidedly much lower class, against whom we dominated much more in possession and consequently were less likely to counter-attack.

 

I think Mourinho is trying to flatter his own player and is at pains to twist Torres' terrible first-touch into somewhat of a unique selling point.

Edited July 22, 201312 yr by SydneyChelsea

Yeah you all know better than Mourinho!

 

From the day I joined here I've been saying that it was because of wrong system that Torres doesn't score, that we need to play counter attacking football instead of possession to get goals out of Torres, and that when Jose comes he will employ that. And everyone was like "man, what the hell you talking about"?

 

Neither Ancelotti, AVB nor Di Matteo couldn't figure this out, so much of them being "top coaches". All one had to do was watch two or three Liverpool games while Torres was there and it would be clear to you.

 

Say what you will about Torres, but leave King Carlo out of this, the man is Chelsea royalty.

I think Mourinho is trying to flatter his own player and is at pains to twist Torres' terrible first-touch into somewhat of a unique selling point.

 

I'd agree with that. If you read all of Jose's comments in the subject article & know the player as we do it's not very complimentary at all unless you're perhaps playing 5 a side. Jose knows the dilemma concerning Torres all too well & has tried to put the best spin on that dilemma in order to buttress the player's esteem & in attempt to salvage what he can concerning the player's worth. I don't think that Jose is at all confident concerning being able to get any more out of Torres than anyone else did but sometimes a manager has to put out these lines for obvious reasons.  

At this point I see Lukaku as more of an impact player, which is why I see Torres being the first choice if we don't get Rooney.

 

However as Davey has said in another thread, their is always the prospect of Schurle playing as striker.

At this point I see Lukaku as more of an impact player, which is why I see Torres being the first choice if we don't get Rooney.

 

However as Davey has said in another thread, their is always the prospect of Schurle playing as striker.

 

I've said it elsewhere but remember when Henry went to Arsenal? He was supposedly a left winger. He was converted into a striker that liked to drift out to the left and to devastating effect. Like Henry, Schurrle (judging by his youtube videos) has great pace and shooting ability. His stats tell you he can finish. He's not one-footed either though he's predominantly right-footed. I'm not suggesting he can be an Henry in terms of quality but I'm suggesting the transition can be made. He's clearly a good player but he will struggle to dislodge Hazard on the left. He started his career as a centre-forward and he was very successful. It was only once Leverkuson bought him they put him out on the left. Reckon he may be able to do a job for us up front, and a good one too. However if we sign Rooney we will probably never find out. I also suspect Lukaku is going to stake a very strong claim this season, though if don't buy anyone, you may be right and Torres starts up front on the first day, which would be disappointing, for me anyway.

I've said it elsewhere but remember when Henry went to Arsenal? He was supposedly a left winger. He was converted into a striker that liked to drift out to the left and to devastating effect. Like Henry, Schurrle (judging by his youtube videos) has great pace and shooting ability. His stats tell you he can finish. He's not one-footed either though he's predominantly right-footed. I'm not suggesting he can be an Henry in terms of quality but I'm suggesting the transition can be made. He's clearly a good player but he will struggle to dislodge Hazard on the left. He started his career as a centre-forward and he was very successful. It was only once Leverkuson bought him they put him out on the left. Reckon he may be able to do a job for us up front, and a good one too. However if we sign Rooney we will probably never find out. I also suspect Lukaku is going to stake a very strong claim this season, though if don't buy anyone, you may be right and Torres starts up front on the first day, which would be disappointing, for me anyway.

If we don't get anyone else in and are left with the 3 guys, this is what will happen on the first day (Mystic Zola prediction #1)

Torres starts, he doesn't score by half time and is taken off. Lukaku comes on and scores, marking the start of a new era as the spearhead in attack.

Edited July 22, 201312 yr by Zola

As nice and fun as that sounds i cant see Jose dragging off Torres at half time just because he didnt score. If he was having a shocking game then yes i could see it.