What has Torres done to be ahead of Lukaku in the pecking order? In two and half years he hasn't even scored 20 League goals; he has made 134 appearances and had possibly 4-5 performances which I can say he lived up to his wages and price; if we had given any striker that amount of time they would have done roughly the same - Kezman; Di Santo; Carlton Cole; Sheva take your pick. 

 

Lukaku has already seen that ability alone doesn't allow you to break into the first eleven, it didn't happen with Sturridge it would not happen with him - he is a young player and he will go on to bang in more goals at Everton than Torres and Ba combined. Than I'd expect for people to say that Everton is playing to his strengths, how much more difficult it is to score for Chelsea with Mata/Hazard/Oscar/Willian/KdB/Lampard/Schurrle behind him; how Ba and Torres scored goals with mid level teams but those goals didn't materialize at CFC. 

 

Watching Torres start ahead of another promising young striker that offers much more for opposition defenders to think about is one of the most frustrating things. What exactly do you think Lukaku was thinking when Torres was starting ahead of him; and Eto'o was bought on - "oh yes it's really good for me to stay here and learn from the side lines". He already has the blueprint for his exit next summer if there is no serious promises about playing regularly he will move on - I can guarantee you that and within a few years he will actually be worth the transfer sum and wages we have been paying to Torres. 

 

Thats the issue i have with the club at the moment. There isnt the belief in the youth, there isnt the willingness to take a chance on the youth even if that means failing. You only have to look at Sturridge who we let go for less than £10 mil to see where we are going wrong. I guarantee Liverpool wouldnt take £20 mil for him right now. This is absolutely Chelsea's MO. Buy young players, loan them out, loan them out, dont play them if they are in the squad, lose them as they want football. Now im not saying we have produced superstars who have always gone on to better themselves, but we HAVE stifles their development at the crutial point in their careers. Lukaku is in the EXACT position Sturridge was after his loan to Bolton yet we didnt learn from our mistake.

I don't think in Jose's eyes Torres is a gauranteed starter or ahead of anybody in the pecking order.

 

With Jose Talent will be the key factor to starting games.

 

Lukaku was never going to start games for us immediatly, scoring goals for WBA is different than it would be for us, teams don't go to the Hawthorns and park the bus.

 

Lukaku could have stayed with us and had his 20/30 minute cameos building himself into the team, whether he was told to go or not is obviously an unknown for us, but I was happy with the way he was being brought into the team. If he feels he should be starting games then I would say his confidence is misguided.

 

One thing that I'm unsure of and maybe someone else would know, does Lukaku's agent earn anything from his loan? In which case it might be right to question the advice he is getting.

I hope it wasn't lukakus decision to go out on loan. If it was then he has pushed back his chances of starting regularly for us by a year. This was the year to gradually get him into the team and used to playing for chelsea. By going on loan again it just means that instead of him being ready next year to lead the line he will be going through the process he should of gone through this year

I don't think in Jose's eyes Torres is a gauranteed starter or ahead of anybody in the pecking order.

 

With Jose Talent will be the key factor to starting games.

 

Lukaku was never going to start games for us immediatly, scoring goals for WBA is different than it would be for us, teams don't go to the Hawthorns and park the bus.

 

Lukaku could have stayed with us and had his 20/30 minute cameos building himself into the team, whether he was told to go or not is obviously an unknown for us, but I was happy with the way he was being brought into the team. If he feels he should be starting games then I would say his confidence is misguided.

 

One thing that I'm unsure of and maybe someone else would know, does Lukaku's agent earn anything from his loan? In which case it might be right to question the advice he is getting.

 

 

"Samuel Eto’o signing for Chelsea didn’t influence my decision, because I was already behind Fernando Torres in the pecking order anyway."

 

I'm not saying Lukaku should be starting every game for us, but Ba and Torres were selected ahead of him and also Shurrle against a club he had scored a hat trick just a few months prior - against that same club it was Torres who was brought on and not Lukaku. Lukaku played in the most preseason games, he was our fittest striker, it's no question he should have been more involved than the odd minutes he came on. 

 

Once again we are going through a wrongful process of a new manager giving a washed up striker the benefit of doubt.- it's not Lukaku who should be proving himself off the bench, it's Torres. Lukaku should get chances to improve by starting while Torres should be trying to make an impact off the bench that would prove he is not a washed up striker.  

I dreamt last night that we loaned Lukaku out for another 3 years in a row.

"Samuel Eto’o signing for Chelsea didn’t influence my decision, because I was already behind Fernando Torres in the pecking order anyway."

 

I'm not saying Lukaku should be starting every game for us, but Ba and Torres were selected ahead of him and also Shurrle against a club he had scored a hat trick just a few months prior - against that same club it was Torres who was brought on and not Lukaku. Lukaku played in the most preseason games, he was our fittest striker, it's no question he should have been more involved than the odd minutes he came on. 

 

Once again we are going through a wrongful process of a new manager giving a washed up striker the benefit of doubt.- it's not Lukaku who should be proving himself off the bench, it's Torres. Lukaku should get chances to improve by starting while Torres should be trying to make an impact off the bench that would prove he is not a washed up striker.  

 

That is exactly right, and add to that what it would do for Lukaku's confidence going into the season being told that the place is his until there's a bloody good reason to change it.

I'm all for confidence in a young striker, but has Lukaku done anything for us that has shown he should be top of the pecking order in the striking department?

 

I would think that Lukaku had the opportunity to stay at the club and build himself into the starting 11, he has chosen not to do that and go out on loan, if he wanted to be top dog he should of stayed with us and faught for his spot.

 

 

.......................... or gone to Liverpoo for a regular start in his preferred position and scored 17 goals in 22 appearances.

 

Things like that can, (occaisionally), happen when you are prepared to show some faith in young talent. If you don't try them you will never know.

Edited September 6, 201312 yr by just

^ That's right just. I remember when Anelka went to Arsenal, he was barely out of nappies, he played, he banged them in and they won the double. It really wasn't that complicated. Pace, finishing, ability. What did they do? They played him. A novel concept.

 

At Chelsea, he would have arrived, sat on the bench and watched Torres flounder for 18 months, been loaned out to Luton, excelled, returned, sat on the bench for six months, been loaned out, this time to Hartlepool, excelled, returned and got some games as a defensive midfielder, watched as Torres failed to get in the box for 549 consecutive games, been loaned out again, this time to Rotherham, excelled, and then, just before his five year contract ran out, we would have sold him to the dippers for the price of a pack of cigarettes.

 

Hell, so long as Torres is getting a game, thats all that matters.

You can't take anything away from his goal. Even if it hit his shin.

Rooney's overhead was off his shin and that was still GOTS.

Edited September 6, 201312 yr by AlexTommo

^ That's right just. I remember when Anelka went to Arsenal, he was barely out of nappies, he played, he banged them in and they won the double. It really wasn't that complicated. Pace, finishing, ability. What did they do? They played him. A novel concept.

 

At Chelsea, he would have arrived, sat on the bench and watched Torres flounder for 18 months, been loaned out to Luton, excelled, returned, sat on the bench for six months, been loaned out, this time to Hartlepool, excelled, returned and got some games as a defensive midfielder, watched as Torres failed to get in the box for 549 consecutive games, been loaned out again, this time to Rotherham, excelled, and then, just before his five year contract ran out, we would have sold him to the dippers for the price of a pack of cigarettes.

 

Hell, so long as Torres is getting a game, thats all that matters.

 

The issue that I have with this statement, is hopefully the same issue that we should all have, I thought, you thought, we all thought that Jose was in charge here and he and only he chose the team, if, as you are implying Torres plays no matter who the manager is, then their was no point pursueing Jose and bringing back the best manager to our club.

 

I don't believe that Jose has to play Torres, and I believe had we been successful in bringing in a top level striker over the summer we would have seen the back of our 'Nando' but we didn't succeed which left us with Torres, Ba and Lukaku, which for me was not fantastic, however of those 3 I would be picking Torres as a starter in our current system, with Lukaku as the impact player, so I can only deduce that it was the introduction of Eto'o which has upset Lukaku.

 I would be picking Torres as a starter in our current system, with Lukaku as the impact player, so I can only deduce that it was the introduction of Eto'o which has upset Lukaku.

 

Here's the rub though. How can you possibly think that Torres should still be the starter in our system? He tries way too much to make runs away from the box and go back into the midfield to link up with our creative players. We need a strong guy in the box to hold up the ball and score for himself or make opportunities for others. That's what Drogba did for us and that's what Lukaku has shown little glimpses of doing. And that's what Benteke has been so successful at last season and the first few games this campaign.

 

Torres might literally be one of the three worst strikers in the world for our system. And the other two are on our books.

Edited September 6, 201312 yr by Butterhampton FC

The issue that I have with this statement, is hopefully the same issue that we should all have, I thought, you thought, we all thought that Jose was in charge here and he and only he chose the team, if, as you are implying Torres plays no matter who the manager is, then their was no point pursueing Jose and bringing back the best manager to our club.

 

I don't believe that Jose has to play Torres, and I believe had we been successful in bringing in a top level striker over the summer we would have seen the back of our 'Nando' but we didn't succeed which left us with Torres, Ba and Lukaku, which for me was not fantastic, however of those 3 I would be picking Torres as a starter in our current system, with Lukaku as the impact player, so I can only deduce that it was the introduction of Eto'o which has upset Lukaku.

 

You only posted that so you could stay ahead of me at the top of the Torres Thread league table.

 

At least be subtle about it, SP.

Here's the rub though. How can you possibly think that Torres should still be the starter in our system? He tries way too much to make runs away from the box and go back into the midfield to link up with our creative players. We need a strong guy in the box to hold up the ball and score for himself or make opportunities for others. That's what Drogba did for us and that's what Lukaku has shown little glimpses of doing. And that's what Benteke has been so successful at last season and the first few games this campaign.

 

Torres might literally be one of the three worst strikers in the world for our system. And the other two are on our books.

 

Thats your opinion, and I have mine.

 

Drogba didn't really play in this system, he played in a system where we bullied teams into submission. In fact in his last season with us, when we had started to implement this style he had possibly his worst season with us, obviously he had those flashes of magic, but in general he was fairly poor.

 

Read my post again, I'm as disapointed with our striking options as anyone, but for me Torres is the best out of what we have to pick. If Lukaku had stayed he could have played his way into the team after starting the season from the bench, unfortunatley we won't know and yet another year of his Chelsea career is slipping by.

You only posted that so you could stay ahead of me at the top of the Torres Thread league table.

 

At least be subtle about it, SP.

 

I don't just want to be top of the league, I want to win by a good margin.

 

Ooooo, is that another point!

I'm thinking of just posting 100 odd random posts on Erm Torres, so i can share the limelight with you League pace setters...

;-)

He was looking deadly from my seat just last Friday night.

 

Did anyone watch the video? It's from a Spanish TV show and he saves 2 women by kicking a grenade! I thought it was funny...

I'm thinking of just posting 100 odd random posts on Erm Torres, so i can share the limelight with you League pace setters...;-)

So the same as you've been doing since joining ?

Only kidding.

Or am I.....

Yeah I am.

You can't take anything away from his goal. Even if it hit his shin.

It didn't come off his shin. It was a stunning strike.

My God. A 'Torres Random Post / Fact' challenge! It could revolutionise the thread:

Fernando's second name is 'Jose'. Seriously. Must be a good sign for CFC...

Edited September 6, 201312 yr by Spudulike

My God. A 'Torres Random Post / Fact' challenge! It could revolutionise the thread:

 

 

Did you know he was born with two, webbed left-feet.

Will there be a prize for whoever posts the 1000th Torres thread?

Did you know he was born with two, webbed left-feet.

 

 

He's from Norfolk?

Who, Alan Partridge??

He's from Norfolk?

Where all the best turkeys come from.

Nah we had a bunch of you going on about how well he would do now that Drogba's shadow had moved on, and we had signed Hazard and Oscar. The type of players who would give him the balls he always wanted at his feet. Than he went and missed 7-8 one on one chances; or just didn't seem very interested and everyone realized it had nothing to do with Drogba's shadow he was just never going to be good enough to be first choice at a club of our stature. Now we have Eto'o and Ba but we shall see if we are going to waste more time - Lukaku's said Torres was ahead of him in the peaking order so that worries me and Eto'o might turn out to be a bad move so we might be screwed in the striker department for yet another season. 

That was the point I was trying to make, and all I was trying to say.

 

if JM sticks with picking Torres up front then i suspect that over-time he will also experience the pitfalls that have seen off a succession of good CFC managers ... if the Eto gamble doesn't pay off there may not be an effective Plan B? ... the salt will be rubbed in the wound even further by a highly likely successful loan spell for Lukaku.

 

Torres is an average striker, at best. Personally, i thought we had nothing to lose by giving Lukaku a run in the side and was quite looking forward to it ... my heart sinks every time Torres is named on the team sheet. Torres holds little or NO fear for Premiership defences! Torres is our Adebayor!