Someone said with Torres that he always gets injured during a good run of form. Maybe if he pushes himself, he injures himself.

Someone said with Torres that he always gets injured during a good run of form. Maybe if he pushes himself, he injures himself.

 

Or maybe it's not until we haven't seen him for a while (ie. when he gets injured) that we think he had a good run of form at some point.

Different side when he went off tonight. Looked much more comfortable and dangerous with him on the pitch

Different side when he went off tonight. Looked much more comfortable and dangerous with him on the pitch

 

Mourinho just said that Torres himself said he was tired and needed to come off, i think he would have stayed on if it wasn't for that.

Was really annoyed that he went for a shot instead of playing Schurrle in who had made a great run at the back post for what seemed like an easy goal but apart from that he did what was required of him.

Edited February 26, 201412 yr by Remodez

i dont mind that he had that shot. first few seasons with us he looked afraid to shoot, at least now he seems more willing to hit the ball, and do it early rather than cutting back two or three times before having his shot blocked

It was never going in though. He wasn't set up right for it and even if it did hit the target the keeper had it well covered.

 

There's a time and a place to shot, that wasn't really it. 

It was never going in though. He wasn't set up right for it and even if it did hit the target the keeper had it well covered.

 

There's a time and a place to shot, that wasn't really it. 

Although I agree he was never going to score from that angle there was no one for him to pass to. Schurrle was making a run but to late and if torres had played it as late as possible it would of either been cut out by the keeper or the defender on the back post would of cleared

He's back.

He done well, no more no less.

Scored a good goal, had a good shot well saved and played the lone striker role well in the first 45 mins.

Eto'o came on and offered little.

He was our best attacking player last night, but that's not saying much - Cesar had probably as much input into our attacking play as Hazard/Willian/Schurrle put together. 

 

Anyhow good performance, did his job  last night. 

I dont think the pitch helped,the players slipping all over the place.

Still does not excuse the long ball rubbish we resorted to in the second half.

He done well, no more no less.

Scored a good goal, had a good shot well saved and played the lone striker role well in the first 45 mins.

Eto'o came on and offered little.

Eto'o came on after Gala had changed shape and formation. They weren't anywhere near as open after the reshuffle, apart from Eboue who couldn't even spell DEFEND, let alone do it.

Torres did OK when given time and space but was the usual Torres in the second half when it was taken away. 99.9% of opponents wont play such a high line and give us the time and space we had in that first 35 minutes. I feel a genuinely top class centre forward would have made more happen in that period.

Really hope Jose plays the team that won at Citeh for the return leg. Luiz in midfield, Oscar in for Matic and Eto'o up front.

Eto'o looked average compared to what Torres gave us, that's how I saw it.

We all know that next season, we need two new strikers but right now Torres remains the pick of the ones we have available.

I think he has something like 9 goals in 17 starts this season which isn't as poor as some would like to make out.

We all know that next season, we need two new strikers but right now Torres remains the pick of the ones we have available.

I think he has something like 9 goals in 17 starts this season which isn't as poor as some would like to make out.

http://hereisthecity.com/en-gb/2014/02/25/ib-mourinho-criticises-strikers-what-do-the-stats-say/

Ah, I can see Eto's goal per minute stats have clearly been helped by his time out injured

It's so rare our strikers make a mark on a game that one goal sticks out enough to make them seem like the best of the bunch.

 

I thought Torres was ok aainst Gala but offered nothing more than usual in a game where we should have been comfortably ahead in the first half, I have little faith in our strike force but I think when Hazard is on song, Eto'o is the better fit as an attacking option, they just seem to have a better understanding and I much prefer Eto's movement.

It's so rare our strikers make a mark on a game that one goal sticks out enough to make them seem like the best of the bunch.

 

I thought Torres was ok aainst Gala but offered nothing more than usual in a game where we should have been comfortably ahead in the first half, I have little faith in our strike force but I think when Hazard is on song, Eto'o is the better fit as an attacking option, they just seem to have a better understanding and I much prefer Eto's movement.

 

I missed a lot of the second half of Wednesday's game but from the first 45 minutes I thought Torres did okay, even just for his goal, he was in the right place, at the right time and took it well with a first time finish where previously he might have taken an extra touch and wasted the chance. 

 

He was left isolated a lot and there wasn't always enough support from the attacking midfielders, I remember at one point he was on the right hand byline, went between two defenders and was then confronted with another two defenders but he hand no one within at least 10-15 yards of him, if not more. 

 

If you've taken 2 defenders out of the game you'd like to think some space is opening up to exploit but it just seems that we make life difficult for our forwards at times, not just Torres but Eto'o and Ba as well. 

 

I think a better forward will improve the team but I do think that there is room for improvement with the movement and quality of service from the attacking midfield in terms of supporting a lone striker. 

I missed a lot of the second half of Wednesday's game but from the first 45 minutes I thought Torres did okay, even just for his goal, he was in the right place, at the right time and took it well with a first time finish where previously he might have taken an extra touch and wasted the chance. 

 

He was left isolated a lot and there wasn't always enough support from the attacking midfielders, I remember at one point he was on the right hand byline, went between two defenders and was then confronted with another two defenders but he hand no one within at least 10-15 yards of him, if not more. 

 

If you've taken 2 defenders out of the game you'd like to think some space is opening up to exploit but it just seems that we make life difficult for our forwards at times, not just Torres but Eto'o and Ba as well. 

 

I think a better forward will improve the team but I do think that there is room for improvement with the movement and quality of service from the attacking midfield in terms of supporting a lone striker. 

If you are suggesting he was isolated in that first 35 minute spell, then much of that was down to his own movement. The time and space he had to operate in during that period was unreal. There were three or four times when we broke very quickly from the back, and had players carrying the ball forward beyond the Gala midfield only to find Torres was either behind them or pulling out wide. It took away the option to make the early pass beyond the line. For the goal he was in the right place, central, and took himself into space for the ball to be played, but he doesn't do that anywhere near enough IMO, Eto'o does it better IMO. He may not always receive the ball, and when he does he may not always finish, but Eto'os movement towards the goal and his mostly central positioning, is much more what you would expect to see from a goalscorer.

If you are suggesting he was isolated in that first 35 minute spell, then much of that was down to his own movement. The time and space he had to operate in during that period was unreal. There were three or four times when we broke very quickly from the back, and had players carrying the ball forward beyond the Gala midfield only to find Torres was either behind them or pulling out wide. It took away the option to make the early pass beyond the line. For the goal he was in the right place, central, and took himself into space for the ball to be played, but he doesn't do that anywhere near enough IMO, Eto'o does it better IMO. He may not always receive the ball, and when he does he may not always finish, but Eto'os movement towards the goal and his mostly central positioning, is much more what you would expect to see from a goalscorer.

 

Main problem being Eto'o failed to score having played the previous seven matches, simply truth being none of our strikers are really good enough but in Europe at least Torres does seem to have a knack of scoring goals.

 

I'm expecting Eto'o back in the team at the weekend and I really hope he can start finding the back of the net because we need him and/or Torres to remove some of the goal scoring burden from the midfielders. 

Can't argue with any of that FC. I do feel sorry for Ba though. I actually rated him as a very decent centre-forward, not world class, but very capable and a real handful. Whatever people think of him now he arrived as arguably the most in-form EPL striker behind RVP and Aguero and Benitez immediately rotated the life out of him. It won't happen now but I would like to have seen him given a run of 7/8 straight games to form a relationship and show what he could do.

 It won't happen now but I would like to have seen him given a run of 7/8 straight games to form a relationship and show what he could do.

 

I think with the possible exception of Uno, you are on your own there Just!!

No idea how Ba now looks a shadow of the threat he was when playing at Newcastle but I think we have to trust Jose's judgement on that one seeing as he has essentially been frozen out of the first team.

 

His few cameo appearances recently he doesn't look like he can even control the ball let alone lead the line competently so I'm not expecting him to get any game time unless we suffer and injury crises.