Interim Chelsea manager Rafael Benitez revealed today that Fernando Torres’ poor performance during the 2-0 home defeat against Swansea was down to a stomach bug which left the forward in need of medication.
Yet the Spaniard had to play the game because Demba Ba had picked up a hamstring injury in training and when Torres was hooked off late in the game he felt the wrath of the fans who are out of patience after two years of witnessing his abject displays.
Benitez spoke about Torres’ illness:
“I was there when he was with the doctor, needing tablets. Still he was playing with the team. When he starts scoring again the fans they will appreciate this.
“He was playing with this problem. You have a professional trying to do his best in this situation. I was really pleased with the attitude of Fernando.”
He praised the under-fire forward’s attitude:
“I am really pleased because he was doing this for the team. We had to manage the situation but I could not phone Michael Laudrup and say he was not fit.
“Ba couldn’t play, he had a hamstring niggle. ‘I would like to see all my players praised in the papers. But as a top level player you have to accept you can be criticised. He is a very good professional. He had the problem but he was still training and playing.”
The Chelsea fans have stood by Torres over the past two years which makes it all the more a shame that he hasn’t done anything to repay their faith and I’m not sure how many will buy this latest excuse, it’s hard to stomach (pun intended). The 28-year-old played his 100th game for the club in midweek and it looked a lot like his first, it doesn’t look like anything will change if he was to play 100 games more.
Torres has scored 26 goals in 100 games for Chelsea and since he made his Premier League debut the likes of Jonathan Walters, Peter Crouch, Yakubu and Papiss Cisse have scored more Premier League goals than the £50m man, does he have a future at the Bridge?
Benitez, your lies are not even convincing! You said Demba had an injury, and you still put him in the game. Even Piazon would have done better than Torres on that day. I understand you are trying to protect your job because it was only because of Torres that you were hired, so you had to defend him even if it means lying. I now see reasons with the FANS that are saying “IN RAFA WE WILL NEVER TRUST”
In Torres i believe,come what may!I believe 2 help Torres Ba should be thrsuted into the side as a partner!
Great idea! Let’s drop a midfielder to fit Torres into the side and play an unfamiliar formation for his benefit because it’s everyone else’s fault that he can’t/won’t perform.
wit hazard,mata,oscar,lamp,moses he could not do his work now u want another striker renderd useless bcos of his this underperforming,ovrerated player? Maan!open ur eyes & see toress is d problem behind d sacking of most chelsea coaches.
That’s right man it’s a good point
Pls benitez make torres 2 play on d wing,maybe he will improve playing side forward.
I think it will be better to play him (torres) on the wing. I think that will bring d best out of him.
Anybody wishing torres plays for chelsea anymore is an enermy to the club.chelsea has always been playing with one man(torres) down, even now we have semi DrogBa in BA,u (benitez) still want to drag chelsea down…..infact,may GOD HELP & deliver my Beloved club CHELSEA from the hands of our ENEMIES(TORRES+banitez & the unknown ones)
U ar d real enemy, bcos u ar nt suggesting possible solution 2 d prob @ hand, can u afford 2 loose d@ amnt payed 2 sign him????
Is it bcos ba scored 2 goals on his debut d@ makes say such,instead of bringing idea d@ will solve d situation u ar there sayn enemy’s whatever, can u even do half of what his doin on d pitch????
On his debut he scored 2 goals, D??????? you know ????????† you saying Ayo,†?ªt dude Torres has Flopped deal with it, Ba ????§ far far A???? Complete striker compare 2 Torres. A failure. ” Torress should be laid to Rest”
i think it will be better if torres is thrown into the second team for two years
I know if happens torres is ur older or younger brother u wouldn’t have said that.
Psychologically,Torres is down,he need some on d bench 2 regain his old self.
He’s a professional athlete and there’s no excuse to be as bad as he has for as long as he has.
His meltdown started long before he joined Chelsea and if he’d had time for a medical then perhaps he’d have never signed.
I don’t see it ever happening. This is much more than poor form, he’s a shadow of the player that terrified United’s defence as well as our own.
Dis a complete joke! Let dat fat spanish waiter den tell us why d pregnant torres has been underperforming in all d oda matches. Both benitez nd torres r just pathetic. Dey hv nothing good to offer to chelsea.
How do u know???????? Mr Wiseguy………… Na u sabi
I don’t know why our coach normaly defend torres, he is not a good striker…as good sriker,u most know how 2 position yourself $ get d ball at right time but torres don’t know do dat…so torres is not good period so our coach sould stop defend him $ start useing ba before bad playing lead him 2 sack
Then u ar a good striker ……. I think it’s u they’ll defend.
I think Benites should use him as a right winger instead of being a central forward. He should try that, I it will be beneficial. The chelsea midfielder has a lot of work to do, by feeding torres wit lots of passes in order to create more scoring chances.
I dnt blame Fernando…..Roman bought a striker wo doesnt fit Chelsea’s play…..wah am i hearin of Torres nt being able 2 position himself…?……@ Liverpool he ws alws scorin frm d wings wit defence splitin passes frm Alonso n Gerrard…..Chelsea do not hve midfielders wo can deliver a 35yard pass frm d center of d field……moever..our midfielders r alws bizy tryin 2 score by demselves……so lets luk @ d oda lil details n crucify FT nomore…..we’v onli helped in castigating n ruining d lyf of a very gud striker…….i wish he hadnt made d move 2 Chelsea..!