Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas has vowed not to become obsessed by Fernando Torres' form this season.
Torres managed just one goal in 18 appearances for the Blues after he made a high-profile £50million move from Liverpool in January. Responding to questions on Torres after the Blues' 1-0 win over a Malaysian XI in Kuala Lumpur, Villas-Boas warned he would not become bogged down by the form of individuals as he looks to make an impact at Stamford Bridge.
"I don't want to turn Torres into an obsession like you people are trying to do," he said. "I am not going to waste time over this. I disagree that he is lacking in confidence."
Villas-Boas added: "Every time a player doesn't score, I am asked questions about him. I agree that Torres is a £50million striker but my focus is purely on the performance of the team, not the individual.
"It doesn't matter who scores. These are pre-season games and they don't have the importance that some people think.
"The point of these games is to get a feel for your team and achieve your objectives in terms of fitness and training.
"To gain the confidence to find the back of the net, Torres needs training, tolerance and patience.
"It doesn't look like he is getting this at the moment but we are ready to give our forwards this patience."
Torres was substituted for Didier Drogba at half-time as the Blues laboured to a 1-0 win in sweltering conditions in front of 84,980 fans.
Source: PA
