Martin Samuel: Thanks for nothing, Fernando Torres, now take the season off

13 April 2011 07:06
It is not just the goals that are missing from Fernando Torres' game now. Everything about it reads like a cry for help. His touch is out, his range is awry, he was out-jumped by Patrice Evra at one stage.[LNB] In a forlorn first half, his only contribution to the game before Carlo Ancelotti, the Chelsea manager, came to his senses and substituted him, Torres at times looked as Bebe has on occasions for Manchester United - out of place, out of sorts, haplessly over-promoted. [LNB]Bebe, however, is a raw recruit, introduced from a foreign league and touted as one for the future. Torres is the most expensive signing in British transfer history, a player, according to Sir Alex Ferguson, who was bought to satisfy Roman Abramovich's obsession with winning the Champions League. It is one that will remain unfulfilled, for another year at least. [LNB] Second again: Torres is beaten to the ball by Manchester United defender O'Shea[LNB]Manchester United will progress to a semi-final date with, in all likelihood, Schalke 04 of Germany, while Chelsea's season is as good as over, barring statistical miracles. The prospect of a tie against Schalke for a place in the Champions League final will delight many United followers, yet the fact is any team capable of scoring five goals against Inter Milan in the San Siro stadium pose a considerably greater goalscoring threat than Chelsea. [LNB]They had a lot of possession at Old Trafford, particularly in the first half, but were largely kept at arm's length. Ancelotti tried four different strikers plus various supporting forward midfielders to little effect. Every one of Manchester United's top three forwards would walk straight into Chelsea's team right now, Wayne Rooney, Javier Hernandez, even Dimitar Berbatov, half asleep. [LNB]Chelsea have had three hours to beat Edwin Van der Sar in this competition this season and managed it with 13 minutes remaining, through Drogba. United hit back straight away, almost contemptuously. Even Chelsea's strong penalty appeal, inexplicably ignored in the first leg, was balanced by a Hernandez goal harshly disallowed for offside in the 27th minute. The best team, home and away, progressed: Chelsea claimed Hernandez's opener was offside, too, but over two legs they can have no complaints. [LNB]Nowhere to hide: Torres is a shadow of his former self and his misery must not be prolonged[LNB]The continued selection of Torres has been Ancelotti's achilles heel this season. It has a doubly negative effect in also serving to undermine his claims of autonomy. The truth is, as unreasonable as this may seem, that nobody can believe the Chelsea manager continues to persevere with a lost soul and they conclude he must be under pressure from above. [LNB]Ancelotti insists otherwise. He is a decent man and deserves to be believed. Yet ask any neutral, in or out of football, if they would pick Torres in his current state and invariably the answer is no. There is nothing in his game to merit his inclusion at the moment, nothing when compared to Drogba, Nicolas Anelka, even Salomon Kalou and certainly the pick of the bunch, Daniel Sturridge, now farmed out to Bolton Wanderers and in devastating form. [LNB]Certainly, United have a trio operating at a higher level, one of whom, Hernandez, scored the goal that edged this tie ever more surely beyond Chelsea's reach. Hernandez is a grand poacher right now, but his energy levels are exceptional, too. [LNB]At one stage in the first half he dogged from a central position, out to left full back, back to centre half, to Chelsea's other centre half, and handed over defensive duties only when the ball was played to Branislav Ivanovic at right back. [LNB]It is these little cameos that are absent in Torres' performance. He seems sluggish, almost detached. The ball bounces high and his aerial challenge is weak. The ball bobbles in the penalty area but he cannot bring it under control. He collects in space but strikes an inaccurate pass under little pressure. [LNB]He looks as if he could do with a break, except Spain are currently weighing up an offer to accept an invitation to the Copa America this summer. That is the last commitment Torres needs. He looked spent at the World Cup in 2010 after struggling through last season with injury and if ever a player is in need of a summer on a beach with his feet up, it is Torres. [LNB]This was his greatest humiliation yet, sadly. Substituted at half time, replaced by Drogba - who scored and made a difference, highlighting Ancelotti's folly - it was a new low for a player who has stumbled from one disappointment to the next since arriving from Liverpool. If his debut against his former club was an inauspicious start, this was every bit as painful.[LNB] Morose: Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich (third right) watches the defeat from the stands[LNB] With Chelsea's season ebbing away, when the manager had nothing left but a final roll of the dice, he jettisoned Torres in an attempt to win a game of football. This was the opposite of what he was bought to do. [LNB]Abramovich paid ?50million for a striker who would define nights like this with his presence. Instead, removing him from the action was widely agreed to be a sound call with Chelsea in need of two goals in 45 minutes. [LNB]Where does Torres go from here? Home, if his club have any sense. The league is beyond them and, on this evidence, the continued indulgence of Torres is hardly likely to have a beneficial impact on their fortunes anyway. [LNB]If Ancelotti's confidence is to be believed and he will be in charge for a third season, he will need the Torres of old, firing from the first fixture of August.[LNB] Rubbing it in: Drogba's strike highlighted Torres's lack of firepower[LNB] It is unthinkable that the player can continue on this treadmill to oblivion, so radical measures are needed. Rest him now. Give him the remainder of the season off, tell him to get away, recharge his mind, reboot his body. [LNB]To continue along this path makes no sense. Torres has now played 693 minutes for Chelsea without scoring, but longer has elapsed since his last decent performance. Something is very wrong, something that has not been solved by chance after chance as the first name on the team sheet. Whoever has made this judgment, whoever has left Torres exposed in this manner has been proven wrong. [LNB]One must hope it is Ancelotti alone, because if he has allowed Abramovich to call the shots, he may live to regret it. This owner does not tolerate failure; even if it is his failure, and Ancelotti may yet be the fall guy, whatever glib assurances are uttered behind closed doors.  [LNB] Manchester United 2 Chelsea 1 (agg 3-1): Hernandez and Park heap more heartache on Blues GRAHAM POLL: Manchester United linesman got both big calls right against ChelseaCHAMPIONS LEAGUE LIVE: Manchester United 2 Chelsea 1 - the action from Old Trafford as it happenedAll the latest Chelsea FC news, features and opinion[LNB]  Explore more:People: Alex Ferguson, Dimitar Berbatov, Wayne Rooney, Bebe, Patrice Evra, Roman Abramovich, Fernando Torres, Nicolas Anelka, Edwin Van Der Sar, Carlo Ancelotti, Daniel Sturridge Places: Liverpool, Spain, Germany

Source: Daily_Mail