The Dark Knight Rises

Ever since our £50,000,000 flop broke his nose in a fierce challenge against Romanian opposition Steaua Bucharest his abilities and form has been completely re-vitalised. El Zoro has netted three times in his last three appearances in Europe. Certainly an impressive stat and one which provides evidence that something has changed in El Niño.

One thing which is clear to see that Torres isn’t afraid to shoot. Also he has been making numerous of menacing runs off the ball which has led to chances/ goals. Again today he made another surging run goal words and he was expertly found by a beautiful 30 yard pass from Lampard. The normal Torres would make run sideways not opposing any real threat to the defenders. But today he was determined to drive at the defenders, planting doubt in their mind. Another thing I noticed was his decision to shoot so early. The normal Torres would have attempted to round the keeper and put the ball into the empty net. However his gutt instinct paid off as he managed to produce a exquisite half-volley lob over the keeper. It certainly was one of his better goals In a Chelsea shirt.

One thing I have always praised about Nando is his urge to close players down! He really is a striker who works for the team and of course this means he poses a fantastic work ethic. He’s always hungry to close a defender down putting pressure on them, anticipating their next move. He is a clever player who has a good understanding of the beautiful game.

So why are we witnessing a change now? Why are glimpses of Fernando in his prime returning?

Many people think this u- turn in form is down to passion and pride. He did reavel that at times during his rollercoaster career at the blues he has lost passion. He felt that the will to get down and work hard was just absent. There was no spark in his body to ignite a moment of brilliance. However at times this season he has been extremely impressive. Despite the tons of criticism he’s been receiving on a daily basis not a lot of people have realised that he’s netted more goals than the likes of Wayne Rooney,Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez to name just a few. 19 goals is not bad at all. He’s certainly striving on the European stage he’s managing a goal in just under two games. There’s no doubt that he’s been instrumental in the Europa League he is our only attacking option.

Others believe that he’s finally realised that he doesn’t poses the same burst of speed as he once did. Rewind back to his Liverpool days and every single Kop lover would tell you that his key asset was his bust of speed over ten yards. This enabled him to beat defenders and leave them gob-smacked after witnessing a fantastic goal. However as the years have slowly passed by his speed has decreased. I don’t think that he ever came to terms that he couldn’t do what he once did. But especially this season he’s been trying different techniques in order to improve his game and from a personal point of view I think it’s been a success. He’s found himself in more advanced positions which has let him have a bigger impact on the game. An example of this was against Sundeland. Two minutes after his introduction he influenced the whole outcome of the game. Having received the ball in and advanced position on the left channel, he pumped his legs and made a surging run into the box before picking out Oscar with a crisp pass. We all know the outcome of that move!

So this change in Torres has worked wonders for him personally and for Chelsea. I hope you enjoyed this article! Let me know what you think. KTBFFH