Just back from the game. A comfortable 4-1 blowout of Swansea despite playing 55 minutes with 10 men.
Torres is $h!t. Pretty much did nothing useful up until the moment Mata presented him with a superb ball in the box...on that occasion he did what he had to do and got his goal. Crowd gone wild...and soon after Ramires doubled the lead and Torres began to look like he had a purpose...then, inexplicably, he dived in two-footed on some Swansea player and got himself sent off...Cheers Fernando.
In his absence, Anelka was excellent...held up the ball well (admittedly that's been his 'strength' for some time now) and kept us looking like a threat all game...at one point he took on the entire Swansea back line and was inches away from scoring (hit the crossbar). He got a massive standing ovation when Drogba came on for him.
And once Drogba came back on for his cameo you could see the gulf in class between the Drog and Torres. He was a beast from the minute he came on, battering the Swansea defence. And his control, as always, is exquisite, the man can trap a ball better than anyone in the Premiership. His goal, perfectly taken, was another illustration of why Torres will never be an adequate replacement for him...and certainly should not be keeping him out of the team at the moment.
Fingers crossed, Torres gets a 3 match ban.
I thinik it harsh to call the man shit, Torres is excellent at several things but those things are limited to the area between the last defender and goal. Torres influence on a game has always been about coming alive for chances as opposed to always being in the mix.
As opposed to Drogba who taking free-kick, corner, defending corners, crossing from the wing, dropping deep. They are such different types of players and Drogba is a much more versatile player. Anelka too for that matter. He could play down the center where they setting it up for Torres but he also show that he could play on th eoutside too.
The story about Lampard storming off is nonesense but his days are numbered in that Chelsea midfield because again Ramires and Meireles are better all-round midfielders at this point and Villas Boas try Lampard in Mikel role in pre-season with no success.
Villas Boas actually doing a good job getting this team playing.
JDB, yuh might be a manu fan but yuh have some sense in yuh head.
I eh understand how men does be ssssso quick to cry down players and call dem "shit" nuh. For all his poor from coing into this team, Torres done prove he self on all levels and has DESTROYED my side a couple times well than fuh dem words to come out my mouth or off my fingertips. Men claiming that Mikel is "shit" holding down the holding mid role....outta his natural position and den it have asshole liverpool fans talkin' 'bout Petr Cech is "shit".......I really eh know where dem men does come out nuh.
"Villas Boas actually doing a good job getting this team playing." While I agree with you, you can still see the team maintaining the old Chelsea way of taking their foot off the gas and knocking the ball around the midfield once they have a lead, much less a 4-goal lead. One of the biggest differences between my side and yours. manu could be up by friggin' FIVE with 8 minutes left and dey still eh takin' dey foot off de gas! Chelsea need to change that philosophy completely! Goal difference has killed us before, and with the league becoming so much more competitive, it may hurt us again.
Ramirez looks to be coming into his own. Good engine and very mobile.
Chelsea going forward are finding rhythm & somebody is going to be at the end of a hiding soon. Watch!
Anybody worth an ounce of fairness knew from early on that Ramires was going to eventually come into his own on this team (just like Torres will) and his so-called struggles eraly on were just about him going through an adjustment period. He might not be the smoothest operators on the ball and he is lanky and a little clumsy sometimes, especially with his finishing but we have other players to do those things. His work rate alone was going to reap rewards for him and I'm glad to see that some of these dumb-ass "critics" hadda hush dey mouth now and hope that their sides doh end up on the other end of that hiding you're expecting to happen. Even some of our own Chelsea fans was being rel unreasonable on d man.