Fernando Torres against Manchester United: Did we see a fading talent?

Finding ‘Fernando-land’

Two years ago, when Liverpool came to visit Manchester United for the reverse fixture, I was worried. Not because I thought Liverpool could beat us, as I hate Liverpool so much, I don’t think they’re capable of beating anyone, but because ‘Fernando Torres‘ was spelt out at the end of the team sheet.

United were humiliated at Old Trafford as Torres literally toyed with the defence and almost shocked Nemanja Vidic out of Manchester United to help his side win 4-1. A loss that big hadn’t been seen at Old Trafford ever since Sir Alex took charge.

Fading Beauty??

Today, when they were displaying Chelsea‘s team sheet, who were to play us at Old Trafford, when I read Torres’ name, I laughed a little. Torres, striker/centre forward extraordinaire, had scored a single goal in 23 league appearances for the Blues. This compelled me to join the popular Facebook group doing the rounds now, “The awkward moment when you search ‘top ten Torres goals for Chelsea’“.

When he scored, barely a minute into the second half today, there was this sudden upright strut with which he was walking up and down the field, then charging at the defenders and floating balls in and out of the box. All of a sudden, Torres gave something to Chelsea fans that no other team has even imagined of giving this year whilst playing United. Hope.

And then he did this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TABbu_0UDM&feature=player_detailpage

How that happened, don’t ask me. Okay, well you can. When I was in school, I was more popular for my ‘one-on-zero’ misses than my goals (read: goal) (then read: in an offside position). The pressure when there’s no keeper at all is different. Because you’re expected to score, you take it way to easily. Then again, I wasn’t Fernando Torres.

In a game which marked a return to Torres’ goal scoring touch, his miss will be most remembered. More than Nani’s stunner, more than Rooney’s atrocious penalty and more than that moment when you went “I can’t believe Lukaku is 18″.

The fall of Fernando Torres has been ugly. From being a star at Anfield, he’s become a joke at Stamford Bridge. I always had a small affinity towards his style of play, especially when he was linked to United before joining Liverpool, but the last six months or so have just made me laugh.

It isn’t a rare phenomenon to see big names switch from one club to another and then miserably fail. Greats like Zinedine Zidane and Luis Figo suffered the same and more recently, we saw David Beckham and Thierry Henry put the lights out on potential legend status.

But for some reason, people believed otherwise for Torres. People believed that this man was marked for greatness and nothing could stop him. Nothing.

Today may have seen a goal off Torres’ foot, but it also proved that the shine his stature had is gradually fading, if not faded already. I am a genuine hater of Chelsea and everything it stands for but today, I actually sympathise for Fernando Torres.

But that’s about it. Glory, Glory Man United.