January could be Torres' best chance to shine

It has been a tale of disappointment and more disappointment. Fernando Torres is edging towards his one-year anniversary with Chelsea, but the Spanish forward has barely even scored five goals for the Londoners.

Speaking about epic failures, Torres comes into my mind brightly. It was probably on a weekend and I was sitting right on the couch at my grandma’s. After a tense battle with her over the remote control, I switched to the match between Chelsea and Liverpool. Not that I fancied any of these two teams, but probably the attraction of witnessing Fernando Torres in action was too hard to resist.

2007 it was, and at that point of time, Torres was the Justin Bieber of Spanish Football. His track record with Atletico Madrid was hugely impressive and despite rumors linking him with a move to United, Anfield emerged as his temple. The hype was there and the pressure definitely made itself present.

However, the Spaniard showed his impeccable class by tormenting the Chelsea defence on that night, scoring his first league goal in the process. I could not have said much more after the game, because all I thought about at that point of time was the fact that United had wasted a golden opportunity to sign him.

Leaving all that aside, I’d prefer to fast forward to where we are now. Seasons have passed and times have changed. The Spanish sensation that instilled fear into opposition teams at one point of time is no longer at his supreme best. El Nino, as he is so fondly nicknamed, is struggling to replicate the form that once saw him being hailed as a gem of his kind. Liverpool’s struggle coincided with his turn of fortunes as well, but that bad luck has been replicated at Chelsea as well.

Abramovich forked out 50 Million pounds for him and yet, the end result has never looked this gloomy. I mean, really gloomy. That goal against Manchester United seemed a moment of revitalization but his distraught sending-off in the same game made it to no avail. For a fact, his performances have been so below-par that rumors were even linking him with an exit from Chelsea this winter.

However, as we speak about winter, it could actually be Torres’ best chance of reviving his fortunes. Why do I say so? Didier Drogba will be away at the African Cup of Nations while Nicholas Anelka has been packed and sent to China on a permanent transfer. This basically leaves Sturridge, Torres and Lukaku as their main strikers for the month.

We all know that Villas-Boas prefers to play Sturridge on the wings, and Lukaku is yet to prove his capabilities in the Premier League. That leaves Torres as the lone option to start as the centre forward and this could be the perfect catalyst needed to spur him into form.

Playing on the pitch without pressure can do wonders for one’s confidence. With Drogba normally lurking on the bench whenever Torres gets the nod to start, pressure to perform is immense on the Spaniard. But now, he has nothing to lose and it will be a perfect time for Villas-Boas to judge his expensive striker.

For Torres, it will all be about bouncing back and while he could win back the hearts of the Chelsea faithful with a good run of games, there is definitely a possibility of him departing the club if goals do not come in thick and fast. Fernando Torres, its judgement time!