“Maybe it’s my fault, not being able to adapt quicker.”
During a recent interview, Fernando Torres was very candid about why his form was terrible at Chelsea and he also talked about the decision to leave Liverpool.
Fernando Torres at Liverpool
From the moment that Fernando Torres scored against Chelsea on his Anfield league debut, the Liverpool fans absolutely adored the Spanish striker.
After singing from his boyhood club Atletico Madrid for a club-record fee of £20 million, Torres was handed the No.9 shirt vacated by Anfield legend Robbie Fowler and he didn’t disappoint.
Blessed with blistering pace, the ability to constantly play on the shoulder of the last defender, and razor-sharp finishing, El Nino quickly became the first Liverpool player since Fowler to break the 30-goal barrier.
The striker continued this sensational form into the international front as he helped Spain win Euro 2008 – he scored the winner in the final against Germany.
Torres’ injury troubles.
However, a series of hamstring injuries disrupted his 2008-09 season, although 17 goals from 38 appearances helped Liverpool’s title bid. The next season proved to be difficult for both Torres and the club.
With injuries becoming more frequent – he required two knee operations – Liverpool finished seventh in the league. During that summer, Benitez was replaced by Roy Hodgson and while Torres was off winning the World Cup with Spain, there were growing concerns about his sharpness and future at Liverpool.
In South Africa, Torres struggled to find full fitness as Spain progressed through the tournament. The striker lost his place in the starting XI for the semi-final victory over Germany and he had to start the final against the Netherlands on the bench – Torres did make an extra-time cameo in the famous 1-0 win though.
Kenny Dalglish’s appointment at Liverpool failed to rejuvenate the Spaniard and ultimately, Torres handed in a written transfer request. Three days later he joined Chelsea for another club-record fee.
Fernando Torres at Chelsea
During his time at Stamford Bridge, he only scored 45 goals in 172 matches and in an interview with TalkSport, Fernando Torres was very honest about why his form fell apart at Chelsea.
“Maybe it’s my fault, not being able to adapt quicker. The only problem I had at Chelsea was not being consistent with my performances. I had really good moments but I was not consistent and in a big club like Chelsea, that’s not possible.
“If you’re not performing well every week, someone will come in and take your position and you have to leave.
When asked why he was inconsistent, Torres said: “That’s a good question! I’d like to know.
“Maybe, when you arrive at a club like that which is full of stars, in the middle of the season, it’s difficult to fit in. In the next season, it’s because I had a very, very bad first six months which everyone was remembering. Even if I was playing good and maybe scored a goal, all the blame was still on me.
“Maybe I didn’t find the partnership that I had with Gerrard, Mascherano, or Xabi with any player at Chelsea, but I always say that this was my fault. I was old enough to find solutions and I didn’t do it. I’m happy I made the move because I won the trophies that I wanted. I played good football but I didn’t; do it every weekend, and in any big club in the world if you don’t perform every weekend, it’s not good enough.”
Torres’ time with the Blues.
Despite the downturn in form, the period which Torres spent at Stamford Bridge is something of an oddity because it coincided with him winning quite a few trophies and accolades.
During his time at Chelsea, he won the Champions League, Europa League, and FA Cup.
Aside from this, while on Chelsea’s books, he won Euro 2012 with Spain and finished that tournament as the top scorer too – Irish fans might remember the goal he scored in Spain’s 4-0 win over the boys in green.
During the interview, Torres also explained why he left Liverpool to move to their Premier League rivals.
Why he left Atletico for Liverpool.
“I was ready because when I left Atletico – the team of my heart – it was because I wanted to win trophies, so I joined Liverpool and I was super happy there. But do you remember that time was a very difficult situation for the structure of the club? The club was about to be sold, it was a difficult moment and they were selling all their best players.
“Mascherano left, Xabi Alonso left, Rafa Benitez left and they started bringing in young players. They needed about 5-6 years to create a winning team again, and I didn’t have that time because I left home to win trophies.
“Unfortunately, there were many lies by the owners that Liverpool had at that time and at the end, I needed to find my own way which was going to Chelsea. I thought it was the club who would offer me more chances to win trophies and over time, I was right in that aspect.
If you’re a fan of Torres, we have a feeling that Amazon’s new documentary Fernando Torres: The Last Symbol will definitely be on your radar when it’s released on September 18.
Clip via Amazon Prime Video Sport
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