“When you join a club you want to do the best for yourself and for that club. That’s all,” said Fernando Torres on signing for Chelsea on the deadline day last month. Despite Liverpool fans’ angry protests, the player had no obligation to the Merseyside club above and beyond the contract he signed in 2007.
Indeed, moving clubs is no “betrayal” and even if fans label Torres a “Judas” the Merseyside club certainly got its thirty pieces of silver – the £50 million fee Chelsea paid for the 26-year-old striker. Moreover, Liverpool signed Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll to replace Torres, bolstering an infamously thin squad and replacing the non-firing Spaniard with two decent alternatives. It was a transfer that made sense – even if the American-owned club paid two astronomical fees for Suarez and Carroll.
The move makes sense for the London club as well, although perhaps not in the short-term. With Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka now beyond 30, Chelsea needed someone younger to take over the striking mantle.
However, Torres’s introduction could make an already brittle Chelsea side even easier to beat. After all, neither Anelka nor Drogba are even-tempered and each is liable to throw a tantrum or two should a spell on the bench result from the incoming striker.
Even if the existing strikers accept the situation, assimilation of the former Liverpool player remains an issue for Carlo Ancelotti. There’s a reason most clubs do their transfer businesses in the close season. Matches start to pile up around this time of year – especially for the top clubs that fight on multiple fronts. Managers begin to curtail training to ease the physical toil and to prevent injuries. With less time on the training pitch, new signings find it harder to blend in, although there is pressure to fully use the new player, in hope that the team will eventually gel.
Winter transfers are much more realistic for smaller clubs though, especially troubled sides fighting relegation. Assuming that the fee is reasonable, a mid-season purchase represents less of a gamble than for the top sides. Also, smaller clubs tend to use less sophisticated tactics than the giants of the game; easier tactics, easier integration.
Chelsea, on the other hand, is helmed by Ancelotti – and even a tactician as renowned as the former AC Milan manager will find the prospect of keeping Anelka, Drogba and Torres happy challenging. The Italian could choose a variant of standard 4-4-2, although it is difficult to implement at Chelsea because the London club lacks a player to play wide right bar, perhaps, Ramires and Michael Essien. Either is simply a temporary fix.
At AC Milan, Ancelotti used decidedly central systems such as 4-3-1-2, but such narrow formations are hard to use in the Premier League. For one, width is sacred to most English clubs. Yet, systems with wide midfielders or wingers can pin back full-backs and render narrow systems completely toothless.
Moreover, Chelsea has no one that can play the trequartista role that is essential in formations such as 4-3-1-2 and 4-4-2 diamond. Frank Lampard is a sound player technically but even he does not have that oomph required for the role. Arguably, the Englishman is too ‘box-to-box’ to play with his back to goal.
This argument similarly applies to Anelka and others – as Ancelotti’s previous flirtations with formations show, Chelsea simply doesn’t have the players to make narrow systems work.
Manchester United hasn’t yet played Chelsea this season but considering that the Reds have fared well against Arsenal in recent seasons, two upcoming games against the West Londoners will likely decide whether Sir Alex Ferguson’s outfit can win a 19th league title. As things stand, the trophy appears inevitable.
Should Tottenham Hotspur maintain excellent recent form, Torres – whose rationale for the move was to play in the Champions League – might well return to the Europa League next season. What a delicious irony.
Tottenham showed that narrow formations doesn`t work against English teams who play usually with width. Milan`s narrow diamond and unathletic midfield plus Seedorf as trequartista guaranteed easy win.
Well, Torres isn’t always on form. But he does particularly relish playing against Utd. He’ll be happy to reacquaint himself with Vidic again. Will have to see in those two clashes whether he makes Chelsea more brittle against Utd or not. What a delicious irony.
It’s only a short while since the know-alls were unanimously saying it’s impossible for Drogba and Anelka to play together. Winning the double and both scoring sackfuls of goals shut those bright sparks up. Now they have Torres to add to the equation, so all the predictable “he won’t fit in” drivel starts up again. Meaningless twaddle.
I think that you have jumped the gun Jay. Arsenal,Barca & Real all play very fluid systems [Barca without any ‘classical’ striker). It is very early days & Torres’ strike record in the EPL, for not a great team, is exceptional; I would wait a wee while before we can claim it has dried up. Torres could play mainly wide left, like Villa. I do not see that with a midfield four of Essien, Lampard,Anelka & Malouda,all quality players, Chealski are going to be an easy touch. Ramires could take Anelka’s place if safety first was the by-word. Only time will tell.
Jumped the gun perhaps with the last line… couldn’t help myself and I firmly put my hands up.
However I would bet good money that Torres will be horrible as a winger for Chelsea.
He is a skillful, pacey player BUT Chelsea’s midfield as things stand isn’t good enoguh to accommodate a more or less traditional striker on the left. With Torres on the wing, Chelsea can have up to three natural strikers in the forward line and that will just destroy them – kind of like playing a narrow system. It is important to remember that Barcelona gets away with playing Villa on the left because Messi plays the so called “false 9” role and help out in midfield.
Having said all that, I agree with your implication vis a vis a take on traditional 4-4-2. I think such formation can be very useful. The lack of wide man on the right is glaring but there is a long history of teams, especially British ones, playing a lopsided 4-4-2. I just can’t see Ancelotti trying that though. To work such formation in tough European matches, central midfielders have to stay deep and be pivots – Chelsea’s midfielders bar maybe Mikel are far too box-to-box.
It would be so funny if Chelsea don’t get 4th.
Unlucky chelsea. Out of the fa cup, battling for fourth and just spent £50 million on an a player that they will not get the best out of. What a fall from grace…
torres will score against us, no question about that
Absolutely, Torres will score against us
Don’t care, we will score more.
So long as Terry and lamptwat play we will be fine.
Does not matter as long as we win.
Not so sure… the whole club is under pressure right now, and after costing the Cossack 50 big ones, Torres will be feeling it more than the rest… in fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if Ancelotti doesn’t even start him, preferring Drogba on his own up front.