Fernando Torres: Forgetting How to Play Well and Score Goals? - Page 2
The most fascinating thing about all this is how fast the tide can turn on you. Whether you're a manager or a player, it seems entirely possible to go from beloved to loathed in a split second. Some of the more controversial moves, between big-time rivals, are easy, but sometimes it's harder to understand the hypocrisy.
Torres is much loathed by Liverpudlians right now, and rightly so according to many. Would the Kop be shouting at a newly acquired player if he came from, say, Everton? Would they be calling him a traitor, or would they welcome him into their arms if his performances were up to scratch? There seems to be an inherent hypocrisy prevalent in the mindset of football fans everywhere, where players who leave your club are traitors and players who join your club are not. It's a peculiar lack of objectivity that is seldom encountered outside the local sports pub.
One can hypothesize as much as one wants about why the once potent goalscorer has started turning into lukewarm custard in the face of anyone with goalkeeping gloves. Maybe it was the pressure, maybe he has personal issues outside the pitch, or maybe this is all an elaborate scheme to be sold back to Liverpool or Atlético Madrid for a penny and a ham sandwich.
With all due respect to Chelsea and their fans, this blogger hopes that the rojiblanco goes back to his roots. A more likely scenario, however, is that a strengthened, re-invigorated Torres appears as a major force for the Chelsea side in the 11/12-season. If the managerial patience will last that long, that is. For Torres sake, and that of the Chelsea fans, I hope so.
Meanwhile, you can keep tabs on his progress here. As long as the answer is "NO", this article's title remains painfully true.
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