LFC2007 wrote:I don't think Torres always needs space to be effective, that would be disrespectful to his ability, but he's at his most effective when there is space to exploit.
Yes well I think you can pretty much say that about any striker anywhere in the World mate to be honest. They pretty much all look better when they've got space to operate in in my experience anyway.
The Chelsea goal was indeed from a counter attack, and as the likes of Birmingham don't do too much of that it is reasonable to assume that Torres would have less chance of manoevreing a situation where he is one on one with their centreback so fair enough.
I can't help thinking though that we are debating something which taken literally is nonsense. I know I annoy people sometimes with my flippant attitude but I have trouble taking seriously the notion that you don't play strikers who have pace against lowly teams because they are more effective when the opposition defends high up. If we follow this mantra to its enth degree, Torres will play about six games at Home all season. Rafa is indeed a clever man, and quite possibly a tactical genius and all that, but just occasionally, (and I don't know whether he does it for a laugh, because he can't speak perfect English and it gets lost in translation, or he just gets a bit bored or something) he talks utter b0ll0cks. When he does, we all spend weeks debating and disecting his every word.
He's probably forgotten what he said and why he said it now, just like he din't know that Crouch and Torres hadn't actually started together (or perhaps he was taking the p!ss as someone will nodoubt claim he was). I like him, but I do think that some on here overdo the guru bit sometimes. Nobody on this earth is immune from talking b0ll0cks (and God knows I should know), and rafa is no different.