Reuters/Reuters - Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho (R) talks to Fernando Torres during their English Premier League soccer match against Hull City at Stamford Bridge in London August 18, 2013. REUTERS/Eddie K
(Reuters)
- Chelsea's 50 million pound ($82.94 million) misfit Fernando Torres
accepts that it is his responsibility to force himself into a position
where the Spaniard is manager Jose Mourinho's number one striker.
Torres told an English newspaper on Saturday that he wanted to see
out the remaining two years of his contract at Stamford Bridge and was
confident he could still be in Brazil with Spain for the World Cup
finals in June.
Mourinho, who has been highly critical of his strikeforce this
season, said on Friday that 30-year-old Torres still had a place at
Chelsea despite putting the striker on the bench for this week's
Champions League defeat at Paris St Germain.
"(He) puts me on the pitch when he thinks I am the best option and
on the bench when he thinks I am not the best option," Torres said in an
interview in the Independent on Saturday.
"My aim is to try to make him feel I am always the best option for him.
"You have to have ways to adapt to this situation. Blame the
manager? Blame your team mates? Blame everyone? Or ask from yourself a
bit more. I think I can do better.
"I can make Jose think I am the best option. That is what I have to
do every day in training, all the matches. I just ask of myself the
responsibility."
Torres has scored nine goals in 33 appearances this season and has
rarely approached the heights of his time at Atletico Madrid and
Liverpool since breaking the British record transfer fee to join Chelsea
in 2011.
BRAZIL HOPE
"You have to prove yourself every day," Torres added. "You have to live for today. Three years ago? Five years ago? It's today.
"If the manager thinks there is another player better than you he is going to play and this is the way.
"You have to try to improve and keep fighting and try to change the
manager's mind. Hopefully one day Jose can say 'This is my striker, he
is going to be my striker' like he does with some of the players who
have won the appreciation from him."
That short-term outlook could also help Torres in his ambition to
return to the Spain squad for the World Cup, having helped his country
to successive major championship triumphs at Euro 2008 and 2012 as well
as the 2010 World Cup.
"Of course I can make it. Football is about the last month and a half and that is going to be very important," he said.
"I love to play for my country and I have been lucky enough to be in two Euros and a World Cup.
"We made history. No one did it before, three in a row, and we want to do the fourth. It would be amazing for this generation.
"So I would like to be there, but if I want to be there I have to do well for Chelsea. Score goals and win trophies."
($1 = 0.6029 pounds)
"I love to play for my country and I have been lucky enough to be in two Euros and a World Cup.
"We made history. No one did it before, three in a row, and we want to do the fourth. It would be amazing for this generation.
"So I would like to be there, but if I want to be there I have to do well for Chelsea. Score goals and win trophies."
($1 = 0.6029 pounds)
0 comments:
Post a Comment