The Fraud Number 9

Barcelona are a club that play in a system with what is called a false number 9, Chelsea are at the moment playing with a fraud as our number 9. A tad harsh maybe but things have definitely come to a head with Fernando Torres at Chelsea.

In so many games recently it has been said that we are handicapped in every game we play as we are virtually playing with 10 men. Torres is offering nothing to the team and the game. It seems that for the majority and i think it is the vast majority that last nights game was the very final straw.

Up until last week we have had no other option, Torres is the only player we have to play there no matter if we like it or not. But against Southampton we finally saw what a competent striker can do in this team. Demba Ba is by no means a world class striker, but he is a very good striker and he has a strikers instincts.

The arrival of Ba has certainly got Chelsea fans excited, and it is because we can see someone who actually has something to offer as a striker, imagine what we could do with a player like Flacao in the team. Following the impressive debut of Ba many people like myself were interested to see the reaction of Torres, well the reaction was none.

Last night surely has to be the final nail in any goodwill that Chelsea fans have towards Torres. It was again a game where he offered nothing of a threat to the opposition and made Ashley Williams seem like a world beater. The man has just lost it, he makes bizarre runs, totally against where he should be, at one point he pulled out to the right wing when we were on a break to literally stand on Oscar's toes, rather than make a run into the middle to create a different option he goes and stands by another player.

Benitez should have made the change sooner and it did not help Torres at all and it got a little cringe worthy to see Torres go through what he did. Firstly the calls for Demba Ba to come on were loud and regular, although the fans were right, Rafa should have made the change so when he did make the change way too late the fan reaction must have completely sunken Torres.

The cheer that went up when Ba was getting ready was one thing, but the boos that rang out when Torres was announced as coming off was surprising and as i said a little cringe worthy. But this is what it has come to, we have seen with clarity the difference with a striker on his game, Ba had 2 headers on goal, 1 goal chalked off harshly for offside with an incredible strike and a decent penalty appeal all in 10 minutes, Torres offered nothing.

Last night for me in personal feeling and my perception of what the fans are feeling was certainly a breaking point with Torres. It's a shame because us fans have always stuck by him, but there comes a point where enough is enough.