El Nino No Nearer To Netting

The international break can be many things to many people. It can be a fatiguing factor, an untimely disturbance, even an unjust momentum-shifter within the domestic order. But it can also be a reinvigorating influence, a welcome distraction or, better yet, the ideal escape from daily pressures and twice-weekly expectations. On the other hand, it can sometimes turn out to be simply a case of ‘out of the frying pan and into the fire’.

Fernando Torres knows all about pressure and even more about escape. His embittered switch from Liverpool to London eight weeks ago, and his six subsequent starts and single substitute appearance since, in which he is still to score for the Premier League Champions, have allowed the Spanish striker to sample the pros and cons of each with equal rigour. Following recent trips to Fulham, Blackpool and Copenhagen in blue, visiting Granada’s Estadio Nuevo Los Carmenes with 'La Furia Roja' to face Czech Republic on Friday should have seemed like a holiday from heaven to the 27-year-old.

Yet, despite countryman and cocatalyst Andres Iniesta’s protestations that “Fernando is doing really well” and similar quotes routinely emanating from West London ever since January, ‘El Nino’ all the same appears no closer to doing what forwards tend to do, as can be seen from Friday night’s fitful performance.

Torres’ utterances today when asked on Cesc Fabregas’ potential move to Barcelona this summer may, in fact, hold more significance than those of Iniesta. His words were read by a great number to represent advice offered to the Arsenal captain, suggesting that he should stay put in the Capital, but were phrased as a dilemma for Catalan coach Pep Guardiola: “If Cesc comes then who do you leave out?” the Chelsea star pondered. Many may surmise the £50 million man is expressing regret as to his own flight South and its ensuing fallout. This may, nonetheless, amount to an abridged interpretation, especially as his answer ended with the assertion "He's a real Barcelona man, though, and he would be a great signing".

It was perhaps more poignant that Torres’ only effort of note in Granada was comfortably quelled by Chelsea team-mate Petr Cech, as the rest of us were treated to a display of first class finishing, not only from his strike partner David Villa but also by Czech midfielder Jaroslav Plasil, who both emphatically found the net from range, while fellow Blues goal-getter Didier Drogba also notched a brace to earn his Ivorian ‘Elephants’ a 2-1 victory over Benin in an Africa Cup of Nations Qualifying match on Sunday.

Fortunately, Fernando was spared further woe by Nicolas Anelka’s on-going exclusion from the international football arena. However, at this rate even an 18-match ban would not necessarily stop the Frenchman from being the next sullen striker at the Bridge to make the net bulge.