Who else believes that the drought is over

no, its possible

jesus boys, it was leicester A very average championship side......the Torres of old would of eaten these guys for breakfast and you wouldn't of battered an eye lid.......now everyones going over board because he got a few goals today, i don't think he will ever get back to his best i'm afraid

batting an eye lid *

It was great to see Torres receiving the plaudits today after the kicking he's been given over the last 14 months by the press and media (and a few fans too!). It gives me a lot of pleasure thinking about those journalists with an agenda now choking on their gin and tonics as they sit in front of a keyboard and realise they are forced to write complimentary reviews for tomorrows editions.

But to me this, together with the Napoli game, highlights even more why, despite the criticism and outrage, the board were absolutely right to relieve AVB of his duties. I think we have seen over the last few games the way man management skills (or lack of) can be every bit as important as the tactics you write up on the whiteboard.

In Torres's case, I've been saying all season that in my opinion his performances weren't anywhere near as bad as some would have us believe. At the start of the season I thought he was playing as well as we'd seen him for quite some time. His movement, workrate, positioning and awareness were excellent in a lot of games. But then came his red card and AVB in his wisdom decided he would then make him sit in the naughty corner for the best part of two months.

All the while, whilst Drogba was hardly setting the world alight as his replacement, it was a case of seeing the Torres confidence levels fall right back to square one. Shocking management at the time and, for me at least, enough to convince me he wasn't the right man for the job.

Now, hopefully, with the backing of a manager who actually believes in him, today just might be the start of us seeing quality performances on a more regular basis and both the players and fans can start to forget the doom and gloom that typified AVB's reign.

Drogba was good after Torres was red carded and I doubt dropping Torres for a few games while there was a better option would spur a period where he does not score in 20+ appearances, mixing so many easy chances on the way.

I'm not sure I'd use the word good to describe any of our players performances in the couple of months before Christmas, or the couple after for that matter. But it wasn't just a case of dropping Torres for a few games, it was the context and way he dropped him.

Knowing full well Drogba was going to be away for 4-5 weeks, he persisted in playing DD almost up to the point the guy boarded the plane to Africa. All the while he kept Torres sitting glumly on the bench, often preferring to use Kalou or Malouda rather than give the Spaniard a run out. If he did see fit to use use him, it would be for a token 10 minutes, barely enough time to shrug off the numbness in his backside.

That's why I call it shocking management, straight out of the David Brent School of how not to handle people. Torres's confidence was shot because AVB made it clear through his actions he had no faith in him. He couldn't have made it clearer if he had written the word LOSER in felt tip pen on his forehead.

hehe, oh capello you wum you

Pinch of salt

Chelsea nuts

Torres's confidence was shot because AVB made it clear through his actions he had no faith in him.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Comparing him to Kezman probably didn´t help much either