Fernando Torres Red Card

Fernando Torres is a massive disappointment - that is true.  If you pull up the last picture I posted of Juan Mata on his way to another incredible goal you will see Fernando Torres in the background sitting with his feet propped up and a cup of tea in one hand and a newspaper in the other.  He's lost his hunger for goals.  Hunger for goals is what fuels a striker.  It is not enough to hold up play, be a creator, terrorize defenses, throw the other team "off balance," or any other such vague objective.  A striker must score goals and create goals.  Neither of which has Torres been able to do (although Mata has; scoring one and creating the other in this game).  This often requires a striker to play through fouls.  Football is a rough sport Fernando and you need to buck up, take the hits, stay on your feet, and then bury the ball in the back of the net.  This is the Premier League so save the tumbles for Serie A where you'll invariably end up if you want to play with guile rather than skill and power. 





Torres needs to be stronger - but not worthy of a Yellow!

 
But the call made against Torres this past game is complete rubbish! I've seen guys chop off a striker's head and not be shown a second yellow card.  The reasoning is that referees don't want to be "forced" into showing a second yellow, and thus a red, thereby sending a player off for a relatively minor infraction. So there is supposedly this higher hurdle that must be cleared for a second yellow to be given as opposed to a first.  But apparently not for Torres.  This call was an absolute travesty.  I don't think the ref needs his eyes checked.  He just needs to be banned.  Actually, he may be banned for other reasons. It was arguable that whoever tripped Torres (don't expect me to actually know the names of the wretched players on Manchester United please) could have been shown a straight red card depending on if you think he was the last defender.  But to show Torres a second yellow is unthinkable. 

Overall the Chelsea 2 - 3 Manchester United loss showed that Chelsea, and Juan Mata in particular, has the character of champions.  Unfortunately, in this game they were denied a favorable result by an absurd red card and a missed offside call on the winning Man U. goal.