Di Matteo backs Torres to start delivering again as Chelsea prepare for life after Drogba

Fernando Torres will be given the chance to step into the shoes of Didier Drogba and lead Chelsea’s assault on the Premier League and the Champions League this season.

The Spaniard’s chequered career at Stamford Bridge since his £50million move from Liverpool will enter a new phase with the shadow of Drogba removed and coach Roberto Di Matteo — with few other options up front — insists that he will not be following Spain’s lead of playing without a striker.
The stage is clear for Torres to finally come good, starting in the Community Shield clash against Manchester City at Villa Park, as he aims to feed off Chelsea’s new-look midfield of Frenchman Eden Hazard, Brazilian Oscar and Marko Marin of Germany.

Backing: Fernando Torres will carry the mantle for Chelsea

Di Matteo confirmed that Torres has looked sharp in training and is backing the former Anfield favourite to succeed. ‘I was very happy with him at the end of last season,’ said Di Matteo.

 

‘There are great expectations on the club and the team and he is part of that. He was brought in to be a fantastic striker and, hopefully, he will be able to fit into our team and show the qualities he has. He’s full of confidence and is looking good in training.’

So could this be the season when the most expensive player in British football finally justifies his price tag?
‘He scored some important goals for us last season,’ said Di Matteo. ‘I don’t want to put pressure on one player. We operate as a team. Hopefully, our strikers will score lots of goals. But he’s not the only one. We have Daniel Sturridge and midfielders who can score, too.
‘His price comes from the fact that he’s been superb for the teams he’s played for in the past. We have every confidence in him.’

Justifying his price tag: Torres has been backed to shine this season

At the moment Torres and Sturridge, who can also play on the wing, are the contenders to lead the attack, but Di Matteo is mindful of the need to add to his options. He refused to rule out spending more of Roman Abramovich’s money, with Napoli striker Edinson Cavani a possible target.
Di Matteo will be without new signing Oscar, who will not join up with his team-mates until next week after he has finished Olympic duties with Brazil, but FA Cup winners Chelsea will field a strong team against Premier League champions City in an attempt to launch the season on a positive note.

Relaxed and ready: Di Matteo is looking forward to the new season

After the euphoria of the Champions League triumph in Munich, Di Matteo took a well-deserved rest, during which he received the good news from Abramovich that he had been given the coach’s job on a permanent basis.
He accepted without hesitation, he said, even though he acknowledged that his predecessors had not lasted long. ‘I was very happy to be considered and to be given the opportunity’, said the Italian.
Yet the pressure of last season took its toll. ‘I needed a holiday,’ said Di Matteo. ‘It was a good break and now I feel fully refreshed and ready to go.’
Now he wants to ignore Chelsea’s greatest night and make them a power at home and abroad again. ‘I have to forget about the Champions League, absolutely,’ he said.
‘It’s part of the past, done and dusted. We have a new start, new challenges and it’s going to be difficult for us. Everybody is going to raise their game against us.’