How Benetiz might incorporate Torres and Ba
Him versus Queens Park Rangers
There have been many discussions regarding the above subject, since the arrival of the Newcastle striker Demba Ba. Everyone will have their own thoughts on this but I will look at it technically and tactically to see if there is a good way to incorporate both players in the system.
It’s highly unlikely that Rafa Benitez will change the system, but I feel he might well look at tinkering it slightly. It would be extreme to move to a 4-4-2 and play both Torres and Ba as front men. The players we have would have grown used to the current system and drastically moving positions around like that will cause distraction and holes will open up all around the pitch, thus potentially creating a tactical disaster.
At the moment, we use a 4-2-3-1 system which we have been playing for sometime now. But if you remember back in the days of Carlo Ancelotti, he had a similar problem with Nicolas Anelka and Didier Drogba. Ancelotti was already using a 4-3-3 formation and he wanted to play both Drogba and Anelka. On many occasions we would see Anelka playing as one of the wide strikers and in all honesty, for the majority of the time it was effective. Anelka would cause problems out there, he even learnt his defensive roles as well.
I believe that Benitez will want to nurture Fernando Torres in to a similar role and could well be about to tweak the formation in to more of a 4-3-3. Although I would be rather skeptical about any such move, I do feel that Torres as a wide striker, might well be a good move.
When you watch Torres of late, he often drifts wide and prefers to take on the full back in a one on one situation, often getting the better of them. He seems to prefer to mix it up, drop back, go wide and attempt to create rather than be a target man. This could be used effectively if he is deployed as a wide striker.
The Spaniard even has a good ability to cross the ball, which would be met by a goal hungry Demba Ba in the centre. How often have we seen crosses come in of late, with nobody in the middle to meet them? Torres will often be out of position for a centre forward, using his own hunger to get the ball at his feet, where he likes it.
I truly believe that a confident Torres could be a very dangerous prospect out on the left, beating his full back, cutting in on his right foot and firing in a curling effort in to the top right-hand corner.
I feel this would be the only real effective way to play both Ba and Torres. We must also remember that the 4-3-3 formation would allow for a more solid midfield and will see the likes of Mikel, Oscar, Luiz, Ramires and Lampard rotating. I also like using a holding midfield player, it gives more freedom for creativity from the likes of Oscar and Luiz in front of them. Juan Mata scores a lot of goals for us, if he plays as a wide striker, we would see more goals. With him, Torres, Hazard and Marin rotating in those positions and Torres and Ba rotating up top, it could prove to be quite an effective formula.
I am not claiming that this would be a guaranteed success and players would need time to learn different roles etc. But with Roman Abramovich and Rafa Benitez wanting to get the best out of Torres, I can see him be effective as a wide striker. Whether Benitez will change things is unknown, there are many other ways that he might use Torres. He might stick to rotating him with Ba, it would take a bold manager to attempt to ‘do an Anelka’ with Torres, but having already hinted at it, we might just be about to witness this very soon.
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8 Responses to How Benetiz might incorporate Torres and Ba
Whilst I agree with using Ba as first choice striker, no team should alter it’s formation to benefit one player. It’s important to bare in mind that playing Torres on the right would mean leaving out either Mata or Hazard, both of who’s form is head and shoulders above Torres’. Benitez has preferred to play Mata as the more central of the three, I think forcing him to stay out wide would reduce the impact of our best playroom this season. It’s also worth noting the form of Victor Moses. He’s also in fine form and is regrettably at the African cup of nations for the month. What would happen to him? I agree that 4-3-3 would makeus more solid, but even if Rafa did switch – and I don’t think he will – on form, Torres would still be behind the likes of Mata, Hazard and Moses.
433 wil b gud 4 us as uv said. Playn tores wide and ba as tm and 2 continue using our blocking 4. If benitez employ dis tactic it wil b d best 2 solve his problem
Are you all right,torres is not himself,he is afraid of making a mess of the ball that’s why he drifts out wide so he won’t be passed the ball in the box and blamed if he doesn’t score
I know something better
How about Ba starts every game while Torres searches another club together with benitez that way chelsea would win games and torres would be happy he can leave the club with benitez cuz im sick of it how many chances does he need? And why does he get so many chances he cant prove anything with that the only thing he can prove is that he is not even worthy of playing for the reserves of chelsea
It is quite pathetic listening to stories on how to make one person (Torres) useful to the team. If I may suggest, Torres should be benched. He needs to get back and watch his game videos in Liverpool and think of amendments.
The Torres I know before has speed, good reflexes, creates chances, takes defenders irrespective of their number, his positioning then was amazing and so on.
Today, it is the opposite. Torres should learn how to communicate with the midfielders. Just like Ba is doing, he should learn how to position himself so that ball could be passed to him and he should once again work on his speed and reflexes. Failure to do this, i envisage Ba keeping him on the bench until he does that, I envisage more and better strikers which means the death of his game.
I must tell you that I love Osca and what he does with his legs not only him, but the Brazilians in the team.
Sorry Ivanovic caused the goals scored in that match, but Judging, some players like Cole, Louis, Tumbul and mata all disappointed me. Harzard, osca and Ramirez is being overworked. They are good but the others waste some of the players wastes their effort.
For our interim coach, Benitez: He has failed, he does not know how to select a killer squad, his changes are poor, he keeps players who are supposed to play on the bench and selects people randomly. He gives unwanted excuses for his lack of vision, he has killed all the opportunities the club had to win something this year. He is planning to destroy chelsea and depart in the summer.
My dear let jst forget abt dis man call torres,there’s no time.
Send torres for six years loan,we now have a good guy dat can do the job for us pls benetiz start Useing BA in all our games,
I beg u in the name of God.
My dear let jst forget abt dis man call torres,there’s no time.
Send torres for six years loan,we now have a good guy dat can do the job for us pls benetiz start Useing BA in all our games,
I beg u in the name of God
Torres is shit…he should not even make the starting 11