Chelsea face a decision over what to do with their £50 million striker this summer. He can erase all the questions if he seizes the success Chelsea are offering him.
Eight goal midfielder Ramires has scored more goals than Fernando Torres this season, even though the Spaniard’s return of seven suddenly does not seem so awful.
By bagging his first league strike since September, against Aston Villa at the weekend, he wrestled a sizeable monkey off his back, and took his tally to three in the last month.
He has still performed below his once high standards, but everything has to be judged against something, and scoring three in March was far better than scoring none in December, January and February combined.
There is of course no pleasing some people, with critics writing off Torres’ strikes as ‘scoring when it does not matter’. His brace came in a 4-2 FA Cup win over Leicester, which clearly did matter, but were dismissed because of the Foxes’ Championship status, while his goal against Villa came when the match was already won.
His superb assist away at Benfica does though offer more hope that his overall game is beginning to sparkle at an important time.
Right now, Chelsea have absolutely everything to play for.
The best case scenario is that Chelsea win the Champions League, FA Cup, and finish inside the top four. Not even the most ardent Chelsea fan would sit here and say they believe that is going to happen, but right now all three of those targets are achievable, and are on offer.
Even achieving just one of those goals would make Roberto di Matteo’s Chelsea reign a success.
Fernando Torres should look at both cup competitions and see them as a way of restoring his battered reputation and pride, and even save his Chelsea career.
This summer Chelsea may decide to cut their losses, if he sinks back into his non-goalscoring ways, but right now, there is the impression he is just getting warmed up. Is it another false dawn?
Supporters will hope not- they will hope that starting tomorrow night against Benfica, Torres can put the Portuguese side to the sword.
Beyond that, there is the prospect of a Champions League semi-final against AC Milan or Barcelona. The highest profile of matches on the grandest stage of all.
If Torres were to bang in a hat-trick against Barcelona, months of failing to net against sides like Norwich City and Wolves will fade to a distant memory.
He also has the added carrot being dangled in front of him, that such a performance could lead to a shock international recall for Euro 2012.
Success and adulation is right there for Torres- the hero headlines are there ready to be written and the glory is so close he can almost taste it.
All he has to do now is go and make it happen.
Can Torres turn into an instant hero at Chelsea by firing them to silverware over the season’s remaining weeks?
image: © Ben Sutherland
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