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Fernando Torres is confident of ending his goal drought for Chelsea and insists it was always going to take him time to settle in at his new club.
Torres was afforded few chances in his latest game for Chelsea, although the defending champions beat Premier League leaders Manchester United, and the striker has now gone 315 minutes without a goal for the Blues since his £50 million move from Liverpool.
The Spaniard missed a hatful of openings in previous games against Fulham and FC Copenhagen, but despite his problems, the 26-year-old is confident the goals will flow once he adjusts to his new team’s style of play.
“It’s important to understand the style of football your team is playing, how you are involved in the system and everything,” Torres told Chelsea magazine. “This always takes some time. But, I think, once you get it, everything becomes much easier. The important thing is to have different options in the way you play.”
Torres was given free reign as a lone striker at Anfield but has yet to be indulged on that front by Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti, who has played him with a partner or in a three-man attack.
Torres said: “If you want to be a top player, you have to be able to play in all these situations and I’m sure here at Chelsea I will play in different positions sometimes. I’m ready for this because I want to play where the manager asks me to – I know the competition is high here.”
The striker also insisted he never doubted he would be a success at Chelsea when he decided to leave Liverpool.
“I think when you make a decision this important you must be sure you can do it, otherwise it’s not worth moving to a club like Chelsea,” he said. “You have to have confidence in yourself and you have to work harder than everyone else because you are the new player to arrive at the club.
“I have confidence in myself, I have confidence in this team and I have tried to become involved in everything this team is doing from the first day.”
Revealing that first day was “similar to starting at school”, he added: “You are always, not worried, but a bit shy when you arrive on the first day and you want to do many things – go here, go there, train well, meet everyone.
“But, here, the atmosphere was very good, they have made it very easy for me. For me, of course, it’s very important to find a house or an apartment and bring my family to live here with me now. It’s tough in the beginning when you are in a hotel and then you just go to the training ground.
“You haven’t got a car or anything – you cannot live a normal life – so, obviously, it’s different to what you’re used to. Hopefully, I can find somewhere as soon as possible and I can start living here.”
Meanwhile, Petr Cech says Chelsea’s belief has been strengthened by their victory over Manchester United.
“It is a very important win and it was our only hope of retaining at least some chance of winning the title,” he said. “There are still 33 points in play, so it may happen. But it all depends on Manchester and whether they will feel the effects of this defeat. They still have it in their own hands and 12 points is a good lead. We have to keep winning.
“We were in a terrific mood. After all, beating Manchester United always makes one happy. They are our traditional rivals in the title race and the win is very valuable.”
Chelsea play United again in May and Cech added: “We are yet to play at Old Trafford and if we could succeed there, it would take us even closer to United.”
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CONCACAF secretary general Chuck Blazer is pushing for an extra World Cup slot for his confederation as FIFA’s executive committee meets to decide the make up of the Brazil 2014 tournament.
Football’s power brokers are in Zurich for a two-day meeting that will see the distribution of the 32 places for the 2014 World Cup decided.
The process is likely to be overshadowed however by political wranglings – specifically over whether current FIFA president Sepp Blatter is to face a challenge to his position from Asian federation supremo Mohammed Bin Hammam in May.
That situation could influence the outcome of bargaining over the World Cup slots – especially as FIFA powerbroker Jack Warner, the head of the CONCACAF federation of countries from north and central America and the Caribbean, is demanding an extra spot for his member states.
That would take them up to four guaranteed slots. Currently CONCACAF have three places plus a possibility of a fourth via a play-off against a South American country.
Chuck Blazer, the USA’s FIFA executive member and secretary general of CONCACAF, said the confederation’s 40 national associations – one fifth of FIFA’s total – deserved more representation in the World Cup.
Blazer told Press Association Sport: “From both a sporting and political perspective we believe we warrant the extra half-place.
“Politically, we have the number of countries to warrant it and our countries’ performances in the World Cup have demonstrated that we deserve it.”
The 2014 hosts Brazil will have an automatic slot, so South America should be happy with the 4.5 berths it had in 2010.
Asia also have 4.5 slots currently – the fifth team plays off against the leading country from the Oceania federation.
Europe’s 13 places are unlikely to be challenged, especially with three of 2010 semi-finalists coming from that continent, but Africa’s five slots could be vulnerable with only Ghana making any sort of showing at last year’s finals.
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The amateurs of Chambery saw their Coupe de France adventure finally come to an end as they lost 3-0 to Ligue 2 side Angers.
The fifth division part-time outfit packed their home stadium with 14,000 spectators and were seeking another shock win after knocking out Ligue 1 teams Monaco, Brest and Sochaux in previous rounds.
The theory that a clash with second-tier opposition would be an easier task was crushed by Angers, who took the lead with the last action of the first half as Henri Saivet slammed a shot home into the bottom right corner after questionable defending.
Sebastien Renouard doubled Angers’ lead from close range after 63 minutes when a free-kick into the penalty area was flicked on favourably for him, and substitute Diego Sebastian Lopez completed the scoring with a 12-yard blast from left of goal into the far top corner in the 84th minute.
Holders Paris St Germain needed extra-time to see off Ligue 2 leaders Le Mans 2-0.
The capital side survived a first-half penalty scare and played with 10 men from the 78th minute before two teenage substitutes scored their goals.
Le Mans had a big chance in the 19th minute when defender Zoumana Camara brought down Fousseyni Cisse at the expense of a spot-kick, but Gregory Coupet made an excellent save from Idir Ouali.
Camara, booked following the penalty verdict, was sent off after 78 minutes for a second yellow-card offence, but PSG were the stronger side in the extra half-hour.
They were aided by Le Mans having Mamadou Wague sent off in the 91st minute, and took the lead after 109 minutes through 17-year-old substitute Jean-Christophe Bahebeck.
Neeskens Kebano, who turns 19 next week, scored PSG’s second goal from close range with three minutes remaining.
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03
Mar
Celtic 1 – 0 Rangers
Celtic keep treble dream alive
Celtic remain on course for the domestic treble after Mark Wilson’s goal saw off Rangers in an ill-tempered Scottish Cup fifth-round replay at Parkhead which saw the visitors end up with nine men – and have another dismissed after the final whistle.
Light Blues midfielder Steven Whittaker was sent off by referee Calum Murray in the 35th minute after picking up his second booking for a foul on Emilio Izaguirre and consequently an uphill task for the injury-ravaged visitors became almost impossible.
Wilson drove in three minutes after the break after his first shot was cleared off the line by the head of Ibrox defender Sasa Papac – who was stretchered off for his troubles to add to the Light Blues’ woes.
The game ended in some chaos.
Rangers defender Madjid Bougherra was sent off in injury time after picking up his second yellow and after the game, as the two benches clashed, the unruly El-Hadji Diouf, booked earlier, got another yellow card for approaching Murray and was dismissed.
With victory Celtic booked a place in the quarter-final away to Inverness and will be firm favourites to win the tournament.
Rangers striker Nikica Jelavic dropped out with a knee injury, so boss Walter Smith decided to go with the same side which battled through against Sporting Lisbon in their Europa League tie last week – and it was a 5-4-1 formation built to defend. David Weir returned to the heart of the Light Blues defence as expected.
Vladimir Weiss, Kyle Lafferty and David Healy dropped out with Richard Foster, John Fleck and Diouf coming in, the latter starting as a lone striker.
Celtic’s changes were more predictable. Lukasz Zaluska and Beram Kayal replaced suspended Fraser Forster and Joe Ledley respectively while manager Neil Lennon drafted in Georgios Samaras at the expense of Anthony Stokes, who dropped to the bench.
In the 12th minute Rangers had half a chance when Diouf raced through wide on the right with Zaluska coming out to leave his goal unprotected. However, although the former Liverpool striker got a cross in from the byline, the danger was easily snuffed out by the backtracking Hoops defence.
For all their possession the home side could not fashion a clear chance.
Skipper Scott Brown, who continued his ongoing feud with Diouf throughout the first half, took advantage of a break of the ball to run through the Ibrox defence but Kyle Bartley had the pace to get back and Allan McGregor smothered.
In the 28th minute Ki Sung-yueng was fouled by Whittaker, which resulted in a yellow card for the Rangers midfielder who was dismissed seven minutes later after picking up another caution card for a reckless challenge on Emilio Izaguirre.
Diouf and Hoops boss Lennon then had a touchline confrontation which earned the Light Blues player a booking and which threatened to plunge the game in to further disorder.
Referee Murray then spoke to Rangers assistant manager Ally McCoist and Lennon – a spat which would resume later.
When play resumed a mistake by Ibrox midfielder Maurice Edu helped Samaras go through against McGregor – but the Rangers goalkeeper made a great block from the striker’s close-range shot.
There was another fracas between Hoops’ assistant Johan Mjallby and Bartley as the players made their way up the tunnel at the interval, with Diouf involved again.
When Wilson scored three minutes after the break it put the home side firmly in the driving seat.
Izaguirre’s deep cross from the left found his fellow full-back at the far side of the box and his first shot was headed off the line by Sasa Papac – but the ball rebounded back to the former Dundee United player whose second effort found the target.
Papac failed to recover and was carried off on a stretcher, replaced by Gregg Wylde.
The game became increasingly antagonistic and Bougherra was cautioned for a foul on Gary Hooper which left the Celtic striker requiring treatment.
The Parkhead side were in complete control and in the 63rd minute Samaras crashed a low drive off McGregor’s left-hand post.
Izaguirre then set up the former Manchester City with another fine cross but his weak header was easily saved by McGregor.
Deep into injury time Bougherra was dismissed after fouling commons – and there was more mayhem to come.
After the final whistle Lennon and McCoist had to be separated before Diouf received a second yellow and a subsequent red after approaching referee Murray.
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