Torres proves Mourinho need for striker

Fernando Torres scored Chelsea's goal at Galatasaray, but Peter Fraser believes he still highlighted why Jose Mourinho wants a new striker.

"I have a team but no striker".
Jose Mourinho thinks he is missing a leading forward at Chelsea - and Fernando Torres' European record goes some way to explaining the problem.
The Spaniard's goal against Galatasaray in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, and what could be a crucial away goal, was his sixth in his last five starts in the European Cup. He has also now scored away from home twice in his last four matches in all competitions.

However, with Chelsea legend Didier Drogba lining up as an opponent, it emphasised that it is a specific type of striker which the Special One is missing.
Torres is not the player who took the football world by storm when at Liverpool - he has lost pace and sharpness - but he still revels in space. And, in just the second minute against Galatasaray, there was a sign that he realised Roberto Mancini's hosts were there for the taking as he voiced his frustration towards team-mate Gary Cahill for not playing an early, long pass into the space behind the Turkish club's defence.
It set the tone for the first half, a first half in which Torres opened the scoring in the ninth minute as he intelligently held his position close to the penalty spot to collect the excellent Cesar Azpilicueta's cross rather than running into a crowd close to the near post. It was a sign of natural striking instincts.

Before scoring, Torres showed his striking instinct in holding his position close to the penalty spot
But the suspicion has always been that, as at Liverpool, Torres needs his team to be built around him and to his strengths - breaking forward in space. That is a reason why he tends to do better away from home for a counter-attacking Chelsea, particularly when given the space on offer from Mancini's ludicrously open and disorganised Galatasaray in the first half.
Mourinho, though, always demands more from his teams; they are efficient, powerful, well organised and clinical machines - with players performing roles for the team rather than specific individuals.
Torres played only eight passes in the first half, less than any other player on the pitch, at a success rate of just 62.5 per cent, leading to more than one wasted counter-attack.
Torres also lacks the stature to occupy a defence by himself, as is required in Mourinho's 4-2-3-1 formations. He does not have the power and ability to hold up the ball as Drogba did for Chelsea in his pomp before bringing in to play runners from the advanced midfield three - such as Frank Lampard and Joe Cole in the previous Mourinho era at Chelsea.
This was demonstrated by the fact Torres had been involved in 15 duels by half-time, more than any other player, but won only just more than half of those contests.
It has also always been a fondness of Torres' to drift out wide into space. He again did this against Galatasaray but that was a waste in the first half when the opposing centre-backs were so clearly and painfully lacking in pace, while it also at times left Chelsea missing a presence in high, central areas of the field.

Torres played only eight passes in the first half (left) and too frequently drifted out wide to touch the ball (right)
Shortly after half-time, perhaps with Mourinho having given an indication of the possibility of exposing Galatasaray, Torres outpaced and outmuscled Semih Kaya, who had been brought on at the break in place of the hapless Hakan Balta, and ex-Arsenal man Emmanuel Eboue through the centre of the pitch. His shot was then well saved by Fernando Muslera.
But that was a far too infrequent a sight. When Torres was substituted off in the 68th minute due to fatigue, according to Mourinho, to be replaced by Samuel Eto'o, who is likely too similar a player for the liking of his manager, he had produced four shots - more than any other man on the pitch - but had hit the target just twice.
Chelsea can rue that the game should have been over as a contest by at least half-time before they let Aurelien Chedjou equalise in the 64th minute.

Four shots was more than any other player but Torres did not make the most of his opportunities
Torres had covered 8466 metres when he was substituted but, again, Mourinho demands more. Compare this to the total of 9003m of Drogba, who is more than five years Torres' senior and spent just 11 minutes more on the pitch on Wednesday, and it gives a demonstration of the required work ethic.
The main requirement of strikers is, of course, to score and Torres is doing well in Europe and away from home. Strikers do not lose their instinctive ability to find the back of the net and, when offered space, Torres is no different.
But Mourinho's teams are also designed with strikers to perform a function for the team which is different to simply scoring goals.
Even last season in Mourinho's Real Madrid teams, Gonzalo Higuain had an impressive average pass success rate of 83.6% in the Champions League, while Karim Benzema's average was at 83.2%. This season, Torres' average pass success rate in the Champions League is just 60%.
Mourinho told Sky Sports after the final whistle against Galatasaray: "I am not critical with my striker, because my striker did a very good game. But, overall, when we go to counter-attack situations, we are missing the last pass, the last control, the last choice - because we had in the first half many occasions to do the second goal. The second goal would have changed completely the story of the game."
Regardless of that diplomatic response, it would be a major shock if Chelsea are not spending a lot of money on a striker in the summer.