John Terry admits Fernando Torres’ confidence was “shot to bits” after his first game for Chelsea against Liverpool, with Jamie Carragher calling it a “massive mistake” to play him.
Torres moved to Stamford Bridge in January 2011 after making clear his desire to leave Anfield following a hugely successful career with Liverpool.
But the Spain striker never recaptured the form that made him one of the world’s most feared centre-forwards, with Chelsea getting only 20 Premier League goals in three and a half seasons from their record signing.
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“I remember his first game was actually against Liverpool,” Carragher said in an interview alongside Terry for Sky Sports.
“It was my first game back after I dislocated my shoulder and I think Ancelotti put him straight in. I always thought it was a massive mistake putting him straight in because it was Liverpool.
“Liverpool fans were giving him stick, Chelsea fans still not loving him, but obviously he’s a new player, they don’t know too much about him. And I just thought he should never have played in that game.
“I know he was the big-money signing. Would that have been pressure from above on Carlo Ancelotti to play him in that game? I always thought it was a massive mistake. We won the game, he got a lot of stick and I’m sure it affected him.”
“I’m not sure it would’ve been pressure from above,” Terry responded to Carragher.
“Carlo definitely wasn’t that type of manager to listen to the board if they were kind of pushing. We kind of changed our formation, really. I think it was Didier and Fernando up front with Anelka in behind.
“We had three unbelievable strikers and we tried to fit them in together. We had enough fire power in Didier and Anelka, whether Anelka was wide or just behind, to then bring Fernando on later in the game which would’ve been a good impact for him, I think.
“But it seemed after that game his confidence was shot to bits, to be honest.”
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