Torres Left Out of Spain Squad For 19-year-old Muniain
Momentum is a glorious thing. It can take you places you couldn’t have gone before. It can push you through and make you something.
That is the positive side of momentum, though. You can get negative momentum as well. Backwards momentum. You sometimes hear it called a slide or a slump or a downward spiral. When someone is in it –whatever you want to call it –you will know.
Oh boy, is Fernando Torres in ‘it’.
Chelsea were picked apart by a Napoli side patiently choosing their moments. As predicted Andres Villas-Boas was largely ignored by his players and the tactics he may well have set forth were never put out onto the pitch. He has a credibility crisis.
On top of this he is trying to prove his point by dropping senior players like Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole, Michael Essien and Fernando Torres. This is reportedly not going down well with the club’s owner. Yes, those players may be getting on in years, but there are lasting effects of going at loggerheads with players who hold sway or whom draw the public eye.
Lampard has been omitted from the most recent England squad. Chelsea have no like for like replacement. England actually have Gerrard, but they too have no young goal-snaring midfielder that will camp on the edge of the box.
Wilshere is more of a dynamic team player, but is injured. Cleverley lies a bit deeper and threads passes together. Barry and Parker are seen as too defensive to perform in that role. Lampard’s spot has been left unfilled.
On the other hand, Torres has, like Lampard, been left out of his national side due to goings on at Chelsea. However, unlike Lampard, Torres has been replaced for the friendly against Venezuela by someone who is set for the same role.
19-year-old Bilbao striker Iker Muniain has been called up for the first time. He is highly rated, has quick feet and, most importantly, is confident.
Alongside him club teammate Fernando Llorente, Valencia’s Soldado, Selvilla’s Negredo and Navas, David Silva and Chelsea’s other Spaniard, Juan Mata, have been pulled in as forwards. Pedro of Barcelona misses out, but is still recovering from a patchy, injury hampered first half of the season.
It remains to be seen if Torres will make his way back for Spain in time for EURO 2012. Much has changed and perhaps rewarding youth whilst Torres flounders is the only way Spain can continue to progress. Muniain is heralded as the nation’s next big thing and with no David Villa either few would want to stand idly by as Torres tries to remember what scoring felt like.
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