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Diego Simeone’s Faith In Fernando Torres Is Absurd

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Fernando Torres

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Fernando Torres has signed with his third club since 2011. The once feared Spanish striker has only scored 21 goals in that same span. Torres has been woeful at best during his time at Chelsea, but elite teams across Europe have shown interest in the impotent striker. The on loan Atletico Madrid striker has been given the green light to start against Real Madrid this week, but to be afforded such an honor as an underperforming forward seems ludicrous.

Torres has made a combined 120 appearances for Chelsea and AC Milan. The Atletico youth product has had a miserable time, and there has not been a single indicator that he could return to his former lethality.

Diego Simeone’s faith in Torres is nothing but misplaced, as the forward has only had a strike rate of above .500 for four years of his 14-year career. Additionally, Torres is already 30 years old, which puts him at the end of what is considered the prime for a professional soccer player. Torres has only scored beyond 20 goals once back in the 2007-08 season.

Torres has been called upon to start against Real Madrid, but Simeone’s expectations are hard to discern. Atletico will be better served by the in-form Antoine Griezmann who has scored five goals in the last two games or Mario Mandzukic who is Atletico’s top scorer with 14 goals.

Very few strikers in soccer has been afforded as many opportunities as Torres, and it is time to give up on the misfiring forward.

Yoshiki Matsunaga is a soccer writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter yoshikimat, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

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