Chelsea Transfer News: Di Matteo Firing Unfortunate, But Can Rafa Benitez Really Bring the Best Out of Fernando Torres?

Nov 22, 2012 12:08 AM EST

First things first, Roberto Di Matteo did not deserve to be fired. The Italian deserved a little more patience from the always impatient Roman Abramovich, after giving the Russian owner what he craved the most - the Champions League title, irrespective of the manner in which it might have been won.

Everyone knew Di Matteo was appointed in the summer as permanent manager, let's say grudgingly, after Abramovich failed to persuade Pep Guardiola to end his sabbatical early. Di Matteo was given a two-year contract, and there was never really any doubt he was under tremendous pressure right from the off.

Being on the brink of getting knocked out of the Champions League, while defending the title, is calamitous, but at the very least Di Matteo deserved a shot at redemption and an unlikely passage into the knockout rounds - while maintaining a title challenge with the Blues only four points behind league leaders Manchester City.

Fernando Torres has been one of the biggest flops in Chelsea history so far, and the decision to drop him for the Champions League game against Juventus, even if it might have backfired, was the right one - also something that everyone was pointing to.

Torres has looked unhappy and ineffective, in the majority of the games this season - a season which was supposed to be his to shine after the large shadow of Didier Drogba departed.

However, the £50 million ($80 million) striker has been extremely poor, with even Daniel Sturrudge looking like the better option up front. According to the Sun, the dropping of Torres, who has a close relationship with Abramovich, was the major reason for Di Matteo's dismissal, with the Italian deciding to put the Spaniard on the bench, despite warnings from the Chelsea hierarchy.

If that is true, then the levels of injustice just went up a couple of notches.

Let's be clear, Chelsea fans would not be too cut-up about Di Matteo's dismissal if someone like a Guardiola was brought in as his replacement. But the fact that Rafa Benitez has been named manager, albeit interim until the end of the year, has not gone down too well with the Blues faithful.

But Benitez's appointment is the clear final throw of the dice from Abramovich to get the best out of his favorite striker Torres. If there is anybody that can bring the 28-year-old back to his best, it has to be Benitez, who Torres has said "has been the most important coach in my career. He's the only one who knew how to improve me."

Improve Torres must, while also allowing Benitez to find the right blend between attack and defense, and with it eventually winning over the fans, who will have their sceptical hats on when Chelsea host league leaders City on Sunday. 

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