By MARK IRWIN
FERNANDO TORRES is struggling to fill the boots of ‘warrior’ Didier Drogba.
That’s the honest verdict of Torres’ Chelsea and Spain team-mate Juan Mata.
The Blues playmaker said: “Drogba’s departure was like an electric shock for us. He was a warrior.
“We’ve had to learn to cope without him because for many long years he was Chelsea’s lightning conductor.
“With Drogba we were conditioned to play in a certain way.
“You gave him the ball and you knew that he would at least force the opponent into a foul.
“In a way we had a tendency to rely on him too much but it was a natural mechanism.
“All the great players like getting the ball, Didier even more so.
“With Fernando it’s different. His runs aren’t the same. He’s not a funnel for our play like Drogba could be.
“He doesn’t like the holding-it-up role. He prefers finding space and facing the goal.”
Drogba, an all-time Chelsea hero with 157 goals in 342 games, moved to China in the summer leaving £50million Torres as the club’s sole striker.
Mata, talking to French magazine So Foot, added: “When someone pays that much for you and you become the most expensive player in the Premier League, you are eager to please. Too eager, maybe.
“Especially Fernando, because he’s a very humble guy who knows where he comes from and understands the value of money.
“For me, he is still one of the best strikers in the world.”