But the hysteria and vehemence that people spewed forth in the following months was so over the top that I couldn't help but root for him. So to finally see him end football's longest statistical anomaly today—well, let's just say I was relieved.
Torres is a heck of a striker. Sure he's had injury issues, and his confidence has been lacking of late, but when he's on form, there are few better in the world. He's also human. A messy breakup with a club whose fans idolized him, a poor start compounded by the most insane criticisms throughout the football world—these factors were bound to get to him.
Torres had gone minutes without a goal for Chelsea and looked desperately short of confidence in his 13 previous appearances. The year-old started on the substitutes' bench for the fifth successive Premier League match before coming on for Didier Drogba in the 76th minute.
Chelsea were leading through Frank Lampard's first-half strike but West Ham were pushing hard for an equaliser. Torres looked sharp and hungry from the moment he came on to the pitch, and laid on an opening for Nicolas Anelka before doubling his side's lead.
It looked as though his chance had gone when the ball came to an abrupt halt on the rain-soaked Stamford Bridge surface, only for the Spaniard to turn back and curl a fine finish past West Ham goalkeeper Robert Green. And we are in the last two months of the season with more important games coming up.
Di Matteo said: "The whole team, the club and the fans are all pleased for Torres. They are pleased because he works so hard. He is a great team player. You get your rewards when you work hard in life and he works hard. March 7 v Blackpool a Player rating: 5. That moment didn't come, he's still lacking sharpness in front of goal and had no semblance of a partnership with Drogba.
March 16 v Copenhagen h Player rating: 6. March 20 v Manchester City h Player rating: 5. Given little space to run at the City defence, he tried hard but struggled to conjure openings and his touch was hit-and-miss.
Got a standing ovation when he was subbed with 19 minutes left. April 2 v Stoke City a Player rating: 5. Any chance of a refund? April 6 v Man United h Player rating: 6. Super header in the second half was kept out by Van der Sar. April 9 v Wigan h Player rating: 7. Failed to make the most of a string of half-chances before his powerful toe-poked shot was saved brilliantly by Al Habsi late on.
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