Alvaro Morata gives Chelsea fans a reality check ahead of opener
By George Perry
Alvaro Morata has yet to make his Premier League debut and he is already tiring of critical Chelsea fans. That says more about us than it does about him.
As a Spanish striker, Alvaro Morata knows that comparisons to Fernando Torres are a double-edged sword. If someone says you are the next Fernando Torres, the first question should be “The one from Atletico and Liverpool, or the one from Chelsea?”
Alvaro Morata has been on the receiving end of plenty of negative banter (calling it “criticism” gives it too much credibility) in his one month at Chelsea. His missed penalty kick against Arsenal in the Community Shield led to peak #bantz. The Fernando Torres comparisons poured in, as well as along with calls to make peace with Diego Costa so Chelsea could have a proven centre-forward.
Despite having come from the relentless and merciless scrutiny of the Bernabeu, Morata is already weary of the commentariat.
"I have had only two pre-season games, 15 competitive minutes (against Arsenal) and a missed penalty… and they’re already killing me, so I know what’s ahead… It’s been a long, strange summer, when I had to make decisions. – Evening Standard"
Morata’s “long, strange summer” included travelling from Los Angeles to Singapore by way of a few days of training in London. He met the club midway through the pre-season tour. Adapting to Antonio Conte’s tactical and physical methods is difficult under any circumstances. Morata had to do so while playing catch up on the previous three weeks, shaking off the jet lag from covering half the circumference of the globe and dealing with the expectations of being a club-record signing.
But perhaps the most important element is the most obvious: These. Were. Preseason. Friendlies.
Let’s say Morata had come onto the pitch in Singapore and scored a brace in each game. He followed that up by coming on in the Community Shield and scoring the winning goal despite Chelsea being down to 10 men. There would still be discontents saying “Great. A pre-season all-star. But can he do it on a RAINY WEDNESDAY IN STOKE?!?!?”
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The price of playing at Real Madrid – the downside to the wages and the trophies – is the merciless criticism over every error, no matter how small. Cristiano Ronaldo is not exempt, nor is any other galactico.
Surviving that environment is a skill set over and above what the players already need to have. Does it push them to play better? Are they more motivated to play for the shirt so as to not let the fans down? Meh, maybe. But does it create a culture of success, a real desire to win and want to be part of something bigger than yourself and your wage packet? No.
One of the most compelling arguments against the rumours of Eden Hazard transferring to Real Madrid was how he would react to the atmosphere at Bernabeu. Hazard seems to have recognized that Chelsea can get him to the Ballon d’Or as much as Real or Barcelona could. That is as much as statement about the club as it is about the team.
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Chelsea fans are right to hold Alvaro Morata and any other player to high standards. But there are no high standards in pre-season. Check back in nine months. Until then, we should take a good hard look in the mirror if a former Real Madrid player calls us out for the atmosphere we are creating.