Andy Gray

Much has been made of Fernando Torres' so-called slow start at Chelsea but it must be remembered that he hasn't even played a full game for them yet. It's far too early to condemn him.

The Spaniard did cut a forlorn figure against Fulham and I understand Chelsea fans who had expected him to hit the ground running. But it doesn't always work like that, especially for strikers. A front man needs to play his way into a side and they need to adapt their system to him.

Torres had a poor World Cup, despite winning it with Spain, he struggled at the end of last season and hasn't been at his best this term. He has scored nine goals though, which works out at about one goal every two games, around nineteen a season. For £50 million, it's understandable that fans want a better return than that but it's not a bad record when you consider that the boy is not playing to his full potential.

Carlo Ancelotti has to decide how he is going to get his team to play to Torres' strengths. He may need to re-jig his midfield and there are big decisions to make there. Does he go with five or will he play two strikers? Can Didier Drogba and Torres play together? What about Nicolas Anelka? I'm not sure that Ancelotti sees three up top as a long term solution but, as with all these questions, only time will tell.

Roman Abramovich would not have paid £50 million for Torres if he didn't believe he was a great player. He and Ancelotti will not be alarmed by what they've seen so far. Once he scores his first goals for Chelsea, he will be up and running and more success will follow. He has a lot to offer the club. Remember, Torres may yet win Chelsea the Champions League this season. My advice to fans? Give Torres a chance.

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