Chelsea FC: Why Fernando Torres Still Has a Lot to Prove

He is one of the most divisive characters in football. Just mentioning the name "Fernando Torres" will either draw sarcastic laughter, grief and disappointment or even rabid defense among his supporters.

If the Spaniard is not already, he is on the verge of being the biggest flop in the history of football. Signed for a staggering £50 million from Liverpool in January of 2011, the once-prolific Spaniard has scored less Premier League goals this season than Arsenal center-back Thomas Vermaelen.

Torres has struggled so mightily since his arrival at Stamford Bridge and has had so much bad luck that many have simply written him off as one of the biggest failures of his generation.

With many chapters of the enthralling and entertaining story of Torres yet to be written, there is still ample time for him to salvage his career and make a positive legacy for himself.

Here is why he will be extremely motivated to do so.

Get Back into the Spanish National Team

Even after Torres had put in a long series of lackluster performances for the Spanish National Team, Liverpool and Chelsea, he continued to be loyally selected by Vicente del Bosque to represent his country.

However, it appears that the coach's patience has run out, and he opted for the red-hot Roberto Soldado of Valencia to lead the attack in La Furia Roja's last match—a task which Soldado handled with aplomb.

Being frozen out of the national team picture was the ultimate symbol of rejection and poor form for Torres, and he will be anxious to reclaim his place in a Spain side that are one of the favorites to win Euro 2012 this summer. To do so, he will have to raise the level of his performances, and quickly.

Impress the New Manager

Whoever the new Chelsea manager turns out to be—Roberto di Matteo, John Terry or whomever—Fernando Torres will have to impress him to consistently get into the Starting XI.

Torres did not feature that frequently under Andre Villas-Boas, with Didier Drogba and even Salomon Kalou preferred in attack, with another striker, Daniel Sturridge, out wide.

To actually get back in a good patch of form and establish himself as a threatening striker once again, the Spaniard will have to win enough of the trust of his new manager that he is able to get consistent minutes and Premier League starts.

Only then might we actually see the old Torres reemerge.

Beat out Competition from Within the Club

Chelsea have a wealth of striking talent of all ages that Torres has to and will have to compete with for a place in the Starting XI.

Didier Drogba, while 34 years old, is almost an ageless wonder at this point, and the Blues' attack just doesn't seem to function as well when the Ivorian is not on the pitch.

Daniel Sturridge, meanwhile, is frustrated that he is frequently being deployed on the wing, and would like to move back to his native striker position after a string of impressive performances out wide.

And there is always the threat of who some believe to be the future Drogba, and in whom Chelsea have invested a good deal of money: Romelu Lukaku.

Torres will need to be at his best if he is to ward off this stiff competition.

Champions League Glory

Fernando Torres loves the Champions League. Loves it. It's why he left Liverpool, and it's why he keeps sticking around at Chelsea.

But he will have to dramatically up his game is he wants to win it for Roman Abromavich or even qualify for it next season.

As of now, there are two ways for Chelsea to get into the Champions League next season: win this year's or stage a hefty Premier League comeback.

For either of those things to happen, the Blues will need Torres in top form and helping the team in all facets of its attacking play.

If he can contribute, it will go a long way towards showing that he can once again perform when the pressure is on.

He Doesn't Have That Much Time

It's stunning just how quickly time has passed the stagnant Torres by—the young-faced teen at Atletico Madrid and Liverpool is already 28, and obviously not getting any younger.

He certainly has a few more years in the top flight, but he does not have a decade to figure himself out and turn his career around at his own pace.

At a certain point, national team opportunities and first-team selection will pass him by. And as one gets older it becomes more difficult to find patches of good form and temporarily defeat the aging process.

In all likelihood, Torres has already signed his last massive professional contract, so he will now have to work and set himself up for the remainder of his career.

To Stay at a Top-Level Club

Perhaps the most frustrating part about Torres' decline is that it is evident that he still has the ability the made him a world-class player locked up somewhere. He just hasn't been able to bring it out.

Whenever he makes a good assist or is heavily involved in link-up play, it is clear that Chelsea have a player of real quality wearing their No. 9 shirt, but the end product is not there.

That is why Chelsea took a flyer on Torres when he was struggling even more mightily at Liverpool, and why Vicente del Bosque has been extremely loyal to him.

But if his inability to actually score goals like a striker cannot be overcome, it will become ever harder for teams to continue to put faith in what he has done in the past.

Because His Career Is at Stake

Why Fernando Torres still has the motivation to succeed and something to prove is because his very career and legacy are on the line at this point.

He is already something of a laughingstock to much of England, and indeed, much of the world. Nobody would feel comfortable in this situation (OK, maybe not nobody) but if Torres falls any further, his many accomplishments playing football will be totally forgotten.

Now is the time for Torres to resurrect his career. To be a regular at the club he wanted to move to for years. To get back in his country's Starting XI. To reach 100 caps. To just get everyone off his back for once.

This is truly the fulcrum in the Spaniard's career. Which way it will pivot is entirely up to him.

Follow @charliemelman