Fernando Torres Must Be Testing Chelsea's Patience

What to do with Fernando Torres?

Chelsea's £50 million man shows occasional glimpses of just why so much money was spent to take him to Stamford Bridge, yet the former Liverpool striker largely continues to frustrate and disappoint in equal measures.

The Spaniard was at it again on Sunday against Manchester United, finishing sublimely past David De Gea to give the watching world a stark reminder of what he is capable of, before spoiling it all with an early contender for miss of the season.

"What a waste of money" was the chant that rang out around Old Trafford, and with just two goals from 24 games, it is becoming increasingly difficult to argue with that assessment.

The odd, rare moment of brilliance is not enough to justify that kind of price tag and the mantras that "he is showing signs of improvement" and that "he will come good at some stage" are becoming less and less believable.

For £50 million quid, you expect pretty instant results. Yet, Torres has been a Chelsea player for nearly a season now, and he is still largely relying on the reputation he forged during his time at Anfield.

Does a quality player become a bad player overnight? No. Torres is still capable of great feats, it's just that he seems unable to sustain any kind of run of good form at the moment.

The pressure that accompanied his huge price tag is likely to have played a part in his demise, but let's not forget that his form had dipped towards the end of his Liverpool career anyway.

At the time, that was put down to him having become unsettled, an inevitable consequence of being linked with a big move to a trophy-chasing club. But surely that wasn't the start of a downward spiral of a player who peaked too early?

At just 27, it's unlikely. His best years are supposed to be ahead of him. But there can be no denying that his spell is becoming hugely problematic. Every time he threatens to lift himself out of the hole, he gets sucked back down (sometimes, as on Sunday, in the space of 45 minutes).

Clearly his confidence has taken a hammering since arriving at Stamford Bridge. The question is: Can he regain it as a Chelsea player? Or will he have to move elsewhere to pick himself up of the floor?

More to the point, how long will Chelsea keep their patience? When do they write him off as a bad investment? It took them two years to come to that conclusion with Andriy Shevchenko, who was eventually loaned out to Milan before making a permanent move away to Dynamo Kiev a year later—and that was with the strong support of the club's owner himself.

The excuses are already beginning to wear thin with Torres. Andre Villas-Boas said of his horror miss at Old Trafford: "You have an example of Rooney missing a penalty too, which is basically the same."

In the context of the game, possibly. But not at all when looking at anything other than that, considering that Wayne Rooney is in the form of his life and could have notched his 10th goal from five Premier League games this season had he netted that spot kick.

Indeed, Rooney in his current mood provides a shining example of the kind of returns that should be reasonably expected from a £50 million outlay.

Worryingly, Torres is still a long way from that, despite the flashes of brilliance. Much more is needed from the Spaniard before those chants cease to follow him around—and before time runs out on his Chelsea career.