Torres keeps telling his team-mates he'd rather be back at Liverpool and the old guard are fuming... the inside story on how the sun is setting on the era at Chelsea



As Roman Abramovich continues his traditional January holiday in St Barts, Chelsea’s owner has been fully briefed about the discontent back at Stamford Bridge.

He is aware of the Twitter storm that erupted after last Wednesday’s 1-0 defeat by QPR and he felt the backlash again following the scandalous Capital One Cup semi-final first leg loss at home to Swansea two days ago.



Abramovich does not care much for the media perception about his £1billion investment but the unrest among the supporters is becoming a legitimate concern. Some fans even claimed there were scuffles in the stands.

Booed off: The mood around Stamford Bridge is once again glum as £50million striker Fernando Torres (pictured) was booed off by his own fans in the Capital One Cup defeat by Swansea

The mood around Stamford Bridge is militant again and the executives, along with some of the highest-earning players in world football, are beginning to feel the heat.

On the field the desire and application of Fernando Torres, who was booed off by Chelsea’s supporters when he was replaced by Demba Ba during the Swansea loss, is under scrutiny again.

In training, he appears disinterested and his team-mates have lost count of the number of times he has told them he wishes he was back at Liverpool. Some of the Chelsea players wish he was.

Failing: After an initial spurt, Chelsea boss Rafa Benitez (right) has failed to get the best out of Torres

Torres felt alienated by Didier Drogba’s allies in the dressing room when he moved to the Bridge, but a £50million striker with his goal-scoring record should have been able to rise above that.

Even Benitez, the man brought in to get the best out of him, has failed to make any inroads into Torres’s state of mind.

In the continued absence of Abramovich there is an obvious lack of direction at the club and even Chelsea’s directors are beginning to feel the frustrations of the fans.

Impact: Chelsea new boy Demba Ba (right) was much more lively than Torres against Swansea and is expected to start against Stoke on Saturday

Minutes before kick-off against Swansea, chairman Bruce Buck was left shaken by the response of home supporters when he walked on to the pitch to present an award to Petr Cech.

He then made an awkward walk around the perimeter of the pitch, showered with abuse and chants of ‘There’s only one Frank Lampard’ as he made his way towards his seat, high up in the East Stand.

A week earlier, following Chelsea’s embarrassing home defeat by Harry Redknapp’s QPR, a corporate supporter apparently gave chief executive Ron Gourlay a piece of his mind.

Morale in the dressing room is also on the slide again and Benitez, the man brought in to stabilise Chelsea’s season, has only nominal powers.

There are long faces around the place and it is mission impossible for an interim manager to motivate some of the players in the squad.

The clock is ticking on the contracts of some top-class footballers and they are beginning to realise there is no way back under Abramovich.



There is the occasional moment of humour in the dressing room but they are few and far between as the players wonder what will happen next at this chaotic club.

Last Saturday, when Ba was asked by some of his team-mates in the dressing room at Southampton if he would have wanted the chance to complete his hat-trick from the penalty spot, he replied: ‘There is no sentiment in football.’



Frank Lampard, Chelsea’s regular penalty taker, had just drawn level with Kerry Dixon on 193 goals and denied Ba the chance to take home the match ball.

Although Lampard has kept his dignity in the days after the meeting with Gourlay in which he was told his Chelsea career will be over this summer, he is genuinely upset.

End of an era, part one: Frank Lampard (right) is expected to leave Stamford Bridge at the end of the season

He wants to stay and has expressed those feelings but one of the most celebrated players in Chelsea’s history will leave on a free transfer at the end of the season.

Ashley Cole, captain against Swansea, accepted his fate long ago and is simply seeing out the last four months of his contract.

Benitez has declared it is the end of an era and the club are turning to the likes of Ba, signed from Newcastle for £7m, to continue the success at Stamford Bridge.

Ba was restricted to 10 minutes as a substitute against Swansea after picking up a niggling training injury the day before the game.

End of an era, part two: As is long-serving left back, Ashley Cole (foreground)

Chelsea’s new striker is expected to be fully fit for Saturday's Barclays Premier League clash at Stoke City and he has been primed to lead the line in place of Torres.

Benitez, a popular figure with the majority of Chelsea’s players, has to raise the spirits in the dressing room after their depressing defeat against Swansea.

Defender Branislav Ivanovic, who was furious when he walked down the tunnel after two uncharacteristic errors gifted the Swans their goals, apologised to team-mates in the dressing room.

Ivanovic was livid with his performance and most of the players steered well clear of the defender after the final whistle.

For some, this really is beginning to feel like the end game.

Mistakes: Branislav Ivanovic (pictured), who has been a rock at the heart of the Chelsea defence this season, was at fault for both goals in the loss against Swansea