Fernando Torres insists he is returning to his career best form, claiming he has left behind the demons of his disappointing first season at Chelsea.
Fernando Torres
PA PhotosTorres has failed to hit the heights at Stamford Bridge
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Torres, 29, is currently the leading scorer at the Confederations Cup, having netted five goals for Spain in the group stage.
Although the striker came in for criticism for only scoring eight Premier League goals last season, he managed 24 in all competitions for the Blues, seven more than in his first full season in London.
Torres admitted he struggled to adjust after joining Chelsea from Liverpool, but told Radio MARCA he should only be judged his current form.
"In the end I think it is people who remember my first year at Chelsea, which was not good, rather than the current situation," he said. I am happy with how I'm playing even though I am very demanding. Things are getting back to normal for me.
"I feel great, physically good, despite the season being a long one. I feel very comfortable, strong and quick.
Spain face Italy in the Confederations Cup semi-final on Thursday and Torres alluded to the questions raised following La Roja's convincing 3-0 win over Nigeria last week in suggesting his side are expected to dominate every match they play.
"You win 3-0 in the final phase of a tournament and still people think you can do better," Torres said. "We have lived through generations of teams that were eliminated, that lost games or thought a 1-0 win was enough. Now the fact that winning 3-0 is not enough shows how far we have come."
Torres believes the win over Italy in the Euro 2012 final gives Spain a strong advantage heading into Thursday's match, although he is eager to avoid complacency.
"All Spaniards know what Italy has meant to Spain in the history of the game," he added. "They have knocked us out of World Cups and European Championships.
"Now we have the wins in 2008 and last year as a reference, we know what we have to do, but a team with great players like they have can be very dangerous if it has been hurt in the past. When they have to compete they will because they have done it all their lives."
SOURCE:
http://espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/1484760/fernando-torres-insists-returning-career-best-form?cc=4716
