The keys to the resurrection of Ferran Torres
"I only need five minutes to score."And he came on at 63 min in the second half and scored at 68 min. Sergi Roberto knew before anyone else that Ferran Torres had already visualized that he would score in La Cerámica. The striker told him and delivered a goal that was a quick maneuver but has a lot of history behind it. In the Barça dressing room there is unanimity: Ferran is not the same as last season.
A change that the striker himself defines as a process. A transformation that includes hours of coaching and extra physical work under a mantra: he is not willing to let the Barça train escape. Ferran hit rock bottom last spring and approached this season as a total reset that went beyond sports. The starting point was clear: when you start from scratch you have nothing to lose.
The Great Leap
In his determination to turn his situation around, he knew that the first thing was to be one point ahead of the rest physically. And that meant doing a job that went beyond the usual sessions with the team. This season he has gone to the Ciudad Deportiva many days off and in the afternoon he spent more hours at home. A work out of focus that is now being seen with its impact on the matches. Starting on the right foot was to be 110% physically after living last year a convulsive preseason that marked the following months.
Ferran also struggled to adjust to the radical change of role in the team: from undisputed in his first months of the team, where he was the player who produced the most goals of the team (between goals and assists) to be one of the last in the attacking rotation last season. The lack of continuity and criticism played against him.
Ferran himself has staged this whole process with a nickname (he has put on the shark moite. "Ferrántheshark") and has tattooed the wings of the Phoenix on his back with a motto: "You try, you make mistakes, you get up." Being so self-demanding has been a double-edged sword for the striker. When things don't work out, he suffers twice as much. But, when confidence soars like now, he feels capable of everything like now.
Going cover this season, and being less in the focus, is also playing in his favor after being at the center of the debate. Ferran is adapting very well to that role of revulsive in a position that brings him closer to the goal.
Already at City he lived one of his best moments, as a starter and playing 9, in a phase of many casualties in attack of the English. Xavi is trying to take advantage of his great moment of confidence in interior positions: either as Lewandowski's replacement in the second line of the square.
Ferran's improvement has also contributed to feeling wrapped up in the dressing room, where he has a very good relationship with the hard core. Until now he felt very close to Busquets, but without the captain in the squad, he feels very close to players like Pedri, Sergi Roberto and Lewandowski. Ferran is also feeling more supported by a fan base that values his change of chip.
The striker rebelled weeks ago against the idea of leaving Barça. The numbers also explain Ferran's process: he was the top scorer of the preseason with three goals and already has two in LaLiga.