Torres wants to prove himself to Mourinho, see out his Blues contract
Fernando Torres has insisted that he remains committed to seeing out his Chelsea contract and hopes to convince Jose Mourinho that he is the best option to lead the attack.
Mourinho opted to start the midweek UEFA Champions League clash against Paris Saint-Germain without a recognized center-forward, explaining after the match that he 'has to try things' because he has been unhappy with his strikers' performances.
The Blues boss has since insisted that Torres has a future at Stamford Bridge but he wants more from the Spaniard, who has struggled to find his best form since joining the club in a £50million deal from Liverpool in January 2011.
Torres accepts the criticism and has vowed to work as hard as he can to rise to the challenge and prove he deserves a regular place in Mourinho's side.
"He didn't do anything special with me. Just treats me like one more. He puts me on the pitch when he thinks I am the best option and on the bench when he thinks I am not the best option," Torres told The Independent.
"My aim is to try to make him feel I am always the best option for him. You have to have ways to adapt to this situation. Blame the manager? Blame your team-mates? Blame everyone? Or ask from yourself a bit more.
"I think I can do better. I can make Jose think I am the best option. That is what I have to do every day in training, all the matches. I just ask of myself the responsibility.
"You have to prove yourself every day. You have to live for today. Three years ago? Five years ago? It's today. If the manager thinks there is another player better than you, he is going to play and this is the way.
"You have to try to improve and keep fighting and try to change the manager's mind. Hopefully one day, Jose can say 'this [Torres] is my striker, he is going to be my striker', like he does with some of the players who have won the appreciation from him."
Chelsea have been linked with a move for a new striker at the end of the season and speculation has suggested that they could be prepared to let Torres go, but Mourinho has given his backing this week and the 30-year-old hopes to stay.
"In the last month, I have moved to Atletico, Valencia, Inter and Monaco," he said about the recent transfer talk.
"I have two more years left on my contract and I said on the first day that I have signed five years with Chelsea and I want to play five years with Chelsea. I have tried to win everything with this club and hopefully the Premier League is the next one."
Torres admits he has had to adapt his game as his career has developed, but is not sure that he agrees with those who say he has not been the same player since having a knee operation in April 2010.
He said: "Who knows? You are never going to have that answer. It was not that bad an injury. It gave me a few problems after that but it is not a massive one like [Chelsea team-mate] Marco van Ginkel [cruciate ligament] ... it was one month, two month, not too bad.
"There is not the point that you can say after that [it changed] ... it's not like this. Many, many things [happened]. Injuries always give you some extra problems in the future.
"You say people are always talking about fitness. Fitness is important but the most important thing is how you adapt and the way you feel physically. To adapt to a new position. To try to change your game."
"(Alan) Shearer is a clear example. He adapted his game to what is better for him and he did great, always. It is not easy for a footballer to understand. You have to change because when things are not [going] well you normally think 'I have to go back to basics, the things I have been doing'. But sometimes you have to change because the way you are playing."
