Mourinho: I will try to help Torres flourish

The Blues manager explained how he hopes to rejuvenate the 29-year-old, but openly revealed concerns about his limitations in "small spaces" as he looks to sign Wayne Rooney

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has expressed his belief that Fernando Torres can rediscover his best form, but only in a certain playing style.

The Spain striker has managed just 15 league goals in 82 appearances for Chelsea since joining in January 2011, in stark contrast to the 65 league goals in 102 games he scored at his previous club, Liverpool.

 As such, the 29-year-old has been linked with a move away this summer, but Mourinho has hinted that the forward's loss of form may have been due to previous Chelsea managers misusing him.

"I know his best qualities, and the best way for a team to play to try to get the best out of him," Mourinho told reporters.

"He's a striker, more comfortable when he has space behind for those runs to get behind defenders.

"He has it more difficult when opponents are very close, when opponents are compact and when he has to play in small spaces. He's more a player to go into a space than to play with the ball on his feet.

"When Chelsea play with that philosophy he can [rediscover his best form]. When we play against a very close team and you have to play him in small spaces, he will have more difficulty."

Mourinho continued by explaining why he felt Torres thrived at Liverpool, where he was managed by Rafa Benitez until his depature in 2010.

The Spanish coach, who moved to Napoli after a brief spell at Chelsea, sparked a slight upturn in Torres' form last season; particularly in Europe, with the striker scoring the opener in the Europa League final.

"At Liverpool they played much more of a 'low block', and he had balls to attack behind defenders," Mourinho explained. "In that aspect he was a lot more comfortable.

"Sometimes it's easy to say a player is not performing but that might not be fair because sometimes the way you play decides if someone is more or less comfortable on the pitch.

"I will try to help him, like I try to help any other player."