Month: December 2015

Didier Drogba showed the way that Fernando Torres should be playing as he came from the bench and scored against Manchester United at Old Trafford. Struggling Spaniard can make bigger impact as a substitute against Manchester United, but the Ivorian powerhouse must be the one to lead the Blues’ line on Tuesday.There are some big beasts in the Chelsea jungle. But there is only one top dog – and that is Didier Drogba.

Following Fernando Torres’ deadline-day switch, a pack of feared predators have been queuing up to bare their teeth at the point of the attack.

But on the evidence of the audition for Tuesday’s season-hinging match at Manchester United, only Drogba has the bite to compliment the bark.

Chelsea’s Rottweiler centre-forward required careful guarding against Wigan Athletic. He ran the channels, bashed defenders out of the way in a manner in which only he can, created space for others with smart movement and banged in shots from all angles whenever he had a sniff of goal. In manager-speak, he put in a shift.

The Ivorian’s future has been in doubt since the arrival of Fernando Torres and the emergence of Daniel Sturridge, but the veteran forward is not expected to leave. Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay has calmed fears that Didier Drogba will leave the club and predicts he will still be at Stamford Bridge come the start of the new season.

The 33-year-old Ivorian had a disappointing season by his standards, scoring only 14 goals in all competitions, and was forced to adapt to the arrival of £50 million signing Fernando Torres in January, with both players struggling to play alongside each other, with the pair taking turns on the bench.

Chelsea striker Didier Drogba believes home advantage could be crucial as the Blues look to win their first Premier League title since 2006.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side are currently one point ahead of Manchester United with three games left, the first of which is against 11th placed Stoke City at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. The sports betting markets have made Chelsea firm favourites to win the Premier League.

“We have done well at home,” Drogba told the club’s official website. “You never know what can happen, games are difficult now. Some teams are trying to save lives but some teams are playing for little and can enjoy themselves, and sometimes then you play better. It is going to be difficult – but it is up to us.”

Drogba, the club’s top scorer after a stellar individual campaign, believes that the crowd can have a big part to play in willing their team to victory, and has called upon them to deliver the atmosphere that has helped on big occasions in the past.

“We need the fans to be really behind us, to be even better than against Bolton [where they won 1-0] in the last game,” he said.

Didier Drogba is confident he can break Bobby Tambling’s record tally of 202 goals for Chelsea.

The 31-year-old currently has 102 goals for the Blues leaving him ninth in the overall goalscoring standings.

If the Ivory Coast international continues at the same rate as he has since signing for the club in summer 2004 then the former Marseille man will be 36 by the time he breaks the record.

The striker already has a new contract keeping him at Stamford Bridge until 2012 and the player believes, if he can stay injury free, the 39-year-old record is within his grasp.

“I feel young even if I am 31,” he told partybets.com. “I want to run and I am not tired so I will do everything to score 200 goals for Chelsea.

“If I am in good health and don’t have any injuries I can do it and if I do it, I also want some trophies around me and around the team, the Champions League especially and the Premier League.

“It is important for me and the club.”

Didier Drogba pulled Carlo Ancelotti out of the sticky stuff to extend the longest opening day winning streak in Premier League history – and revealed the debt he owed to Cristiano Ronaldo.

While Drogba was the first to admit his injury-time match-winner that left Ancelotti gasping for a fag and Phil Brown spewing was a fluke, the African ace had already scored one of the goals of the season.

Drogba’s stunning first half free-kick to draw Ancelotti’s Blues level after a solar plexus blow from Stamford Bridge hate-figure Stephen Hunt was a replica of the Ronaldo stunner against Portsmouth two seasons ago.

And the Chelsea hit-man conceded he had been more than happy to steal from the Portuguese star’s bag of tricks.

Drogba said: ‘I guess it was a bit like the one Ronaldo scored and it was deliberate. I tried to do it like that and lined it up to hit the valve.

‘Everybody is aware of this technique now after Ronaldo and it’s true that when you hit the valve the ball comes down more.

‘But it is just technique – and I think his free-kick was bit better than

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Ivory Coast captain Didier Drogba plans to live up to his reputation as the man for the big occasion by out-gunning his rivals for the World Cup golden boot.

Now the 32-year-old striker believes he is capable of emulating those heroics with his country in South Africa.

Sven Goran Eriksson’s side have been drawn in a group which would make less confident players quake in their boots as they prepare to face five-time world champion Brazil and a serious title contender like Portugal.

The free betting sites have Ivory Coast down as dark horses to qualify for the knockout stages. But Drogba will lead the Ivory Coast into battle brimming with confidence after the best season of his life. Drogba is sure to be heading the tournament’s scoring charts.

“I really hope so. If we can get through the group stages, I think we have a very strong chance,” Drogba said.

“It’s important that we do well as a nation, but if I can win the World Cup Golden Boot as well, then it would be amazing.”

Didier Drogba believes that Lukaku has the same potential to become a great striker like him and hence has recommended him to sign for Chelsea. Lukaku, 17, burst onto the scene last season and was top scorer in the Jupiler Pro League with 15 goals in 25 appearances. His potential was also confirmed after he grabbed a brace in the 3-1 Europa League victory against Ajax.

A switch to the Stamford Bridge outfit has been mooted for several years, though they can expect to face competition from AC Milan, Real Madrid and Arsenal. Speaking to Sport/Voetbal Magazine, Belgian FA spokesman Nicolas Cornu divulged a conversation he had with Drogba about Lukaku.

“Yes, I’ve even called him,” Didier Drogba is reported to have said. “I got his phone number from Vincent Kompany.

“I told him – you have to sign for Chelsea.” The Sports Betting markets have Chelsea down as his next club.