Extra practice for Chelsea despite a magnificent 7
|15:22 UK time, Friday, 30 April 2010
Chelsea aren't leaving anything to chance ahead of Sunday's crucial trip to Anfield. The team that scored seven against Stoke last weekend had extra shooting practice this week as they prepare for the match which could decide the fate of the Premier League title race.
At least Didier Drogba thinks so. The Ivory Coast striker - who's duelling with Wayne Rooney for the Golden Boot award - agreed to talk to Sportsworld between shooting practice and further treatment on his hernia problem. He was digesting the front page of the newspaper when I came into the room, but having brought him up to speed on Gordon Brown's encounter with Gillian Duffy, and warned him that the microphone was now live, he told me how this season has been the best of his career.
"I've been here for six years and many things have been said in the last six years - including by me. But I'm here, I'm scoring goals, creating some assists and I think this is the best season of my career. It's nice to be in the same place for many years. For me and for my kids, it's important to have some stability. I feel good here."One of the reasons he signed a further three year contract with Chelsea last August is the memory of having to leave the Ivory Coast's capital Abidjan, and his parents, at the age of just 5 to start a new life with his uncle in France. He's thrived in Carlo Ancelotti's first season at Stamford Bridge - scoring 32 goals in a Chelsea side which has rattled in 93 in the Premier League alone.
"When (Ancelotti) was in Milan, they were playing attacking football and always playing with 2 or 4 attacking players. They used to play well. I think he's one of the guys who changed the mentality in Italy: to play forward and score more goals."
There will be no surgery on Drogba's troublesome hernia this side of the World Cup Finals. He's not playing pain free, but assures fans in the Ivory Coast that he will not be held back by injury when the team come up against Brazil, Portugal and North Korea in Group G.
"I will be able to play at my best. It's sometimes painful, but I don't see any player at this stage of the season who's playing pain free, who's not tired or something like that. This is not a big big big deal. It's sometimes painful, but it's not a big big big problem which is why I will wait until the end of the World Cup to do the surgery. I'm not even worried about it."
He is, though, worried about the "scandalous" statistic that an African child dies of malaria every thirty seconds. Drogba, Chelsea, and their official international charity partner Right To Play are supporting the United Against Malaria campaign, which aims to encourage families to sleep under nets to beat the disease by the time of the next World Cup in Brazil. Drogba, Michael Essien and Haile Gebrselassie are some of the stars who will be featured on information cards that will be given out alongside the nets.
"It is scandalous" Drogba told me, "and something that has been there for years and years, so the fact that the World Cup is in Africa this year is a big opportunity to call people and say look this is what is happening in Africa, this is what is killing kids. This is a really easy problem to solve. When you speak about malaria, people think it's like HIV, but it's very easy to fight: you need a net, just a net, and then you are OK."
You can hear the whole interview with Didier Drogba on Sportsworld this Saturday from 14 hours GMT, and then you can give me your reaction on Sportsworld Have Your Say from 1730. Will Chelsea's inconsistent away form cost them the title at Anfield on Sunday? And if you are in the Ivory Coast, are you confident that Drogba will be at his best come the World Cup Finals?
Comment number 1.
At 17:40 30th Apr 2010, Saleh wrote:Drogba is a world class player and has had a great season. One more goal to match Rooney. I hope he scores two against Liverpool and help us get closer to the title
good luck Chelsea this weekend
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Comment number 2.
At 17:50 30th Apr 2010, lorus59 wrote:I wonder if any interviewer has the courage to ask what I am sure everyone wants to know, and that is why he goes down like he is shot with the slightest touch. I guess none are brave enough to do it.
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Comment number 3.
At 19:21 30th Apr 2010, The Samaritan wrote:Chelsea MUST win against Liverpool.
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Comment number 4.
At 19:22 30th Apr 2010, MUFCTrini wrote:Great player but play acts too much. Superb heading skills, good strength and finishing and nice control, just needs to learn to control his temper.
The title should have been won by Chelsea a long time ago but they got too complacent and now they will have to settle for second.
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Comment number 5.
At 19:25 30th Apr 2010, soccerinteg wrote:This season Drogba is a Lethal Weapon. Previously his poor left leg let him down, to wit Chelsea SemiFinals with Barca. Especially his strike with his left leg at SB against the Gunners.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/philmcnulty/2010/02/john_terry_parted_with_the.html
(Per my comment #303)
Its understandable why every opponent commits PROFESSIONAL FOULS, most times by hook or crook IMHO, to stop him from SCORING.
Albeit Drogba sometimes embellished them to bring attention to the Referee. But for his detractors to state that 'he goes down like he is shot with the slightest touch' is a bit far-fetched. No?
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Comment number 6.
At 21:13 30th Apr 2010, sterlz wrote:couldn't agree with you more, lorus. for the big man drogba is, he flops way too easily. nothing against his goalscoring ability and everything else he brings to the team but he needs to stop diving
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Comment number 7.
At 22:34 30th Apr 2010, Ahad Shaukat wrote:well its obviously not nice to ask a player that why do u go down easily .. the players can get upset , they have big egos and if they don't like the questions that are asked from them then they might leave the interview so an interviewer has to ask questions keeping in mind the likes and dislikes of the interviewee .. look at a video on youtube in which landon donovan doesn't like the questions being asked by an interviewer and out of anger he grabs the mic from him and breaks it into 2 pieces ..
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Comment number 8.
At 23:34 30th Apr 2010, Blueisbest wrote:Drogba is simply wordclass - a great footballer and a great individual. Sadly this is a combination we don't see often enough in world football.
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Comment number 9.
At 23:37 30th Apr 2010, Blueisbest wrote:Lorus,
Maybe we should first ask Rooney why He dives to get fouls against opponents and rolls around until defenders will get booked
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Comment number 10.
At 00:26 1st May 2010, saintmike7 wrote:This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.
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Comment number 11.
At 00:33 1st May 2010, ccmarco85 wrote:Just win these two games! Come on lads.
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Comment number 12.
At 04:39 1st May 2010, lorus59 wrote:This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.
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Comment number 13.
At 06:07 1st May 2010, lorus59 wrote:This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.
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Comment number 14.
At 08:50 1st May 2010, Sevenseaman wrote:Messi, Ronaldo, Rooney, Drogba are marked men in football. No amount of offensive fouls are enough to stop them. Defenders as well as their coaches develop a kind of justification, a mental absolution to employ extreme measures to stop these men from doing damage to their cause.
Referees find it too much of a job protecting these prima donnas and get fed up and tired. This is the reason these footballers tend to call upon the despicable artifact of playacting, simulation a bit more than most others. And slowly as they succeed it becomes a habit, a convenient device to stay out of trouble.
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Comment number 15.
At 22:30 1st May 2010, rjginblueoz wrote:Drogba is not just a striker, his defence is up there with the best.
Without Torres Liverpool will struggle but they will never give up even if there is only a remote chance of getting into the CL next season. Chelsea will have to win it and no Liverpool player or fan will lay down despite want comes from that other team in red.
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Comment number 16.
At 22:30 1st May 2010, martin mwamba wrote:i think chelsea will smash liverpool tomorrow after they played 120 minutes on friday,fatigue will be on them facing a team which is determined to lift the trophy in the first season of carlo anceloti at the club.
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Comment number 17.
At 06:50 2nd May 2010, Semight wrote:Didier drogba has being in good form this season,with this recent form,nothing stop him in perform more at the SOUTH AFRICA 2010.
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Comment number 18.
At 06:56 2nd May 2010, Semight wrote:Didier drogba,the ivorian striker will have to put in all his effort to make sure dat liverpool were defeated in today match.Wish CHELSEA GUD LUCK.
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Comment number 19.
At 07:19 2nd May 2010, DrCajetanCoelho wrote:"Right to Play" is doing fine. Children are the future of the Planet. Hats off to Didier Drogba, Michael Essien and Haile Gebrselassie for their involvement in the "United Against Malaria campaign".
Nice blog by Russell.
Dr. Cajetan Coelho
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Comment number 20.
At 10:37 2nd May 2010, A wet windy night in Stoke wrote:well its obviously not nice to ask a player that why do u go down easily .. the players can get upset , they have big egos and if they don't like the questions that are asked from them then they might leave the interview so an interviewer has to ask questions keeping in mind the likes and dislikes of the interviewee .. look at a video on youtube in which landon donovan doesn't like the questions being asked by an interviewer and out of anger he grabs the mic from him and breaks it into 2 pieces ..
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Well, you could put the question like this "Commentators say that you dive and fall easily.. what do you say about that?.." See, not in an aggressive manner, just giving him the cahnce to explain himself.
Personally I think that English journalists are too soft on players and managers. Sometimes you think - why not stop kissing his socks and ask a proper question?
As for Drogba, I think that this is a habbit he got from his Mourinho days. He must have been told to dive and go down at the slightest touch. Watching Lucio the other day made me almost sick. Poor Lucio should either be in hospital with 18 broken bones or be sitting in prison for cheating the ref something like 20 times in one match. Lucio was one of the most honest and gentlemanly players you came across, until Morinho came into the picture. Same for Decco.
Drogba is a top, top player. For me the best striker in the PL for the last 4 seasons.
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Comment number 21.
At 10:40 2nd May 2010, LondonsFinestClub wrote:Hopefully Carlo treats every game from now on as a cup tie and ploughs ahead full steam. Chelsea don't suit a slow patient build of twenty pases like Barca or Arsenal and it's frustrating and often boring. We need a quick tempo punchy style of football which dismantled United at Old trafford and kept their fans quiet. We need to repeat this at Old Trafford and Drogba is key becuase of his finishing power, assists and ability to hold up play and defend. A top top player and although he goes down like a sack of spuds at times it is worth noting that he has been one of the most pulled, kicked and impeded players over the past few years especially against players like Vidic and Carragher who had no other choice. I think Liverpool are a proud club but at present Chelsea are a better side on our day and if we get it right the pressure should be on United. Liverpool can accept defeat and don't make excuses unlike United who have an excuse for every occasion Chelsea beat them this season. I hope Chelsea don't become so ignoble in defeat unless of course it's something really worth talking about like the Overbo affair which was a string of bad calls. Good luck to Chelsea today, Liverpool have an outside chance of fourth but City and Spurs won't slip up twice therefore either of those will secure fourth. Liverpool are certain of Europa football thanks to Everton's failure to win. Chelsea need to rekindle the spirit of Mourinho and added to Ancellotti's tactical savvy we can do it!
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Comment number 22.
At 19:12 2nd May 2010, nkwenti wrote:hi Russeel i thing chelsea is out for the title and are not ready for any slip up because they nkow what is at stake for them
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