Costa - Lukaku - Drogba Wow!

Would be optimal trio IMO.

Costa - Lukaku - Drogba Wow!

If Drogba returns this should be the pecking order ...

However, because we are stuck with Torrid I suspect the casualty may possibly be Lukaku leaving?

Which would be a disaster IMO ... hope I'm totally wrong tho' ...

Torres seems to always remain because he's unshift-able ... which has a major detrimental impact on the Team.

Jose seems to want DD back as a Coach or a Player. Also he believes Supa Frank to return as an assistant as well.

Going by his words, it seems Drogba will be 3rd choice. I don't know if Mourinho considers Torres 2nd choice. Hopefully this means Torres is off, even though it's not a big possibility.

WELCOME BACK DROGBA LEGEND!!!

Sounds like Jose was hinting at him being more useful in the inspirational and motivational sense than giving him lots of minutes on the field, which is probably true.

Sounds like Jose was hinting at him being more useful in the inspirational and motivational sense than giving him lots of minutes on the field, which is probably true.

As long as Drogba agrees with that. If he comes hoping for substantial playing time and not getting it, him going into sulk mode wouldn't exactly be the inspirational model we would hope for.

Edited July 25, 201411 yr by Valerie

I was initially against this idea but as the momentum gathers I am slowly starting to get on board.

 

I just really hope that it is as well as Lukaku and not instead of.

 

I think the chances of getting shot of Torres are slim so if we started the season with Costa, Lukaku, Drogba & Torres we are well stacked. Take Lukaku out of that four and suddenly an injury to Costa and we are in trouble.

 

I think Drogba will have his uses but to say he would/should be used sparingly would be an understatement.

We should offload Torres no matter what! His wages are astronomical. Cut losses and send him to Monaco or Madrid.

Just not sure it is as simple as that sadly.

 

Even if we let him go on a free Torres would have to presumably accept taking a 50% reduction in wages at least.

Sounds like Jose was hinting at him being more useful in the inspirational and motivational sense than giving him lots of minutes on the field, which is probably true.

I think he sees him as an impact sub and a key in the dressing room.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/chelsea/10989672/cDidier-Drogba-set-for-return-to-Chelsea-says-manager-Jose-Mourinho.html

Jose Mourinho has confirmed that striker Didier Drogba is set to make a return to Chelsea.

He is out of contract and is understood to favour Chelsea’s offer over rival bids from Juventus and Major League Soccer clubs in the United States.

Mourinho, the Chelsea manager, believes Drogba can still be a key player for the club, two years after he left with the penalty kick that secured Champions League success, and the move has the backing of owner Roman Abramovich.

“We want to win matches and win titles, and Didier is one of the best strikers in Europe, who is still very adapted to the needs of the Premier League, and we are thinking about it in a non-emotional way,” said Mourinho.

“If you bring him back, it is not because he is Didier or scored the most important goal in the history of Chelsea, or because I read I need an assistant, no.

"If I bring him back and the decision has to be made soon, because I want to close the dressing-room door, it is because as a player he has certain qualities to make the team stronger.

“Mr Abramovich does not speak a lot. But as you can imagine, he is very intelligent and he feels that people belong to the club. We feel that Didier belongs to us.”

Following spells at Shanghai Shenhua in China and Turkish club Galatasaray, Drogba is now 36 but Mourinho insists the Ivorian is not too old to play again for Chelsea.

“I was not a top professional player,” said Mourinho. “I communicate a lot with players and former players to understand the situation better.

"When they become older, the point is not to lose quality as a player, it is about how they recover from match to match.

“A young kid plays today and in 48 hours is ready to play the next game. And in a season can play 50 matches.

"Between 20 something and 30, they are the same good players, same football brains. It is important how they recover from match to match.

“With Didier’s profile, being a squad player I think could be important for any team.

"And because we know his heart is pushing him to where he feels he belongs, and because our boss has this big feeling towards him, we are thinking about the possibility.”

Other than Drogba, Mourinho also expects midfielder Frank Lampard, who has joined New York City, to return to Chelsea in some capacity.

“The way Mr Abramovich approached the Frank Lampard situation is amazing,” said Mourinho.

“‘You go if you want to go, you come back if you want to come back. And you come back the way you want – to be an assistant, to be an ambassador, to be a director to be a coach, to be an assistant coach’. That is fantastic.

“I have a message for Frank. Good luck and see you back at Chelsea in a couple of years.”

Edited July 25, 201411 yr by Zola

My only issue with this... We'll have to say goodbye to him a 2nd time. 

 

If he leaves us with another Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup winners medal I think I'll be able to cope.... 

You have to put the emotions aside here like Jose suggests. He might not score a goal if he comes back. He is a mentor for a lot of guys and one of the last dinosaurs of the old guard. Cole and Frank are now gone. Plus you can't find a better ambassador for the club. Win-win-win-win for us!

Eurosport thinks the same:

Paper round’s view: Mourinho is right in what he is saying – Drogba, on his day, is still most certainly one of the best strikers in Europe. But, like the Portuguese said, Drogba did score the most important goal in the club’s history and is a legend at Stamford Bridge, so it would be impossible for Mourinho to look at this in a non-emotional way. However, the 36-year-old striker will bring an enormous amount of experience to Chelsea, and reports indicate that the deal will provide Drogba with a player-coach role. Even if the Ivorian is unable to rediscover anything like the form he showcased during his first stint with Chelsea, his presence will surely lift his teammates. A win-win for all parties, this one.

^ Don't think it is a smart move, imagine we are losing a game 1-0 & he needs to revert to launching high balls into the opposition half (see Ivanovic in preseason games), 9/10 times he will bring on Drogba. None of the 4 forwards are complimentary & considering we play 1 on top, it smacks of short-sightedness again.

I just can't see how it works if in a match day squad of 18, you can only have 2 or in extreme cases 3 forwards. If Costa starts, you can't put Drogba & Lukaku on the bench as it's essentially almost the same skill set and I doubt Drogba is coming to hang out in the stands. Personally think it is Lukaku and maybe a Van Ginkel who will suffer in the long run when it comes to making the match day 18.

Drogba will be more of a coach than player If he comes back! I think it will be so good for Costa and Lukaku who can learn a lot by him.

His presence will be also very very good for our team.

You say that but being able to change the way we play isnt a bad thing. If a team have worked us out and we can switch to another style by bringing on Drogba then that can only be a good thing.

As i has said before, I can only see this as a good thing. Ok he is getting on a bit but his leadership is what is most important to our young team.

Look at last season Hazard said that Eto'o was always talking to him and teaching him. Making him a better player. If Drogba can do the same with Costa or Lukaku then surely that can only be a good thing.

Ivanovich wasn't put up front in the friendlies to win the games ffs, he was put up front to allow the like's of boga et al to play of knock downs, something they will see during games at times. As for drogba being here making lukaku suffer, a bench of those 2 with Costa starting will mean more chane of lukaku coming on than if a different striker to drogba was on. How it will affect van ginkel is beyond me, though I realise you (ducavis) have a thing for José and have a need to show everything he does as negatively as possible.

His presence on the training round will be enough even if it doesn't have that much an impact on the pitch. He's Didier Drogba FFS.

His presence on the training round will be enough even if it doesn't have that much an impact on the pitch. He's Didier Drogba FFS.

And in the changing room before a game. He brings much much more to the club than the time spent on the pitch.

Nobody doubts his passion and leadership

 

What ability he has left however.......

Cech

Courtois

Schwarzer

Azpiliucuta

Ivanovic

Felipe

Mikel

Ramires

Matic

Oscar

Hazard

Schurrle

Willian

Salah

Torres

Costa

That is 17 non homegrown players, and there's also possibly Romeu to come in. So I'm not sure whether we can sign drogba without moving on 1 or 2 of these players. If we were planning on keeping both Cech and Courtois, then the 3rd choice keeper should have been homegrown.

This is also assuming lukaku counts as homegrown.

Does Mikel not count as homegrown?

 

I thought he did because he spent 3 years with us before his 21st birthday? 

DKW you are allowed to have your opinion and present it in a concise just like everyone else without swearing, I just don't see how having 4 guys for one position makes any sense. You are right I am not a fan of the guy's style of football or his transfer dealings, all that matters is the club wins.

Does Mikel not count as homegrown?

 

I thought he did because he spent 3 years with us before his 21st birthday? 

 

Not according to this:

 

http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/clubs/profile.squads.html/chelsea