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Better without Drogba?


Eton Blue at the Chelsea Megastore

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When I watched you vs the gooners. When you had your spells, you seemed to play remarkably better football and by better I mean attractive, you seemed to realise you couldn't hoof long balls up to Kalou so actually passed it around. I make the comparison with United and Ruud. Drogba's an excellent striker, no denying that, but does he perhaps stifle your play at times? When a different sort of player like Kalou brings a new dimension to the team, something opposition teams wouldn't be wary of it's a new and different threat. You looked more threatening going forward than you usually do.

I could be completely wrong of course as I only occasionally watch a full Chelsea match..

It's a theory though!

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we did play better passing footy against the arse than we have in recent weeks, but i think it's the fault of the players, who got rather lazy/overreliant on Drogba doing all the work up front...his success against defenders actually made us a worse team as more and more long balls got hit to him...problem is against the arse, while our footy was better, our goal-threat was worse as kalou is still very raw and doesn't have the same threat...play a similar agme with drogba in the side and we would be a much bigger threat.

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it's more jose I feel than the players- style of play always stems from the manager... but the players are also at fault to a lesser degree. kalou doesn't (yet) make enough smart runs behind the strikers... really, it should be sheva and drogba, with the ball on the ground far more often than it is when we are attacking.

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That is true. I don't think it it down to the players being "lazy" and hitting long balls to Drogba - I think it is a definate tactic that Mourinho uses when Drogba is playing.

It is understandable, seing as how Drogba is far and away the best player around at winning headers in one-on-one contests - and the tactic has worked very well (and changed the game) quite a few times that I can remember. The one that immediately springs to mind is the match against Bayern Munich a couple of seasons ago.

The problem over the last month or so is that Mourinho seems to have switched to our first choice tactic being long balls to Drogba - when I think we should try and play football first, then if that doesn't work try the direct approach.

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while tom would say the last month or so, I think it's fair to go a long way further back- we've seen long balls to hernan crespo (you really see how good he was when you compare sheva trying to work in this style of play)... I hate* to go back and say this, but we haven't played good football** since the 3 month spell of duff and robben (with eidur prominent).

*I don't really- i'm proud of the immense bit of research I put into that. icon_wink.gif

**for 2 full games in a row.

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I accept that Jose obviously sees hitting drogba as part of his tactics, but the last couple of months saw a dramtic increase in the long ball...drogba worked well against liverpool first leg but second leg they went overboard on it after all the hype about his domination of Agger...it's too easy to blame jose...players can see if something is or isn't working and I still think they went for the easy route of a long ball to drogba too many times rather than looking for the pass

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drogba worked well against liverpool first leg but second leg they went overboard on it after all the hype about his domination of Agger...it's too easy to blame jose...players can see if something is or isn't working and I still think they went for the easy route of a long ball to drogba too many times rather than looking for the pass

Wait... when things are great, Jose Mourinho meticulously plans every move of the game and our players loyally carry out his every instruction to the letter, resulting in domination and total tactical perfection. When things aren't right it means the players have deviated from the plan which would have worked had it been stuck to, and they should be executed but because the exalted one is magnanimous and benevolent they are spared their lives. Right?

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I think that tiredness, both mental and physical, may well be a factor in the decision to play long ball football. Tiredness would also explain the differences between our first and second half performances, whether we've been saving it during the first half, or running on empty during the second half. And that brings us back to squad size, which as we know, is nowhere near as enormous as most of the media would have you believe.

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drogba worked well against liverpool first leg but second leg they went overboard on it after all the hype about his domination of Agger...it's too easy to blame jose...players can see if something is or isn't working and I still think they went for the easy route of a long ball to drogba too many times rather than looking for the pass

Wait... when things are great, Jose Mourinho meticulously plans every move of the game and our players loyally carry out his every instruction to the letter, resulting in domination and total tactical perfection. When things aren't right it means the players have deviated from the plan which would have worked had it been stuck to, and they should be executed but because the exalted one is magnanimous and benevolent they are spared their lives. Right?

a ridiculous overreaction to my post don't you think?...I have never said Jose can do no wrong, he can make mistakes too, but the players are the ones on the pitch and should certainly know when it's time to pass it around or knock it long to drogba...they're not robots controlled by one man

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.....play a similar agme with drogba in the side and we would be a much bigger threat.

That's really all there is to say on this.

It's not Drogba that's the problem. If we had a second striker to play alongside Drogs who had:

A) The movement to get on the end of, (let's say eight times out of ten), balls played into feet.

:drinkdrunk: The body strength to hold possession when he had the ball and play in Drogba and other people around him.

C) The pace to go past opponents on occaisions.

We could perhaps then play a more fluent foward passing game.

Any ideas on who we could get as the second striker ? Henry suggested Kevin Phillips. I still think that was a good shout.

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Just, hope I don't come across as criticising drogba, like you say it's not his fault...he's just been too good at what he does! Your wish list for a second striker? sounds a bit like tevez to me...berbatov may not have the pace, but he'd definitely get the team playing football, but by the sounds of it we may not have that kind of money to spend this summer to get them

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I love challenges and maybe I will look for a new challenge somewhere else in another country.

From the Daily Express, apparently. Note there's no mention of the question that prompted that response. Out of context, in other words.

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Guest Brian M

As the EPL's top scorer and as a guy who's just signed a new long term contract, it'd take about a 30 - 35 million pound bid to land Drogba. And there are only a handful of teams who can afford that...

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I love challenges and maybe I will look for a new challenge somewhere else in another country.

From the Daily Express, apparently. Note there's no mention of the question that prompted that response. Out of context, in other words.

That's why I'm rolling my eyes like there's no tomorrow. icon_lol.gif

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As the EPL's top scorer and as a guy who's just signed a new long term contract, it'd take about a 30 - 35 million pound bid to land Drogba. And there are only a handful of teams who can afford that...

If we didn't own him, I don't think WE could afford him at that price. icon_wink.gif

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I love challenges and maybe I will look for a new challenge somewhere else in another country.

From the Daily Express, apparently. Note there's no mention of the question that prompted that response. Out of context, in other words.

That's why I'm rolling my eyes like there's no tomorrow. icon_lol.gif

Oh I didn't think you believed the story, not for one minute. I was merely adding one of my usual "there go the press again talking bollox (now there's an idea for a smiley) " type comments.

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As much as Drogba needs help, what the team needs above all else is another regular goal scorer. I am talking 10-15 goals a season. Robben, Shevechenko, Joe Cole or SWP didn' t score that many between them. Its ridiculous and somewhat of a miracle that we ended up second.

The Shevchenko of 5-6 years ago would have been perfect.

Berbatov is also an excellent choice.

eto would fit the bill. Eto has the pace

No doubt there are others.

My first choice based on one season only would be Berbatov, however leaving aside the personality Eto is probably the ideal player as he has the pace that every defence finds hard to handle.

Although Drogba is far from perfect and makes lots of mistakes he puts so much of himself into every chelsea game that I will be fan of his for a long time.

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