The Big Drog

What the game against Valencia proved is that when we want to, we can still revert back to being a very solid defensive unit, the same kind of unit Barcelona really struggled to breakdown over 2 legs a few years ago when we were under Hiddink. Playing in that way we would pose a threat and danger to any team left in the competition. If the draws falls our way then anything can happen and there are few, if any, teams better at parking the bus than us but all in all the trophy is likely to be contested between Real Madrid and Barcelona. They are the two strongest teams in the world right now, they have the top players in the world playing at their respective clubs and at this moment in time they are on a different planet to all other club sides out there.

I don't think anyone is saying that it is the Drogba of old, we aren't stupid, we know time takes its toll on players buteven a 33 year old past his prime Drogba is still a much better option than the Chelsea version of Fernando Torres. Torres sitting on the bench isn't going to help anyone? I'd beg to differ, I'd say there are 11 Chelsea players on the pitch who benefit from him not being there.

To be fair though there are a couple of reasons why Chelsea fans are less inclined to criticise him. The first is because he has been our great player during the club's most successful period, that contribution to our club's success does not go unappreciated. The second is that even when he is playing poorly he can still pop up with an incredible moment and his attitude is almost always the right one and even during his poor performances he still contributes something to the team because that is the kind of player he is and a key difference between him and Torres. And the third is because I, like a lot of people, simply respect the leadership and commitment he brings to the squad.

Ah sorry, sarcasm doesn't always translate virtually.

Ye that pisses me off a bit aswell mate but again, he is insanely underrated, even amongst his own fans.

lol Villa-Barcelona, Benzema or Hiaguin-Real Madrid, Dzeko or Batotelli-Man City, Ollic- Bayern Munich. Happy?

Sorry Sam but from our conversations the impression I get of you is someone who doesn't (and probably never has) appreciated the complete contribution of Didier Drogba, personally I find it a bit sad that some of our own fans can't even see just how good he has been for us, as Bluelion says, he is very underrated even amongst our own fanbase.

I backed Torres to the hilt. As I've previously said, when we signed him you would have been hard pressed to have found a more excited Chelsea fan than me, for years he had been one of my favourite non Chelsea players, I outright adored his style of play, his attitude, everything about him. When he started poorly I said it was down to the fact that the team was built around Drogba and not him and some adjustments were needed and a decent pre season. This season he got Mata, he got Meireles, he got a more attack minded coach and he got a full pre season and still he hasn't done it. I went to bat for Torres on here many times when others were calling for his head a lot earlier than me. However I've run out of excuses, he has had his full pre season, he has the stylistic change and none of it has helped. Not only that but his attitude isn't what you expect of a big money (let alone a 50 million pound) signing. The things that made him such a great player, his speed, his killer instinct in front of goal, seem to have entirely deserted him and what we are left with now is a player who is a vague shadow of his former self who we feel a requirement to play simply in the hope that he might justify some of his incredible fee and wages, it's a sad situation to be in. And what has really gotten to me and has really sparked me up about this is the man who he is supposed to be replacing is showing all of the fight and characteristics we thought our 50 million pounds was buying us. Didier has nothing to play for, he is almost certain to leave at the end of the Summer, he has proven beyond all doubt what a great player he is and now he will end his career getting a big pay cheque somewhere else, he has seen it all and done it all at Chelsea, in theory he should be relaxing with Alex and Anelka training with the reserves. But that isn't Didier Drogba. It started with his game against Liverpool and he has gotten better and better with each passing game that he has played and the highlight came last night. The leadership of Drogba, the fighting spirit and the sheer will to win of Didier Drogba, the ability to perform at the highest level, leading a line single handedly at 33 years of age, it was nothing short of inspirational, and Im not afraid to admit that I shed a tear or two watching one of the finest strikers of his generation give one last great performance. You might call my attitude sickening but my standards are sky high and those standards are sky high because in Didier Drogba I have come to expect our star man to reach a certain standard, not only in terms of performance but in fighting spirit and in being a true leader, so if I am harsh on Torres it is because I have come to expect a lot from the club's main man and there are not many times where I've felt proud to call Torres our main man but last night Didier Drogba provided another moment, to a long Chelsea career of moments where I was as proud as could be to say that I am a Chelsea fan and that Didier Drogba is our striker. That is the standard that has been set.

Maybe my expectations are too high, with Drogba being the main man at our club for so long it is possible that I expect too much. Some are saying we shouldn't buy another target man and I agree that I don't want an Andy Carroll or Peter Crouch leading the line and while Drogba is a target man, he has always had so much more to his game than just that. Though there aren't many of his kind in the world, I want an all round great player, not simply a finisher, an adequate replacement for Drogba should be a player who can create something from nothing, ala Drogba. That is the kind of player we should be looking at.

We might see the best of Fernando Torres, if we invest in a time machine.

Under Ancelotti we were a side who tried to get the ball and play. Not exactly Barcelona stuff but by the same token it wasn't sitting on the edge of our penalty area type stuff either. That is Napoli and Uruguay's main way of playing but both are adaptable and we have seen games against lesser sides where they have to bring the game to the opposition and Cavani is capable of doing that, he, like Drogba, has excellent movement and link up play.

I think that's always been the difference between the two, even if Didier is having a bad game, he has the ability to make something happen from nothing, Torres in his prime was a wonderful finisher but has never had the all round ability of Drogba, and now we have seen that he doesn't have the same fighting spirit as Drogba either.

Why do they only suit a counter attacking team though? I've seen Didier play in Chelsea teams that play on the front foot and prosper, same goes for Edinson Cavani for both Napoli and Uruguay.

Absolutely spot on. The differences last night between the two could not have been more pronounced. The image of Drogba firing the team up before the game was just another example of the warrior and leader he is, a complete contrast to Torres walking around with his head down, seemingly counting blades of grass. I also agree that we will probably end up trying to sell him, he hasn't done it, he hasn't looked like consistently doing it and every excuse under the sun seems to have evaporated.

A real shame that Luiz is suspended for this because we could have done with his pace and covering abilities at the back. His absence will also likely mean that Ivanovic will go to centre back with Bosingwa at right back and we look a lot less solid when that happens. I just wonder if we will go back to our high line pressing game or if we will drop off like we did last night and try to hit them on the counter.

Didier!

I also hope that we can convince Didier to sign a contract extension. If Didier does leave though that would leave us a striker short (even more if Anelka and Kalou leave) so surely you would think we will sign another striker by the end of the Summer transfer window. I hope that signing will be bought with the intention of being, or at least challenging, for the main striking role. While the club will hope that Torres can produce, I really have strong doubts that he wont be able to produce. Lukaku is probably the long term hope and a good one, he has all of the physical attributes of Drogba, just needs a bit of work on his technique. However for the next 2-4 years I'd say he isn't the man to lead the line, I'd also say neither is Torres.

His reaction to the win last night was perfect. "A slap in the face of our critics" perfect. He deserves a tonne of credit for what he did last night, he got everything absolutely right, he was brave with his team selection and his adaptability too.

I would vote for someone who I've seen play extensively. Given my age I can't say I've seen Beckenbauer in real time or Adams in his prime. So for me its Ricardo Carvalho. Champions League winner with Porto, adapted to the Premier League tremendously and won 3 Premier League's and formed one of the best centre back pairings of the generation with John Terry, moved to Madrid and had an excellent debut campaign last season with Los Blancos. Not the biggest, not the fastest and not the strongest but so very clever, a second to none reading of the game and a tremendous man marker and tackler, a joy to watch play.

After his phenomenal performance last night, it would seem like there is no better time to ask this question than right now. If this is to be Didier Drogba's last season at Chelsea (and I hope it isn't) then who can replace him? Who can we put our faith in or buy that can adequately replace Didier Drogba? Of course the answer you would think of straight away is Torres but can we really put our high hopes on his back? Facts are that he has looked like a shadow of his former self since arriving. I really thought that it might have been a fitness issue and that a good pre season would result in him springing into life this season, that hasn't materialised. I honestly don't believe that he is capable anymore of producing the time of heroic display we saw from Didier last night. So if our 50 million pound man can't do it, then who can? Daniel Sturridge would be another option, if we signed a decent right winger we could think about moving him into the centre of the attack. My concern with Sturridge would be his relative lack of experience, his sometimes poor decision making and the fact that he is doing so well on the right wing means it would leave a hole to fill over there. So if we had to bring in a player who would it be? Given the way we play, with 1 striker I think it would need to be an all round quality player and not just a finisher. Perhaps with a big enough bid we could tempt Edinson Cavani away from Napoli, he would an adequate replacement imo. However replacing Drogba might be the most difficult task AVB will face. Drogba wasn't supposed to be the main man, that was Shevchenko, then Anelka and then Torres but Drogba has usurped each of those during their time at the club and when the time comes and there is no more Drogba to rely on to pull you out of your difficult moment that is when you will appreciate just how great a player he has been for us, that is of course unless we can adequately replace the great man.

Seriously I can't believe that people are actually debating in favour of the idea that Kalou is good enough for Chelsea. Surely you've witnessed his numerous dreadful performances. At Real Madrid they can call on Higuain or Kaka/Ozil (depending on whose starting) to come off the bench and make a difference. At Barcelona they have Alexis Sanchez and Affelay to come on. At Man Utd they have Valencia. At Arsenal they have Gervinho. At Man City they have Adam Johnson. I would rather all of those players over Kalou and those are the standards we should be aiming for.

Legend. Never count out Didier Drogba. It was inspirational last night from the big Ivorian. From the pre match pep talk in the huddle, delivered to the lads by Terry and Drogba, to the simply awesome display leading the line on his own, vintage Drogba featuring the sheer power, pace and technique that have become the trademarks of Drogba down through the years. The great man entered something of a masterclass last night, justifying his manager's decision to make him the first choice striker. He scored the first, he set up the second, he scored the third and he bullied the Valencia back line throughout, it could not have been more comprehensive. ZonalMarking put it best when they said at some stage every Chelsea manager has tried to build a team without Drogba and every time when the going gets tough they once again end up relying on Drogba, for AVB this is no different, Didier Drogba was not supposed to be cast in a lead role this season, rather he was simply meant to be an extra and quietly depart from Stamford Bridge ala Alex or Anelka, but that isn't Drogba's style and when the going got tough Didier Drogba stood up and answered the call. Last night was such an emotional night, I will admit to being close to tears because we may have been witnessing one of the last truly great Drogba performances in a Chelsea jersey but what a delight it was to witness the greatest lone striker of his generation in top form once again, for me, even when Torres was in his prime, there was still never a comparison, Drogba is one of the finest all round strikers to ever grace the game, even in the Spaniards prime I always rated Drogba higher, now, at 33 years of age, in a team built for Torres, I still rate Drogba a hell of a lot higher, he is, and has always been, Chelsea's main man, our one truly great player, a club legend. Other standout performances came from Romeu, an absolute beast in midfield. On any other night he would have gotten my pick for MOTM, but with Drogba's performance this wasn't just any other night. Romeu is exactly what we have been missing since Makelele left/Essien's decline began, he is quick, he wins the ball well, he has a wonderful passing range, he is very aware defensively, and his quality header into Mata created the third goal, last night was a virtuoso performance from the young Spaniard, lets hope Barcelona weren't watching. Terry and Luiz marshalled the backline well, Ivanovic was solid on the right, Cech was excellent in goal, Ramires is a ball of energy, took his goal well and hast fast established himself as the key midfielder at Chelsea, Meireles was quietly impressive last night and justified AVB's decision to pick him, Sturridge was a constant threat down the flank on the counter, decision making could have been better through and Mata performed his role well, created the first and third goals too. Huge credit goes to Andre Villas Boas. Went against his attacking principles to set up the team in a solid, defensive manner, which was what this game required and it worked a treat. What last night showed is that when we want to, we can still form that defensive wall (with the attacking threat of Drogba and the quick counter) that posed so many problems for Barcelona in the semi finals a few years ago, playing like that, we are a threat to any team. Credit to AVB for dropping Lampard, given the way the team was set up, Meireles was the right pick, credit to AVB for picking the inexperienced Romeu in holding midfield, some managers with so much at stake would have reverted to experience but AVB put his faith in youth and it paid off, credit to AVB for sticking with Luiz despite the media storm against him, last night he showed how disciplined and how much quality he has playing in a more covering centre back role and full credit to AVB for not beating a dead horse and simply appeasing Roman Abramovich by starting the 50 million pound British transfer record, AVB has put his faith in Didier Drogba to lead this team, to be Chelsea's main man for as long as he is at the club and that decision paid dividends last night, you would have to think it wasn't the most popular decision with RA and the belief was that RA hired AVB to build a team to get the best out of Torres but right now there is no question, Drogba is the right choice.

Obviously it's not his fault that they had a backline consisting of no natural centre backs, I never said it was, however it clearly had a big hand in their shoddy defending at the end in which they conceded 2 goals. My posts are embarrassing? Honestly mate try reading your own, they are so childish, I don;t want to sound condescending but this conversation has been like telling a particularly sensitive little child that Santa Clause doesn't exist. lol great, Kalou saved our ass. Not Drogba (the guy who opened the scoring) not Terry's near heroic defending, not Cech's 2 top class saves and not the woodwork twice, it was Kalou, it was all Kalou! Ok here is a question mate, over the course of 5 years, what other attacking impact sub have we had on a regular basis? Is it possible that he is our best impact sub over the last 5 years because he has been our only impact sub over the last 5 years? lol I love how easy you find it to view things in black and white rather than look at the circumstances. Newcastle had no centre backs, Newcastle were playing at home and pressing for a result with 10 minutes to go, it's only in the last quarter of the game that they really opened up at the back, for the rest of the match they had been fairly solid. Well that's great, Mikel is one of the most accurate passers in the Premier League, lets start a case for him being one of the best midfielders in the league. Not too long ago Denilson also had one of the best passing accuracies in the league too, is he one of the finest midfielders in the world? Any Chelsea fan with 2 eyes and a semi functioning brain will tell you that Kalou isn't good enough. Would I rather Kuyt or Gervinho over him? Every day of the week, no matter what their stats say, their performances (while neither are exactly top class either) they are a calibre above Kalou. I've found this somewhat ridiculous and can only assume that you don't actually watch matches, rather you simply base your football opinions on opta stats.

I still find it a bit perplexing that some people are calling for Torres to start in our most important European game in years considering the form he is in.

What was lucky about it? They had a backline with not a single natural centre back amongst them. They were pressing for an equaliser and we caught them on the counter and even the finish wasn't that great, it was probably the only mistake Krul made in the entire game. Kalou saved our ass? Did you happen to miss the to miss the tall Ivorian centre forward with the number 11 on his back, you know the one who gave us the lead in the first place. And your last sentence in that paragraph is bizzare, just no. Did I say I could personally do it myself? No, of course not. I said we, meaning we as a club, can do better than Kalou. Why not? Liverpool have Kuyt as back up, Arsenal have Gervinho as back up, are you saying we shouldn't exp[ect to have back up players as good as Arsenal and Liverpool? Really? Excuse me if I'm mistaken but I thought our aim was to win the big trophies and to do that we should expect our team to be of the highest standard and Kalou is not, nor has ever been, of that standard. Honestly if you are going to reply to my posts, please fully read and understand my post first.