Didier Drogba open to signing new contract

[Steve 10,227]

Didier Drogba says he would be open to signing a new contract at Chelsea. The Ivory Coast international has been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge during a frustrating campaign that has seen him score just once in the Premier League.

Injury and poor form led to him struggling to win a place in the side under Luiz Felipe Scolari, who was sacked as manager last week. However, Drogba says he is determined to stay at Chelsea. "I am happy with everyone here and want to be a Chelsea player," he said. "I want people to stop talking about me going back to Marseilles or going to Inter Milan. I want to stay until the end of my contract. I love the fans.

"My family love it here and we want to stay. There have been no talks about extending my deal but there is time for that. I would stay if they offered me a new deal. I know that first I need to show I am still the Didier Drogba this club knows."

Guus Hiddink will take charge of the team, who sit fourth in the Premier League and in danger of missing out on a Champions League place, for the first time at Aston Villa tomorrow and Drogba admits the Dutchman's arrival has reinvigorated him and the team.

"Hiddink is just what Chelsea need right now," he said. "He is working us very hard and that is just what Chelsea need right now.

"When you train hard, you play hard. It is very simple. You play the way you train and, after the session on Wednesday, we were on our knees. I think with this coach there are a lot of good things to come.

"He will bring the tactical knowledge and we must fight for a better position. I think we can."

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/foo...icle5771791.ece

[BlueLion. 21,491]

Here we go again. I don't want him to leave because he is a phenomenal player on his day, and when he plays well the team does as well.

[We Hate Scouse 10,326]

Get rid of him. He's a joke, doesn't know whether he's coming or going.

[Elliott 7]

He's gonna have to prove to us he deserves it, quite simply.

[Laylabelle 9,534]

Maybe now Phillys gone he's more yay!!

But still make your mind up!!!And if you wana be here play like you wana be not like you wana be in Milain!

[Aesthetic Relic 301]

Actions speak louder than words.

[Laylabelle 9,534]

Actions speak louder than words.

Exactly so if he plays like he cares like he did Sat be more beliavable

[gary gordon 1,777]

I think Didier is one of the true passionate players still left at Chelsea. When he plays well, he is unstoppable! When he isnt playing well, you can see the dissapointment in his eyes! He Trys harder than everybody thinks. Anelka may have heaps more goals then Drogba, but Drogba has more passion than Anelka!

[5354 204]

The problem is Drogba isn't doing well.

He hasn't really being on target, isn't it? Not to say his first touch is quite terrible, as well as his speed.

[warnie_666 1,081]

I laughed when I read the headline.

I have a feeling we will see the best of him from Now till the end of the season. Specially in the UCL. He desperately wants to prove himself. Scolari did not favour him. He needs his confidence back.

I for one think that, Drogba was a late bloomer and at 31 he is equivalent to a 29 yr old striker. Thats fine. We need all our players to perform at their peak for the Champions League and the FA Cup and the Title. And its a question of just 3 months.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

I don't think Drogba enjoyed playing under Scolari. He's been injured for much of the season and he wasn't being given a solid run in the team under Scolari. Under Mourinho in his first two seasons, we played with wingers that actually went to the by-line and pulled balls back for Didier to do his business - either score or lay it off for the likes of Lampard and Tiago and Essien who were supporting him at the time. Then, he totally flourished when he was partnered with another top striker who he could lay the ball off to. Now, Andrei Shevchenko didn't exactly find his feet at Chelsea but he was certainly another attacking outlet and he had a brilliant understanding with Drogba in my opinion - in the two years they were at the club together, they banged away 70 goals in total. It worked brilliantly because players marked Shevchenko because of his reputation, giving Drogba the chance to bring down long balls and feed it to Ballack, Lampard, Robben and so on. He was suited to playing in that formation and because players marked Shevchenko, he had space to get a shot away. In games like the Watford home match which we won 4-0, Drogba scored a hat-trick and Shevchenko scored the other, and in that game they played together so well it looked like another Hasselbaink-Gudjohnsen scenario.

Didier enjoyed it under Mourinho because not only was he moreorless worshipped by Mourinho (he was constantly lauding him and singing his praises), but the systems he played in suited him and we had the right players to utilise those systems to the maximum. Even under Grant, we were playing a similar system and Drogba still banged away 15 goals - not bad considering he was at the Cup of Nations and injured for a part of the campaign as well!

Scolari again played a system with wingers - but Kalou and Malouda are not Damien Duff and Arjen Robben. Sure, the formations worked at the start and we were beating teams out of sight, but the system did not suit Drogba. Scolari would try bringing him off the bench but he rarely scored because either he or Anelka was forced to play up top. Drogba prefers the ball being pumped up long - Scolari didn't like that. Scolari thought Drogba was his plan B but bringing him off the bench to play out wide was never going to work. Okay, it worked when it needed to against Cluj, but Drogba has scored only three goals due to injury, lack of form and being played in the wrong position with the wrong players in the wrong system. Malouda shits himself when someone comes to tackle him - how often do we see him beat a defender and run to the by-line and whip a cross in? How often does Kalou actually pull of a decent centre to one of his own teammates?

Hopefully, Hiddink will play a decent system that is beneficial to the player - because on his day, Drogba is the best striker in world football.

[misschief 24]

Heard it all before and wouldn't trust Drogba as far as I could throw him tbh. From what he's shown us this season, he has't done anything to warrant being offered a new contract so unless he works his stroppy arse off between now and May I'd be happy to see the back of him in the summer.

I hate all this 'best player in the world' and 'great player on his day' nonsense. When exactly is his day? Is it good enough for a PL striker to only have one of those days a season? The fact is, Didier Drogba has been one of best strikers around, but there's sod all evidence of that these days.

[Laylabelle 9,534]

If he carries on like he has been for the last 2 games then by all means Id say go for it.

If he starts to not care then be no point but hopfully this be the start and be the old Drogba again

[BlueLion. 21,491]

The last two gameshave shown us glimpses of the old Didier Drogba but he has to warrant a new contract. If he can continue to show the same committment in matches - and by that I mean continuing to come back and defend as well as being our major attacking outlet - and even bang away 10 goals before the close of the season, we should certainly offer him a new deal.

[misschief 24]

But that's exactly my point BlueLion, we shouldn't be happy to accept 'glimpses'.