Drogba and Kalou coming home

[Aesthetic Relic 301]

Ancelotti was on SSN there stating the Drogba will go straight back into the side for the Burnley game.

[Badboy 1,526]

so Kalou can destroy the career of Sturridge?

it's worth ivory coast remaining in the competition just to keep kalou there.

If sturridge is a better player than kalou he will play ahead of him dont worry.

[Term-X 7,891]

If sturridge is a better player than kalou he will play ahead of him dont worry.

kalou is on a big new contract, he probably has clauses for him to play so many games a season etc.

r.i.p sturridge if this is the case.

[Badboy 1,526]

kalou is on a big new contract, he probably has clauses for him to play so many games a season etc.

r.i.p sturridge if this is the case.

No one at a club like our's get a set amount of games they must play especially a player who is so inept like kalou.

[Toft 7]

Glad to have Drogba back! Excited to see if Carlo is going back to the diamond, or pushing Anelka out on the right. I fear the former. I think we loose two big resources with the diamond. That is Malouda and Lampard. We've seen how the two responded, when we switched from the diamond to 4-3-3. Both have been great - scoring lots and playing generally brilliant. Malouda has actually been a fresh sight all season, but not playing at his highest level because of the diamond forcing him to play a role that doesn't fit his game. Lampard hasn't been as outstanding as usual this season. There are a lot of people talking about a decline, but I think he have proven them wrong. I think his play the last game is due to the formation switch, not that he's back in shape. If we switch back to the diamond, I bet he won't be as outstanding as the last couple of games. Our players fits a 4-3-3 formation. This way we can use our squad to the full. We need width and speed. It's Carlo's choice, and I hope he pushes Anelka out on the wing. So that we can continue in the same way we have been playing lately.

Is it just me who is feeling a bit sad to get back the africans? Malouda-Anelka-Cole make a good combination, and it's not funny breaking them apart.

Oh well, welcome back!

[BlueLion. 21,491]

Glad to have Drogba back! Excited to see if Carlo is going back to the diamond, or pushing Anelka out on the right. I fear the former. I think we loose two big resources with the diamond. That is Malouda and Lampard. We've seen how the two responded, when we switched from the diamond to 4-3-3. Both have been great - scoring lots and playing generally brilliant. Malouda has actually been a fresh sight all season, but not playing at his highest level because of the diamond forcing him to play a role that doesn't fit his game. Lampard hasn't been as outstanding as usual this season. There are a lot of people talking about a decline, but I think he have proven them wrong. I think his play the last game is due to the formation switch, not that he's back in shape. If we switch back to the diamond, I bet he won't be as outstanding as the last couple of games. Our players fits a 4-3-3 formation. This way we can use our squad to the full. We need width and speed. It's Carlo's choice, and I hope he pushes Anelka out on the wing. So that we can continue in the same way we have been playing lately.

Is it just me who is feeling a bit sad to get back the africans? Malouda-Anelka-Cole make a good combination, and it's not funny breaking them apart.

Oh well, welcome back!

Outstanding post. I could not agree more. The players are used to playing a 4-3-3/4-5-1 variant. That's the way we played in most matches under Mourinho, Grant, Scolari and Hiddink. We all know that turning to a new formation was going to be a difficult change, because for five seasons (or at least for the majority of this period), the boys were playing with widemen. I think a second striker gets the best out of Drogba, however, the formation we played against Burnley earlier in the year could work IMO:

Cech

Bosingwa, Terry, Carvalho, Cole

Ballack, Essien, Lampard

Anelka, Deco

Drogba

Make relevant changes; ie. Ivanovic in for Bosingwa, and perhaps Joe Cole in for Ballack and Malouda in for Deco, and we have an attack that can cause some serious damage. It worked earlier in the season before we reverted back to the 4-1-2-1-2, and it's worked recently. I think a withdrawn role suits Anelka more, and having two attacking midfielders plus Lampard means the defence have a lot to worry about.