Drogba "Everybody knows I was ill"

[LDN Blue 7,903]

Let's be honest, it is going to be difficult [to catch Man United] but we can put some pressure maybe on Arsenal for second place, Let's see, but we have to win our games. It was a good afternoon against West Bromwich. It was good to start winning again and it is important we secure third place.

Everybody knows I was ill and it was difficult for me and it was difficult for the club because I couldn't give 100 per cent, but that is life.

It is a difficult season but now we have to prepare for the next season by winning these games. It is important for the club to be in the Champions League next season and finish in the best place we can, for the fans, for the owner as he is doing a lot for Chelsea, and for us.

Am I the only one thinking, he shouldn't have been playing at all during this period? We had 3 strikers at this point; Anelka, Kalou & Sturridge. Was Drogba that convincing or what Carlo that naive?

What do you guys think?

[Krypt 241]

Its a very good question. maybe carlo didnt have faith in Sturridge ? i must admit we have had alot of reliance on Drogba since carlo came along.

[Duppy Conqueror 1,494]

i`m not sure but i do think that we have many players who will suck it up and play when not 100% healthy..and although as fans we naturally want to see our best players playing..it`s not only risky in that it can make the players health issue worse...it can lead to those players being unfairly judged on their performances.they are doing the club a favour so to speak,but not themselves.

take Malouda for example..his first season here,i`ll admit i wasn`t very impressed with him. then the next season he played better and the one after that he became one of our best players and then it came out that he was carrying injuries whilst playing in his first season.

Essien- the way he has recovered in the past so quickly after knee surgery has been superhuman...normally it takes about 18 months to 2 years before a player fully recovers back to full strength in the knee..but this season ,how many of us have taken that into account?

there`s others but i think i`ve made my point. we don`t want to have players who go on the treatment table for a fractured eye lash..but we shouldn`t have the attitude if he can walk he can play either,if that`s the players or managers choice...i`m sure Carlo wouldn`t force a player to play if he feels he`s not healthy..he would look very bad if it came out that he did.

but maybe he did say something like .."Didier we could really do with you out there today..are you healthy?" and Drogba played how weak he was feeling down.

[LDN Blue 7,903]

i`m not sure but i do think that we have many players who will suck it up and play when not 100% healthy..and although as fans we naturally want to see our best players playing..it`s not only risky in that it can make the players health issue worse...it can lead to those players being unfairly judged on their performances.they are doing the club a favour so to speak,but not themselves.

I agree with what you're saying especially in terms of Malouda and Essien.

However Drogba's illness was more, long-term and affected his overall health. Malaria would have taken its toll on his body and mind, usually presented as a normal flu, it would've been hard for him to even get out of bed let alone train. That is a huge credit to him. However there is no use in playing him if he's clearly exhausted and not in right frame of mind. Every fan here would've understood if Drogba had been left out because of the malaria, however most would not understand him playing despite it.

Hindsight is a good thing, mind you. If he'd have still scored goals we may have ignored this. But did Carlo make a mistake here?

[BlueLion. 21,491]

Drogba was ill. That was definitely clear - I read somewhere he lost something like 18 pounds as well, and it was obvious he had lost a lot of weight and muscle/bulk from the games he was playing. Drogba's game depends largely on his physicality and because he simply didn't have that weight to throw around he was looking only a shadow of the player we all know and love. However you simply can never fault Drogba's effort and commitment. Even when I was getting quite impatient with him you could tell his under-par performances weren't because of laziness or a lack of interest, but because he literally had nothing to give.

This is where I blame Ancelotti. Drogba was so obviously ill, when playing a 4-3-3 what was to stop him from playing Anelka as the lone striker with two from Malouda/Kalou/Zhirkov/Sturridge out wide? The guy simply should not have been playing and because his immunity was only made worse it meant it took longer for him to recover. However, with three goals in the last five games I think it's fair to say Didier is getting back towards a semblance of form and hopefully next season - if he stays - he can return to the 20-goal-a-season man we all love and know.

[MetsajCFC 1,255]

I don't want to be negative and all that but if he was that ill, I'm sure Chelsea wouldn't have risked it, sounds like an excuse for under-performing to me. Sure he had malaria but the whole season ,even pre-sickness was somewhat poor.

Again, don't get me wrong, Drogba is a top class striker and an outstanding sportsman. One of the most polite ones on the pitch I've seen in my life.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

I see your point but I don't think that's fair. I've never had malaria yet my uncle has, and he says it is one of the most sapping illnesses you can ever contract.

[BLionheart 516]

Was Drogba that convincing or what Carlo that naive?

Drogba is that convicing compared to kalou and anelka , and since carlo is a coward he couldn't leave Drogba out so he has let Drogba suffer to get the best possible results on the short term because carlo can't handle the pressure he is under.

and because carlo is so naive he didn't know that a player playing with malaria will never win you games week in week out , he didn't know that Drogba's health will get worse and worse as well as his performances .

and he didn't know how much will that affect the team .

long term manager my arse .

[crazy1 24]

pressure was always der on carlo...........n its d same case with all d managers of big clubs...........n carlo did d same thing like Rafa to play Drogba even if hes not 100 % fit.............n thts wt costed Drogba's fitness in long term...........n now tht hes fit hes finding his form again........

[MetsajCFC 1,255]

Drogba is that convicing compared to kalou and anelka , and since carlo is a coward he couldn't leave Drogba out so he has let Drogba suffer to get the best possible results on the short term because carlo can't handle the pressure he is under.

and because carlo is so naive he didn't know that a player playing with malaria will never win you games week in week out , he didn't know that Drogba's health will get worse and worse as well as his performances .

and he didn't know how much will that affect the team .

long term manager my arse .

Whats wrong with that? Not the suffer bit but the bit where you say Ancelotti wanted to get best possible results. Other strikers were awful compared to Drogba.

[eldo 868]

I don't want to be negative and all that but if he was that ill, I'm sure Chelsea wouldn't have risked it, sounds like an excuse for under-performing to me. Sure he had malaria but the whole season ,even pre-sickness was somewhat poor.

Again, don't get me wrong, Drogba is a top class striker and an outstanding sportsman. One of the most polite ones on the pitch I've seen in my life.

He started this season well. I think that if he hadn't have malaria he would end this season with atleast 20 goals.

[Styles 9,790]

I don't want to be negative and all that but if he was that ill, I'm sure Chelsea wouldn't have risked it, sounds like an excuse for under-performing to me. Sure he had malaria but the whole season ,even pre-sickness was somewhat poor.

Again, don't get me wrong, Drogba is a top class striker and an outstanding sportsman. One of the most polite ones on the pitch I've seen in my life.

I think the malaria is a legitimate excuse. It is a horrible disease by all accounts and saps the life out of the person. Now imagine being a professional athlete, renowned for strength and athleticism, still being asked to perform at your best level? It's almost impossible. In fact Drogba deserves so much respect for even playing through the illness, I guarantee you almost 99% of players would have taken months off.

Didier :worship:

[BLionheart 516]

Whats wrong with that? Not the suffer bit but the bit where you say Ancelotti wanted to get best possible results. Other strikers were awful compared to Drogba.

a good manager will get the best outcome of the available options , he won't risk his players specially his only good forward to gain results and to avoid the sack . when carlo played Drogba it was because we were in a " bad moment" and carlo didn't know what we do , so he just wanted to get out of that bad moment at any cost to avoid the sack without estimating the consequences .

and we all have seen how we ended up.

[termninja 5,290]

I gotta agree that Ancelotti should've given Drogba more rest. It would have been a perfect opportunity for Sturridge to break into the team.

It's good to have Drogba back now scoring and assisting. In the game against WBA he reminded me of few things we really missed this season.

[Ollie 4,400]

He shouldn't of played Drogs at all in that period but its that thing again with the profile of the player and being worried about us losing if Drogs doesn't play and being blamed. It's easy just to pick the best players and make excuses but a real world class manager woulda had the bollocks to make changes. It's what they get paid for. That's my main criticism of Carlo, making changes to his team.

We blew the title in that period and Drogs was made a bit of a scapegoat.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

I think the malaria is a legitimate excuse. It is a horrible disease by all accounts and saps the life out of the person. Now imagine being a professional athlete, renowned for strength and athleticism, still being asked to perform at your best level? It's almost impossible. In fact Drogba deserves so much respect for even playing through the illness, I guarantee you almost 99% of players would have taken months off.

Didier :worship:

Great post.

He shouldn't of played Drogs at all in that period but its that thing again with the profile of the player and being worried about us losing if Drogs doesn't play and being blamed. It's easy just to pick the best players and make excuses but a real world class manager woulda had the bollocks to make changes. It's what they get paid for. That's my main criticism of Carlo, making changes to his team.

We blew the title in that period and Drogs was made a bit of a scapegoat.

Exactly. There was a lot of criticism during this part of the season (myself included, though that was before I knew he had malaria...)

[ack17 205]

The problem is how he got malaria?