Controversy, Coin Throwing, Diving and Suspensions: Would Chelsea fans have it any other way?

Since his arrival in 2004, Didier Drogba has seen 5 different managers and a fantasy shopping-list of Europe’s top strikers join him at Chelsea. He has outlasted all of them. He has delivered consistent goals, a total of 33 in the 06/07 season alone, and a type of centre forward unique from most others in football today.
A combination of height, power and pace mean that his presence as the lone striker is more than enough to trouble entire defences.  However, he has also seen domestic and European bans, faced criticism from all corners for simulation, and a red card in a Champions League final. Directly criticized for his part in the departure of one ex-Chelsea manager in  ‘Big Phil’ Scolari, whilst breaking down in tears during an emotional goodbye to another in Jose Mourinho. There are several different sides to Didier Drogba.

The near-universal admiration for the likes of Messi, Raul, Giggs and Kaka show that it is rare for one of the world’s top players to have so little respect from opposition fans. Admittedly there are few Chelsea players with tangible respect outside of west London, but Drogba is often singled out.  At times over the past five years, even Chelsea fans seemed to have had enough of the Ivorian’s antics, but when the controversy grows, the support from his home fans often matches it.

                                                                                          
The recent fixture between Chelsea and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge provided the most interesting aspects of the Drogba enigma. A powerful performance in tandem with Nicolas Anelka led to assists for both Chelsea goals and fierce criticism of Liverpool stalwart Jamie Carragher. However, Drogba’s theatrics were also on show for all to see, at one point it even appeared that Chelsea captain John Terry was beginning to lose patience with the striker’s antics. Even from just a quick glance at the message boards and fan forums one can see the crux of the debate that Drogba creates. Chelsea supporters heaped praise of Drogba, while others questioned how Chelsea fans could ignore the less appealing side of the Ivorian’s game. The explanation is simple. In the minds of many, even though his and the club’s image have suffered due to his behaviour on occasion, the footballing side of Didier Drogba far outweighs the controversy.

Does Drogba deserve this loyalty of the Chelsea fans and indeed the Chelsea management? Drogba has at times courted interest from elsewhere and his role at the club and on the team have not necessarily been advantageous. Eidur Gudjohnsen, Claudio Pizarro, Mateja Kezman, Hernan Crespo and of course Andriy Shevchenko were either pushed out to a wide position, shifted down the pitch to an attacking midfield role, or simply left on the bench because of Drogba’s grip on the one centre forward role in Chelsea’ s old system.  There is no doubt that Drogba plays this role better than most in world football but new manager Carlo Ancelotti appears to have taken the risk that Mourinho, Grant, Scolari and Hiddink refused to take. By trimming Chelsea’s midfield down to four, Drogba and Nicolas Anelka can play their natural roles, and have done to devastating effect so far. Perhaps if a similar tact had been taken previously, we would have seen the Crespo and the Shevchenko that warranted their price tags. Sure, Crespo shone at Chelsea in his second season when Drogba had spells on the sidelines, and Nicolas Anelka claimed last years Golden Boot due to a combination of Drogba’s injuries and Scolari’s preference for the Frenchman, but when Drogba is fit, Drogba plays. Surely 5 Chelsea managers cannot be wrong.

On the field, as a centre forward, Drogba’s value is unquestionable. Two league titles in his first two seasons and then a 33 goal tally in his 3rd speaks for itself. But he has also given ammunition to his critics, as well as opportunities for many of the Stamford Bridge faithful to fall out of love with him. Drogba has faced criticism from home fans for some theatrics in the past. Whether it was meant in jest, a slip of the tongue or an accurate piece of self-assessment, Drogba’s  “sometimes I dive, sometimes I stay up” comment led to a flurry of attacks from many in the game, including those with strong Chelsea connections.

Yet it is when criticism comes, that the loyalty of Chelsea fans to their star striker comes to the fore. . The infamous “it’s a disgrace” outburst after the 2009 Champions League semi final which landed Drogba a 4 game European ban was of course unacceptable. It was certainly not his finest match, Drogba missed at least 2 clear chances against Barcelona in that tie and then ended the game in very undignified circumstances.  In the same competition the previous season, Drogba became only the second player to be sent off in a Champions League final for a petty slap at Manchester United’s Nemanja Vidic, and earlier in the season had received a ban for throwing a coin into a crowd of Burnley fans in the Carling Cup.

It is certainly no easy task for a Chelsea fan to defend Didier Drogba when these issues are raised. Some laugh it off as if it’s a mere by-product of Drogba’s play. Perhaps more laughable, are the attempts to claim that Drogba is in the right. A common opinion amongst Blues followers in the aftermath of the Barcelona semi final was that Drogba’s reaction was justified as he was drawing attention to the performance of the referee. Surely even the most die-hard Chelsea fans know that his reaction was inexcusable. If it had been  John Terry or  Petr Cech then we would expect nothing less than a heartfelt show of support from the fans, but this was Drogba, a man with a Chelsea career blighted by controversy, a man who seemed certain to be heading out of London in the summer of 2008. Perhaps the adoration of Chelsea supporters to Drogba is blinkered, others will commend it, but what’s for certain is that very few players would have been able to remain at a club following similar incidents. 

Drogba has started the 09/10 season like a man determined to right some wrongs.  As Chelsea face more off-field disrepute, Didier Drogba has grown into a symbol of modern Chelsea. He is widely criticised by opposing fans and his integrity is often questioned, but there is recognition of the size of the threat. Chelsea are by no means the most popular team at Europe’s top table, but their place at that table is pretty comfortable at the moment and when the Champions League Knockout Rounds come around after Christmas, we can all expect Chelsea to be one of the teams to avoid.

Drogba’s reputation has damaged the grand plan for Chelsea’s global dominance and marketability. But managers, defenders, and fans alike, are aware of what Drogba brings to Chelsea. Chelsea’s style in the first few years after the Abramovich takeover was built around Drogba and arguably built for Drogba. It could not have worked without him and now Didier Drogba’s name is always uttered in the company of Rooney, Ibrahimovic and Fernando Torres when the world’s top strikers are discussed.

Daft, immature, combustible, are some of the kinder words that have been used to describe Didier Drogba. There have been times when it seemed his days at Chelsea might be coming to an end. There are certainly more respected players out there. But while Drogba is leading the line at Stamford Bridge, the irreplaceable value that the different managers have seen and that has made so many top strikers come and go, will be cherished by the fans.

Would Didier Drogba be as effective without all the baggage that accompanies him? Drogba noticeably went to ground less following the Stamford Bridge ‘boos’ and his relationship with the fans grew stronger than ever afterwards, the 33 goals that season probably helped. Similarly, one of Drogba’s finest performances came in the 2008 Champions League semi final against Liverpool, just days after Rafael Benitez’ public criticism of the Chelsea striker. Sure Benitez had a point, and in the cold light of day Chelsea fans will question some of Drogba’s behaviour over the years, some of which is indefensible.  But Drogba’s reaction was stunning.  The first of two goals was followed by a chest-out sliding celebration directly in front of the Liverpool manager. Like all dangerous animals, Drogba is at his most lethal when he feels threatened. Ofcourse it is a far more psychological question to suggest that Drogba needs such motivation to deliver his best, there have certainly been times when he has meandered around the pitch looking disinterested. But even on those occasions, he can provide sudden flashes of power and skill to change the course of matches, a feature common among the world’s elite.

Drogba’s relationship with Chelsea is almost unique. His place in the team and the unwillingness of several coaches to try new things contributed to the failure of over £50million worth of other striking talent. The previous two Champions League campaigns have tested the Chelsea fans and stretched their patience with the striker. Yet even before a ball had been kicked in August, the annual predictions for the Premier League title all highlighted the African Cup of Nations, and Drogba’s absence in the early months of 2010 as a potential stumbling block for Carlo Ancelotti’s title aspirations.  Drogba is key to Chelsea’s success. His character and integrity have been questioned, and inevitably will continue to be, but his value will not be.

The Drogba enigma extends beyond a simple case of the loyalty of the fans to a star player. As long as Drogba is at Chelsea there will inevitably be controversy and drama, but if that is the price to pay for Drogba to deliver his best, then Chelsea fans, often to the chagrin of rivals, will have no problem with that.

chelsea, Controversy, Strikers