Didier Drogba On Competition For Places And New Formations

Didier Drogba was pushed out at Chelsea when Fernando Torres arrived in January, but the striker is full of confidence ahead of the new season. He has been speaking to the press about his future and his hopes for the coming season.

Drogba is currently in talks with the club over extending his contract, and when asked about where his future lies he was quick to answer by saying. “I want to finish my career at Chelsea. We’ve started talking and it’s very interesting. Everybody knows what I feel about Chelsea and what I want.”

With regards to a place in the starting XI Drogba was philosophical by saying. “If I deserve to play I will play. If I’m not good, I won’t.”

It is no secret that new manager Andre Villas-Boas favours a 4-3-3 formation, and a lot has been made of whether Drogba and Torres can play together. It is nothing new for Drogba as he has experienced it all before, and he was honest when asked about whether the two are competing for a place in the team. He said, “It’s nothing new and it’s good for the team to have some competition. It will push the team forward and get the best out of us.”

“There’s always competition in the team and you can’t be the only striker. Even two years ago, there was still competition because I still had to perform.

“Daniel Sturridge could have played before and Salomon Kalou. When I’m on the pitch, competition or not, I need to perform.

“We know he [Villas-Boas] is a fan of 4-3-3, so nothing is really going to change for us. We’ve been playing that way for years and years.

“We changed the formation a bit in the second half in the friendly win over a Malaysia and went 4-4-2 with [Nicolas] Anelka sitting back. He’s the sort of manager who can adapt but his main thing is 4-3-3.

“For me, it’s not a problem. It’s not a problem to play with him or without him. The most important thing is winning games together as a team.

“Our goal is to win the trophies we didn’t win last season. We need to do that for the club.”

Drogba is starting his eighth season at Chelsea, and he is a hero amongst the fans at Stamford Bridge, but he is under no illusions about the task ahead as he fights Torres for a place against Stoke City in the seasons opener in three weeks time. One thing that every Chelsea fan can be sure of is that Drogba will give 110% every time he pulls on a Chelsea shirt, regardless of whether the team plays 4-3-3 or 4-4-2.