Source: Telegraph
Chelsea put unhappy Didier Drogba on trial
Drogba is effectively on trial at Cobham. [LNB]If he fails to work hard, Drogba risks becoming the squad's invisible man, although he may well be needed after one of Luiz Felipe Scolari's most attack-minded players, Joe Cole, sustained a serious knee injury during the 4-1 FA Cup win over Southend United on Wednesday. Left out of the squad who prevailed 4-1 at a raucous Roots Hall, Drogba was allowed to train with the first team on Thursday but there is no guarantee that the striker will even be on the bench for Saturday's meeting with Stoke City. [LNB]Now revealing his tough streak, Scolari is adamant that he wants more effort from the Ivory Coast centre-forward, one of the players believed to be in the Brazilian's "35 per cent" effort rating at Manchester United on Sunday. Chelsea sources stress that Drogba did not react angrily when informed by Scolari he would not be travelling to Roots Hall, and that the conversation was very much one way. Drogba, though, is known to be unhappy at seemingly being made the scapegoat for Chelsea's recent stuttering form. [LNB]Victory over Southend has strengthened Scolari's hand, and the manager has already indicated that the team who started in the Cup would "be the one that starts against Stoke". Frank Lampard argued that it was the "manager's prerogative" to omit individuals but that he hoped Drogba would stay. [LNB]"Any manager who wants success, and I have played for some top managers, has a right to drop someone, put them on the bench, rest them or whatever," said the England midfielder. "Didier Drogba is a good personality and he will take it in the right way. Hopefully he will come back like before because when he is at his best he is one of the best, if not the best, striker in the world. You always want those sort of people around."[LNB]Scolari's stance on Drogba could be affected by Cole's incapacitation. Scolari has other options, including reinstalling Deco to provide support for Nicolas Anelka with Salomon Kalou on the other flank. In Cole's absence, Chelsea's coach could switch to 4-4-2, although he believes pairing Drogba and Anelka would open midfield up too much. [LNB]Lampard was more positive. "I've had it [that incompatibility theory] many times in my career, what with Steven Gerrard and England and Michael Ballack at Chelsea," said the midfielder. "I know many teams will not want to play those two [Anelka and Drogba] when they are firing. It is harsh to say they don't work. You wouldn't want to face them both."[LNB]Of the recent vilification of Chelsea, Lampard observed: "It has been hard but life goes on and there is no point sulking. Everyone wants to talk about Chelsea when we are having a bad run, and now it is about being a man and having a bit of personality and showing what we are about."[LNB]Even the manager's "35 per cent" comments were treated sanguinely by Lampard (if not certain others). "If you ask us, people would say the same," argued Lampard. "We all have bad patches, but what is important is to stay strong."[LNB]Scolari's decision to make public his beliefs on his underperforming stars was accepted. "It's not a problem," said Lampard, "we are all men."[LNB]Ashley Cole insisted the dressing room was behind Scolari. "A lot of people were trying to blame the manager, which was wrong," said Chelsea's left-back. "We were the ones letting down the fans, and letting down the manager. It was about us stepping up to the plate [at Southend]. We fought for the manager. We are a tight unit here." [LNB]Cole and Co needed to be a tight unit to break down Steve Tilson's resolute Southend, who took the lead before bowing to Chelsea's superior finishing power. If Scolari was hailed as the main winner at Roots Hall, then the Football Association will be feeling similarly pleased after a compelling reminder of the passion still generated by their fabled competition.[LNB]Southend's players and supporters showed how much the Cup meant to them. Partly stirred by a desire to see wealthy, famous visitors struggle, Roots Hall noisily seized the chance to show people there is vibrant life outside the Premier League. With the game televised live, the nation's living rooms reverberated to the sound of "Southend til I die", a reminder that the FA Cup is alive and kicking. [LNB]
