Source: SKY_Sports
Drogba denies sacking input
Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has denied suggestions that he helped to get former manager Luiz Felipe Scolari sacked.[LNB] The 30-year-old was reported to be one of three players, the others thought to be Michael Ballack and Petr Cech, who complained about the World Cup winning coach's training methods to Blues owner Roman Abramovich.[LNB]The Ivory Coast international never hit top form under the Brazilian, mainly due to injury, and the former Marseille frontman was dropped from the starting XI after a tepid performance against Manchester United at Old Trafford in January.[LNB]Despite strongly refuting the claims, Drogba does admit that a change in personnel was on the cards after some patchy results during the final weeks of Scolari's reign.[LNB]"No, no it's not true," he told the Observer Sport Monthly.[LNB]"It's wrong to say Ballack, Petr Cech and me were having a meeting to decide about the future of one manager. [LNB]"It was a board decision, not the player's decision. We were all surprised that he went when he did, but everyone could see it was a bad situation and something had to change for the good of the team.[LNB]"I guess if you look at the results over the last two months it was clear to see something wasn't working."[LNB]ConfidenceDrogba also disputes Scolari's reasoning for dropping him after the 3-0 reverse against the champions in which the former Portugal boss declared the striker was lacking in confidence.[LNB]"I've never had a problem with my confidence," he insisted.[LNB]"It's not about my confidence, it's still high. I know what I can bring to our team. I don't really agree with what he said. This is my opinion but everyone has opinions."[LNB]Now under the tutelage of Dutchman Guus Hiddink, albeit only temporarily, Drogba seems to have rediscovered the form which made him one of the most feared strikers in Europe.[LNB]The Ivory Coast skipper has started all three games under Hiddink, winning all three and even managing to score the only goal of the game at home to Juventus in the UEFA Champions League last-16 first leg tie on Wednesday.[LNB]"He (Hiddink) has sent us very positive messages and I think he wants us to believe and win games and that's the thing we have to concentrate on now," he added.[LNB]"It's finished now and we have to think about the future. His CV is fantastic, it's something we have to respect.[LNB]"I hope he'll see I need some games it be fit, that I'm not 100 per cent. The only thing I wanted was to be ready to help the team."[LNB]
