Chelsea will be wondering why their star striker hasn’t played with the same passion and energy all season.
Last night’s win over Napoli was vintage Chelsea – a night where their ageing stars who had taken so much criticism over the past two months rolled back the clocks and turned in one of their best ever European performances.
Credit where it’s due, they all proved a point, and it was thrilling to watch, with Branslav Ivanovic netting the winning goal so clinically it was like watching Fernando Torres in his prime.
Which brings us onto Chelsea’s strikers- Fernando Torres is still an enigma, he had a chance to win it himself which he passed up – but his woes are a mystery for another day.
It’s time to shine the spotlight on Ivorian hitman Didier Drogba, who many believe will be off at the end of the season.
He has been unsettled ever since Torres’ arrival, and for most of this season has flattered to deceive.
But like an old sports car sitting in your garage, you know he has the capability to turn it on, the problem is he is so temperamental he picks his times, and it is no longer as simple as just turning a key in the ignition.
While Robin van Persie now sets the standard in England, with 26 Premier League goals, Drogba has scored just five, indicating to many that he is past his best.
Yet he has delivered three outstanding performances this season, against Valencia, Manchester City, and now Napoli.
What do these three matches have in common?
All of them are a) high profile fixtures b) at Stamford Bridge and b) took place in the evening.
Chelsea will hope they can play all of their remaining home fixtures this season at 8pm, because his habits are becoming almost nocturnal. In those three matches he was superb, leading the line, bullying the opposition defences, and looking like the Didier Drogba who arrived at Chelsea in 2004 all over again.
He led Chelsea to wins in all those fixtures, and after watching him warm up for last night’s game with a goal against Stoke at the weekend, you got the feeling he was psyching himself up for a huge night against Napoli, it was like listening to that high-powered sports car rev it’s engine.
The rest of the campaign though, Drogba has been poor, so what’s the problem? Clearly it is an issue of motivation.
Andre Villas-Boas could not get the best out of him, not consistently any way. With two goals in two home games for Roberto di Matteo, the Italian will hope he can continue to keep Drogba in hot form.
If he is to continue his scoring run against Manchester City next week, he will have to do what he has not done since December 3, and has only done once all season; score an away goal in the Premier League.
There is a lot of speculation as to where Drogba will play next season, will he be tempted by the riches of China or Russia?
Nights like last night may persuade him to give it one last season, especially if Chelsea fight back to finish fourth.
The question is, do Chelsea fans want Drogba to stay next season, or will it be time to move him on and sign a younger, more consistent forward, like Radamel Falcao?
What do you make of Drogba’s ups and downs this season?
Should Chelsea keep Didier Drogba next season?
image: © Crystian Cruz
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