Didier Drogba: 5 Reasons the Striker Was Severly Missed Against United

Chelsea’s loss to United on Sunday was not the worst of circumstances. Sure they dropped all three points and are now five behind the Red Devils, but to go into Old Trafford against a hot team is never an easy feat. The fact that most fans were able to walk away from the match feeling good about a performance that had a few things gone their way would have made the game much closer. Not to mention that from a competitive standpoint it was probably the most entertaining game of the season.

There were two highlights of the game for the Chelsea loyals and both involve Fernando Torres. His delectable finish of De Gea half a minute into the second half gave the Blues some life and Torres the much needed confidence he had been building towards. The rest of the game he remained a threat, getting behind the United line and creating opportunities all over the field.

However, in the 82^nd minute, Ramires sent Torres through. He only had De Gea to beat. He pushed the ball past the keepers right hand and a wide open net to put the ball in and give Chelsea some hope in the final minutes. Instead, the left foot that he has seemed to be weary of since he arrived at Stamford Bridge let him down as he thrashed it wide and effectively took the wind out of the Chelsea sails.

Torres played one of his best games ever as a member of Chelsea, but it was still not enough to get them the win. But perhaps that is not as much the fault of Torres as it is the unfortunate disadvantage of not having a true striking partner.

Didier Drogba was forced to missed playing time for the third week in a row after suffering a horrific concussion in a collision with the Norwich keeper. Luckily it was labeled a “mild concussion,” but there is no taking chances with head injuries. Had he been on the field on the lineup for Sunday things could have gone very different for Chelsea and Torres as well.

Here are five reasons Drogba’s presence could have changed the game.

Physical Presence

Since Drogba broke into the top echelon of footballing with Marseille back in 2003, his size and strength is something that has captivated fans. Few forwards ever possessed such attributes along with the quickness and speed necessary to play the position. He is great with the ball on his feet and even better when he is in the air.

Chelsea had 10 corner kicks against United yesterday and not more than two ever really looked threatening. This was not because Juan Mata was not able to put them  into good spots, but more that there was no one in the box who could reach over players like Chris Smalling, Phil Jones and Johnny Evans. John Terry and Branislav Ivanovic were the only two players who really had a chance in the air, but it is not easy for them to get many chances as United were aware of this and heavily marked the two centerbacks.

Drogba would have been another, and the best, head in the box to be able to give Mata another target. He is a bigger, stronger and more athletic than anything United had and more than likely would have been able to get at least one opportunity out of those 10.

Furthermore, he would have also been another tall body to help mark on Smallings' goal. Lampard and Bosingwa both hesitated to follow and it was too late. But had they followed there is no reason why Smalling still could not have scored. He is taller and stronger than both and easily could have climbed over them to put it away. Drogba would match up against Smalling much better and more than likely could have easily nodded it to safety.

Depth

When Chelsea were down 3-0 going into half, Villas-Boas turned to his bench and this is what he saw: two older Frenchman, two defensive midfilders (neither of which is comfortable in front of goal), a centerback who is more of a liability than anything else and an 18-year-old striker who was not even put on the Champions League roster. I am sure there was a hint of worry in his eye.

The decision to throw on Anelka at the half paid off immediately with an assist in the first minute. But as the game got closer and closer the to the final minute and Chelsea were still in need of a goal, he was helpless to make any substitutions that would really improve their look.

Malouda was an option, but to bring him on he would have risked slowing down Torres who was playing his best game yet. Lukaku was the only option, but within minutes of his entry his inexperience began to show. He dribbled himself into trouble, lost the ball and got isolated to a point where he was obsolete.

The final choice to bring on Mikel was a last stitch effort that really showed how desperate the manger was for anything to help. Mikel is better known for misses like Torres’ open netter than he is putting away shots or headers. Perhaps he was brought in to hold the midfield while the rest pushed up. Either way it was not the answer Villas-Boas was looking for.

Had Drogba been on the bench, he would always have to be in the back of Ferguson’s mind. The United boss would realize that his two-goal lead may not be enough when someone like Drogba can come in and completely change the pattern of the game. His young defenders have played well thus far this season, but they have not faced a talent like Drogba yet.

Villas-Boas would have been a bit more settled to know that he could have had Mata, Torres, Drogba and Anelka all on the field at the same time. It may not be the best chemistry imaginable, but in the dying moments of a game, when you are in desperate need of a goal, that much firepower cannot be matched. It could have been just too much for United to defend and perhaps Chelsea could have stolen a point.

This game really exposed perhaps a lack of depth up front that was not as noticeable as before.

Experience

Drogba’s age has been the point of much contention over the future of the striker with the club. At 33 years old he is the oldest squad member and younger than Villas-Boas by only a few months. Some seem to believe that his legs are no longer able to handle the rigors of the long season and that he has slowed to a pace where he is no longer effective.

However, along with age comes something that cannot be achieved anyway else and that is experience. Looking back on Sunday’s game, I believe Villas-Boas may question his decision to start Daniel Sturridge. The young winger has been on fire in his first two games and given the fans and manager something to be excited about.

But playing against Norwich and Leverkusen at home is one thing. Playing at Old Trafford against the best team in the league is something else entirely. He has made a way of beating outside backs with his speed, by pushing the ball and running around them. Patrice Evra and his many years of experience just sat back on Sturridge and let himself play himself into trouble. He turned the ball over far too many times through unforced errors trying to beat the much more intelligent Evra.

Drogba may not have been easily able to outplay Evra, but he for sure would have understood when and when not to take the defender on. Instead of trying when it would be feeble, he has the many years of experience to understand it is better to play the ball back and start over rather than risking a turnover.

His experience would also bode well if he were to be playing in the center alone or alongside Torres. Phil Jones and Johnny Evans are both infants to the game compared to the Ivorian. He could have taken advantage of their miscues and used his many different styles of play to beat them.

Not to mention that Jones has never played in a game of this magnitude. He played decently, but had a few mistakes, especially in the early going, that could have been exposed by a more experienced player. It is a different stage in this kind of atmosphere, one that Drogba is well accustomed to.

Versatility

Fernando Torres is an excellent talent. He has proven over many years with Atletico Madrid, Liverpool and the Spanish national team that he is an elite player in the world. His failings at Chelsea in some 20 odd games should not overshadow what he has done over his career.

However, he has made his name by doing one thing and doing it very well. That is running into balls and putting them away. He is good with the ball at his feet and can beat defenders one on one, never using more than two or three touches to get behind them. We saw it on Sunday as he dribbled twice around defenders and was getting good shots off from running on to passes.

This lack of versatility is not a knock on someone who has mastered a single aspect so well. But in a game like the one Sunday, it could have benefited the team if they also had someone out there that could add a little more dimension in the way of a variety of threats.

As I stated earlier Drogba is a threat in the air with his size, but he is also a threat to be able to hold up the ball with a defender on his back. In this way, Chelsea could have allowed the midfield to get forward a a few more times when the forward line became isolated with nowhere to go.

He also can play the same way as Torres. This puts defenders in the predicament of having to decide whether they play up on him and risk getting beat, or laying back and allowing him to comfortably play with the ball.

With the game winding down and a goal needed, Drogba could have brought a new dimension into the Chelsea attack that could have shook up the United back line that was so use to playing for that through ball.

Takes Pressure off Torres

Many believe that Torres’ troubles have been due to a lack of confidence. That perhaps the mental hill he has to climb to live up to his price tag is just too much for him to handle. If he were to score a few goals, then the floodgates would open and he would be unstoppable.

His performance against Leverkusen on Tuesday was decent, with two assists. That positive result would hopefully trigger him to play how everyone knows he can.

It appeared it had in the start of the game against United. His play was quick, direct and with purpose. He was getting behind the United line and creating all sorts of chances. His cut back to Ramires should have been the opening Chelsea goal. His goal in the 46^th minute was well earned and figured to be the one that would propel Chelsea to a good result and Torres back to the goal-scoring machine he once was.

But his miss in the 82^nd minute became the highlight of his night. For all the good he had done, all the mental progress he had made, that single miss eclipsed it all.

No one knows what was going through his head at that moment. Was he nervous? Was he over excited? Over confident? Not confident? Whatever it was it was enough to make him miss the most critical shot of the match.

There is no way of telling if Drogba was there if he would have made that shot or even had the chance at all. But I believe that if he is a player that is really concerned about the team's performance and a win over his own stats, than Drogba’s presence either on the bench or field would have benefited him.

The pressure of knowing that he needs to perform well is just compounded by the fact that he is the one expected to provide the offense for them to win. There was no one else on the bench who could reasonably be expected to do what Torres does.

If Drogba was there perhaps it would have settled Torres enough for him to understand that it does not all rest on his shoulders and that the game’s best insurance policy is waiting to rescue them on the bench if needed.

What Do You Think?

Do you think Drogba could have positively impacted Chelsea's game against United?