Scolari Prepares To Unleash Drogba and Anelka

It may not be a very regular occurrence, but Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka could very well be paired up front for this evening’s Premier League clash with Everton at Goodison Park.

Since Anelka’s arrival at the club in January from Bolton Wanderers, the pair have only started two games together.  The Frenchman is often shunted out to a wide position,  most notably in last season’s Carling Cup Final.

Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari has been dropping hints ahead of tonight’s game that he is considering playing the two together in a 4-4-2 formation, a departure from the 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 used by the club for much of the past four seasons.

Scolari said ahead of tonight's clash that Anelka believes the partnership can flourish.

“He believes, I believe, all the people believe. They need training and need confidence,” Scolari said.

The past week has been used to discuss new systems and ways to break teams down, he added.

“We discussed this week when one team play with two central defenders and two more in front, what can I do, what positions we use when we have the ball because we need to open this."

“They trained very well this week, all days, no injuries, no problem. They have more confidence with changes in the game than before. Now some players are ready completely.”

A tactical shift towards a 4-4-2 seems logical given Chelsea’s recent struggles.

The main problem that has emerged as Scolari’s reign has gone on is that his team lacks a Plan B and finds it difficult to break teams down at times.

This isn’t a worry away from home just yet, but at Stamford Bridge the points dropped against the likes of Newcastle and West Ham could prove to be very costly.

Many can see no reason why the partnership wont work. Anelka likes to drop deep and get the ball, and has the pace to make a run off the shoulder of the last defender.

What Drogba lacks in pace, he more than makes up for in brute strength. He can dominate in the air and hold the play up, allowing players to come forward and join the attack.

The logic goes that great players can always play together, and Drogba and Anelka’s abilities complement each other perfectly.

Scolari however, cautioned against getting carried away, revealing that the pair hadn’t always worked well together in training over the past week.

“Sometimes. 50/50. I know the spirit for this is better, the spirit for the group. They try more than before to understand what positions I want, what one uses without the ball.”

Like so many things in football, this will be a case of ‘wait and see’. But a Drogba-Anelka partnership has the potential to be a very dangerous Plan B for Chelsea.