The Drog Returns Again!

Didier Drogba is set to return to the Chelsea side as they prepare to face Champions League opponents Bordeaux on Wednesday. The Ivorian has missed the first match in a three game ban that was imposed after he threw a coin into the crowd during the Carling Cup match at Stamford Bridge in which Chelsea were beaten by Burnley.

However, the ban does not apply to European matches and, after Chelsea could only stutter to a goal-less draw last Saturday against Newcastle, manager Phil Scolari will be hoping that Drogba will give his attack the bite that they lacked in the league game.

His team mate Florent Malouda has spoken in support of Drogba's return saying: It will be a good thing for us because with what is happening now. I think he will be angry and show he has things to do for the team."

The French winger continued: "Didier is the type of player who can find a solution when you play these teams but as you can see Nicolas Anelka is doing well at this moment."

He added: "We had the players and the mentality to reach victory against Newcastle but we have to keep on trying and we hope the next game at home will find the solution."

Didier Drogba was wrong, but blame the fan

Chelsea striker deserves to be punished but whoever threw coin at Stamford Bridge is real villain of the piece

All the talk is about how long Didier Drogba's ban should be and that's taking the focus away from the person who started the whole thing - the fan who threw the coin at him.

There's no doubt Drogba was irresponsible and deserves to be punished by the FA, though not in my opinion the police. But it would be ridiculous if he paid a heavier penalty than David Norris, the Ipswich Town player who made the “handcuffs” sign in support of Luke McCormick, the goalkeeper who was sent to prison for causing the deaths of two kids in a car accident. That idiotic gesture must have been premeditated on some level while Drogba's was spontaneous. To me, Norris's behaviour was worse.

Incidents of players abusing fans, as the Chelsea striker did, are very rare while week in, week out, footballers are on the receiving end of disgusting abuse. It's human nature that occasionally some will crack. I certainly did a couple of times in my playing days. When Eric Cantona karate-kicked that Crystal Palace fan, a lot of players thought: “Good on you, Eric.” No player runs on to the pitch planning to start trouble with supporters, but at every game a percentage of fans turn up intending to dish out verbal abuse or worse.

In my Millwall days in the 1980s, I remember warming up at Upton Park and fans in the Chicken Run terrace were calling out my name for ages until I finally looked round - and 30 of them chorused “w***er”. Apparently they used to do it to someone every week, like it was their hobby. Grown men.

During a game at The Den, David Byrne, our winger, told a Millwall fan who was running along the terrace and giving him stick to “f*** off”. The fan took out a knife and said he was going to “do him” after the match. David went as white as a ghost.

Footballers don't worry about security arrangements at stadiums, but deep down they know that if a fan really wants to invade the pitch and get at them, he will. It is a shame that Aston Villa were not able to catch the supporter who threw a coin at Harry Redknapp last month and hit an assistant referee. A heavy punishment for that might have made the Burnley supporter think twice.

Drogba is not a popular player. He's done and said some daft things, but he wasn't trying to wind up the Burnley fans - he scored and in the adrenalin rush that followed he probably didn't realise where he was celebrating. He's got a big ego, so he's not the kind of character to laugh off having something chucked at him, spoiling his moment of glory. He reacted because he felt insulted.

Drogba must be held accountable, but he's not the main villain here. Stop fans abusing players and you stop the problem of players being pushed past breaking point.

Shocking The Drog Behavior !

The oddest aspect of the Didier Drogba coin toss was that he was allowed to carry on by the referee after aiming an abusive gesture at the Burnley fans, exchanging a few choice swear words and then forcibly returning a coin that a Burnley fan may or may not have 'dropped' on the pitch. The precedents are pretty clear on the matter.

The other incidents that I can recall that are similar are when Jamie Carragher under-armed a water bottle back into the crowd in 2002 (some people seem to recall that he threw a coin, but I remember it as a plastic bottle) and Gary Neville attempting to wind up buoyant Everton fans, in April 2005, by crashing a dead ball into the advertising hoardings - but inevitably missing and striking a spectator. Both received straight reds.

When El Hadji Diuof spat at Celtic fans at Celtic Park in March 2003 he was responding to being patted on the head following a slip; the referee was obviously unsighted otherwise another straight red would have been issued.

When Eric Cantona went somewhat further at Selhurst Park he had already been sent off - and was subsequently banned for six months.

That Drogba was booked can only suggest that the referee didn't see the whole incident and the FA will now inevitably respond with a minimum charge of bringing the game into disrepute. Add to this a possible court case - especially as there is a massive potential for ricochets in a situation where a rich man like Drogba is caught bang to rights. I would be surprised if fewer than 50 Burnley fans were 'hurt' by the coin!

Didier Dogba was clearly wound up by the loss of an automatic first team slot - Nic Anelka seems to be Scolari's first choice - and responded to that as well as some probably quite heated baiting. But there are no excuses, the apology was a good first step and may reduce the inevitable ban to just three games. Drogba has recently stated his intention to see out the remaining years of his contract - but if a bid comes in in January he may not now get the chance. Chelsea's finances are under a little pressure and if Scolari wants a little elbow room in the transfer market, Drogba could well be the catalyst.