10/13/08

My mind wanders during games, says Chelsea's Didier Drogba

Drogba says his mind often wanders during matches

(Paul Thomas/AP)

Drogba says his mind often wanders during matches

Didier Drogba has confirmed what some Chelsea supporters will say they have known for many seasons, that he is prone to lapses in concentration and often finds his mind wandering during matches.

When the Ivory Coast forward is on the mood, few can handle his quality and commitment, but his career has been marked by his tendency to drift in and out of games often looking the shadow of the player that has terrorised the best defences in Europe. The accusation has always been that Drogba's mind is elsewhere and the player admits that is often the case.

"Yes, it happens to me many times, it happens to every one of us" he said, "It's funny because there are some times in the game where you don't touch the ball for a while and then you realise that the crowd is there, or they're not reacting, or you notice something specific going on and focus on it.

"After that you have to come back into the game quick because this is how you lose your attention and sometimes you can miscontrol when the ball comes to you suddenly, or miss an opportunity," he told November's Chelsea Magazine.

Drogba has adopted a pragmatic attitude since fresh conjecture about his future over the summer. Reports suggested he was keen to experience another football culture, in Spain or Italy, and that he would welcome the prospect of linking up again with Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan.

But Drogba, who is currently sidelined with a knee injury, has resolved to keep his head down and work hard. In his fleeting appearances under Luis Felipe Scolaro, the Ivorian has found himself deployed as a lone striker and he says that is something that requires a different mindset.

"When you play alone in attack you need a special preparation, a special warm-up so that mentally you are ready, otherwise you cannot play to the best of your ability," he said.

"I think about what I am going to do to escape my marker, what I am going to do to score goals. I actually think about the way I am going to score my goal – I close my eyes and try to imagine it and sometimes it doesn't happen.

"But most of the time when you get it in your head that you are going to score a certain kind of goal, it happens.

"It's funny but you create something in your head, a desire to score, an attitude and everything can go like this in the game.

"It's different with two up front, a completely different approach – you have to think with your partner, have the same ideas as him and not think only for yourself in the game.

"Now my game is much more about coming deep, touching the ball and then moving into space. I need to be on the limit of offside when the pass comes.

"I've scored a lot of goals where it looks close to offside but the assistant referee can't say because I'm always right on the limit."







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