Winter Mercato

dorgba had a great season last year and could have well won the EPL player of the year award - one of the few Chelski players who could go on vacation with their head held high, IMO.

This being said, despite not being one of the people who had lost their mind over Etoo, I would prefer the Barca player because I think he would be more suitable to Milan - should we play with Ronaldo and Kaka and another striker up front, which I think we will most ofthe time next year.

On an individual basis, I would go for Drogba over Etoo but since football is a team sport, I would pick Etoo, who is less individualistic/self-centered on the field that The Ivorian players.
Drogba is a player who often forgets that there are players around him and tries way too often to do things all by himself - when he gets the ball up front he would either try to drill his way thru the opisition defense using his strength and speed or will try a shot from long distance ... some impressive goals from those but most of the time it burdens the attack than helps it especially when players like Ronaldo and Kaka are around ... Drogba's more individualistic style will more often "isolate" Ronaldo and Kaka than complement them.

Etoo on the other hand, while not exactly a goal machine - contrary to what many people think given his goal records for Barca - has at the center of his game not only speed, which he uses very well to make his way thru defenses, but he is always looking to combine with the players around him and is less of an egoist on the field ... playing alongside Ronaldo and Kaka, he would make the attack much more dynamic and unpredictable, I believe, as he would be part of that attacking trio, he would complement them and create chances for them, just like they would for him, rather than isolate/limit their part in the game, which is what I think an individualist/"egoist" like Drogab would do.

So to put it in short - Drogba IMO has the characteristics to be a better lone striker supported by good attacking mids/wingers where his aereal prowess would be utilized best, while for a more mobile and combinative attacking line, I think Etoo would be a way better fit ... and btw he is no slouch in the air either.

Furthermore, I am not sure I can see JM letting Drogba go ... should CHelski get their hands on Etoo, Drogba will stay and Sheva will be let go in an instant.
Chelski's tactics revolve around Drogba and he easily one of the few irreplaceable players on the field for them ... to let him go, would mean for JM to deprive himself of a solution that has worked for him and hope that his replacement might work equally as good ... or turn out to be a flop - I am sure last summer will bring him some ideas about how a superstriker, proven elsewhere, can come and not "fit in" his new environment ... kind of doubt he would risk finding himself with two Shevas on the field and no Drogba to dig the team out.

EDIT: and last but not least, Etoo is about 3 years younger than Drogba ... considering that both players will be quite expensive - don't see CHelski letting Drogba go for less than 30 mil, while Etoo would probably cost 35-40 mil - the age difference is a very important factor when it comes to making such "big" investments

i would prefer drogba than eto

I prefer GILARDINO to Eto'o or Drogba. Drogba has just had a good season and he becomes so hot, but remember what Gilardino did. Apart from Pato, I don't want us to buy any other striker.

i prefer sheva and gila to drogba, hes just a slightly better overated Borriello.

Drogba will not be allowed to leave which is a shame i feel he would enhance Kaka even further if they had the chance to play together.

I would be very happy if Milan were to sign either of them to be honest, Etoo is a world class player of a type Milandont have, Drogba whilst being older is such a tremendous allrounder that his age wouldnt really matter, and as a late developer he will be able to prolong his career anyway.

Drogba is a player who often forgets that there are players around him and tries way too often to do things all by himself - when he gets the ball up front he would either try to drill his way thru the opisition defense using his strength and speed or will try a shot from long distance ... some impressive goals from those but most of the time it burdens the attack than helps it especially when players like Ronaldo and Kaka are around ... Drogba's more individualistic style will more often "isolate" Ronaldo and Kaka than complement them.

I disagree with that part of your post Zlat, Drogba does a great deal of work on his own because of Chelsea's tactics, in their prefered formation he is a lone striker and the fact he carries such threat even on his own is one of the reasons Chelsea can afford to be so defensive minded. He has figured highly in the assists tables and Lampard especially has benefited from Drogba's hold up play.

Originally Posted by kris

We bought him before Zaccheroni, he was actually a Capello wish.

I beg to differ...I thought we bought both Helveg and Bierhoff from Udinese when we got Zacc, who was coming off a good season with both players as coach of Udinese...but I could be wrong...

Originally Posted by Warro Bantan

I beg to differ...I thought we bought both Helveg and Bierhoff from Udinese when we got Zacc, who was coming off a good season with both players as coach of Udinese...but I could be wrong...

i gota admit thats what i thought 2!

Originally Posted by Stezagud

I disagree with that part of your post Zlat, Drogba does a great deal of work on his own because of Chelsea's tactics, in their prefered formation he is a lone striker and the fact he carries such threat even on his own is one of the reasons Chelsea can afford to be so defensive minded. He has figured highly in the assists tables and Lampard especially has benefited from Drogba's hold up play.

that I agree with ... but only when it comes to dealing with long balls - Drogba is real menace upfront - when he holds the oposition defence on his own, beats them to the high, long balls sent from midfield and then distributes the ball to the onrushing midfielders like Lampard ... which is probably the one effective way to play long-ball football.

Milan, however, doesn't practice this type of football very often, which for Chelski is more or less the only football they play.

What I said about Drogba, I meant in the situations where there aren't long balls to deal with but he'd rather have to make his way towards the goal, with the ball on the ground, i.e. when combining with you teammates is paramount ... this is when Drogba IMO relies on his strength and long shot a bit too often and this isolates his teammates from taking a more "combinative", more "imaginative" approach with patiently building the attack by opening spaces rather than trying to drill thru the defense and/or take some quite adventureous shots ...

it's in these situations that Drogba tends to rush things and seeks for the "quick" finale to the attack, which I guess is a consequence of him being afraid that if he holds the ball for too long, the defenders will regroup and close him down ... while this is true, rushing to finish the attack is not the only solution as it would be even better to simply hold the ball less and quickly combine with your teammates and by that I don't mean just pass them the ball when they are in a safe position so you can make a run and get the ball again (Drogba does that all the time) but create opportunities for them as well, which is the key to Barca's prowess in attack, or Milan's when we played with 2 strikers and Kaka behind them.
Drogba's passes to his teammates are often intended to be simple and he does it so that they could pass it back to him ... but that's not teamplay the way EToo or Sheva or even David Villa could do it for us.

Torres has been declared as 'not essential' by athletico...that is huge....I hope Galliani reads goal.com

Originally Posted by drucurl

Torres has been declared as 'not essential' by athletico...that is huge....I hope Galliani reads goal.com

I take it yo don't want Torres at Milan ... I mean if a player is declared not essential by his club, kind of makes you wonder

Anyway, Abbiati is on a loan deal there so doubt it is part of any super-behind the screen moves by a pathetically inactive Galliani anyway ... and Pool seems to be front runners for El Nino ...
the guy is so good that I wouldn't want to meet Pool with him in the line up

Milan will announce Etoo's arrival at the SS either on Tuesday or Wednesday next week ... remember that you heard it here first

that I agree with ... but only when it comes to dealing with long balls - Drogba is real menace upfront - when he holds the oposition defence on his own, beats them to the high, long balls sent from midfield and then distributes the ball to the onrushing midfielders like Lampard ... which is probably the one effective way to play long-ball football.

Milan, however, doesn't practice this type of football very often, which for Chelski is more or less the only football they play.

Thats true, Chelsea do overuse this tactic in big/european games because of Drogba, as i said before it gives them the perfect excuse to play defensive and keep most players behind the ball as they know they only need commit 3 to an attack and it has a great chance of success. They can play a more technical, passing style to exploit the packed defences of weaker teams that go to Stamford Bridge purely to defend, in those matches Drogba is a productive allround player, whilst still leading the line.

It is hard to predict exactly how Drogba would fit into Milans style as he has been so effective as a battering ram since his Marseille days that teams are happy for him to be the main man. I do think he has the technical ability to excel and his particular style may not always be pretty but it would certainly occupy defenders, they cant push out because he can outpace them, they cant drop deep because he has the skill and power to go through them, and if they double up on him it means they are forced to leave someone else free There were a lot of frustrating games in serie A last season where a guy like Drogba would have been invaluable.

Originally Posted by zlatanov

Milan will announce Etoo's arrival at the SS either on Tuesday or Wednesday next week ... remember that you heard it here first

Ok you can't say that and not give your reasons.

A hunch?

i have a feeling it will be Torres and either Sheva or Eto.

Didnt Atlético owe us like £16 mill. Like i say, Torres isnt bad.. we could do alot worse.


Pato could be in there, but more for next season.

Originally Posted by zlatanov

Milan will announce Etoo's arrival at the SS either on Tuesday or Wednesday next week ... remember that you heard it here first

Zlat, you're a tribalfootball
After hearing Gila to Juve and Suazo to Milan here first, by you, i'm having trouble taking you seriously


In other news folks...

Chelsea offered 18m euro to Lyon for Malouda
Simone Inzaghi will leave Lazio ( what a shame. Lazio is now chanceless in their CLQ)
Juve will offer money+Miccoli for Pepe, while Milito is very close
Fenerbahce offered money for RO