Drogba spurred on by defeat

Chelsea striker hoping to put 3-0 loss behind him

Last updated: 7th November 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Drogba spurred on by defeat

Drogba: Haunted by 3-0 loss

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Didier Drogba is determined to erase the memory of last season's Old Trafford "embarrassment" when Chelsea host Manchester United on Sunday.

The Ivorian striker was part of the Blues side that were soundly beaten 3-0 by the Premier League champions towards the end of Luiz Felipe Scolari's reign as manager.

Drogba admits that he, along with the rest of his team, put in a below-par performance in the midst of a disappointing Chelsea run.

And although the 31-year-old says he will not be looking for revenge at Stamford Bridge, he is keen to secure a confidence-boosting victory.

"It's not about revenge, but I want to make up for last season's embarrassment," he told The Times.

"I didn't play well that game. It was the third game in a row I'd played after a long period without many games.

Changes

"I had a bad game, the whole team had a bad game, but since then things have changed and the team is in a different shape.

"The players are the same, but mentally we're in a different position. We're two points in front now and have to maintain the gap, or create a bigger one."

Tensions are likely to run high in the crunch clash between two title contenders but Drogba will be keen to avoid a repeat of the scenes that marred the conclusion of Chelsea's UEFA Champions League semi-final with Barcelona last season.

The powerful front-man insists he is trying to eradicate such controversial outbursts from his game but still says he will continue being driven by passion and emotion.

"I've always been very emotional, but don't really know why," Drogba added.

Calm

"My parents are very calm and quiet people, as am I in private, but when I'm on the pitch I'm different.

"Sometimes I see videos of matches and think: 'Did I really do that?' You're kind of aware you're doing it at the time, but when you sit on your sofa watching the game you think: 'Was it really that bad?'

"It was really difficult after the Barcelona game because I made a mistake, but was frustrated that people didn't understand why I reacted.

"I apologised and everything, but I also wanted to show I'm not the person people think I am. I'm not a bad guy, I just want to win and sometimes I react.

"The passion drives me. It's a part of my behaviour I need to improve, but people are human beings."