Didier Drogba: The Best Striker in the World at the Moment

The Chelsea frontman may polarize opinion more than any other striker in world football at the moment. His histrionics when tackled annoy fellow professionals and fans of the game alike, his alarming tendency to become embroiled in any petty argument on the pitch must really get on the nerves of officials as much as it does the fans. It’s even reached a point now where it seems even some of his own team mates, notably John Terry, will know when the player is faking an injury and tends to just leave him lying there to get on with it.

This is a shame because, at the moment at least, Didier Drogba is arguably the best striker in World football.

The first thing to note about Drogba is the effect his absence has on the Chelsea team. Without him the attack loses it’s prime focus. Anelka is a great player and a fine goalscorer, but it is entirely evident that without the physical presence of Drogba alongside him, the Frenchman doesn’t look as effective a player. Drogba’s skills however are more than just being a powerful, strong striker. He scores goals. Lots of them. His stats for this season are incredible, 13 goals in 15 Premier League appearances, 2 in 2 in the League cup and 3 in 3 in European competition. That is almost a goal a game.

Some critics would have you believe Chelsea are not going to miss that output in January when Drogba is at the Cup of Nations with his Ivory Coast team mates.

However that doesn’t tell the whole story. There is so much more to Drogba’s game that he brings to the table for Chelsea. His sheer presence, power and pace intimidates defenders. He attracts them to him and this creates the space for the likes of Frank Lampard, Joe Cole and Nicolas Anelka to tuck away their chances. He is fantastic at holding the ball up, allowing his midfielders to join him and putting Chelsea on the front foot. He is dangerous in the air and to cap it all, he is a dead ball specialist and very dangerous from free kicks in and around the box.

Physically, there isn’t a weakness to Drogba’s game. The only weakness he has is in how he chooses to act on the field at times. That isn’t a footballing weakness, more a weakness of character.

You can imagine Carlos Dunga’s face at the World Cup draw when it emerged that his Brazil side would now have to contend against Drogba and then Cristiano Ronaldo at the World Cup finals. Drogba’s style is ideally suited to causing real problems for Brazil and that group looks like producing three of the best games of the tournament, certainly in the first phase. Indeed which player can inspire their team more, out of Kaka, Drogba and Ronaldo, may well decide who progresses from that group.

For Chelsea, a January without Drogba may be an unappetizing thought given his electric start to the season. With Fernando Torres beset by injury, Drogba’s claim to be the world’s best striker looks largely unopposed. Barca fans may point to Ibrahimovic, but does he have the same impact on Barcelona that Drogba does for Chelsea? I’m not sure he does.

So yes, on current form Didier Drogba is the best striker in the world at present. He’ll be sorely missed at January for Chelsea and how they cope without him, may well determine whether they lift the Premier League at the end of the season, or not.