Defending the Drog
Tue Oct 21 08:59AM
Didier Drogba faces one of those ubiquitous FA probes over comments made in his autobiography over his red card in the Champions League final.
Drogba was sent off late in extra time for a girly little slap on Nemanja Vidic, and said that he ought to have gone the whole hog and clocked the Serb seeing as he was going to get his marching orders anyway.
He wrote: "I have seen the match on video and I believe I should not have been sent off with three minutes to go.
"If I had punched him, I would have understood. Now I wish I had."
If that shows anything, it is admirable restraint on Drogba's part. He wanted to punch Vidic, but he didn't.
Instead he faces a fine, or at the very least a ticking off, for an incredibly tame comment.
Incidentally, Vidic responded by attempting to rip out Drogba's throat with his bare hands and had to be restrained by half a dozen team-mates.
But because the Serb's controversial public remarks only stretch as far as the fact that it rains a lot in Manchester, he is OK.
Compare what Drogba said to Roy Keane's tale of revenge on Alf Inge Haaland, which had to be toned down in later editions.
"I'd waited long enough. I f****** hit him hard. The ball was there (I think). Take that you ****.
"And don't ever stand over me again sneering about fake injuries. And tell your pal [David] Wetherall there's some for him as well. I didn't wait for Mr Elleray to show the red card. I turned and walked to the dressing room."
Next to that, Drogba's 'I wish I had punched him but didn't' seems even more tame. Nice of Keane to afford the referee appropriate respect, though.
But it is clear the era of interesting football books is long gone.
Wayne Rooney's autobiography, while well written (by Hunter Davies, not Rooney), was unremittingly dull because the lad had nothing to say.
Yet remarkably he found himself on the wrong end of libel action after having a go at Everton manager David Moyes.
Similarly, Ashley Cole's honesty about his contract dispute with Arsenal has made him one of the most hated people in Britain (number six, in fact - between Heather Mills and Gary Glitter).
People think footballers who speak in platitudes are idiots, but the opposite is true. Why else do you think David Beckham still enjoys near-universal popularity?
One of the reasons footballers have become so detached from the fans is that they so rarely say anything interesting - and when they do, everybody (ED included) leaps all over them, ensuring they never repeat the crime of speaking their mind.
The FA need to introduce a rule - something along the lines of diplomatic immunity - that allows players one book in which they can say absolutely anything, and nobody is allowed to give them any stick about it.
Disappointingly, it seems the one man whose book Early Doors would pay good money to read won't put pen to paper just yet.
Step forward Mr Joseph Barton: "England did nothing in that World Cup, so why were they bringing books out? 'We got beat in the quarter-finals. I played like s***. Here's my book'."
- - -
Proof that Tottenham really are a joke - today's Guardian devotes three quarters of a page to 25 Tottenham-related rib-ticklers.
Early Doors's three favourites are as follows:
1- Juande Ramos, shortly after another training session, comments to the head groundsman at White Hart Lane how impressive the pitch is looking. "It ought to," replies the groundsman. "We put 70 million quid's worth of manure on it every week."
2- I met this really kinky girl last night. 'Humiliate me,' she said ... So I bought her a Tottenham shirt.
3- What's the difference between Juande Ramos and a cowboy? A cowboy wears Spurs on his boots whereas Ramos is a crap manager.
ED was intrigued to see that Spurs fans have pledged to protest against the club's plight this weekend.
They will call for the removal of the chairman, the sporting director, the manager and quite possibly the tea lady, who always forgets that Gus Poyet has two sugars and just a splash of semi-skimmed.
If the protest is anything like as successful as Daniel Levy's pledge to qualify for the Champions League, then the suits have nothing to fear.
The fans will spend the whole week banging on about their ambition to make this one of the greatest fan protests in the world, before the whole thing descends into chaos by quarter past three.
- - -
QUOTE OF THE DAY: Gordon Strachan laments his dwarfish Celtic side ahead of the trip to face Manchester United:"We've been hit by injuries in important areas and we're actually trying to sign Snow White to lead my players out at Old Trafford. It's not just Ferdinand and Vidic. You've got Fletcher who's a giant, Berbatov, Ronaldo can leap, John O'Shea is big. They've got pace, power, height, ability, determination. I don't know if any of my players have that - and I'm not being cheeky."
FOREIGN VIEW: Corriere dello Sport reckons that Big Fat Ronaldo is in talks with Serie A minnows Siena. Nobody else wants him - and this video tells you how sad that is.
COMING UP: It's Manchester United v Celtic, Fenerbahce v Arsenal and six more in the Champions League. We've got live, minute-by-minute coverage of it all. And don't forget the Zenit St Petersburg v BATE Borisov blockbuster is an early kickoff - 17:30 UK time.
what a load off @#$% i think you must be a Chelsea fan... wonder what you would do if in a club i lapted you... i know i try to take ur head off if u did it to me.. Drobga did what he did to rile vidic.. i say even get him sent off .... but he came unstuck.. just like when he said its LEGAL to handle a ball so long as you not caught
From poshscouser2001 on Tue Oct 21 10:54AM69 - can't wait to use that shampoo. Feel the tingle!!!
From johnnyevz on Tue Oct 21 10:56AMThe FA wastes time on trivial matters that are irrelevant to the game of football. I agree footballers should be role models and behave professionally but Drogba's claim that he wished he did something that he didn't do is not worth one more look. It is power plays and politics and the FA trying to stamp authority where they have none. Give it up and focus on what matters.
From duncan.drewry on Tue Oct 21 10:56AM69 - can't wait to use that shampoo. Feel the tingle!!!
From johnnyevz on Tue Oct 21 10:56AM69 - can't wait to use that shampoo. Feel the tingle!!!
From johnnyevz on Tue Oct 21 10:56AMA bit more light hearted today thank goodness as this column can get really heavy and full of nasty stuff. After all it is just a game for men under 30 ( and women now ) and most of them have to find ordinary jobs once it is over. The sad part is that the thugs in the game are even more violent than they were about 20/30 years ago. Norman Hunter would have had a field day with the two divers Ronnie and Droggie and Billy Bremner would have finished off Gentle Joey in a couple of minutes. Actually I am surprised Barton is not on the same list as Mills and Glitter. How times have changed
From colin.howell on Tue Oct 21 10:57AMdanny
I will email you a picture then you will know just how wrong it would be!!!
From andy_lycett on Tue Oct 21 10:58AMglad your enjoying the convo Anne. Have you got any stuff that give you tingling!!!
From johnnyevz on Tue Oct 21 10:58AMI always like to have faith in the Bhoys...but tonight? Nope. None. Insurmountable odds even if SAF leaves out Rooney and Ronaldo and plays HIMSELF in attack. Our only hope to keep the score down is Boruc, also our only top quality player. McGeady will get found out (as he always does at this level), Scott Brown will most likely get sent off, Nakamura will become the invisible man once again, McDonald will get injured tripping over his own ar$e and Maloney will infuriate the Celtic fans as usual by trying to pull off ridiculous tricks despite us being 3-0 down. Sorry Celtic, you're the only team for me but we're gonna get a doing tonight.
Please, please, at least TRY and prove me wrong.Man U 3 Celtic 0
From kevmun82 on Tue Oct 21 10:59AMdon't be so down kevmun do you remember what happened last time. I think it will be closer than you think espicially if Boruc plays. He should be at a bigger club and i'm suprised he's not gone somewhere like Man U/ Arsenal
From johnnyevz on Tue Oct 21 11:02AMMan I miss the real Ronaldo. What a player!
From richard.ekman on Tue Oct 21 11:03AMOne more thing for the editors. I realise you sit somewhere in London but the Spurs bashing of the last few weeks, though surely enjoyable to Arsenal, West Ham, Chelsea and other London club supporters are not as enjoyable for the rest of us(by which I mean only myself). It is becoming a regular topic and Middlesbrough getting hammered the weekend it was a good opportunity to bash another hapless team. And if you really want to widen your perspective there are leagues below the premier league with some news-worthy topics.
From duncan.drewry on Tue Oct 21 11:03AMGlad someone else thinks that of Maloney, when he was at the Villa he used to drive me scatty with his stupidness on the ball.
Think he could be a good player if he just played footy instead of Fifa Street Live!!From andy_lycett on Tue Oct 21 11:05AMId like to answer that John but I wont cause I missed 69 to a keyboard on fire attempt by Kevmun
From anne_helm on Tue Oct 21 11:05AM#67 - I didn't think this was 'that kind' of chatroom Andy. And #48 - I promise I won't come against you Johnny.
No no no no no. Still wrong..!
From danny_saks on Tue Oct 21 11:08AMyeah he was rather inconsiderate wasn't he.
shame that. damn you kevmun and your droning. we'll never know now
From johnnyevz on Tue Oct 21 11:10AMWell said andy_lycett, so you'll be chuffed that Villa are being linked with McGeady then? The boy is Maloney mkII. He's got a better end product than Maloney, mind, but trust me, O'Neill might as well be taking Maloney back for all the difference between the two!
From kevmun82 on Tue Oct 21 11:12AMlmao @ #75 this is getting worse.
He3re's a football related one...What shower gel or other toiletries do you think footballers are...Here's one to start
Wayne Rooney = Old Spice
From johnnyevz on Tue Oct 21 11:12AMOkayyyyyyyy This is getting ever so slighty worrying now. What happend's to the footbal guys? lol
From mickr273 on Tue Oct 21 11:14AMThe article was good and on my way to leave the post I notice all the comments that has nothing to do with the topic. What's wrong with you people? Some of you have been here for over 2 hours!! And the posts are just pathetic mumbo-jumbo. Grow up and get back to work you parasites.
From john.smithe76 on Tue Oct 21 11:18AM@#$% off john - just what was your contribution to the topic I didnt realsise we had to ask for your permission before posting
From anne_helm on Tue Oct 21 11:20AM#78 Sorry Joihnny, I'll try to be good from now.
Surely Beckham uses Old Spice tho?
From danny_saks on Tue Oct 21 11:22AMWell said Anne
From mickr273 on Tue Oct 21 11:23AM#80 - have'nt you the delights of the tingling sensation. Chill man....we are talking about football see post #78 and some of my earlier ones!!!! i am grown up and working but thanks for asking!!!
From johnnyevz on Tue Oct 21 11:24AManne_helm you are correct I forgot to post my contribution being side-tracked by the pathetic posts going around.
Here goes then:
Drogba was an idiot for saying what he did, kids look up to him and if he says things like that they will follow his lead. Fine the plonker I say.
BTW I will not be told to @#$% off by you. I don't know who you think you are but I am pretty sure you're not a yahoo employee.From john.smithe76 on Tue Oct 21 11:24AMKarsten Janker - Budget 2 litre Bubble bath
because he was @#$%
From johnnyevz on Tue Oct 21 11:26AMjohn.smith = @#$%
From johnnyevz on Tue Oct 21 11:27AMOne more comment, why don't you kids take your chat to a 18-22 year old chat site and leave these pages open for football comments? Please don't get excited about this and gang up it is only a suggestion. It would life a lot easier for serious posters like me that don't want to skim though the childish matter.
From john.smithe76 on Tue Oct 21 11:27AMJohn smith = Imposter!
From mickr273 on Tue Oct 21 11:28AMI dont know who you are John but my comment still stands you have a nice day though buddie
From anne_helm on Tue Oct 21 11:30AM
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