ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: Dominic Fifieldon how the volatile Ivorian has flourished under his new boss – with the goals to prove it

CARLO ANCELOTTI was offered a portrait of Didier Drogba at Cobham yesterday that, judging by his perplexed expression, he simply did not recognise. It was that of a moody, volatile troublemaker, all frenzied complaints, wild eyes and pumping veins. A man apparently capable of flipping at the toss of a coin, so unpredictable as to appear a manager’s worst nightmare.

“It can happen that a player, in a match, can lose his mind and all control,” conceded the Italian. “But now Didier seems very calm. I didn’t know him before coming here. All that, it’s in the past.”

The tranquillity enveloping Drogba is born of the forward, fit and focused, feeling at ease within the Ancelotti regime, even if he will endure a reminder of more traumatic times today. Burnley’s visit will prompt flashbacks to darker days.

There have been numerous occasions over a turbulent five years at Stamford Bridge, whether it be a red card in the European Cup final or last season’s semi-final when he vented his fury at Tom Henning Ovrebo. Yet no incident serves better to illustrate the fragility of Drogba’s state of mind when all is not well in his world than the moment he snapped against the Clarets in a League Cup tie last November.

Back then, insecurity appeared to be eating away at the African. A niggling knee injury had disrupted pre-season, leaving him sidelined until September, with the last memory of Drogba in a Chelsea shirt being his trudge from the turf in extra-time having been dismissed in Moscow after clashing with Nemanja Vidic.

He had not scored in seven appearances under Luiz Felipe Scolari when Burnley, then of the Championship, visited west London. He broke that duck midway through the first half only to be riled by the visiting support, in front of whom he was celebrating. When a fan shamefully threw a coin, the Ivorian picked it up and flung it back.

Sanity was only restored in the aftermath. There were post-match apologies, a three-game ban imposed by the Football Association, and a police caution for common assault.

Drogba gives the impression he is a player who needs to be loved. Scolari appeared to have had his fill. Guus Hiddink seemed to rekindle the player’s love for the club and for the game, only for his smouldering sense of injustice after the Barcelona tie to cause him to erupt again.

Roman Abramovich was minded to be rid of this troublesome talent but Ancelotti, a long-standing admirer of the forward, took on the task of convincing the 31-year-old to remain while other clubs circled. Already, he will feel grateful to have succeeded.

Three goals to date, a pivotal role in the team and a relaxed, calming manner off the pitch suggest Drogba feels at home once again. Chelsea are benefiting from his immense presence and battering-ram power at the tip of their team, just like the striker who scored for fun in Jose Mourinho’s third season in charge.

The Premier League should fear Ancelotti’s suggestion that, in fact, the best of Drogba has yet to come. “I think Didier has had a very good career up to now, but he can be better,” said the Italian.

“He’s a player who’s in the right moment of his career to reach his best. Physically, he’s so strong. He hasn’t had big injury problems, so he can reach his best. I’m sure he will.

“He is already one of the best. We are lucky to have Didier and [Nicolas] Anelka in our side. They are two of the best strikers out there, at the same level as Wayne Rooney, Fernando Torres or [Emmanuel] Adebayor. I didn’t know Didier before I came here, but since I’ve been here I’ve found him a very good professional whose focus is on the team, on the play, and I don’t think we’ll have other problems. He is showing his quality.”

Keeping him focused appears to be key. Ancelotti, like Mourinho, has made his faith in the striker clear and that, in itself, has proved a settling influence. Chelsea’s new-found willingness to play with two forwards was geared to get the best from Drogba and Anelka, players who had previously only flourished in isolation. The systems the Italian favours are all aimed at allowing his key players – Drogba, Frank Lampard, Michael Essien – to excel. It is no surprise the Ivorian appears so comfortable, with his role suddenly so integral again.

The repercussions of the Barcelona outburst will, of course, be felt over the next few months when Drogba will miss games against Porto, Apoel Nicosia and Atletico Madrid, though that should allow Ancelotti to utilise the forward fully in the Premier League around those fixtures.

“He’s a very good guy,” added the manager. “He likes to joke, but he knows when the jokes must stop and the serious work begin.”

Ancelotti has not watched the coverage of last season’s that League Cup tie against Burnley. Even if he did, Chelsea’s coin-thrower might still have been unrecognisable.

Guardian Service