All honesty? I've had 'Drogba-tinted-glasses' on since he destroyed Newcastle, playing for Marseille... was made-up when rumours started flying about that we were after him!
Like Flash, I was kinda peeved with the 'not happy at Chelsea' comments, but I was already in "he's a Blue, so I'm backing him' mode.

League Cup final 2007, Simples.

I liked him from the begging and often defended him to ‘come good’, that said I couldn’t have predicted his impact at the club. I remember posting an article on the old 606 (after he had established himself as a top player 2008/09 season I think ) when I felt really fed up with him, he constantly let himself and the club down and wasn’t playing too well, the article was something along the lines of ‘beyond caring now if he leaves’ and it was a well received article, he went on to have the best season of his career the following season.

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It definitely wasn't love at first sight between us fans and Drogba.

It was more an initial marriage of convenience that slowly blossomed into a full on love affair

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I first thought what a player in the 06-07 season when we were away to Everton and they had just equalised. Chec pumped the ball up field Drogba controlled it on his chest from about 35 yards and smashed it in. To quote Andy Gray 'You don't stop those, even if you have two goalies you don't stop those'.

Realised what a legend he was in 2008, CL Semi Final. Rafa had said that Drogba was a diver. Drogba scored in extra time and his goal celebration was to dive on the ground. Then he realised Rafa was nearby got up ran towards him and dived. Legend!

Probably the 06/07 season when he scored 2 goals to win the carling cup final against Arsenal and then went on to score the late extra time winner against Man Utd in the Fa cup final. He scored 33 goals that season. Including 2 great goals against Barcelona, home and away, beating them 1-0 at the bridge and the late 2-2 equalizer at the nou camp. He scored the left footed volley against Liverpool and then my favorite Dider Drogba goal of all time against Everton to win 3-2.

So yeah, the 06/07 season. Absolute beast

Same point as you. Never truly took to him emotionally, but in that moment he became a piece of the furniture so to speak with me. Hard not too when you publicly denounce the feelings of an entire fan base word perfect.

Earlier that season I was in agreement with Scolari's reported desire to swap him for Adriano or Robinho, but after that moment I realised how foolish that would've been.

I think I became to love him around the 3rd season he was with us. His first two years had some great moments, like the Carling Cup final against Liverpool, when he bundled the ball into the net, however his inconstancy was a real problem. I also felt that Gudjohnson and Crespo were better players, and deserved more game time. In hindsight I was wrong about that, as Drogba settled and really became a world class striker.

What really made me love Drogba over the years was how we redeemed himself for the low moments at Chelsea. He could be so disappointing at times, but throughout his career he made up for all the low moments. It was a sort of career which could be made into film, as it was so eventful.

I don't think I could love any player as much as Drogba. Zola, Cech and Lampard come close, but their careers I don't think had the same roller-coaster drama.

Killing Liverpool at Anfield. Set up all 4 in our best win up there. Monstered Sami H.

when he became good in his third season, before that you guys were trying to hound him out.

Drogba being rubbish in his first two seasons myth winds me up more than anything in football, they were actually his 3rd and 4th best season's for us.

He was bad in his lasr 2 season's, even in those big CL and FA Cup moments he scored when needed to like he always did but his general play was horrific compared to prime Didier.

TBH my love, for lack of a better word probably started in our CL run and when we signed torres and saw him most of our league games in the league. ANd when he scored that header against munich.

Alot of people forget this but drogba was awfully lazy, and seemed to only play when he wanted towards the end.
I would never swap his big game record for anyone but I never felt the same affinity from Drogs as I would a zola, wise, lampard or terry.

In the early years as you say flash he did make rather derogatory/patronising remarks about the Club which didn't endear me to him (as did Desailly initially). He also went down too easily for such a beast and I remember how he was even being booed by Chelsea fans for doing it.

Then he seemed to realise that it wasn't making him friends and influencing people in the way he wanted and he cut it out and gradually became a ledge. These days he has me at hello. The memories of that weekend in Munich will never be forgotten.

comment by Chelsea_since_summer_1969 ✪ (U1561)
posted 57 minutes ago
In the early years as you say flash he did make rather derogatory/patronising remarks about the Club which didn't endear me to him (as did Desailly initially). He also went down too easily for such a beast and I remember how he was even being booed by Chelsea fans for doing it.

Then he seemed to realise that it wasn't making him friends and influencing people in the way he wanted and he cut it out and gradually became a ledge. These days he has me at hello. The memories of that weekend in Munich will never be forgotten.
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69er whilst whilst i can't condone the bad language, I've never been so impressed by the passion and emotions that were behind it that night in 09.

Flash yeah mate likewise, it wasn't good for the TV audience but like you, I could see the injustice of it all mattered to him and he was just saying what we all were thinking and he forced the incompetent oaf to have to take responsibility for his nights work. That said, I don't condone the idiots that made death threats either. That's just as ridiculous also.

First goal v palace,

Proper goal, long time we had scored a goal like that

Remember Andy Gary being all over it