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TFC/Everton
01-24-2016, 10:58 AM
It appears Drogba will be back for the Impact this season.

Noel Butler: https://twitter.com/TheSoccerNoel/status/691280254145536000


https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/684764884089831424/5LIbeKE2_bigger.jpgNoel Butler‏@TheSoccerNoel (https://twitter.com/TheSoccerNoel)

@didierdrogba (https://twitter.com/didierdrogba) will indeed be suited and booted in @impactmontreal (https://twitter.com/impactmontreal) Blue this season. More details to come

notthesun
01-24-2016, 10:59 AM
I wouldn't be so quick on this... we've seen reports saying he had retired already as well. I'm waiting for something official.

TFC/Everton
01-24-2016, 10:59 AM
From this man himself: https://twitter.com/didierdrogba/status/691287853280550912

notthesun
01-24-2016, 11:14 AM
According to a release from Montreal on their camp roster he's going to join the team in mid-February.

This is one of the most interesting player situations I've ever seen... it really just looks like it was too difficult for him to get out of his contract (assuming he has in fact given up on that). What is he going to say to the media when he comes back? Will he be as dedicated? Is 3 weeks of pre-season enough for him to be ready to start the year? What an odd situation.

shwade
01-24-2016, 11:33 AM
He's their Defoe..except they're stuck with him.
Sucks..he looked like he was enjoying it here last year.

rydermike
01-24-2016, 11:46 AM
Why is he going to Qatar to prepare for preseason and then join the team for second half of pre-season?
Why wouldn't he join the team this weekend for the start of preseason?

portu
01-24-2016, 12:19 PM
Even with him coming back next season you can't shake the fact that he tried to ditch the team, that's gotta have some sort of residual effect on team morale

Ivy
01-24-2016, 12:33 PM
Defoe was rehabbing in London.

OgtheDim
01-24-2016, 01:40 PM
Good for the league.

As for us:

One season more and he's done.

Let's see how he does through a full season.

Over under on goals? 10

reggie
01-24-2016, 01:47 PM
Kurt larsen s mtl groupies are trolling that DD is better then SEBA.

ManUtd4ever
01-24-2016, 04:15 PM
Good for the league.

As for us:

One season more and he's done.

Let's see how he does through a full season.

Over under on goals? 10

10? He scored 11 goals in 11 games last season. The only way he won't set a new MLS record is if he is limited by injuries.

molenshtain
01-24-2016, 04:16 PM
10? He scored 11 goals in 11 games last season. The only way he won't set a new MLS record is if he is limited by injuries.

Or significantly regresses, which is entirely possible seeing as he's at least 39.

jabbronies
01-24-2016, 04:29 PM
10? He scored 11 goals in 11 games last season. The only way he won't set a new MLS record is if he is limited by injuries.

Ya he's one of those players that has a decent soccer iq - so as he aged he was able to continue to contribute. I say he gets 18. And that's with injuries.

OgtheDim
01-24-2016, 04:59 PM
10? He scored 11 goals in 11 games last season. The only way he won't set a new MLS record is if he is limited by injuries.

Kantari is out of the league now - Goal a game ain't gonna continue. :)


Injuries, turf, travel, heat . He'll play 25 and score 10.

notthesun
01-24-2016, 05:49 PM
I see him hovering around the 25 appearances mark, so I'll give him 15-20 goals. The guy is straight up unstoppable in the box in this league, let's be honest.

I think he's going to be slowed down by nagging injuries at his age. Montreal is boned if he picks up a long term injury. And with him joining pre-season late, wouldn't surprise me if he doesn't score until a few games in either.

Richard
01-24-2016, 07:22 PM
Even with him coming back next season you can't shake the fact that he tried to ditch the team, that's gotta have some sort of residual effect on team morale

I wouldn't really call it ditching, he is an older player who is being offered a job in management where he is a legend and I don't think many would turn down an offer like that. He could have simply retired as no one can really stop you from doing so.

I think he will be pretty good this year again, he would want to go out with a bang.

Ivy
01-24-2016, 08:09 PM
Still don't think he's coming back. I'll eat my words if he does.

This is is a season ticket push by the Impact. Why would he be in Qatar, training away from the team?

@IAmJermainDefoe: Rehab has gone well !Back to Toronto Monday, and ready for playoff push# goals .

notthesun
01-24-2016, 09:05 PM
He could have simply retired as no one can really stop you from doing so.

If he could have done this, he would have. But if he retired he would not be able to take another job (within anything FIFA-sanctioned) until the length of time for which his contract would have applied passes. That's why Chelsea and Montreal/MLS were in talks; Chelsea wanted to strike a deal to compensate Montreal for prying Drogba while he was still under contract. It seems as though Montreal/MLS played hardball and Chelsea has backed off.

Prof
01-24-2016, 09:26 PM
Or significantly regresses, which is entirely possible seeing as he's at least 39.
He is 37. Younger than Brady and Manning and the 82 players who have played in the NHL who have been 40 plus. Why is his age a negative to you but no one talked about the old geasers who faced each other in the pointy ballgame today?

Richard
01-24-2016, 10:01 PM
He is 37. Younger than Brady and Manning and the 82 players who have played in the NHL who have been 40 plus. Why is his age a negative to you but no one talked about the old geasers who faced each other in the pointy ballgame today?

Along with Jaromír Jágr who is 43 haha.

Richard
01-24-2016, 10:05 PM
If he could have done this, he would have. But if he retired he would not be able to take another job (within anything FIFA-sanctioned) until the length of time for which his contract would have applied passes. That's why Chelsea and Montreal/MLS were in talks; Chelsea wanted to strike a deal to compensate Montreal for prying Drogba while he was still under contract. It seems as though Montreal/MLS played hardball and Chelsea has backed off.

That's a good point.

I never thought of that actually but didn't Nelsen join us when he was with QPR still? Announced his retirement to become our manager and I don't think TFC paid any compensation.

Ivy
01-24-2016, 10:19 PM
He is 37. Younger than Brady and Manning and the 82 players who have played in the NHL who have been 40 plus. Why is his age a negative to you but no one talked about the old geasers who faced each other in the pointy ballgame today?

Apples and oranges.
Drogba was / is good, but I'm certain he won't perform like he did last year.
See Marco Di Viao.

OgtheDim
01-24-2016, 11:32 PM
He is 37. Younger than Brady and Manning and the 82 players who have played in the NHL who have been 40 plus. Why is his age a negative to you but no one talked about the old geasers who faced each other in the pointy ballgame today?

Pointy ball and hockey puck anomalies don't prove anything but that anomalies exist.


Drogba is slowing down


AND, well, just read this by Doyle from that CBus series finale:



You can’t win in the playoffs if your stars don’t play like stars. Kei Kamara, Ethan Finlay and Wil Trapp (http://mlssoccer.com/players/wil-trapp) played like stars. Didier Drogba, Ignacio Piatti and Laurent Ciman decidedly did not.

Drogba’s disappearance was particularly shocking given his well-earned reputation as a big-game player, and the fact that he’d basically stomped a hole into the rest of MLS since his arrival. But Gregg Berhalter made a calculated risk, pulling right back Harrison Afful inside a step or two to help out Michael Parkhurst (http://mlssoccer.com/players/michael-parkhurst), and it worked:


Coaches are going to adjust around Drogba.


Now, lets look at who he played last season in his 11 games.

1. Union - 0 goals 31 minutes

2. Chicago - 3 goals

3. LAG - 0 goals

4. NER - 1 goal, 1 assist

5. Chicago - 1 goal

6. DC United - 2 goals

7. Orlando - 0 goals 31 minutes played

8. NYRB - 1 goal (lost 2-1)

9. Colorado - 1 goal

10. NER - 0 goals

11. TFC - 2 goals

Apart from the NYRB and the Rapids game, he scored goals against inept defensive teams.



*********

First 5 games for Montreal

Vancouver away (Drogba might not go)

NYRB home (in the Dome)

Dallas away

Seattle away

Columbus home (Dome)


Lets see how he does in a 5 game stretch, 3 of those away, 4 on turf, 2 cross country games and against some decent coaches and defenders. He scores 4 or more in those games, then he'll get 18+. Until I see him beat up on people other then DCU, TFC defence last season and the Fire, I remain unconvinced of his unstopability.

notthesun
01-24-2016, 11:48 PM
That's a good point.

I never thought of that actually but didn't Nelsen join us when he was with QPR still? Announced his retirement to become our manager and I don't think TFC paid any compensation.

He did, but QPR let him go (released him from his contract). They allowed him to leave after they brought in 2 central defenders to replace him in the January window, plus his knees had the structural integrity of a house of cards at that point. The salient point here is that there wasn't any disagreement between Nelsen and QPR, but there is between Drogba and Montreal.

Brooker
01-25-2016, 10:30 AM
Is he as good as Mama Sidibe? I doubt it.

QBall
01-25-2016, 10:35 AM
Kurt larsen s mtl groupies are trolling that DD is better then SEBA.

If Limpact fans didn't have their delusions, they wouldn't have anything at all. Let's leave them in their happy place.

OgtheDim
01-25-2016, 10:57 AM
https://twitter.com/Olivier_Brett/status/691649603066789889


Could be he's only with MLS until the summer window.

SoccMan2
01-25-2016, 01:14 PM
Oh give me a break Ya I know he plays for the our hated rivals but unless he gets injured he will score goals at a good rate, and he was asked by Chelsea to go into management and of course he would consider it nothing to do with ditching the team and pulling a Defoe no comparison. He will be a force to be reckon with whichever team plays him and he will cause us problems like during the last two games TFC played against him last season, the Impact and the MLS our much better for the simple fact that he is coming back no matter how many ways people try to analyse it.

Fort York Redcoat
01-25-2016, 01:44 PM
Oh give me a break Ya I know he plays for the our hated rivals but unless he gets injured he will score goals at a good rate, and he was asked by Chelsea to go into management and of course he would consider it nothing to do with ditching the team and pulling a Defoe no comparison. He will be a force to be reckon with whichever team plays him and he will cause us problems like during the last two games TFC played against him last season, the Impact and the MLS our much better for the simple fact that he is coming back no matter how many ways people try to analyse it.

Right. People think he's going to get injured.

And yes MLS has another star player if he stays fit.

molenshtain
01-25-2016, 03:28 PM
Oh give me a break Ya I know he plays for the our hated rivals but unless he gets injured he will score goals at a good rate, and he was asked by Chelsea to go into management and of course he would consider it nothing to do with ditching the team and pulling a Defoe no comparison. He will be a force to be reckon with whichever team plays him and he will cause us problems like during the last two games TFC played against him last season, the Impact and the MLS our much better for the simple fact that he is coming back no matter how many ways people try to analyse it.

again, regression at age (at least) 37 is more a likelihood than anything else.

Cashcleaner
01-25-2016, 06:11 PM
Oh give me a break Ya I know he plays for the our hated rivals but unless he gets injured he will score goals at a good rate, and he was asked by Chelsea to go into management and of course he would consider it nothing to do with ditching the team and pulling a Defoe no comparison. He will be a force to be reckon with whichever team plays him and he will cause us problems like during the last two games TFC played against him last season, the Impact and the MLS our much better for the simple fact that he is coming back no matter how many ways people try to analyse it.

Agreed completely. Drogba probably would have found a spot on most MLS rosters if they had the need and finances to secure him. He just ended up going to Montreal in the end. And while his deal with the Impact came out of left field in my mind at the time, I knew it was a bit of a coup for Saputo when the signing was announced. I don't know this upcoming season with the Impact will top last year's performance, but on the flip side, I just don't see him slipping significantly either.

ManUtd4ever
01-25-2016, 07:17 PM
Drogba single handedly took home advantage in the first round of the playoffs away from us last season. I hope his deal is only until the summer transfer window.

molenshtain
01-25-2016, 10:55 PM
Because he only played in 11 games against shit defenses after essentially sitting out a whole year. He's not gonna be nearly that good through an entire season.

ensco
01-25-2016, 11:05 PM
How about we save all this nuanced Drogba critique until we bottle him up and beat them? The guy owned us, it was embarrasing.

Ivy
01-26-2016, 03:11 AM
Getting 1 point from 3 games vs NYCFC.. THAT was embarrassing.

burlington Red
01-26-2016, 09:28 AM
Because he only played in 11 games against shit defenses after essentially sitting out a whole year. He's not gonna be nearly that good through an entire season.

Possibly but the flip side and just playing devils advocate here is that he is more used to the league this season and will be even better. A player coming into this league has to deal with issues they haven't necesarily faced in other leagues such as the travelling, the different playing surfaces, plus the aspects a new player faces coming into any team, ie new manager, new teamates, tactics, living in a different city etc.
We pretty much gave Perquis a bye ball last season for those very reasons.
Drogba will score goals, even at his age, his slowing down isn't a huge aspect for him as it was never the main aspect of his game. My concern would be injury, as it is a whole different ball game going from being an ocassional starter and more impact sub at Chelsea to being the main face of the franchise for a whole season.
I think if he does play this season, it is good for the league, because unlike some of the other "older" DP's that have came here, he has made an immediate impression.