No more Drog's life for Didier

Chelsea striker Didier Drogba claims a summer showdown with manager Jose Mourinho helped turn his game around.

The Ivory Coast international appeared to be on his way out of Stamford Bridge after a disappointing 2005-06 season.

Drogba felt he was being asked to do too much physical work but, after a heart-to-heart with Mourinho before the current campaign, the £24million front man has looked a different player.

He is the Barclays Premiership’s top scorer with 15 goals and Drogba, whose form earned him a new four-year contract in November, believes he is now benefiting from Mourinho’s change in tactics.

“I went to see the manager last summer to tell him I wouldn’t do another season like the one before,” Drogba told The Sun.

“I was fed up working like a dog up front without too much resulting for me in return. For my team-mates I was like some sort of removals lorry, freeing up space in the crowd and knocking the ball off for the others.

“I wanted to rediscover the pleasure in playing football and getting the best from myself. Fortunately my meeting with the manager was very timely because he told me he wanted to change the Chelsea system and play with two strikers and a playmaker.

“That meant I would have less of the basic workload when it came to winning the ball back and closing opponents down.

“Obviously that has allowed me to put more strength and effort into other things, like scoring goals.

“And this season I have noticed my team-mates see me differently now I have scored some decisive goals against teams like Barcelona, Liverpool, Everton and Newcastle.”