Football Focus: Good riddance Drogba

Chelsea got their Barclays Premier League title race back on track with a 3-0 win over Wolves and now there’s even better news for the fans — Didier Drogba looks set to leave. The Ivory Coast striker has snubbed the Blues’ offer of a one-year contract extension and vowed to “go where he is offered the most money” after turning down a loan move to AC Milan.

Good for him. And even better for Chelsea!

The 33-year-old is past his best and has been under-performing at Stamford Bridge for the past two seasons and has lost his place in the Blues starting lineup.

More importantly, his departure is just what Andre Villas-Boas’ side need if they truly intend to rejuvenate their squad and get rid of the ageing players who are preventing the club from becoming true title contenders.

There have been reports of dressing room cliques engulfing the Villas-Boas’ reign at Stamford Bridge and it wouldn’t surprise me that the disruptive ones are formed by the more senior players at the club.

So who better to start the regeneration process at the Bridge than Drogba himself? This could well be the start of a new era for Chelsea as they look to challenge the likes of Manchester City and Manchester City for the Barclays Premier title in years to come.

Speaking of the title race, David Beckham appears to be donning red-tinted glasses when he claimed City can’t Barclays Premier League this season.

The former United winger said: “I don’t think Manchester City have a chance.

“This season they have got a good team and have some good players, but Manchester United have more experience and know how to win a championship.”

I’m sorry Beckham, but if Roberto Mancini’s men do not have a chance of winning the title, I really don’t know who does. While it’s true they have hardly any experience of being in a title race less, much less winning it, I really do believe City have everything they need this time.

If there were any lingering doubts over their unity and fighting spirit as a team, they were dispelled at Anfield last Sunday. Mancini’s men (with the exception of Mario Balotelli) showed they are more than capable of toughing it out in adversity when they were reduced to 10-men after Balotelli’s needless dismissal.

So saying that City have no chance of winning the title is as ludicrous as saying Blackburn have no chance of being relegated.

Over at Ewood Park, things are getting from bad to worse for Steve Kean and Blackburn, who are currently rooted to the bottom of the Barclays Premier League table.

Forget about the pay rise he received just days before their 3-1 defeat to Stoke last week. It was simply an amendment of a clause in his contract that allows Rovers to part company with him for lesser compensation — a clear indication that his days are numbered.

If Blackburn remain stuck in the relegation zone at the end of the year, it wouldn’t surprise me if Kean gets shown the Ewood Park door.

One club that are definitely on the up and have a strong chance of making it into the top four is Liverpool. Kenny Dalglish’s side were unlucky not to have ended City’s unbeaten run at Anfield after dominating the league leaders throughout the match last Sunday — a feat that is simply unheard of this season.

What the Reds need to do is to convert some of the chances they create. If so, they are certainly my favourites to secure the final berth for Champions League football ahead of Chelsea and Arsenal.

Lastly, the world of football including myself was stunned by the sudden death of Gary Speed.

I had the privilege to have played against him during my days at Liverpool when he first broke into the top-flight scene at Leeds United.

He was a fantastic footballer and his dedication to the game is something all young players today should emulate.

It was a sad day for football as we have lost a great role model and ambassador for the sport.

Former Liverpool and England International Steve McMahon is a football expert with ESPN’s Monday Night Verdict at 8 p.m.