Defending made easy with Phil Jones: Part five

Didier Drogba’s mastery of the dark arts make him a defender’s nightmare. Stand off the Chelsea striker and prepare to get bullied by the Ivorian battering ram.

Impose yourself physically and watch Drogba’s 6ft 2in muscular frame roll around on the ground as if a Mike Tyson haymaker had landed on his chin.

While Drogba’s talent for histrionics are frustrating to watch, they can have a huge pay off for his team.

He wins free kicks in dangerous areas, wastes time and winds up his marker to the point of self-implosion. Cue a loss of focus and rash challenges. At times, he is unplayable.

How do you handle a wily old striker like Drogba?

“Kick him harder,” joked Phil Jones as he outlined his tactics for a diver to FFT.

In this video the Manchester United and England defender reveals more tricks of the trade, but insists the key to winning the battle is alerting the referee and keeping your cool.

“I’d have a sensible word with the referee and say, “Listen, you’ve got to watch him. I’m not touching him”,” Jones explained.

“It’s also important to stay calm. As soon as he realises he’s getting to you then he knows he’s winning.”

Phil Jones wears the Puma PowerCat 1.12. For more information visit puma.com/football

Also see:
“What’s the key to a good defence? Talk, talk, talk”
Defending made easy with Phil Jones: Part one
Defending made easy with Phil Jones: Part two
Defending made easy with Phil Jones: Part three
Defending made easy with Phil Jones: Part four
Defending made easy with Phil Jones: Part six

Email a question