Sunday Times

Didier Drogba double gives Carlo Ancelotti dream start

Chelsea 2 Hull City 1

David Walsh at Stamford Bridge


CHELSEA were earnest rather than brilliant, methodical but not fluid,
and even if they deserved to win, all you felt at the end was sympathy
for Hull, who played with terrific spirit. They deserved the draw that
seemed theirs after 90 minutes but when the fourth official, Phil
Dowd, held aloft a board that signalled six minutes of stoppage time,
he might as well have driven a stake through the underdogs’ heart.

Seeing their team had enough time to rescue the day, the Chelsea
faithful broke the early-afternoon quiet and when, three minutes
later, Didier Drogba clipped the ball across goal and found the far
corner of the net, the home fans descended into the ridiculous.
“You’re going down, you’re going down,” they chanted at their unlucky
rivals. On this evidence Hull will be fine.

Chelsea won because of Drogba, who was the game’s towering presence
and the only one who looked likely to beat Hull’s excellent defence.
It might seem a cliche to say the centre-forward is worth his weight
in gold but in this team, in this league, that might not be far from
the truth. His first goal was a brilliant free kick and though he had
the good grace to say the winner was lucky, it was still a
delightfully skilful cross that might have made a goal for Salomon
Kalou had it not sneaked in.

In sympathy with a humid summer afternoon, the game had more heat than
sunshine. Through the ebb and flow of four managers in two seasons,
Chelsea’s players have preserved their spirit and loyalty to the club.
They matched Hull’s verve and physicality. One expected more from
Chelsea but too often they tried to weave intricate patterns through
the forest of tall pines that protected the centre of Hull’s defence.

On the touchline the latest Chelsea manager, Carlo Ancelotti, spread
his arms outwards, as if by turning himself into an angel he could
give his team wings. It didn’t work. Drogba missed an early chance and
from very little, Hull scored the opener in the 28th minute. The ball
was half-cleared to George Boateng, who likes to loiter just outside
the penalty area even if, these days, there isn’t much intent.
Boateng’s shot wasn’t well struck and Ashley Cole whipped out a leg to
block it, only for the ball to ricochet into Michael Essien and then
fall kindly for Stephen Hunt. After his controversial collision with
Petr Cech three seasons ago, Hunt might as well sprout horns when he
goes to Stamford Bridge. Satan would have received a less hostile
reception, but Hunt found relief in the act of sidefooting a pinball
chance into the Chelsea net.

One-nil to Hull, the stadium then witnessed its first Ancelotti chant
as the away fans predicted his immediate sacking. Luiz Felipe Scolari
didn’t survive his team’s failure to beat Hull at the Bridge last
season and it was a quaint little connection.

The lead lasted just nine minutes, an unnecessary free kick conceded
on the edge of the penalty area leading to an unstoppable Drogba
strike.

Chelsea upped the tempo in the second period but Hull dug in
ferociously. Drogba played a neat pass through for Nicolas Anelka but
Andy Dawson, on the blind side of referee Alan Wiley, tugged the
striker’s jersey to slow him down and then made a fine saving tackle.
Boaz Myhill then made a good save from Drogba and on 90 minutes, the
striker latched onto Ricardo Carvalho’s mis-hit shot but Michael
Turner blocked.

Without Drogba, Chelsea might have taken days to break down Hull’s
defence but the six minutes of stoppage time were three more than the
Ivorian needed. It was his run through the middle that created the
first trouble and after passing to Deco he kept going, received the
return pass and then, from the acutest angle, lifted the ball adroitly
over Myhill’s head, a cross so good it turned itself into a goal.

The goal sucked the life from Hull and drained all the frustration
from Ancelotti’s afternoon. Sitting beside the new man on the bench,
Ray Wilkins traded his look of stern inscrutability for something
altogether more pleasant.

CHELSEA: Cech 6, Bosingwa 6, Carvalho 7, Terry 6, Cole 5, Essien 6,
Mikel 5 (Ballack 46min, 6), Lampard 6, Malouda 6 (Deco 69min), Anelka
6 (Kalou 79min), Drogba 8
HULL: Myhill 7, Mouyokolo 6, Turner 7, Gardner 7, Dawson 7, Mendy 6
(Geovanni 78min), Marney 5 (Barmby 44min, 6), Boateng 6, Olofinjana 7,
Hunt 6 (Ghilas 69min), Folan 6.

Star man: Didier Drogba (Chelsea)
Yellow cards: Chelsea: Drogba. Hull: Barmby, Mendy.
Referee: A Wiley.
Attendance: 41,597


-----------------------------------------------------


Telegraph:


Chelsea 2 Hull City 1:

By Oliver Brown at Stamford Bridge

Remodelled and rejuvenated, Didier Drogba delivered a stirring
exhibition in what he does best. No, not in the practice of deceiving
a referee at 10 paces with an anguished dive, or of mouthing
obscenities within range of television microphones, but in the more
beguiling art of winning a match through the trickery in his boots.

It seems that signing a two-year contract extension can do this to a
man. Drogba dispelled all doubts about his suspect loyalties with a
mesmeric display against Hull City, full of uncomplicated commitment
as he first equalised for Chelsea through a bending free-kick, before
scoring the winner in injury time from an improbable angle. Both
strikes crystallised his qualities of touch, grace and poise, while
his demeanour during the match suggested a refreshing and hitherto
unseen lack of artifice.

Not once did Drogba fulminate in the direction of a referee or fall to
the ground as if struck by an articulated lorry. Carlo Ancelotti, who
grasped his first Premier League win by the most slender margin,
maintained that he had not directly told the striker to stay on his
feet but said: "Drogba is the same player as he was last season. He
has worked very well, he is an important player for us. He has a lot
of motivation now."

Drogba's flourishes were all the more gratifying for Ancelotti in the
context of a unconvincing first showcase for his diamond formation.
Chelsea relied far too heavily on long balls and fussy build-up play
and, indeed, at times betrayed a worrying symmetry with the
over-ornate style cultivated by the Italian head coach's ill-fated
predecessor, Luiz Felipe Scolari. With his side behind after Stephen
Hunt's goal for 11 minutes that must have felt like hours, Ancelotti
was only too mindful of the fact that Scolari's final game had been a
goalless draw with the very same Hull.

"I spoke very clearly to my players before the match," said Ancelotti,
while refusing to be drawn on the content of his address. It is safe
to surmise, with Roman Abramovich watching from his Stamford Bridge
box all glowing and expectant, that it was along the lines of,
"Please, boys, don't fail me now." Whatever words he uttered, they
returned to haunt him as the Hull fans crowed, for a mercifully short
time: "You're getting sacked in the morning."

Scant chance of that, since all the signs are that Ancelotti will be
allowed the one luxury that all before him have been denied - namely,
the patience of Abramovich. But Chelsea's listlessness raised more
questions than it answered, and the club's owner is certain to demand
a more emphatic resolution to victories than the one Drogba provided
here. "For sure we have to improve, because we did not always play
well," Ancelotti acknowledged. "We made some mistakes but this is
normal. We went behind, which made the match more difficult. We didn't
lose the idea to play and in the end we deserved to win."

There remained, however, the nagging uncertainity of those 11 minutes,
when the scoreline read Chelsea 0 Hull 1. Ancelotti reflected that he
was "very calm" but the Chelsea supporters appeared not to share his
composure, their chagrin at Hull's goal made worse since it was their
bete noire, Stephen Hunt, who scored it. Hunt has not been forgiven in
SW6 for a challenge in Oct 2006, when still in Reading colours, which
left goalkeeper Petr Cech with a fractured skill.

Although Hunt was barracked incessantly, the midfielder was Hull's
most tenacious player and his combative style merited a goal when
Chelsea failed to deal with a free-kick. The award was controversial
enough - Chelsea disputing Alan Riley's opinion that Jose Bosingwa had
tugged the shirt of Hunt - and when Andy Dawson's strike sailed into
the penalty area it was only half-cleared as far as George Boateng,
whose shot cannoned off Ashley Cole and John Obi Mikel to allow Hunt
to steer the ball into an unguarded net.

But Chelsea gathered themselves, erasing the perceived injustice with
a fine set piece of their own. Seyi Olofinjana was penalised for
holding on to Mikel and Drogba, having lined up a 25-yard free-kick,
unleashed a drive that dipped comfortably beyond Boaz Myhill and into
the far right corner. There were chances, too many of them, for
Chelsea to move out of sight in the second half, and until the death
they were too toothless to convert. Drogba twiced forced fine saves
from Myhill, as Bosingwa also threatened.

As the Ivorian finally found the space, with seconds left, to clip a
finish beyond the Hull goalkeeper - a goal remarkable for the
acuteness of the angle - Ancelotti could be thankful that Chelsea have
held on to Drogba. Here was a performance to counter all the comment
that the club needed this summer to bring in more "marquee names."
Save those for weddings.


----------------------------------------------------


Mail:


Chelsea 2 Hull 1:

Didier Drogba gets Carlo Ancelotti era off to the perfect start

By Rob Draper at Stamford Bridge


Didier Drogba was in commendably candid mood after chipping home a
spectacular injury-time winner at Stamford Bridge.

'It was a cross, to be honest,' said the Ivorian striker. In truth,
you could tell from the celebrations. Drogba, a man not known to
under-celebrate his goals, seemed initially embarrassed as he waved
his shirt to the crowd.

Carlo Ancelotti, however, felt no such inhibitions. The club's new
Italian manager celebrated freely, as well he might, for that
injury-time goal was a timely intervention. After a near-perfect
pre-season, Ancelotti's Chelsea were in danger of recording a
thoroughly unsatisfactory start once the real competition got going.

Hull, a team who had been transformed from everyone's favourite second
team to a laughing stock last season, played more like the former than
the latter for 90 minutes of this match, earning their unexpected lead
and manfully defending their point once Chelsea had equalised.

'For sure, I was worried,' said Ancelotti. 'We have to improve. The
match was very difficult after we went 1-0 down. But we didn't lose
the idea to keep playing football. We played well but made some
mistakes. That is normal, though, and hopefully, within a month, we
will have improved.'

Nevertheless, it might have been considerably worse and threatened to
be so when Stephen Hunt, on his debut for Hull yet booed here because
of his 2006 clash with Petr Cech, gleefully opened the scoring after
26 minutes.

Chelsea had failed to clear Andy Dawson's looping free-kick and George
Boateng's shot ricocheted off Michael Essien via Ashley Cole to fall
at Hunt's feet. To the consternation of Stamford Bridge, he directed
the ball home before sprinting to the small corner of celebrating Hull
fans.

'You're getting sacked in the morning,' the visitors sang raucously at
Ancelotti - and Hull have some form in this area, their scoreless draw
here last season prompting the dismissal of Luiz Felipe Scolari.

Ancelotti may not have understood the precise wording of the jeers but
the sentiment was clear. 'I know that Scolari's last game was against
Hull City,' he said with a smile. 'But I spoke with the players
beforehand and made it very clear that this was not a possibility this
time!'

Nevertheless Hull were formidable. Dean Marney and Boateng had gone
close prior to the goal and thereafter heroes abounded, notably in
goalkeeper Boaz Myhill, Anthony Gardner and Turner as their hands,
feet and bodies were employed to block Chelsea's route to goal.

But Drogba proved their undoing and though he is not the easiest
player to laud, nothing could diminish the brilliance of the first
strike, a beautiful curling free-kick from 25 yards on 37 minutes
which evaded Hull's defensive wall and the despairing dive of Myhill.

Hull manager Phil Brown was aggrieved at the award of the free-kick
but, in truth, both Boateng and Seyi Olofinjana had a tug at John Obi
Mikel's shirt and a kick at his heels. Critics might add that Drogba
should have scored a further three, with his sliced shot after just 73
seconds and his close-range strike on 57 minutes which was parried by
Myhill, being the worst examples, while Nicolas Anelka recorded even
more glaring misses on 46 and 56 minutes.

Yet, Drogba remains talismanic for Chelsea when in this mood and it
was his strength in driving on in the final minutes to release Deco
which provided the buildup for his late winner.

'I'm bitterly disappointed, of course,' said Brown, who hopes to add
Real Madrid striker Alvaro Negredo to his squad tomorrow in a record
?12million signing. 'But I'm pleased with the way the players
competed. They did what we asked them to do.

'The biggest plus is that we had a game to frustrate Chelsea and we
did so. We had three of four new players on show and they learned
today about playing for Phil Brown, for Hull City. We know we have to
prove people wrong all over again.

'We might have surprised one or two people with our performance today
and we know we have to produce when we're playing the teams in and
around us.'

Indeed, for despite the roars of relief which greeted Drogba's winner,
there was enough on display here to question Chelsea's status as title
favourites. Frank Lampard's prowess was muted in his role at the apex
of the diamond midfield and Deco took over after 70 minutes.

Ancelotti claimed the amount of defensive players in Lampard's
position limited his performance but that is unlikely to change with
future opponents. Without Florent Malouda, Chelsea's midfield lacked
any width at all, with Lampard, Michael Ballack and Michael Essien
competing for space in the centre.

Ashley Cole and Jose Bosingwa attempted to provide it, with both
pushing up at once in those final 15 minutes, as Chelsea searched for
their goal. Exciting though it was, it is a vulnerability which will
surely be punished by more ambitious sides than Hull.



----------------------------------------------------------



Independent:


Drogba's outrageous fortune is cruel blow for brave Tigers

Chelsea 2 Hull City 1

By Steve Tongue at Stamford Bridge

Sometime during the course of his English lessons, Chelsea's new
manager Carlo Ancelotti has doubtless come across the cliché that
there are no easy games in the Premier League.

It is not true, but here was the evidence that some are far harder
than they ought to be. Ancelotti's new charges, tipped to top the
table, only defeated Hull City, who are the choice of many to finish
bottom of it, because a mis-hit cross by Didier Drogba in added time
drifted into the net.

The Tigers may have lost their teeth last autumn and been left hanging
on by their claw-nails in May, but they showed sufficient bite here to
take the lead through new signing Stephen Hunt (pictured), whose
challenge three years ago as a Reading player led to Petr Cech
sustaining a fractured skull. Drogba equalised with a stunning
free-kick but all Chelsea's second-half dominance was counting for
nothing until his fortuitous intervention just before the end.

New boy that he is, Ancelotti could have copied the old Bill Shankly
line, "same team as last season". By the end of the game, however, he
had been forced to give a run to substitutes Michael Ballack, Deco and
Salomon Kalou, the first of them as early as the 46th minute. There is
a tactical difference too in that he wants to use a diamond-shaped
midfield and push Nicolas Anelka, last season's Golden Boot winner,
right up alongside Drogba. Having Frank Lampard just behind them ought
to provide a potent attacking triangle, though the worry is that the
influential Lampard will not find space to do his best work. That was
the case yesterday.

Opposing managers will be quick to copy Hull's Phil Brown in deploying
wide players to stop Chelsea's full-backs from breaking forward. "We
had a game plan and I'm bitterly disappointed but also pleased with
putting down a marker in London yet again."

His team enjoyed their visits to the capital last season, and a gritty
goalless draw at Stamford Bridge back in February led to Luiz Felipe
Scolari's sacking three days later. "You're getting sacked in the
morning," the visiting support chorused at Ancelotti soon after the
startling first goal. "I was worried," he admitted later – about the
result, not the sack – "but in the end we deserved to win."

It was an outcome that looked in doubt from the 28th minute onwards.
Hunt lofted a dangerous cross that Dean Marney headed over the bar and
then took advantage of two useful deflections to open the scoring.
Following a Hull free-kick, the industrious George Boateng's shot
bounced off first Ashley Cole and then John Obi Mikel, falling
perfectly for Hunt to tap into an empty net.

Eight minutes later Mikel was trapped in a tiger sandwich and from 25
yards Drogba hit a magnificent free-kick with what might be called the
Ronaldo technique, keeping his body low over the ball, which flew just
inside Boaz Myhill's left-hand post. There had been other chances but
Ancelotti was not satisfied and replaced Mikel at the interval with
Ballack for "more quality and more aggression".

There was an extra ration of both from thereon in. Anelka should have
scored 25 seconds into the half, Myhill excelled with a save from the
rampant Drogba and Kalou's first touch after replacing Florent Malouda
was a header over the bar.

Hull were outraged to see six added minutes being signalled, although
only one of them had elapsed when Drogba stormed down the middle, took
a return pass from Deco out to the left and scored with what he could
have pretended was a perfect chip over the stranded goalkeeper.

Relief for Chelsea and hope for Hull, who still hope to sign the Real
Madrid striker Alvaro Negredo and possibly Celtic's right-back Andreas
Hinkel.


--------------------------------------------------


Observer:


Didier Drogba chips in at the last for Chelsea to deny Hull City

Chelsea 2 Drogba 37, Drogba 90
Hull City 1 Hunt 28

Amy Lawrence at Stamford Bridge


Carlo Ancelotti gave a genteel royal wave when he was introduced at
Stamford Bridge before kick-off and a wheeze of relief 91½ minutes
later. Didier Drogba's lofted chip came anxiously late, preventing the
ignominy of points dropped on the opening day of the season at home to
the team who escaped relegation by their heavily bitten fingernails
last term.

Not long before Drogba's intervention – so heaven-sent the Ivorian
striker was honest enough to admit it was, actually, a cross – Roman
Abramovich sat in his box and wore his 1,000-yard stare. Reading
between the lines, this was not the stellar impact he was expecting
from his prized Italian coach.

"I was worried, for sure," Ancelotti said. "But I am quiet. I am calm.
We scored in the last minute. In the last match, Manchester United
scored in the last minute. This is the nice part of football. It is
good for the team to believe we can score at any time." Indeed.

He is experienced enough to appreciate late goals are not always
summoned with a click of the fingers and he acknowledged that the
Chelsea system is still a work in progress. As to how long it will
take before his players demonstrate his ideas naturally, Ancelotti
pondered that it might even take until the very last game of the
season.

Having written in his programme notes that it was these games –
against teams he knew absolutely zip about – that most excited him
about the English challenge, it took seconds to get an inkling of what
this element of the Premier League was all about. Inside the first
minute, Stephen Hunt launched himself thigh-high at Frank Lampard. It
was not the only agricultural tackle of the afternoon. As the Beastie
Boys put it, you've got to fight for the right to party.

The former Reading man was inevitably given the treatment by the
majority at Stamford Bridge, given the part he played in Petr Cech's
fractured skull three years ago, and only served to underline his role
as pantomime villain when he opened the scoring in the 28th minute.

George Boateng, enjoying a fine captain's performance, picked up a
loose ball on the edge of the area and jinked cleverly into a shooting
position. His drive ricocheted off Ashley Cole and John Obi Mikel, and
landed invitingly in front of Hunt, who clipped Hull into the lead on
his debut. "He's the type who can light up a room," said Phil Brown.
"He's tenacious. Some people don't like that, but he's my kind of
player."

Following the goal, Brown, as he would, ran on to the field of play
for a celebratory jig. Then, from the visiting supporters, came
another demonstration of cheek: "You're getting sacked in the
morning", they crooned to Ancelotti.

Drogba enabled the coach to shake his fists defiantly eight minutes
later. What a classy riposte. From a generously awarded free-kick, 20
yards out, the striker delivered a pearl that dipped viciously.
Unsaveable.

That was a pity for Boaz Myhill, whose performance in Hull's goal was,
otherwise, exemplary. He weathered a fair few storms during the game
and produced a string of saves to repel Drogba, Michael Essien,
Nicolas Anelka and José Bosingwa – and that is not to mention the
efforts Chelsea whacked off target, too.

Hull were not without breakaway chances of their own and gave Chelsea
some anxious moments. They lacked the finesse to carve out clean
scoring chances, however. They were, perhaps, closest of all in the
last minute, when Caleb Folan's deflected cross was tipped over the
crossbar by Cech. Hull's manager mentioned that he was still in the
market for a "top-class No9" and hoped to secure one in time for their
next match against Tottenham.

Brown managed to be bitterly disappointed, yet smugly pleased, with a
gameplan designed to frustrate Chelsea. It worked up to a point, but
was ripped up by Drogba and his theatrically timed finale. The Ivorian
did not enjoy his happiest season last time around, but looks to be
remotivated and revived.

This time, Ancelotti could not resist bounding on to the pitch with
fists clenched. He is learning fast about the peculiar passion of the
Premier League.


-------------------------------------------------------


NOTW:


CHELSEA 2, HULL 1


Didier Drogba strips away the strops

By ANDY DUNN, 16/08/2009

YOU have got to like Chelsea's new striker. Big fella, great touch,
strong as an ox.

Gets on with the game, no diving, no backchat, no collapsing when
caught by a gentle breeze.

Respects opponents, respects officials.

Unselfish. A dinked pass to a better-positioned team-mate here, a
50-yard track-back there.

Honest. Honest enough even to admit that a cross morphed into a
match-winning goal.

And a dead ringer for that Didier Drogba bloke.

That's right, the one who used to stomp around Stamford Bridge in a
blaze of play-acting and petulance.

You have got to like Chelsea's new striker. Didier Drogba - the reincarnation.

It's only one game, sure. And there will doubtless be devilish
diversions along the winding road ahead.

But the player who put pen to paper during the summer might just be a
new one. For his £120,000-a-week contract, the penny might have
dropped.

He might - just might - have realised that if he strips away the
strops, he can stand as the Premier League's finest all-round striker.

Hell, he might even be liked.

Carlo Ancelotti certainly liked him yesterday.

As the clock ticked past regulation time, Roman Abramovich sat up in
his box, looking as glum as a billionaire with a beautiful woman on
his arm could possibly look.

Looking every inch the Roman emperor with a twitchy thumb.

Moments later, he was high-fiving everyone bar the bodyguard. You
could spot his patented cheesy grin from a pitch-length.

Phil Scolari smiled through a 4-0 victory in his first league game.

Ancelotti knew that people would already be whispering behind cupped
hands had Drogba's cross not drifted into three-point territory.

Even Chelsea don't sack managers after one game but deadlock against a
team expected to be deadwood doesn't go down well. Indeed, Big Phil
bit the dust after drawing against this very opposition.

And deadlock was probably what Hull deserved. If only for their heroic
workrate and the epic, old-fashioned central defensive performance of
Michael Turner.

Post-match, there was a worrying reference to himself in the third
person - it's really not to the liking of Andy Dunn - but Phil Brown
was correct in identifying this as an encouraging performance.

They were as organised as they were unfamiliar.

Certainly more organised than a very familiar Chelsea defence when
George Boateng's miscued shot pinballed around before giving Stephen
Hunt a goal on debut.

"He's my type of player," Brown said. Which puts him in something of a
minority. To say the least.

Hunt actually secured a notable double. First foul of the Premier
League season, first goal of the Premier League season.

I suspect the tally of the former will greatly outweigh the latter as
the campaign evolves.

'We are top of the league', came the refrain from Hull supporters.

And they might have held that position for longer had referee Alan
Wiley not harshly penalised Hull when Boateng and Seyi Olofinjana put
a pincer movement on John Mikel Obi.

It is a wonder the new-model Drogba (left) didn't wander up to Wiley
and say . . . 'Excuse me sir, but I think that's a trifle harsh.'

Instead, he took dead aim from 25 yards and released a strike that
dipped like a Federer forehand winner to beat Boaz Myhill. The Hull
keeper might reproach himself for not getting to the effort but he was
an integral part of a determined Hull defence.

His distribution might be as rank as the Royal Mail's but he produced
several red-letter saves to deny Drogba and Nicolas Anelka.

And frustration began to seep through Chelsea ranks. None looked more
edgy than Frank Lampard.

He won't be the first or the last person to come back from Amsterdam
with his head in the clouds but he had a strangely ineffective game.

Clearly, it will take him some time to become accustomed to
Ancelotti's diamond. A rough diamond, on yesterday's evidence.

And the introduction of Michael Ballack and Deco did not significantly
increase the goal threat.

Indeed, the reliance on Drogba was almost total.

So it was fitting - if fortunate - that he should spread that smile
across Roman's face.

He looks at a physical peak and his stamina took him to a cause that
might easily have been lost.

Herded towards safety, he stood up a clever left-foot cross which
faded away from defensive and offensive heads and tucked itself in
victory-side of the post.

As if to confirm his ripped condition, off came the shirt.

Wiley didn't like it - out came the yellow card - but the TV cameras
loved it, following Drogba's every move.

Just as they did when that other bloke went berserk after a beating
from Barcelona not that long ago.

When his foul-mouthed rant into the living rooms of the world appeared
to signal a certain exit from Stamford Bridge. Maybe, just maybe, he
did leave after all.

It could be tempting the most predictable of fates, but maybe it was a
different guy - one who respects the game, supporters, team-mates and
opponents - who replaced him when signing that summer deal.

Chelsea and football must hope so.


---------------------------------------------------