Why didn't Jonny Evans get sent off against Chelsea? Because Didier Drogba is the footballer who cried wolf...

By John Cross

Published 10:04 12/11/09

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Do you remember when your mum used to tell you about the little boy who cried wolf? The one time when the wolf really came, no-one believed it.

Sadly for Didier Drogba, that is exactly what happened in Chelsea's win over Manchester United.

When I cover games for the Daily Mirror , I often sit in the press box, with either Talksport or the FiveLive commentary playing through my headphones while watching the game on the pitch. At Chelsea, they have TV monitors, too.

My first reaction when I saw Drogba go down was that he was making a meal of Jonny Evans' challenge. FiveLive commentator Alan Green said he was faking it and Drogba should get up as we're all fed-up of his play-acting. No sympathy at all.

Then I watched the TV replay. I couldn't believe what I saw. Manchester united defender Evans, in my view, launched a kung-fu kick at Drogba. It caught him in the chest. Just to make matters worse, Drogba got booked!

I cannot believe that not more has been made of it. The FA see the pictures and are doing nothing. I asked Carlo Ancelotti about it in the press conference. Even he didn't seem that bothered.

Drogba was in so much pain he went for scans on his chest on Monday, fearing he'd cracked a rib. It was only bad bruising. Enough for him to miss a game with Ivory Coast and pull out of the squad.

I am outraged that, amid all of the Ngog furore, Drogba has been ignored. It's wrong and completely out of order. Evans has got away with it when he should have been red carded in my view.

I wrote about it at the time. I've heard it mentioned on TV and the radio. But no-one is that bothered. Sadly it comes down to the fact that it's all about Drogba and his reputation.

But this time, Drogba has been badly wronged and let down. Before you start, there's no bias or agenda here. I even said in my match report that Manchester United were dead unlucky. Drogba has been seriously unlucky here though.

That old fairytale about the boy who cried wolf has never been so apt.

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