It goes without saying that there are very few players that could have gotten away with what Drogba did over the last 6-weeks. It’s only because of his performance last year and the marketing pull he has that Montreal was as patient as it was in waiting for a decision that shouldn’t have even been in question. Some will say the club deserves credit for standing up and demanding Drogba fulfill his commitment to them, while others will say they are foolish for bringing back a clearly reluctant player.
Neither opinion is 100 per cent wrong either. It is refreshing to see a MLS team – one in French Canada even – stand up for itself in dealing with a star of Drogba’s size. In comparison, Toronto appeared to let Jermain Defoe walk all over them in a similar situation just two seasons ago.
Then again, it’s conventional wisdom in the sporting world that you want players that “want to be there,” on the team. This still has the potential of turning out very poorly for Montreal if Drogba comes back and puts a half-assed effort in.
The player’s history doesn’t suggest that will happen, but it is always a risk.
However, there is the potential that it could work out brilliantly for both sides too. One may recall Carlos Tevez’ spat with Manchester City a few years ago that saw the Argentine leave the club without permission to spend a few months golfing in South America. Eventually, he made peace with the club and returned for the second part of the year. The club was widely criticized for allowing him back, but he ultimately ended up playing a key role in City’s first title winning season in 44 years.
That might be the high end return scenario, but it illustrates that fences can be mended.
That’s the positive spin. The negative one is that at Drogba’s age he may have had trouble gearing back up for the season in a perfect scenario. Trying to play catch up now may make it impossible for him to get back to his 2015 form at any point in 2016. Montreal fans will be wise to consider Jermaine Jones’ 2015 season struggles after having a similar impact as a mid-season DP signing for New England in 2014 as Drogba did in 2015.
There are no guarantees with big DP signings. Even when the initial returns are positive.
Unlimitedly the biggest take away the Impact should have from l'affaire Drogba is how important it is to start to prepare for life after him. It’s clear this is the last season and that the club will need to replace him.
No team can afford to be in a position where the loss of a single player – even a player as famous and talented as Drogba – can have as much potential of crippling the team on and off the pitch as the loss of Drogba would have had to Montreal this year. In many ways the off the pitch side of the equation is the biggest part of this. If Drogba struggles, the club can pass that off as one of those things that happens to older players and focus on the magic of 2015. If he just didn't come back that's a much more difficult thing to overcome from an optics standpoint.
So, while fans can sit back and hopefully enjoy the last nine months of Drogba’s career, the front office needs to start the process of moving on now.