The passage of time from Didier Drogba’s opening goal in the Carling Cup game against Burnley, and the resumption of play afterwards, summed up the Ivorian’s character and temperament in a nutshell.

Played through by a Frank Lampard pass, he left two defenders behind and hit an expert finish into the net. It was a flash of the deadly player that had scored 33 goals in the 2006/2007 season.

Then, he revealed his less savoury side.

Picking up a coin thrown from the Burnley end of the ground, he picked it up and threw it back in.  

Consequently, Drogba has been charged with violent conduct and faces a ban. Jamie Carragher was handed a three game suspension when he did the same against Arsenal in 2002, and so Drogba should expect the same.

If I’m being honest, when it comes to Didier Drogba, such behaviour doesn’t surprise me.

He has always had that sort of side to his game. When he’s up for it and on form he is unplayable, but he turn and become a petulant liability that seems to act first and think later.

This is what he did when he slapped Nemanja Vidic in the 2008 Champions League Final. Provoked he may have been, but Drogba should have kept his emotions in check and focused on winning the game. Referees (rightly or wrongly) will give a red card for such an offence.

Drogba has always been a player who wears his heart on his sleeve. He can get quite emotional on the field, and sometimes this manifests itself in a positive way. He will cajole the crowd and fire them up and it seems to make him up his performance levels a bit more.

He has destroyed teams and changed games.

At Anfield in October 2006 he stole the show by setting up all four of Chelsea’s goals in an extraordinary 4-1 win against Liverpool. It was one of the best performances from a centre-forward I have ever seen. Drogba has scored goals in Carling and FA Cup finals, and always seems to turn it on against Arsenal.

But, unfortunately for Chelsea fans it seems as if he wont be able to repeat that feat due to another schizophrenic outburst that tempers his status as one of the best strikers in world football.