Jay Jay Slams Drogba

Last updated : 14 April 2006 By Matt Bottom

Okocha rapped: "Drogba has been criticised quite a bit in the last few weeks and rightly so.

"Let's just say he has been a bit tricky in the games I have watched.

"And if something similar happens in the game against us that helps Chelsea get the points, then I will be upset with the referee for not spotting it.

"People just don't want to pay to see players diving around."

Ref Dowd, who red-carded Birmingham's Muzzy Izzet for diving at Tottenham on Boxing Day, will be in charge of a Reebok clash with plenty riding on it.

Jose Mourinho's Chelsea hope to snuff out Manchester United's title threat with three points.

But Bolton are desperate for victory to snap a run of four defeats and boost their chances of a UEFA Cup slot.

And Okocha reckons Drogba's Chelsea team-mates may have to hammer home the anti-diving message after admitting Sam Allardyce's squad had words with El-Hadji Diouf about the same problem last season.

The Nigerian midfielder, 32, said: "If you dive a lot, it is a disadvantage to your team because everyone watches for it and people see everything as a dive.

"We had a chat about it with Diouf last season when he was accused a lot.

"If it is not benefiting your team, then the players need to have a strong discussion about it.

"Diving is part of the game, but players should not be thinking about it and I don't support it anyway.

"If nothing else, it gets the crowd against you. It is not something that I would do - I play to my strengths and diving isn't one of them."