Anelka: ‘I’m Not On The Pitch Just To Score Goals’
Having recovered from his recent injury just in time to wave goodbye to his departing strike partner, Nicolas Anelka sounds as if he’s more than ready to pick up his central role, stating “I wanted to show everyone I could play there and I wanted, even if I’m not scoring a lot of goals, to be creative in the middle of the pitch. I knew I could do it well. I’m not going on the pitch just to score goals, I am going on there first to win and to play well and then, if I have the chance to score as well, that’s even better. I like this position and I enjoy my football when I’m playing there. This role is maybe why I am more consistent, even if we have not always had good results during December. But we are playing against big teams every game and if they stay back against us, it is hard for us to score, which gives us a big challenge every time. Even so, we are still first in the league and we will try our best to stay there now.”
God knows, Anelka was played out of position often enough when he first came to Chelsea under the hapless Avram Grant – a manager he clearly had little time for (and rightly so) – whilst under Scolari, his pairing with Didier Drogba saw him pick up last season’s Golden Boot.
This season has really seen Anelka come into his own though, and now working under Ancelotti, Anelka says “I wanted to play this position when I first came to Chelsea, with Didier in front and me just behind, and I always said that. This season the manager gave me the opportunity to do it, to be free on the pitch and I feel good. The freedom I now have on the pitch puts me in a position where I can be up front sometimes, playing the striker, then I can be behind later in the same game or a left or right-winger. It gives me the chance to have some versatility and that is why I do what I do. Not a lot of people knew I could do this and I don’t think Carlo knew me like a midfielder before he came here. I think he knew me as a striker but game after game, and in training as well, he saw that I could do this position because when Didier is playing up front, I like to drop behind and he trusted me to stay in this position after he saw that.”
Fingers crossed he stays injury free then!
Filed under: Current Players, Rants
Chelsea News 24/7
i call him nicholas blender anelka. put anything near him n he’ll blend without thinking.bought by mr.old school grant as a cover for drogba n since then no one has the gut to play him w drogba.i dont think carlo would too had guus never made a precedent move.scolari made a mess of him n drogba n earned himself a profitable sack.drogba shines because of this blender who never knows when to switch off.he runs at defenders,keeps the ball well,pass sweetly n constantly hurl in deadly crosses that would hv sent david james running to his coffin.at 15m pound i rate him highly as a great buy of the century.n this blender seldom malfunction, the pace the dribbling the run n the shooting instincts…. the list goes on. i dont hv anything negative on this planet for anelka. n only anelka.
essien, drogba, terry, anelka- this season these four players are the only ones that I can say bring big performances every game they play
oh yh and ashley cole and ivanovic, everyone else (particularly our midfielders) will need to up their game while the african players are away
u r massively spot-on JT!!!!! finally found a soul mate to share my plight that lampard,ballack,deco n even joe cole should start less n cut the leashes on kakuta,matic n sturridge. epl matches require high level of concentration,fitness n SPEED! n so far every match that has sturridge or kakuta playing we see alot of high pace football that terrified defenders. wonder why carlo prefers old guns?