Nicolas Anelka says that he is aware that he has to fight for his place at Chelsea, but has dismissed rumours that he could be set for the exit doors at Stamford Bridge and that he will relish the challenge.
The French forward did not have the best of seasons at Chelsea after scoring just six goals in the Premier League and his Champions League return of 10 mostly came against cannon fodder. To be fair to him, he’s mostly been played out wide or behind the main forward(s), but I think he should be worried despite the fact he seems unfazed by the competition for forward places at the club.
The 32-year-old said:
“I am still here and still very pleased to be with Chelsea. I like a challenge.
“It is all part of the game and when you play at a club like Chelsea you have to be ready to meet the challenge from wherever it comes.
“Every single member of this squad will have to fight to play and I am ready to fight.”
Following suite from Frank Lampard’s comments about not needing to strengthen, Anelka also believes that the squad is strong enough to compete on all fronts:
“I don’t think we need to strengthen the squad if we are going to win the Champions League.
“We have a good squad already. We are strong everywhere and I do not detect any real weaknesses.”
(Evening Standard)
We don’t have any real weaknesses? I would hardly count a lack of width and a lack of creative influence in the middle of the park as a strength of ours. There were several underperforming players in our squad last season (they know who they are) and there seems to be something of a fear factor amongst the older ones in particular, especially as many have suddenly expressed their desire to retire at Chelsea and stress that we do not need to bolster/freshen up the squad.
As for the future of Anelka, can we really afford not to get rid of a player that has only one-year left on his contract and has past his prime, especially if he’s standing in the way of someone like Daniel Sturridge and potentially Romelu Lukaku (who could arrive after Chelsea made a bid for the Belgian forward today)?
Also, I think it’s about time that we stopped the ‘square peg’ tactic of playing the likes of Anelka and Salomon Kalou as wingers and do the obvious thing, like playing wingers as wingers. Revolutionary thinking I know.
Nothing against Anelka, he’s done his bit since arriving at the club, but I think it’s time to say thank you and goodbye. Can’t retire every single player that comes in on a sentimental basis, particularly those on high wages. We have Financial Fair Play and a squad quota to comply by, so time to concentrate on those that have a future at the club, like Sturridge.
Written by Anthony Williams for TheShedEnder.com.
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