Anelka - "You want me to take a penalty? Out of the question"

[MindGuerrillas]

What a team player he is

"Since I have joined the club, I never played in my right position, as second centre-forward," Anelka told L'Equipe.

"I have always played on the left or the right. I have never said anything so far. I was a new man in the team, coming from Bolton. But next season it will be different, I won't be a new man anymore, I will be a Chelsea player.

"When I came here, I was told I will play in a 4-4-2 system. I didn't come to play on the right or left.

"I don't have to prove my value in the centre. We could have played together with Didier Drogba.

"But we never even worked on our partnership during training sessions."

Anelka came on in extra-time in the Champions League final before his sudden death penalty was saved by Edwin van der Sar to give victory to Manchester United.

He admits it was difficult to play a part in the shoot-out after coming on so late, adding: "I never thought I would come onto the pitch.

"I stayed sitting on the bench for 110 minutes, and then I have been asked to play after just one minute of warm-up.

"I don't know if it has ever happened in a Champions League final, with such an intensity, to play without a warm-up.

"I was asked to be among the five penalty kickers. I said 'out of the question. I came in almost as right full-back and you want me to kick a penalty?' Finally I had to go as number seven."

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,195...600675,00.html

[Tee]

Chav supporters are going to love him even more now..

[PTP]

they are ****ing shocking comments - i could understand if he was brought on in the 120m and asked to take a pen and he bottled it and said no, i don't want to take one, i'm too nervous and haven't even touched the ball etc etc - at least then he would be honest but to just say he didn't want to take a penalty because he was asked to play as a right winger in a tight champions league final is ****ing arrogant - i bet had he scored the winner and he had a champions league medal he'd change his tune the cunt.

If fact mini-rant - what a ****ing prick this guy is yet he is a multi millionaire and played with and in some of the greatest teams and players of the last 10 years all because he has a bit of talent and burst onto the scene as a youngster. He doesn't ****ing deserve anything he has, he has been a cunt at every club he has been and he is just not arsed. Teh ****ing stupid thing is chelsea will sell him/bomb him out and some other soft prick will give £80'000 a week to **** about cause they reckon "he has grown up" or they are the one to "get the most out of him"

[-V-]

To be fair i understand where is coming from. He has been played out of position

Why was he not warming up during the game though?

And when you havent been involved in the action its very hard to come on and take a penalty under such pressure

Still its Drogba and Terrys fault. Terry is a ****ing centre half, i knew he would miss the 2nd went for it. Kalou would have been a natural choice to take the 5th penalty and why he didnt is beyond me. He is a capable striker and no surprise he scored the 6th penalty with ease

[MindGuerrillas]

And when you havent been involved in the action its very hard to come on and take a penalty under such pressure

True but Belletti didn't have a problem with it.

[Sarb]

Fair comments really.

[kev776]

To be fair i understand where is coming from. He has been played out of position

Why was he not warming up during the game though?

And when you havent been involved in the action its very hard to come on and take a penalty under such pressure

Still its Drogba and Terrys fault. Terry is a ****ing centre half, i knew he would miss the 2nd went for it. Kalou would have been a natural choice to take the 5th penalty and why he didnt is beyond me. He is a capable striker and no surprise he scored the 6th penalty with ease

Because JT saw the chance to be the big hero, Mr Chelsea wins the cup under pressure etc etc. Ha ha, he ****ing blew it, big time.

[Tee]

What a position to be in though.. a penalty to win the greatest club prize.

Alan Kennedy

[nevelator]

"I was asked to be among the five penalty kickers. I said 'out of the question. I came in almost as right full-back and you want me to kick a penalty?' Finally I had to go as number seven."

£15m for a striker who is not willing to take a penalty. You could see as he went up to take it, he was not going to score. Belletti and Anderson tucked their penalties away!.
As for not warming up - did he have any intention of playing?

[Matt]

[/B]

Because JT saw the chance to be the big hero, Mr Chelsea wins the cup under pressure etc etc. Ha ha, he ****ing blew it, big time.

As for Anelka, you don't need a warm-up to take a pen. You just need some bottle.

[Howard_lfc]

[/B]

Because JT saw the chance to be the big hero, Mr Chelsea wins the cup under pressure etc etc. Ha ha, he ****ing blew it, big time.

I disagree. Terry did what any good captain would do - he put himself in the firing line for the good of the team. He knew the risks and pressure and yet he was prepared to take the dreaded fifth penalty. Give him some credit for it.

By the way - who was our nominated fifth penalty taker in Istanbul?

[Johnny]

But he has a point.
He joined Chelsea to play football.
he then got a few games before the CL final,got left on the bench and still didn`t play as a striker.
how`s his head supposed to be right for a Penalty???

If grant had have played him along side Drogba they would both have scored a hatfull.They didn`t even train together FFS!!!!!!



He should never have left us.Damn you Houllier!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Slinky Skills]

I disagree. Terry did what any good captain would do - he put himself in the firing line for the good of the team. He knew the risks and pressure and yet he was prepared to take the dreaded fifth penalty. Give him some credit for it.

By the way - who was our nominated fifth penalty taker in Istanbul?

I actually felt sorry for Terry the other night, he was gutted. It took some balls to step up and take that pen. As much as I dislike Chelsea I admire John Terry as a player.

Stevie said that he was one of the first people to congratulate him when we beat them in 2005 and also the final so he deserves some respect from Liverpool fans. With regards to Anelka, you can kind of see where he's coming from but he should have stepped up to the mantle and buried that pen. Fresh legs and all, at the end of the day these guys are pros.

They should be dispatching penalties with ease there's no excuse really. If he'd have hit it with some conviction Van De Sar wouldn't have saved it and those ****houses wouldn't have come back with the cup.

[tomasjj]

I disagree. Terry did what any good captain would do - he put himself in the firing line for the good of the team. He knew the risks and pressure and yet he was prepared to take the dreaded fifth penalty. Give him some credit for it.

By the way - who was our nominated fifth penalty taker in Istanbul?

He is a cheating yarddog, but that took some guts.

[Exiled_red]

I don't understand how a striker can be so bothered about taking penalties. I understand that he might not want to take penalties regularly in games (or there might be a better penalty taker in the team) But when it comes to a shootout there is something wrong if a striker won't take one of the first 6 pens.