BLUES boss Kevin Keegan has issued Nicolas Anelka with a thinly veiled warning following the Frenchman's remarks to the press about wanting to play on a bigger stage.
Keegan has called on the striker to concentrate on what he does best, playing football, after his remarks to a French magazine last weekend sparked a storm of controversy and effectively put Anelka in the shop window for the January sales.
Keegan, like many fans, was particularly incensed by the French striker's expressed desire to play for a big club, and says that the Blues striker can have few complaints about the reaction caused by his remarks.
'If Nicolas wants to write articles about this football club and his situation then he has got to realise that in this country the press are going to pick out the bits they want and they will highlight them," Keegan told City's official website.
Alienating
"When a player starts to say that he wants to go to a big club that alienates fans as Manchester City is a big club.
"I know we are not in the Champions League but he was brought in here to help us try and do that.
"Instead of writing articles that is what he should concentrate on, getting on the pitch and scoring the goals that will take us there.
"That is what he is paid to do. He signed a six year contract here and he has still three years left.
"That is why some of the fans are upset. I feel the same way. But they know that Nicolas is a top class player.
"Even if they did boo him and I didn't hear that they know that he could have got us a goal in the game as they have seen it so many times before.
"Nicolas has to live with what he says as I have to in life and just get on with it."
Can you see Anelka still being at City after January? Have your say
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the beginning of the end. at last kk says something against anelka, guess both will be gone b4 may
Come off it Kevin,we know what your game is--youre under pressure yet again so you start talking about Anelka to divert attention away from your own failings--oldest trick in the book,having some success too--got the crowd booing him now.The supporters need to open their eyes and recognise that the problem isnt Anelka its KEEGAN and the dummies running the club.
Even if you got Anelka to shut up, the truth is it will still be in his heart and mind, which translates to less than 100% games for CITY.
The Elk is gone in January. It will be a sad departure but such distractions are not good for the team. City has to concentrate on staying in the Prem. A team does not always need a superstar to win.....just look at Everton, they play for each other. City have shown they can play for each other. Contrary to ELk's comments, City is a big club.....only 2 teams finish above us in attendance., the Trafford Centre outfit and Newcastle..
he should go to the club offering to pay the highest amount of cash, NOT just to a club he may want to go to.
good riddance, city play better as a TEAM without him......
He's trouble and always has been, but a great player. As others have said, our performances of late have been much better without him. While I will be dissapointed to see a player of his calibre leave, it is exciting to see so many young players knocking on the first team door and a few quality youngsters as regulars.
I don't believe that the crowd did boo Anelka. It was KK's stupid substitution and the fact that Sibierski remained on the pitch that I believe caused the booing.
I agree, the fact that sibierski remained on the pitch were the reasons for some of the crowd booing. He might be good with his head, but we need someone good with his feet, who tracks back and doesnt turn like a fully leadened bus of people.
What a fickle bunch of moaners we are at times. If we don't pull ourselves out of this depressing vein of KK knocking, we will be guilty of only "singing when we're winning". You only have to look at the 'City Poll' on the right to see how contradictory us fans can be. Two wins back to back without Nico, and we don't need him anymore. Two losses back to back and KK gets it in the neck for dropping Nico to the bench! C'mon people, we are 13th in the PL, with a decent goal difference. No team has thrashed us since Leicester and Newcastle last season. We've only been beaten by the odd goal this season, and our defence is looking better. We need to keep Nico, give him our full support along with KK and Robbie. I'd like to see Sib out, Nico left midfield, BWP and Robbie up front. C'mon you blues.
James, Swindon, I don't think any amount of support for Anelka will keep him at City. I think his mind has been made up. As for support for KK I'm all for it if he suddenly turns into a competent manger rather than a nice bloke who manages a football team. Blue Paul, since when has Siberski been good with his head? Sib is good at getting into positions to head the ball wide / over/ wrong way entierely. Same as for getting into to positions to shoot. Can anybody who may have seen him play for Lens tell me if his performances there were of a quality to give a substantial basis on which to sign him for City?
Selling our best player is a step backwards. If he's that unhappy, why is he in the midst of negotiating a contract extension?
Guess what KK, I reckon he will be gone in January -
Guess what KK , I reckon you will be gone too..
You see the problem WAS, Anelka was happy at City, but he took a step back and thought to himself - Look at the jokers on this pitch - 3 years of it rammed down his throat week in week out, poor performances, non creative players,
KK MY FRIEND, You brought these players to our club remember - 60 million quid they gave you!! Or have you forgot that -
Nico recognises that 1 - or 2 players are worthy of their shirt! Thats all... the rest are not good enough -
Simple as that -!!
Answer to it all - New Management off load players -
Simple, or am I wrong?
Blue Moon, you saw me standing alone!
How alone is the Elk?
Want to go play for one of the teams left in the Champions League?
Try this way out of our little club, or not!
Bolton 0 City 3- Anelka hat-trick; Keegan says that the lad showed why he should be considered one of the best strikers in England today.
Everton 0 City 3- Anelka hat-trick; Keegan is surrounded after the game by several who had walked across Stanley Park from Anfield to watch the game on Boxing Day weighed down with their check books. Keegan says that it will cost them a Rooney-like deal for them to pry "our team leader" away.
City 3 West Brom 0; Anelka hat-trick; Keegan marvels at how three wins in a row can catapult a team from 13th to just out of the running for Europe. Intimates that maybe the lad will stick around and help City in their quest for Europe in 2005/6.
New Years Day; COM Stadium bathed in sunlight. City are given a special right for the day to offer the 2,000 tickets (left unsold to Southampton fans) and give them to an entire entourage speaking French from Arsenal; speaking Russian from Chelsea and just plain talking funny from Anfield.
After the fourth consecutive hat-trick by Nicholas Anelka, Sir Alex mysteriously shows up at the wrong Carrington Training Facility and stands in amazement to see kilos of the finest Russian caviar; cases of the finest French Dom Perignon; keys to a mansion in Madrid; a Ferrari from Milan and a box full of Anelka memorabilia from the Elk's first visit to Anfield.
Do we keep the lad for our run at Europe?
Do we start a bidding war and find out who exactly has the deepest pockets?
Take that problem Kevin!
Its all very well for King Kev to criticise Anelka but he cannot carry our team into Europe on his own. Anelka is like having Sat Nav in a Metro - it knows where it wants to get but the rest of the car just cannot manage it. If I were Kev, I'd shut up and the next home game sit in the East Stand and watch what the rest of us are watching. Saturday was a prime example of his inability to see what the problems are - don't criticise out best players - have a go at the dross that surround him!
Get rid after all when you take away the pens he's hardly prolific is he? Football is a team game. He has the physical attributes to be a great player but his finishing has been abysmal on so many occasions. As a striker he doesn't attack balls in the box, can't hold the ball up, not a good header of the ball and for someone with his pace shows a total inability to time his run without getting offside. Robbie Fowler gets criticised but he works his socks off and shows vision, able to play others in etc. I thought Anelka had improved this season after the one v one against Charlton but look at the pathetic contribution when he came on as sub on Saturday. Sorry to say but my lasting memory will be his abysmal performance against QPR in the League Cup last season, the miss against the Poles when we needed a goal to go through and the sight of him wearing gloves on a mild afternoon against Wolves at Eastlands. For those of you who still support him why do you think Real Madrid, PSG and Liverpool got rid? And Nic when you go take Sibierski with you - us fans dream of wearing the shirt - why does he wear it? Good in the air? What about the chance against Spurs - he's having a laugh. Can't go round a defender so he takes a dive every time. No wonder we're struggling!
Sandy, a French (or Swiss?) based Blue posted here a couple of months back that he'd seen Sibierski play in France and felt that (there) he was a decent player - perhaps enough to fool an average Premiership manager but the French league is naff, right? If the lad reads this I'm sure he'll send another post. As far as I remember he was impressed. Blue Dave, spot on, KK should be 'man-handled' into a seat surrounded by a few of you at the moment. In the past 24 hours he's had a pop at SWP and Anelka. Neglecting the FACT that the dross surrounding them is almost totally his fault, in that he bought them and the players with promise don't start (or get on too late) cos he doesn't 'risk' them. Preferring for the team to start with a disadvantage from the whistle - French Tone. He even side stepped the boos and passed them to Nico, which doesn't sit well with what I've read on here. If he was a 'Dowie' type boss (am still very impressed by the Indy article yesterday!) I'm sure he'd pick up the gauntlet you have thrown down. But he's not - so he won't! Phil Bramhall, I shall read your post on here for the next few nights (before I kip) till we get back on track against Bolton, an inspired dream mate! And we Blues have been having nightmares for too long.........
pete roberts, you are totally talking crap. the only ones that can judge him are the players he has played with and there has never been a player that played alongside nic that said he is a bad player. now even steven gerrard is talking about his class. he has not been a problem and I would rather have a player that can't score an easy goal but still scores 15 than a striker that is only able to score the easy goals.
Anelka shouldnt have even been signed by us, i wish i could say that he was a joy to watch, but he isnt, SWP is a joy to watch, im sick of seeing him try and come deep to pick the ball up and do nothing with it, he says that he doesnt like coming for the ball, well ALL the top strikers do it, its called playing in a team as a team, get rid of him and lets play like a team. sick of your wingeing elk lets see who comes in for you, good ridence
Kevin - I suggest you don't see enough of him. Footballers are not the most intelligent of people and I suspect Steve G is no exception. I don't doubt he has ability - he doesn't use it in a team environment. Strikers have to work as a pair and their is no evidence to suggest he can do that. Do you reckon Robbie Fowler would sing his praises? And by the way talking of working as a team look at Everton since Rooney left.
Speaking as a Mancunian rather than as a United fan, I think Anelka should go. City ARE a big club even if they are in our shadow, and Anelka's comments are not only an insult to City but also to Manchester. They should sell him a.s.a.p. Good riddance to bad rubbish. City deserve better.