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Nico Goes to Chelsea!

January 12th, 2008 | By: Laurie | 21 Comments »

If Bolton manager Gary Megson and Chelsea manager Avram Grant hadn’t come to terms that allowed Nicolas Anelka to go to Chelsea, I think I would have cried. I’m serious.

There for awhile things looked dicey. Chelsea offered a rumored £12 million. Bolton was demanding £15 million. Bolton needed him to keep from being relegated, and it looked as if Chelsea might sign another striker or two instead.

But in the end Grant apparently decided Chelsea’s injury and African Cup of Nations situation was too dire and coughed up the entire amount, thus making our Nico the most expensive player ever in history when all transfer fees are added up.

And now I am crossing my fingers and hoping that he will prove me right and show that he’s the real deal at last.

Or, as Brian at Run of Play so aptly says, “the switch to a big club could complete his transformation into someone mature enough to deserve his own talent.”

Come on, Nico. Make us proud!

(Thanks to Rami and Doumé for the links!)

UPDATE: Highlights of the game are here. Nico came on in the 53rd-ish to a large ovation. He didn’t score, but played well and had two great shots — one saved by the keeper and the other just off the bottom of the crossbar. As Brian says in the comments, so far, so good!

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Comments

By Alexander Tran | January 12th, 2008 at 3:53 pm

i no it had nothing to do with nico but, http://fifa.com/associations/association=fra/news/newsid=670835.html#zidane+interested+return

Posted from United States

By Brian | January 12th, 2008 at 7:37 pm

So far, so good, Laurie…

By Talia | January 13th, 2008 at 3:54 am

Laurie,
This has nothing to do with Anelka either but it’s fascinating:
http://ftpclubic49.clubic.com/temp-clubic-rx60/logiciel/adobe-reader-acrobat_adobe_reader_8.1.1_anglais_13628.exe

Posted from United States

By Laurie | January 13th, 2008 at 11:28 am

Talia, for some reason I can’t get the link to open. What’s in it?

Posted from United States

By Doumé | January 13th, 2008 at 9:10 pm

Laurie,
Thanks for the update! I’d say it’s a pretty good start in blue (the other blue). The crossbar shot was a beauty.
Seems our good friend Makelele is pleased at the turn of events.

By Talia | January 13th, 2008 at 9:39 pm

It’s the interview with Zidane in L’Equipe. Sorry you couldn’t open it.
Try this format
http://www.clicanoo.com/index.php?page=article&id_article=172996

Posted from United States

By Laurie | January 13th, 2008 at 10:29 pm

Oh, Talia, thanks for that. I heard it was out there and went digging for it earlier today. I’ll have a post going up on it sometime tomorrow with the ELA video. (In which he looks painfully good.)

I mean…um…yeah. Skydiving! Lovely skydiving!

Posted from United States

By Doumé | January 13th, 2008 at 10:34 pm

Talia,
Thanks, it works!
“I spend a lot of time in my kitchen”…as if he wasn’t popular enough with the ladies!
And here’s the video of the parachute he is refering to:
http://www.dailymotion.com/relevance/search/zidane+parachute/video/x41g4z_zizouparachutiste-pour-ela_news

By Doumé | January 13th, 2008 at 10:35 pm

Laurie,
sorry I didn’t see your post. My apologies.

By Laurie | January 13th, 2008 at 10:37 pm

S’okay, Doumé, you’re forgiven.

Posted from United States

By Doumé | January 13th, 2008 at 11:31 pm

I feel I have to redeem myself; so back on the subject at hand!
A very good column on Nico’s debut:
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/01/14/anelka_clocks_on_for_chelsea_a.html
It’s all smiles and happy.

By Laurie | January 14th, 2008 at 12:27 am

You know what’s weird, Doumé? I read articles like that and feel personallly proud. As if I myself have had something to do with his redemption.

Being a fan is odd sometimes.

(And didn’t Thierry Henry once list Dennis Bergkamp as his favorite player to play with also?)

Thanks for the link! You can never send me too much Anelka or Zidane stuff.

Posted from United States

By Doumé | January 14th, 2008 at 10:04 am

re: feeling proud, I think in a way it’s justified since you’ve seen the potential in Nico enough to support him through thick and thin and believed enough in him to want what’s deserved for a guy of that level (return in the NT, being in a major club) and so you are proven right. Honestly I was more skeptical untill a while ago, when I saw the unselfish way he was playing alongside Titi and others, but I’m now on the Nico train to the point that I’m volunteering to shovel the coal into the engine Part of me wasn’t willing to factor him into the already many options offered with Henry, Trezeguet, Saha and lately Mercedes Benzema! How mind-boggling it is to have all that talent. I’ve read in somebody’s reaction to the column:
“I’ve said it before — best dinner of my life, an old french school friend, with his best childhood buddy, Manu Petit. Oh, a dude called Viera and a young defender called Gallas where also in attendance. The 5 of us. Pizza, in a small place on Westbourne Grove, London. Me, a Gunner. Anyhow, I asked them who the best french player is, and all, in voce sotto: Anelka. ”

Also, what a sense of relief comes from the fact that somebody talented who has gone astray finally gets their stuff together - not unlike what we had hoped for Vikash D.

By Doumé | January 14th, 2008 at 10:39 am

I can’t seem to shut up today!
here’s that little piece on the subject:
http://www.dailymotion.com/h24h24/video/x41g2z_rencontre-avec-anelka-a-chelsea-by_sport

He had a congratulatory message from the Bolton coach after his debut (”it was a pleasure to work with you”) which is a good sign.

By Laurie | January 14th, 2008 at 12:16 pm

Oh, and Alexander, I forgot to thank you for the link also. As I said to Doume, you can never give me too much Zidane or Anelka stuff.

Or Benzema. Add Benzema to the list.

Posted from United States

By Laurie | January 14th, 2008 at 3:25 pm

Damn. They’ve deleted the match highlights. When will EPL learn that they’re BUILDING an audience by allowing free access, not depleting it. If they were smart they’d just insert advertising logos in the corner or somehting and allow the videos to go free.

Posted from United States

By glatisant | January 14th, 2008 at 4:02 pm

Thanks for the links, guys.
I’m still holding my breath a little bit—not that I don’t believe in Anelka’s maturation, but the personnel situation at Chelsea’s still sort of volatile right now. Hopefully, it won’t affect his ability to settle into his new club. As a neutral observer, I’d love it if he and Drogba really hit it off and send up fireworks in the Premiership for seasons to come.
That dinner with the Gunners anecdote was cool (not as cool as Doumé’s own little date with Manu Petit, of course ;)). The message from Sam Allardyce was a nice touch, too.
Allez Nico!

OT: Laurie, if you have the time and inclination, would you mind updating us on how Willy Sagnol’s doing, now that he’s back from injury? Thanks.

Posted from United States

By Laurie | January 14th, 2008 at 4:23 pm

Will do, Glatisant. Short answer is: So far, so good on the staying at Munich side of things, but I’ll have to do some research to see how he’s actually playing.

Posted from United States

By Doumé | January 14th, 2008 at 8:55 pm

…as if on cue
Vikash just gave an interview, very open and honest, of course quite bitter (specially about Ribery in 06)
http://www.lequipe.fr/Football/breves2008/20080114_191931Dev.html
Poor guy. He’s not even sure to find players for a jubilee game

By Laurie | January 14th, 2008 at 8:56 pm

Thanks again. I saw the official retirement announcement, but this was new to me.

Posted from United States

By glatisant | January 15th, 2008 at 11:20 am

« Après ce but, il est venu me serrer dans ses bras, et je n’avais pas spécialement envie qu’il me serre dans ses bras.»
lol, there’s vintage Vikash for you.

« La tribune Boulogne scande le nom des Blancs et pas des Noirs. Je fais quoi si je marque un but côté Boulogne ? »
Not so surprised, but God, that’s depressing. Shame on the PSG ultras.

Posted from United States

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