Eurosport - Thu, 25 Sep 16:31:00 2008
In his latest blog for Eurosport-Yahoo!, Chelsea and France striker Nicolas Anelka gives his view on two very differently-run clubs - Manchester City and Newcastle United.
"Everyone has been talking about the new billionaires, my old club Manchester City.
They have always been a big club, for sure, but even their strongest supporters will tell you that they have under-achieved for a long time.
But now they will be very dangerous because they have the money to recruit the best.
And Chelsea and Manchester United, certainly, cannot criticise this because we also spend lots of money to bring top players in!
City could be like us, challenging for trophies. It isn't about how much they spend, though, but who they spend it on.
It is all very well buying lots of players, but they have to buy clever and make sure they bring in the right people for the team.
We must wait and see if they do this.
On the other hand, Newcastle United have quite a strange situation.
They are a massive club with passionate fans but they have been in trouble for several years now, and I think you have to look at the lack of stability as the reason.
They have had some really good players there, that cannot be questioned, and still now they have a strong team.
But the problem is that, since Bobby Robson left, they have been terribly unstable, both in coaching terms and with the other issues surrounding the club.
How can a team play if they have no idea who their coach is going to be, or even who is going to pay their wages? How can a coach manage if he does not know what his role is?
Newcastle must sort this out and they have to make their decisions quickly if they are going to move forward at all.
It is an urgent thing now. While it is early in the season, things are slipping and - after they lost to Hull City - they could get pulled into the relegation fight.
The owner needs to decide if he is going to stay or if he is going to sell, and he needs to decide now, so they can get a good manager.
Because, if they go down, they will never get the coach or the backing they need to bring silverware to St. James' Park."
Comment 26 - 45 of 45
every club is anelkas old club lol . score a couple goals mate
In reference to domc882000. Yes ManU had a very good structure, manager, and a good marketing strategy. they also had a great crop of youngsters come through at a crucial time which allowed them to succeed and attract money as you say. But, the simple fact is that they have for a long time been big spenders, and untill Abramovich came around they had more money than any1 else and were able to spend more than their title rivals.
They also would snap up any new talent coming through smaller english clubs buy outbidding every1 else. think ferdinand, cantonna, rooney, tevez, and berbatov in recent times. ferdinands transfer was a record for a defender by the way, and i think rooney was a record as well.
You are right that chelsea's and man city's wealth is luck and ManU's has been more gradually built, but you cannot deny that ManU have in the past decades been the biggest spenders, and in more recent times have American money to keep up with chelsea.
buy buy Anelka go back to manchester us chelsea fans dont want you you have always been money money money
SB is a d*** idiot, what does he know
i just read SB comment and what a idiot person but then again he could be 10 years old
he know every thing about football clubs as he played for enough and no boubt he be looking to go to man city at christmas time if the money is there because he no good at chelsea
It's because of a ex Man City player that United are where they are today "Sir Matt"..
ANELKA IS A WASTER
HE IS A WASTER! TOTAL @#$% SINCE HE LEFT ARSENAL WAY BACK WHEN
Saw The comment about Chelsea only being great since the Russian money arrived. I remember Peter Osgood ,Charlie Cooke David Webb, Ian Hudson plus all the other great footballers that wore the Chelsea colours. It was the good old days when you could actually afford to go to the matches, see a great game of football and winning the League was just something that happened if you were lucky. The players were motified by playing football not by the money, and enjoying the game.
but why
leave the man alone.he is good and has made a reasonable comment. man city better buy wisely,its not a bad comment.but I know they will cos they have already started by buying Robinho and co.
Ur name is Anarchy, which squarely describe your harsh comments on Anelka. But Men, take it easy, it's no war. What'z actually wrong with his advice 4 a club I feel he loves? Don't turn this site into a battle field of harsh verbal punches to those u don't like. come on. In ref. 2 comment 32.
There is nothing wrong with Anelka airing his opinion. What gives the rest of u the right to talk on the issue and not Anelka; just becos he plays football? It is true he isnt the most loyal player, but heck he still scores goals and he has being doing this in clubs that werent contenders. Nothing wrong with Nic speaking his mind. Afterall u'd have to be an... to care what his ipinion are.
Anelka is the worst type of person, nearly every player, even those who move for big money eventually find a club they love and settle down, he could have been a legend with all the clubs he has played for, but he is a soccer mercenary, he is probably hoping he can use this interview to make another few million by resigning for Man City! MONEY DRIVEN IDIOT!
I hope the banks collapse, he loses all his money has to get a real job, in the real world or even better has to beg!
Anarchy in the UK
I may be half retarded Eamon, but you may possibly be totally for reacting to my words with such hostility, and still missing the point. I take back saying that Chelsea were nothing before the money, but they were hardly the team with the ambition they are now - someone mentioned they once one a cup and the odd title, well so did Nottingham Forest - would you care to tell me which division they are playing in now and tell me what your point is?
God Machine - If we are to go waaaaaay back to the early days of the league, i don't think we'll find out a foriegn billionaire pumped money overnight into the clubs coffers. The international interest that Man U attracted was because of their innovative playing and the fact that the managers at the club were better than the competition and therefore attracted more exotic players.
Chelsea, and now Man City are LUCKY to have been bought up and given a bottemless pit to spend - they havn't earned it, it is luck. So Anelka has no business acting like Man U and Chelsea are in the same boat.
hey nic why not you stop wasting the striker position at chelsea and move to nufc on loan. and do not forget to tell the caretaker coach to PUT STEVE HARPER IN GOAL . thank you for your attention
eh, tale Anelka naj bo rajsi tiho, koliko je on klubov zamenjal, kje vse ni igral, tud pomoje ne ve kdo ga plačuje..večni nezadovoljnež kr neki pametuje, ko bo šlo zares bo pa spet jokcu in stokcu...uživite-enjoy
Rykadia, I don't care what it is for. Nevermind what other clubs are doing. He needs to keep focus on Chelsea end of.
everyone is entitled to his opinion.Anelka has spoken well and I want to believe he is sincere about the opinion. It is going to be very interesting as from January in the premiership. I want to believe City will buy wisely.If there's anytime Newcastle need to act it is now that they have not gone on relegation because should they go it might as well be bon voyage
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