A CHORUS of derision will inevitably greet his every touch of the ball this evening, the manner of his departure from Highbury still not forgiven by those who used to idolise him, but Nicolas Anelka, never one to underestimate his own importance, believes that those Arsenal supporters owe him a debt of gratitude.
Few have shed tears on seeing the forward’s career nosedive in the three years since he left for Real Madrid, resulting in an unscheduled arrival this summer at Manchester City, but his conscience, as he returns to North London tonight in the Barclaycard Premiership, is as clear as ever.
Resentful at seeing Arsenal flourish while his own fortunes have taken several turns for the worse? Maybe, but Anelka prefers to see it differently. “It is a shame that their supporters have been poisoned against me,” he said. “Do they not remember the good times I brought them? Has all that been forgotten, just because it’s easier to hate someone who no longer wears your shirt? For all the rantings of David Dein (the vice-chairman), it was my decision alone to leave for Madrid. Arsenal made a £21.5 million profit on me, which has helped them buy other players and brought them no end of success.”
Arsenal have indeed become a more formidable team for Anelka’s departure, but curiously, given his spectacular fall from grace during the same period, he claims that he, too, has progressed. “I feel I have different dimensions to my game now,” he said. “I have become a more complete player. This club (City) suits me. I am respected here and everything is fine. I know some people say it is a backward step, but I’ve got no regrets. I was sold on Kevin Keegan’s enthusiasm and his desire to make this club great.”
For all that, Anelka, still only 23, cuts a slightly forlorn figure at Maine Road. There was a rare smile as he claimed a hat-trick in the 3-1 victory over Everton ten days ago — perhaps erased slightly at the weekend when it was officially reduced to a brace by the Premier League’s dubious goals committee, which ruled that the first was an own goal by Tomasz Radzinski — but, while his sharpness is still apparent on occasions, something seems to be missing.
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Such doubts led Gérard Houllier, the Liverpool manager, to abandon his efforts to sign him after a period on loan from Paris Saint-Germain last season — that and the undoubted “baggage” that Anelka carries. His mood swings are well documented, but his City team-mates are still slowly getting to know the young man whose explosive pace is often curtailed by the weight of the world that he seems to carry on his shoulders.
“I wouldn’t exactly call him a loner,” Stuart Pearce, the first-team coach, said. “I’ve only known him a few months and he keeps himself to himself. He’s just a quiet lad, not one to go shouting his mouth off, and he’s fitting in well. Certainly the talent that we all know about is still there.”
Emotions will also be running high at the Riverside Stadium for the Tees-Wear derby, although the £10 million purchase of two strikers and excellent results against Leeds United and Manchester United have taken some of the pressure off Peter Reid, the Sunderland manager.
Reid has promised that Marcus Stewart, one of the new recruits, will make his debut against Middlesbrough after missing the 1-1 draw with Manchester United to be present at the birth of his son. He is likely to start on the substitutes’ bench.
Stewart, Kevin Phillips and Tore Andre Flo should finally provide Sunderland with goals — no senior English team scored fewer last season — but Reid is particularly delighted with Stephen Wright, 22, the full back bought from Liverpool in the summer. “I think we’ve got a future England international,” Reid said.
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Like Sunderland, Middlesbrough have been beaten only once so far and, in Massimo Maccarone, the Italy Under-21 centre forward, have also acquired more attacking threat. “He has made a big difference for us and hopefully he will go on to get plenty of goals,” Mark Schwarzer, the goalkeeper, said. “He still hasn’t realised his full potential. He’s still very young, but he has a great eye for goal. He holds up the ball very well and gives us a lot of movement up front.”
Keith Lamb, the Middlesbrough chief executive, has “categorically” denied reports that Maccarone, allegedly a target for Inter Milan, has an escape clause in his contract.
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