"IT WAS THE MISTAKE OF AVRAM GRANT"- Anelka

Hi foot ball friends,
The French forward spent all of 99 minutes on the bench in Moscow before being brought on to play on the right flank at the expense of Joe Cole.The 29-year-old has been a bit-part player since his ₤15 million move from Bolton in January, managing only 14 starts and very few of them in his preferred position as the lead striker. And Anelka blamed under-fire Blues boss Avram Grant for his inability to convert during the penalty shootout against Manchester United on Wednesday night, insisting he was not given the opportunity to warm up before being sent into the fray.

“At no point did I think I was going to come on,” he said. “I was on the bench and suddenly I am asked to play, not even a minute after I was sent out to warm up. “I don't know if that has ever happened in a Champions League final, that a player has gone on to the pitch without having warmed up.“So I had to go in seventh, but Van der Sar pushed away my shot. All the better for him; that is the game.”