Of all of Arsene Wenger’s ‘experiments’, Marouane Chamakh is perhaps the most bizarre. Sebastien Squillaci arrived at the club with bags of experience playing for Serie A clubs. Mikael Silvestre enjoyed a number of good seasons with Manchester United.
Chamakh, however, does not have an impressive resume. It’s nigh on impossible to create a highlights package for the Moroccan, because there are just no highlights (although he does have a fairly good Champions League scoring record).
The peak of his career came during his time with Bordeaux, where he scored 76 goals in 301 games. This is not a great return for a striker. In fact, despite having been a professional striker since 2002/3, Chamakh has never scored more than 16 goals-per-season. It’s difficult to understand what an ambitious club like Arsenal saw in him.
It was a signing that seemed to happen because he was available on a free transfer and Wenger was willing to take a gamble.
In a way, Chamakh is endemic of the poor decisions Wenger has made in recent years and the club’s overall lack of success. He hasn’t improved since joining Arsenal. In fact, he only made 7 appearances last season, despite a January loan move to West Ham.
His career has seriously petered out. At 29-years-old, he should be on the hunt for one last big contract, but suitors don’t exactly seem to be swarming around the Moroccan. He desperately needs an opportunity to rescue his career and at this stage, Arsenal should be willing to accept anything the can get for him.
According to The Metro, Crystal Palace view Chamakh as an adequate fill-in for Glenn Murray, who is currently convalescing from a knee injury. This is a great opportunity for Arsenal and Chamakh and a big gamble on the part of Palace.
Surely Ian Holloway is aware of Chamakh’s failed move to West Ham last January? Despite his big club pedigree, the Moroccan was unable to make any kind of mark at Upton Park. Do we have any reason to believe things would be any different at Selhurst Park?
Either way, if Crystal Palace are willing to roll the dice, Arsenal would be foolish to stop them. If he finds his feet, Chamakh could even be an asset for Holloway. If he doesn’t, it’ll just be further evidence that Arsene Wenger’s experiment has been an unremitting failure.
I can only wish Crystal Palace the best of luck.
What’s your take? Can Marouane Chamakh re-build his career? Should he make a move to Crystal Palace?
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It really sickens me when u see that AW is still willing to gamble on ‘no-name’ talent. Yes he has made a FEW meaningful signings but the rest is hogwash. And yet he still remains in charge at Arsenal after 8 trophyless years, selling prized talent off to the highest bidders, and recruiting deadwood… One has to wonder, who really calls the shots at The Emirates?
Chamakh’s hold up/Set up play is impeccable, he obviously wasn’t to be a goal scorer but someone who fitted seemlessly to our stye of play, his hilights with Yoann Gourcouff are an example of why he was sighned, not forgeting his aerial superiotity. Sadly the season he got most minuites we never had great service from out wide like last year.
CHAMAKH IS ABOUT AS GOOD A CENTRE FORWARD,AS WENGER IS A MANAGER,
“FU….G—CRAP OUT WITH WENGER THE SOONER THE BETTER”.
You have to laugh at people constantly on at Wenger, net transfer spend since they started paying for the Emirates must be about £40, yet he’s kept them in the champions league throughout that. It’s a bloody miracle Arsenal haven’t had a single year where they’ve fallen away and finished mid-table, yet apparently only non-Arsenal fans can see that. In a few years time when FFP really kicks in, that’s when Arsenal will reap the benefits of the incredible job Wenger has done
Arsenal fans stop the constant fucking whinging!!!