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If the rumours are true and we're signing Marouane Chamakh on a free transfer, here's a bit of info about him. I also posted this on the other place because there's already a thread about him there, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to pop it on here too for those who prefer the atmosphere and the colour scheme.
I saw Chamakh play at Stade Chaban Delmas (amazing 30's concrete stadium shrouded in clouds of pot smoke) when I lived in Bordeaux for a year in 2008. They won Ligue 1 that year, with Chamakh knocking in 14 goals. The street party was INSANE.
The match I remember best, Bordeaux beat Toulouse 2-1 and Chamakh looked hard-working. He, and everyone else, was outshone by Yoann Gourcuff, a very exciting attacking midfielder who was on loan from AC Milan but never fulfilled his superstar potential. Chamakh was the second or third best Girondins player that day.
A quick scan of the stats from his golden years at Bordeaux shows he mostly scored with his head. But he didn't feel like a classic English number 9.
Here's an article from an Arsenal blog that analyses his style of play. It's pretty accurate based on what I saw of him in 08/09 at a couple of matches and on the telly.
https://arsespeak.com/2010/07/14/maroune-chamakh-his-playing-style-analysed-in-detail-bordeaux-arsenal-scouting/
If you give it a read, it might please the doubters to see how he's apparently best deployed in front of three attacking midfielders, which is a formation we're equipped to play.
I was underwhelmed when he went to Arsenal. Not quite the calibre of player they were used to up front, and I couldn't see how Wenger would change that. But if he'd moved to Norwich in his mid 20s it would have been a big deal for us.
He's not the answer to all our prayers, but perhaps to some of them. How's that for blind enthusiasm?
I saw Chamakh play at Stade Chaban Delmas (amazing 30's concrete stadium shrouded in clouds of pot smoke) when I lived in Bordeaux for a year in 2008. They won Ligue 1 that year, with Chamakh knocking in 14 goals. The street party was INSANE.
The match I remember best, Bordeaux beat Toulouse 2-1 and Chamakh looked hard-working. He, and everyone else, was outshone by Yoann Gourcuff, a very exciting attacking midfielder who was on loan from AC Milan but never fulfilled his superstar potential. Chamakh was the second or third best Girondins player that day.
A quick scan of the stats from his golden years at Bordeaux shows he mostly scored with his head. But he didn't feel like a classic English number 9.
Here's an article from an Arsenal blog that analyses his style of play. It's pretty accurate based on what I saw of him in 08/09 at a couple of matches and on the telly.
https://arsespeak.com/2010/07/14/maroune-chamakh-his-playing-style-analysed-in-detail-bordeaux-arsenal-scouting/
If you give it a read, it might please the doubters to see how he's apparently best deployed in front of three attacking midfielders, which is a formation we're equipped to play.
I was underwhelmed when he went to Arsenal. Not quite the calibre of player they were used to up front, and I couldn't see how Wenger would change that. But if he'd moved to Norwich in his mid 20s it would have been a big deal for us.
He's not the answer to all our prayers, but perhaps to some of them. How's that for blind enthusiasm?
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