Bordeaux want Chamakh bakh

Club president Jean-Louis Triaud has revealed that he is trying to bring Marouane Chamakh back to struggling Bordeaux. Les Girondins are 14th in Ligue 1, just 2 points above the relegation zone, and their recent glory years seem like ancient history. Triaud said he needs players who can make an immediate impact, and Chamakh would fit the bill. Having started his career with Bordeaux, he became an immediate first-choice, leading the line for 7 years before signing for us on a free transfer in the summer of 2010. In his last 3 years in France, under Laurent Blanc. he developed a formidable understanding with Yoann Gourcuff to lead Bordeaux to their first league title in 10 years. However both Chamakh and AFC have ignored all inquiries from Bordeaux.

Seemingly focused on being a success at Arsenal, the quietly-driven Moroccan has divided opinion ever since his arrival. There are those of us who point to his brilliant initial form last season – stepping up in the absence of Van Persie and Bendtner with his incredible heading, sublime touch, hard-work, and ability to bring others into play. Then there are those who point out his piss-poor goalscoring record, inability to produce any sort of convincing shot with his feet, and a tendency to fade out for large periods of a game.

Both sides have fair points, although it hasn’t helped that Van Persie has found such incredible fitness and form this year. Chamakh is very much a confidence player, and with Van Persie ahead of him in a 4-5-1, and the fans getting on his back, he’s found it hard to get any sort of form going. He’s never been prolific – 16 goals in 47 games was the best he ever managed in France, scoring 76 in 301 overall, but managers always pointed to his ability as a target man, and overall contribution to games. Often playing with 3 attackers behind him, Chamakh was at his best using his strength and movement to create chances and space for others. He wasn’t in the penalty box too often, but when he was, he was deadly in the air.

Unfortunately, at Arsenal, with more intense competition and even more intense media scrutiny, it’s his inability to step up a level and convert chances that has let him down. With the ball almost always played short, and on the ground, Chamakh has looked at ease in the build up play, but almost never on the end of it. Our crossing is too infrequent and erratic to make the most of his brilliant heading ability, but at the same time his shooting has been too poor to make the most of the chances created in our passing game.

We can only hope that MC29’s refusal to communicate with Bordeaux means that he’s hard at work in training, ready to take his chances when they come.