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Marouane Chamakh: In hindsight, the League Cup left its mark on us

Written by Renzo on May 23, 2011 – 18:00

Arsenal Interactive - Player RatingsMarouane Chamakh

According to Arsenal striker Marouane Chamakh, the lost League Cup Final against relegated Birmingham left its mark on the Gunners.

The Morocco International said that before the Wembley final the Gunners were convinced they could reach the end of all competitions but since losing against the Blues, Arsenal could only register three wins, the F.A. Cup replay against Leyton Orient and Blackpool and Champions Manchester United in the Premier League.

The striker continued by saying that had the Gunners won the League Cup, many would have had to admit that playing football the way it should be played can pay off but a last-minute conceded goal means that they have to wait at least one more season before ending their six-year trophyless crisis.

On what went wrong this season, the striker said:

It’s weird. Right up until the end of February, we were competing on every front. Then we lost the League Cup final and we started asking ourselves questions.

Everything happened very quickly, the Champions League came: we played well in the first leg against Barcelona, and then we blew the return.

In hindsight, the League Cup left its mark on us. It’s my first season with the club, but it’s been a long time that my teammates want to win something.

If we’d won the League Cup, people would have said: ‘Arsenal play well and win.’ But it all hangs on one goal in the last minute.

Arsenal are trying to associate stylish play with victories. For the time being it’s not coming off, but I remain convinced it will come.

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  • MARK GOONER says:

    Don’t want to hear him speak another word. He is as ahite and ineffective as bendtner. Free trasnsfer. I now understand why. The list of players we need to jog on is too long to mention

    • Uz says:

      someone should tell him to go back to where he came from.he has not added anything to the squad.

      • james says:

        are you joking?? this lad has added more than most in our team this season!! you are clearly blind, or just dont watch football. The first half of the season he was brilliant, then van persie came back and theres no shame in being replaced by RVP.
        And he was on a free transfer because he didnt re-sign and let his contract run out… his doing, not the clubs.

        • Becki says:

          Hes the reason we got so far anyway – rvp and
          Bendtner injuried it fell on his shoulders!
          1st season at a prem club….i think he done well!!

        • Paddy O'Neill says:

          so why didn’t AW play him and RVP together.

  • ak47 says:

    dont wanna hear it. man the f up. all you lot do is kick balls24/7, yet we have to watch pathetic crosses that cant clear the first man over and over, sloppy passes etc. arsene better get the whip out.

  • imax says:

    To Mark, when Chamakh got the chance he did well, shame on Wenger

    • Hunter says:

      I agree. Then he was removed from the lineup so Bendtner could play. Instead of producing results he just continued to run his mouth and produce little end product.

  • Phil F says:

    Do your talking on the pitch….

  • davie says:

    This clown fits in to our team quite well. He’s good at making excuses and not much else. All I’ve heard from chamakh since he joined us is constant excuses. Too tired to play football after THREE months. Not to expect much from him because he’s still learning? Wtf ur 27 you joker. And now we finish the season in an asolutely shocking fashion because we didn’t win the carling cup? Lol to be honest I’m tired of the excuses. And just don’t care to hear them anymore. Man up and admit the entire team has been a huge disappoinment and simply not good enough. The longer these players make excuses and resfuse to accept they’re not good enough. The less likely they are to be driven to improve. So let me tell you and your team mates something marouane. If your good enough you win trophies simple as that. If you’re not good enough you finish 4th. accept it. Keep your mouth shut. And spend your time working hard to impove instead of caring more about styling your hair you greasy ponce.

    • Simmer 10 says:

      Yup, the whole team are a bunch of posers, take away there training ground and let them train at Hackney marshes, that would be a start!

  • Corey says:

    While Chamakh is right to talk about the team losing their mentality after the League Cup fiasco (who wouldn’t considering the surreal ending to that game), something must be said about his lackluster performances over the last half of the campaign. How many times have we watched this Moroccan youngster woefully blast shots wide of the target, or rocket headers into the seats? Sure he was clearly wronged against Villa for what was a perfect heading goal, but besides that flash of brilliance (and retardation by the official) there has been nothing to warrant applause on Marouane’s play…hopefully his pre-New Year’s form returns next season…along with a handful of other players.

  • paul says:

    Somehow wilshere is the one I would have expected to show immaturity after the cup lose but shockingly it was the big boys who went and sat on their thumbs! discouraging.

  • saywhatnow says:

    What I find weird, is that all you non arsenal supporters come on here, and have lengthy opinions about something you clearly know nothing about. It’s like you people don’t even watch the games, and make some kind of deformed judgement on media based anti hype.
    Chamakh is a world class player, and has added something to our squad that was lacking.
    His hold up play, and aerial ability is superb, and something NB25 can only dream of.
    He had an awesome start, but was always going to be second to a fit VP. Subsequently this kept him out of the starting 11 for some time, which in my opinion was partly why we kinda folded. We also had a string of shocking decisions that screwed us. We have a very good squad and the right manager, and although it got painful at the end there, I wont stop being an Arsenal SUPPORTER.

  • davie says:

    He is NOT world class, are you serious? Do YOU watch the games. He has decent aspects of his game but so do all strikers. as an all round striker he’s not world class by any means. His shootin especially with his feet his generally absolutely woeful. He can’t beat a man. He doesn’t have great pace. Yes his hold play is decent as is his ability in the air. But besides all that. His excuses are boring. I understand he’s knew to the league. But to be unable to play after only 3 months first season or not is simply unacceptable. His severe dip in form after that is quite frankly not good enough. we wouldn’t even be debating this if was clearly a world class striker. You don’t see anyone debating whether other new strikers to league are good enough. Such suarez hernandez etc because they’ve clearly displayed being good enough in their first season. This lad has not. And that why he should keep his trap shut with the excuses we’re all tired of hearing.

  • GunnerLuva says:

    100% agree with Davie.
    In all honesty there’s a good few AFC players who are just not good enough.
    In some regards it show’s how good a manager Wenger is, geting those mediocre individuals to preform at times this season- but on the other hand the proof of the pudding is in the Trophy cabinet.
    AFC fans complain & say if u a true supporter u get behind he team & back them regardless, well I’m a season ticket holder & have been since Highbury & I think Wenger is to blame for te current lack of silverware.
    Here’s why.

    Firstly he’s 2nice to the players, I dont think they feel there’s enough of a consequence when they play badly, I know hey want to do well but maybe they dont feel like they ‘have to’ do well-get it? Was reading an Adebayor interview the other day – interesting difference/comparison he made btwn Mourinho & Wenger : Mourinho would ‘Never’ of allowed Birmingham to beat a team of his in the cup final, he would of let his players know that loosing to such a team will not be accepted in a cup final, end of.

    2nd that stupid rule he had/has for over 30’s.

    2nd he’s to ‘nice’ in the transfer market & always has been (except when it comes to spanish/French kids). He refuses to push the boat out to get certain players & I dont just mean financially. Years ago he paid an arm & a leg to buy Fanny Jeffers when the obvious option was to get Kevin Phillips that summer. That was the first time I really started looking objectionably at what he was doing in the transfer market. Not just the buy’s but the technique.
    The transfer market is now so viscous that the nice guys get left behind & end up with Chamackh & Koscielny instead of Bent & Cahill for instance & so what if Bent played for Tottenham, u telling me 3/4 of those chances AFC put on a plate for their misfit strikers he wouldn’t of tucked em in? Look I like Wenger & love the way he makes his teams play but somethings gotta give.

  • eldiablo says:

    Chamakh did really well…being a new player in the team…then Van Persie came back and took his striking place back….i believe Chamakh will be a very important striker for Arsenal next season. No one can judge a player that doesnt get started and plays 15 minutes at the end of a game, a good example: Bendtner..i think he’s great but playing 15 minutes at the end of every game won’t get you very far…put yourself in their place.

  • mark says:

    i think all the people that agree with davie need help you sayy all this stuff about him like hes a rubbish player if it wasnt for him at the beginning of the season we would of had no striker YES IT IS HIS FIRST SEASON IN THE EPL and that is his excuse put yourself in his shoes we shouldnt be blaming the players we should have won the PL but the reffs and the linesmen just havent been on our side this season honestly i think chamakh should have been played with RVP next season hopefully he will have a big impact on our seasons if he was given the chance he would have been an important player like at the beginning of the season remember the wolves game wolves 0-2 arsenal he scored on the 37SECOND then scored on the 93RD MINUTE thats the player we need and will be used next season bendtner can leave if he wants to

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