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bagwan
16-08-2011, 08:46 PM
thoughts?....

dazthegooner
16-08-2011, 08:47 PM
Shit...

cheesy bites
16-08-2011, 08:47 PM
He's not as bad as people here make out, I'd be happy if he was 3rd choice as a striker.

Olivier's xmas twist
16-08-2011, 08:47 PM
GOD helps us if RVP gets injured and Bendtner gone. Would have rather seen Akfobe tbh.

Ironing
16-08-2011, 08:48 PM
Hard worker

Seems to have no desire to score

Cripps_orig
16-08-2011, 08:49 PM
Good player. Works tirelesseesesly whatever.

Not the best of games today but when youre playing with shite such as Gervinho, Rosicky, Song, Jenkinson, Frimpong etc even the best would struggle.

Good squad player to have and isnt a problem.

AKBapologist
16-08-2011, 08:52 PM
He was awful today, hasn't been much better in a while.

A new CF is almost as needed as a new CB.

Joker
16-08-2011, 08:53 PM
Good player. Works tirelesseesesly whatever.

Not the best of games today but when youre playing with shite such as Gervinho, Rosicky, Song, Jenkinson, Frimpong etc even the best would struggle.

Good squad player to have and isnt a problem.

That's a poor excuse, given Chamakh was worse than all those players you mention combined.

I don't see the point of Chamakh. He doesn't put himself about, he doesn't challenge for headers from crosses, technically he's mediocre, he's scared of shooting, he's not particularly creative, what the fuck can he actually do?

Niall_Quinn
16-08-2011, 08:57 PM
Biggest joke of a striker to ever play in the PL. Spends the whole game hiding, contributes nothing, we play with 10 when he's picked. He needs to be sold or given away. We urgently need one or even two (if Nick leaves) proper strikers that can back up RvP. Nothing special is required, just a player that knows how to shoot, has a fairly decent touch and is not a disgraceful coward and lazy wanker like Chamakh.

What a fucking cunt, how have we gone from Bergkamp and Henry to having a cunt like this in our squad? If it's supposed to be a joke it's not fucking funny.

Cripps_orig
16-08-2011, 09:01 PM
That's a poor excuse, given Chamakh was worse than all those players you mention combined.

I don't see the point of Chamakh. He doesn't put himself about, he doesn't challenge for headers from crosses, technically he's mediocre, he's scared of shooting, he's not particularly creative, what the fuck can he actually do?

Well no he wasnt

bagwan
16-08-2011, 09:04 PM
He is so cumbersome and lethargic.

The guy has no energy at all.

gunnerrrrr
16-08-2011, 09:05 PM
Awful....he is the benchmark for mediocrity.

We have RVP then this guy as his replacement.....is this real life?

Power n Glory
16-08-2011, 09:12 PM
The guys bollocks. Chambolic is his new name.

Said ages ago Bendy had more to off than him. I knew we made a mistake with this guy. Some of you owe me an apology! Said it early last season, this guy isn't built to last in this league. He's softer than toilet paper.

Xhaka Can’t
16-08-2011, 09:13 PM
Just the look of him sucks the life out of our game.

Niall_Quinn
16-08-2011, 09:14 PM
The guys bollocks. Chambolic is his new name.

Said ages ago Bendy had more to off than him. I knew we made a mistake with this guy. Some of you owe me an apology! Said it early last season, this guy isn't built to last in this league. He's softer than toilet paper.

I apologise.

Cripps_orig
16-08-2011, 09:16 PM
The guys bollocks. Chambolic is his new name.

Said ages ago Bendy had more to off than him. I knew we made a mistake with this guy. Some of you owe me an apology! Said it early last season, this guy isn't built to last in this league. He's softer than toilet paper.

Early last season when he was scoring and was awesome?

Of course you did :lol:

Power n Glory
16-08-2011, 09:17 PM
I apologise.

Lol, you've said from the get go that the guy is garbage.

Marc Overmars
16-08-2011, 09:17 PM
I watched him closely today because I knew it was likely he'd get the full game and he did, so I could make a fair call as I feel I may have been too harsh on him in the past.

I think every criticism is justified, he is utterly pointless. Maybe he is a good player in his own right but in this team he fucking stinks the place out. Complete passenger and has nothing to offer apart from 5 yard lay offs. No pace, no intelligence, no audacity about him, he just seems up how mediocre the squad is. Is this really the type of striker we want in our squad? Please for the love of god Wenger buy a new striker or move Theo up front.

That said, Chamakh was surrounded by shit tonight so it was no surprise he shit as well, however it's not the first time he's performed like that so this is not isolated.

Don't care about the first 3 months of last season - beginners luck, honeymoon period, whatever you want to call it. Since November last year he has only scored one goal against Leyton Orient, he's just not bloody good enough.

But hey, this is the guy who will spearhead many more games this year when RVP inevitably breaks. Yay.

Cripps_orig
16-08-2011, 09:19 PM
But hey, this is the guy who will spearhead many more games this year when RVP inevitably breaks. Yay.

As he did last season and was excellent so no problem here with Chamakh. Hardly played after Xmas so not fair to judge him on sub appearances. When he gets a run in the team, he scores.

Good player

Aaron Wilshere
16-08-2011, 09:19 PM
Can Wenger really have watched that shit and been satisfied by Chamakh's performance?

Surely he must catch on soon.

Olivier's xmas twist
16-08-2011, 09:22 PM
Chamack looks shot to peices right now, he needs a goal and soon, get some confidence and show us the player that we know and ACH says he can be.

Xhaka Can’t
16-08-2011, 09:22 PM
He couldn't score with Debbie in 'Debbie does Dallas.'

Marc Overmars
16-08-2011, 09:23 PM
As he did last season and was excellent so no problem here with Chamakh. Hardly played after Xmas so not fair to judge him on sub appearances. When he gets a run in the team, he scores.

Good player

When Bendtner last had a run in the team at the back end of 09/10 he was scoring in pretty much every other game.

Good player.

Power n Glory
16-08-2011, 09:23 PM
Early last season when he was scoring and was awesome?

Of course you did :lol:

Yes, even when he was scoring and after his first pre season game I noticed his worrying trend of not shooting. The goals he scored were put on a plate for him, they weren't hard chances and I knew up against teams that park the bus, he won't be able to unlock a defence because he's too soft and his hold up play usually results in a backwards pass. What good is that?

Bendy is rubbish, but we've seen him score goals from impossible angles and make something from nothing. When struggling to score, he can often come off the bench to score or set up a winner.

Grebbo
16-08-2011, 09:23 PM
Doesn't help with his hair covered in jizz.

Yet another example of how Wenger has lost it. He obviously considers Chamakh super quality or wouldn't have signed him.

Cripps_orig
16-08-2011, 09:24 PM
Chamack looks shot to peices right now, he needs a goal and soon, get some confidence and show us the player that we know and ACH says he can be.

Best post on here.

Cripps_orig
16-08-2011, 09:26 PM
When Bendtner last had a run in the team at the back end of 09/10 he was scoring in pretty much every other game.

Good player.

Hes been here for years though and not shown any improvement at all. Chamakh comes in and does as much as Bendtner has ever done in his first season. If Chamakh is still like this 5 years down the line which he wont be then by all means have a go. Right now, it just makes his constant critics boring and dull cos they dont really have a leg to stand on.

PGFC
16-08-2011, 09:26 PM
Once he pulls his head from his arse and realises he's supposed to be a striker he'll be like a new signing.

Boss
16-08-2011, 09:28 PM
The Denilson of forwards.

And that says it all, I'm afraid.

Cripps_orig
16-08-2011, 09:28 PM
Yes, even when he was scoring and after his first pre season game I noticed his worrying trend of not shooting. The goals he scored were put on a plate for him, they weren't hard chances and I knew up against teams that park the bus, he won't be able to unlock a defence because he's too soft and his hold up play usually results in a backwards pass. What good is that?

Bendy is rubbish, but we've seen him score goals from impossible angles and make something from nothing. When struggling to score, he can often come off the bench to score or set up a winner.

Ive noticed how Chamakh critics are reaching by pointing this out.

My reply? Who gives a fuck? A goals a goal and he stays in the box which is what we need. Now we need some fuckers who can get the ball in the box and we'll see the best of him

bagwan
16-08-2011, 09:30 PM
Hes been here for years though and not shown any improvement at all. Chamakh comes in and does as much as Bendtner has ever done in his first season. If Chamakh is still like this 5 years down the line which he wont be then by all means have a go. Right now, it just makes his constant critics boring and dull cos they dont really have a leg to stand on.

You can honestly say you were impressed by his performance tonight?

Joker
16-08-2011, 09:31 PM
When he scored at the start of the season I was quite impressed by him, even if they were simple goals because you need to be at the right place at the right time. However, apart from 2 months at the start of the season, he has been a liability for us whenever he's played. He stopped getting into the positions that he was getting into at the start of the season, suggesting his early season form was a fluke. I remember him coming on against Bolton with us needing a goal, and he did sweet FA, which confirmed that he's not the quality of player a team that wants to finish in the top 4 should have.

Cripps_orig
16-08-2011, 09:31 PM
You can honestly say you were impressed by his performance tonight?

Never said that. He was poor today but he wasnt the only one but yet hes the one whos getting all the hate. If i was in WUM mode id use the "we won the game which we didnt when RVP started a game this season" excuse which would silence everyone but thankfully im not in a wummy mood

Niall_Quinn
16-08-2011, 09:35 PM
Never said that. He was poor today but he wasnt the only one but yet hes the one whos getting all the hate. If i was in WUM mode id use the "we won the game which we didnt when RVP started a game this season" excuse which would silence everyone but thankfully im not in a wummy mood

Might have something to do with the fact it's his 20th abject performance in a row. He's also a constant reminder that we need a striker.

Power n Glory
16-08-2011, 09:36 PM
Ive noticed how Chamakh critics are reaching by pointing this out.

My reply? Who gives a fuck? A goals a goal and he stays in the box which is what we need. Now we need some fuckers who can get the ball in the box and we'll see the best of him

We can argue all day but these are just words. You can argue his case until your blue in the face, but the boy isn't performing on the pitch. He's shit!

If he starts banging in goals again, then come back and talk to me. We can chop it up and get down to why he's scoring goals again. But until then, I'm hearing none of it. Good evening, sir.

Cripps_orig
16-08-2011, 09:37 PM
Might have something to do with the fact it's his 20th abject performance in a row. He's also a constant reminder that we need a striker.

We'd need a striker even if Chamakh was on form. I dont trust RVP to stay fit and Bendtner is awful

Cripps_orig
16-08-2011, 09:38 PM
We can argue all day but these are just words. You can argue his case until your blue in the face, but the boy isn't performing on the pitch. He's shit!

If he starts banging in goals again, then come back and talk to me. We can chop it up and get down to why he's scoring goals again. But until then, I'm hearing none of it. Good evening, sir.

Why? He was doing so last season and you still laughably claim he was shit. Why would that change now?

Hes off form for sure but i dont turn on players who go through a bad run especially when he was excellent for half of his first full season and only flopped when he was dropped cos RVP came back not cos of anything he did

Niall_Quinn
16-08-2011, 09:41 PM
We'd need a striker even if Chamakh was on form. I dont trust RVP to stay fit and Bendtner is awful

Of course we need a striker, in fact we need two. Chamakh and Bendtner are not of sufficient quality to play at this level. Bendtner is mid table at best, Chamakh wouldn't make it in any league in this country because he has no bottle. We've needed a top quality striker ever since Henry left. Another gaping hole in the team that has cost us and cost us and cost us again. Obviously Vela isn't worth mentioning beyond pointing out he's still technically on our books.

Cripps_orig
16-08-2011, 09:45 PM
Forgot about Vela tbh :lol:

Ive been calling for a striker for years even before Henry left cos even with him, we created plenty of chances but apart from him, no one else scored that much as Pires and Freddie had gone or were shit by then.

Nowadays we dont even create chances and players like Chamakh have to feed on scraps

Xhaka Can’t
16-08-2011, 09:48 PM
Ive noticed how Chamakh critics are reaching by pointing this out.

My reply? Who gives a fuck? A goals a goal

That is true.

Now can we see just one?

That would be a start.

toothless gibbon
16-08-2011, 09:48 PM
Joel Campbell will be 2nd choice soon enough, at least Chamakh will be happy with a place on the bench.

Niall_Quinn
16-08-2011, 09:48 PM
Forgot about Vela tbh :lol:

Ive been calling for a striker for years even before Henry left cos even with him, we created plenty of chances but apart from him, no one else scored that much as Pires and Freddie had gone or were shit by then.

Nowadays we dont even create chances and players like Chamakh have to feed on scraps

You watch him in the next game (which hopefully won't be for some time). On the rare occasions we are breaking towards the box or manage to beat the first man with a cross Chamakh is always 4 yards off the play. Not because of lack of pace, because he's hiding. He's like an anti-striker, maybe we should put him in defence.

Cripps_orig
16-08-2011, 09:52 PM
That is true.

Now can we see just one?

That would be a start.

And we will if he plays. Not just one off games but given a run as shown last season.

Ideally play him and RVP upfront cos i reckon they'll bring out the best in each other but Wenger is an idiot

Marc Overmars
16-08-2011, 09:52 PM
You watch him in the next game (which hopefully won't be for some time). On the rare occasions we are breaking towards the box or manage to beat the first man with a cross Chamakh is always 4 yards off the play. Not because of lack of pace, because he's hiding. He's like an anti-striker, maybe we should put him in defence.

He performs exactly the same role as Heskey.

Except Heskey is actually better.

Xhaka Can’t
16-08-2011, 09:55 PM
And we will if he plays. Not just one off games but given a run as shown last season.

Ideally play him and RVP upfront cos i reckon they'll bring out the best in each other but Wenger is an idiot

He is an idiot if he plays Chamakh unless he absolutely positively has to.

The guy sucks what little life our team has out of us.

He is a disaster of a signing. A complete and unmitigated disaster - a disaster of such epic proportions that he makes you yearn for Bendtner to warm up.

Cripps_orig
16-08-2011, 09:59 PM
He is an idiot if he plays Chamakh unless he absolutely positively has to.

The guy sucks what little life our team has out of us.

He is a disaster of a signing. A complete and unmitigated disaster - a disaster of such epic proportions that he makes you yearn for Bendtner to warm up.

Youre in a WUM mood tonight i see

Power n Glory
16-08-2011, 10:00 PM
He performs exactly the same role as Heskey.

Except Heskey is actually better.

I knew weren't buying a goalscorer that was going to bang in 25 a season. Check his stats. But I thought he's open teams up with his hold up play and slick passing, dribbling and smart touches. Or even if he can't do that, just dominate defenders with his size life Heskey and Crouch do. But he doesn't even do that. That is why I don't like him. He's more of the same. A passenger player that needs service. I was under the impression we were buying someone that link up well with others, like how Heskey created space for Owen. He's far from that.

Xhaka Can’t
16-08-2011, 10:00 PM
Youre in a WUM mood tonight i see

How so?

There was not a word in that post that I don't wholeheartedly believe in.

Cripps_orig
16-08-2011, 10:04 PM
How so?

There was not a word in that post that I don't wholeheartedly believe in.

Well yearning for Bendtner who as bad as Chamakh can be is even worse is a good sign of that

Xhaka Can’t
16-08-2011, 10:07 PM
Well yearning for Bendtner who as bad as Chamakh can be is even worse is a good sign of that

I want Bendtner out of the Club, but I would start him ahead of Chamakh every time.

Why?

Because if Chamakh is not the worst player ever to play for the Club, he is damn near it.

He is the Stepanovs of strikers. That aint wumming, it is what I think of the guy.

Cripps_orig
16-08-2011, 10:11 PM
I want Bendtner out of the Club, but I would start him ahead of Chamakh every time.

Why?

Because if Chamakh is not the worst player ever to play for the Club, he is damn near it.

He is the Stepanovs of strikers. That aint wumming, it is what I think of the guy.

Fair enough. I think likewise of Bendtner.

I actually liked Stepanovs tbh but thats for another thread

Xhaka Can’t
16-08-2011, 10:14 PM
Goodnight.

Tony Tuesdays
16-08-2011, 10:51 PM
Good player. Works tirelesseesesly whatever.

Not the best of games today but when youre playing with shite such as Gervinho, Rosicky, Song, Jenkinson, Frimpong etc even the best would struggle.

Good squad player to have and isnt a problem.


That's a poor excuse, given Chamakh was worse than all those players you mention combined.

I don't see the point of Chamakh. He doesn't put himself about, he doesn't challenge for headers from crosses, technically he's mediocre, he's scared of shooting, he's not particularly creative, what the fuck can he actually do?

Well said, I've found myself asking the same question since he went off the boil at the turn of the year. I've given him the benefit of the doubt because I thought he'd return to his pre-Xmas form but every time isee him he just gets worse and worse.

We played with 10 men and passenger this evening.

I only hope Wenger retains Bendy or gets another striker on board.
I think I've got two hopes, and one's called Robert....

Grebbo
22-08-2011, 09:11 AM
Evidently one of the reasons why he's so shit right now is that he's fasting during Ramadan so has no energy.

:doh:

milla
22-08-2011, 09:21 AM
Evidently one of the reasons why he's so shit right now is that he's fasting during Ramadan so has no energy.

:doh:

Fekin excuse, Kalou, Anelka etc are fasting too, you dont see them stop being good players. Nothing to do with football. :coffee:

Darth Vela
22-08-2011, 10:17 AM
Evidently one of the reasons why he's so shit right now is that he's fasting during Ramadan so has no energy.

:doh:

Ramadan takes 8 months now? Damn, I'm out of touch with modern religions.

If he never returns to the form he had for the first 5 months then he's a waste of space, that I pretty much agree on, I'm happy to give him the benefit of the doubt for a little longer as the entire team looks pretty downcast right now and he was damn useful for us but something's up and if we can't solve it he should be replaced.

Darth Vela
22-08-2011, 10:17 AM
Fekin excuse, Kalou, Anelka etc are fasting too, you dont see them stop being good players. Nothing to do with football. :coffee:

Tbf, you don't see Kalou starting to be a good player either.

milla
22-08-2011, 12:36 PM
Tbf, you don't see Kalou starting to be a good player either.

No but it shouldnt be an excuse. There are millions of sportmen fasting during Ramadhan, you dont hear them complaining. :coffee:

Niall_Quinn
22-08-2011, 12:39 PM
After thinking long and hard on this I'm finally ready to say that Chamakh is shit.

Cripps_orig
22-08-2011, 02:19 PM
Good player

Niall_Quinn
22-08-2011, 03:08 PM
Good player

Not

Master Splinter
22-08-2011, 03:57 PM
No but it shouldnt be an excuse. There are millions of sportmen fasting during Ramadhan, you dont hear them complaining. :coffee:

When did he complain?

As a great man once said: making stuff up FTW.

This will be stated as fact now and printed in the Mirror in the morning featuring a terrifying Chamakh/Rooney/Sagna/Spearing mashup monstrosity, quoting a 'source' who happens to be milla on the Goonersweb messageboard.

And the the carnival of stupid will be unleashed.

Making stuff up FTW.

milla
22-08-2011, 07:55 PM
When did he complain?

As a great man once said: making stuff up FTW.

This will be stated as fact now and printed in the Mirror in the morning featuring a terrifying Chamakh/Rooney/Sagna/Spearing mashup monstrosity, quoting a 'source' who happens to be milla on the Goonersweb messageboard.

And the the carnival of stupid will be unleashed.

Making stuff up FTW.

I was replying to Grebbo and Darth Vela not replying to any quote. Why are you so uptight? Should you be WUMing Ach? :coffee:

Niall_Quinn
22-08-2011, 07:58 PM
Fucking hell, this takes the biscuit!

Have you heard Chamakh's latest excuse for his woeful performances? Apparently it's because he has to fast for Ramadhan!

Power n Glory
22-08-2011, 07:59 PM
What about RVP and Nasri? They fasting too?

Niall_Quinn
22-08-2011, 08:00 PM
What about RVP and Nasri? They fasting too?

Snorting cocaine I think, and too many lates with hot lezzies.

milla
22-08-2011, 08:00 PM
What about RVP and Nasri? They fasting too?

I think Nasri fast but not sure with RVP. :coffee:

GunnerFan4Life
22-08-2011, 08:00 PM
IM FASTING. Let me play for him then that don't stop me playing!!!!

milla
22-08-2011, 08:01 PM
Fucking hell, this takes the biscuit!

Have you heard Chamakh's latest excuse for his woeful performances? Apparently it's because he has to fast for Ramadhan!

Quote please, otherwise GW will go mental. :coffee:

McNamara That Ghost...
22-08-2011, 08:01 PM
It's only fasting during certain times of the day anyway, isn't it?

Niall_Quinn
22-08-2011, 08:02 PM
It's only fasting during certain times of the day anyway, isn't it?

No, every day for 40 days in a row and it has to be in a desert.

McNamara That Ghost...
22-08-2011, 08:03 PM
No, every day for 40 days in a row and it has to be in a desert.

Ah well that's a fairly legitimate reason for shit form then.

GunnerFan4Life
22-08-2011, 08:04 PM
sunrise to sunset. 30 days.

milla
22-08-2011, 08:04 PM
It's only fasting during certain times of the day anyway, isn't it?

In UK, it is roughly from 4am to 20:30pm. :coffee:

Niall_Quinn
22-08-2011, 08:04 PM
Ah well that's a fairly legitimate reason for shit form then.

He'll be like a new signing when he gets out of intensive care.

Niall_Quinn
22-08-2011, 08:05 PM
In UK, it is roughly from 4am to 20:30pm. :coffee:

European or African swallow?

Syn
22-08-2011, 08:08 PM
Word on the street is that Chamakh doesn't eat chicken because he doesn't want to eat one of his own kind.

Niall_Quinn
22-08-2011, 08:12 PM
Word on the street is that Chamakh doesn't eat chicken because he doesn't want to eat one of his own kind.

He's a hypocrite then, because he has no problem eating excrement.

Syn
22-08-2011, 08:17 PM
He's a hypocrite then, because he has no problem eating excrement.

:haha:

Master Splinter
22-08-2011, 08:51 PM
He's a hypocrite then, because he has no problem eating excrement.

:haha:

Boss
22-08-2011, 09:14 PM
He's a hypocrite then, because he has no problem eating excrement.

:haha:

NQ :bow: :bow:

Coney
22-08-2011, 09:19 PM
European or African swallow?

I don't know that....

... aaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggggghhhhhhhhh hhhhhhhhh!

hobson's choice
23-08-2011, 03:03 AM
Fucking hell, this takes the biscuit!

Have you heard Chamakh's latest excuse for his woeful performances? Apparently it's because he has to fast for Ramadhan!

Dzeko and Yaya are fasting too, shit i'm fasting myself. No excuse at all, fasting didn't seem to bother him last year.

Letters
23-08-2011, 08:27 AM
In UK, it is roughly from 4am to 20:30pm. :coffee:

:pal:

Kano
23-08-2011, 09:45 AM
Clubs increasingly like to control every aspect of their players' fitness, testing them weekly, providing individual exercise plans and dictating diet. Sometimes, however, outside influences come into play.

For the increasing number of Muslims in the Premier and Football League, normal eating habits are currently suspended, for this is the month of Ramadan.

During Ramadan, which runs from 1 to 29 August this year, devotees are expected to refrain from taking in food or liquid, smoking and sex, from before sunrise until sundown. This is intended to teach patience, spirituality, humility and submissiveness to Allah. It is one of the five pillars of Islam, the others being a declaration of faith, giving to charity, praying the five daily prayers and the Haj pilgrimage to Mecca.

Managers and coaches may question the wisdom of a footballer having to train and play when fasting, but this is something that Muslims know is part of their life.

Some, like the former Tottenham and West Ham striker, Frédéric Kanouté, are strict observers. Kanouté, now at Seville, has been a practising Muslim since the age of 20. His faith, insists Kanouté, has never presented itself as a problem in his relationship with the coaching staff, team-mates or fans. But when it comes to Ramadan, they pepper him with questions.

"They're quite curious, yes. They wonder why I don't eat and ask all these questions, but you have to answer them. It's good also because it's witnessing the religion and we can talk about that. They see me praying in the dressing room, I don't think of how people look at me, I'm just natural and it's my way.

"Islam has helped me to be this way, so this is normal. It's a path you take to keep you calm, to help you think about the place you live in, to love your neighbour. It's strange when I hear about all these problems of terrorism because it's the opposite of what I understood for Islam."

In a diverse Premier League, an increasing number of players are followers of Islam. You'll see them cup their hands in silent prayer before kick-off, then brush them over their face. Kolo and Yaya Touré, Nicolas Anelka and Samir Nasri are all talented players who would not want any fuss over their faith, but during the month of Ramadan, games can become even more of a challenge than usual.

In 2009, after only half an hour of Inter's 1-1 draw with Bari, the fasting Sulley Muntari was substituted, with manager Jose Mourinho stating that Ramadan had "not arrived at the ideal moment for a player to play a football match". His comments drew widespread criticism, which Mourinho later clarified by saying: "Muntari's decision is not to be criticised because it is a question of faith and religion. That means that I accept it. I never said Muntari should forget his religion and practice."

Some players compromise. Anelka has said that he initially fasted in daylight hours as prescribed, but "I realised I often got injured just after the period of Ramadan, so I don't observe it strictly any more".

A similar approach is followed by Arsenal striker Marouane Chamakh. "I have no problem fasting during Ramadan, it becomes normal. The day before a game and on match days I do not fast, but I'll make up the lost days later."

Ipswich striker Nathan Ellington converted to Islam seven years ago, and has just set up the Association of Muslim Footballers, whose purpose is to inform non-believers. He said educating the footballing authorities will help alleviate the type of comments that Mourinho came out with, which he described as "unfair".

Ellington added: "When I'm playing, I won't fast, but I'll make up for the missed day afterwards. For training, there's not a problem either, as you can get your hydration and nutrients with the suhoor [the early pre-dawn breakfast] which then helps. The only difference is afterwards when the rest of the players go off [to eat] and you have to hang on for a while longer, until the iftar meal at sunset."

The Millwall winger Hameur Bouazza admitted fasting can be problematic, but said it was part of his faith. "I'm proud to be a Muslim. I'm not going to say [combining fasting and football] is easy. Ramadan is hard, and I try to do my best every time. You know God is there to help us, we believe in him and he believes in us as well. We just need to pray and believe in him."

The issue of fasting and playing is a tricky one with the religious needs of the player somewhat at odds with the footballing needs of his manager and the club. Until now, there have not been any defining guidelines on the issue, but as more Muslim players find a place in the top leagues of Europe the issue of fasting during the holy month – which arrives annually 10 days earlier than the previous year – will not be going away.

seems to explain it

Cripps_orig
24-07-2012, 02:25 AM
MAROUANE CHAMAKH admits his Arsenal career could receive a massive boost if Robin van Persie leaves.

The Moroccan is the club’s only recognised striker on their three-match Far East tour which begins tonight against Malaysia.

Chamakh, 28, has struggled since making a stunning impact in his first four months at Arsenal when scoring seven Premier League goals plus three in the Champions League.

A free transfer from Bordeaux in 2010, he has a chance to shine as Van Persie has been grounded in England until his future is sorted while Nicklas Bendtner is also likely to leave the club.

Arsene Wenger has signed striker Lukas Podolski from Cologne and Montpellier’s Olivier Giroud. But both players have also remained in London after returning from Euro 2012.

Chamakh, asked whether he could benefit if skipper Van Persie leaves, replied: “Yes. If I am staying here with Arsenal, I will do my best for the team and give the maximum.

"Last season was difficult. We were playing with just one striker and that striker was the best player in Europe. There was not a lot I could do.

“I was upset because thought I could have played more but football is like that. Sometimes you do not have a chance.

“I hope this season I will play more than last. I have not spoken with the manager but I will soon.

“In the first six months after signing I had lots of games but after that I only played a few. Now I hope this season will be good for me and the club.

“Yes, I need more confidence. But to be confident I need to play more. I am determined to stay.”

Chamakh trained with his team-mates at Malaysia’s national stadium in front 2,000 supporters.

Boss Wenger was clearly unhappy with the state of the pitch, fearing his team could suffer injuries.

Arsenal’s players face a six-hour flight to Beijing directly after the game before playing Manchester City in China on Friday. The final game is in Hong Kong on Monday.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/4446167/Marouane-Chamakh-admits-his-Arsenal-career-could-receive-a-massive-boost-if-Robin-van-Persie-leaves.html

If hes as good as he was when he last had a run in the team then great. Hardly kicked a ball since