Captain wrote:

Problem is that it isn't a joke.

It is. Van Persie has always been a slow starter before he hits form and
hes adapting to new team mates and a decrease in quality supporting him

Alot of people here were saying Chamakh was a better striker before RvP started breaking goal scoring records and you know who you all are.

I don't remember anyone saying Chamakh was the better striker, only that he looked very good and we should try and fit him in the team.

Ricky1985 wrote:

I don't remember anyone saying Chamakh was the better striker, only that he looked very good and we should try and fit him in the team.

Chamakh, in his first season in England, is matching RVP´s numbers regarding goals and assists in RVP´s best ever spell at Arsenal. There is nothing to suggest RVP is the bigger goal threat IMO.

I prefer Chamakh to RVP even if the latter is a better technical player

Chamakh is everything Pep Guardiola wanted Ibra to be at Barca. He's excellent and he should be made first choice by default

The worse one goes to

For a 4-3-3, Chamakh is a much better CF than VanPersie. His holdup play and workrate is magnificent. He keeps it simple stupid and perfect.

Unless we switch to a 4-4-2 on VanPersie's return, I'd say Robin should be relegated to our plan B striker (i.e in games where an extra bit of creativity and skill is needed). But we know that's not going to happen. Robin back = Robin start.

I've reached the end of my tether with Robin, so Chamakh FTW. Players like Chamakh, Diaby and Vermaelen are gonna bring pace and power back to Arsenal

Chamakh has the CF spot in the bag, if van persie in the bag, he should take one of our wider positions, which I believe he can contribute more there than as a CF.

Thankfully RVP is always out injured so they will get their fair share of chances

All of these posts made before September 15th 2010.

Gurgen was one of the few who had some sense.

Van Persie is a class above Chamakh. That simple really.

Brilliant quotes! They should be named and shamed.

Bahaha. I know I'm not one of those delusional feckers. Chamakh was only ever fit to be compared with Bender.

I'm no saint though. I thought Reyes would turn out a better footballer than Ronaldo

No excuses for his current form, but Robin is class and proven class, the last person we should be so worried about in the team.

Yes we need alternatives for him, but that would apply even if we had Leo Messi at the club.

September 16th 2010;

Timleaf wrote:

I'd go with Van Persie every time.

Phew, happy I wasn't one of those Chamakh over RVP numpties. Haha. 8)

I suss out the shitsters well early. Slammed senderos and denilson faster than you can say "losers" and I called Gibbs early too. Fling that kid in the bin

I don't think rvp has played like shite. Even in his bad games he has registered

haha. I was one of them who preferred Chamakh at the time, and for good reason too. He was very effective at holding up the ball and bringing in the midfield / wingers. If he had maintained his early Arsenal career form, he would probably be our first choice CF by now.

Still boggles the mind how he managed to drop form so drastically.

Is RvP playing like shit? Below par, average, not shit. Still provides many of the few moments of genuine class, like his turn and shot against the post at the wkend.
Does he look like he needs help? Yes.
Is he the player we need at point? Not with these players in this team, no.

Other points raised:
Is the captaincy a burden? No
Has Wenger hung him out to dry? Not sure what you mean?
What's the service to him been like? Not an all-encompassing excuse for his form, but the service to him has been absolutely and undeniably awful. And the way thet team is set up at the moment is not going to get the best out of him.

YounGunner wrote:

[...]

epic post. Almost like van Persie's against Villa.

flobaba wrote:

haha. I was one of them who preferred Chamakh at the time, and for good reason too. He was very effective at holding up the ball and bringing in the midfield / wingers. If he had maintained his early Arsenal career form, he would probably be our first choice CF by now.

Still boggles the mind how he managed to drop form so drastically.

Stop trying to justify that embarrasement of a post. Chamakh doesn't hold a leaf on RvP even in his greatest form. Its the reason why RvP walked back into the team and Chamakh fell apart with the mental strength of a 6 year old girl.

Van Persie is better than Chamakh at every aspect of the game, even in winning aerial duals.

Chamakh is nowhere near as good as robin at linking up and bringing midfielders into play either and that is suppose to be his main quality.

Chamakh is not as bad as he appears. In fact, the majority of the players, and the team as a whole is not as bad as it appears. There is a huge psychological problem at this team. How else can we explain the same group of footballers playing like world beaters until the Carling Cup, and then looking like Wolves for the past 6 months? Even Chamakh started brightly and did a very good job up front while Robin was out. It goes beyond him though. Even RvP seems to have caught the malaise of late. They're not great players, but they're better than what we have seen this past half year. What's wrong?

Agreed, Lagos. Those are important points you have made.
Beyond what you have said about the individual though, I think there is a systematic concern. Amy Lawrence, the one writer who truly loves the Arsenal and has her ear to the ground, said yesterday that there is a great deal of unhappiness at the club. It can be linked to your point about mental toughness, but I do think that a generally unhappy work environment can dampen performance. If Amy is correct about the mood at the club and, as I think, that mood is depressing performances; then we are going to be stuck in this malaise until we sort out the root problems of the unhappiness. Until big changes are made, I cannot see this group of coaches and players turning it around sufficiently to make us competitive.

How many of these guys just seem mentally together to you?
I feel like Sagna and Vermaelen seem to put in a professional shift most of the time they are on the field. Wilshere too, and Szescsny is showing signs (minus some f-ups at the 8-2 destruction derby). A lot of the other guys, though, just seem to drift in and out of matches and seasons.

Spot on Lagos but then I'd have to point out that I do think Robin has the right stuff.

I do think/hope its something thats changing though. The likes of Szczesny, Wilshere, etc seem to have the mentality to kill off that old malaise. Even guys like Ramsey and Frimpong have an excellent attitude.