Olivier Giroud says he’s ready to sit out next week’s Capital One Cup clash to rest up for the Premier League and Europe, but says he’s feeling good and that he’s used to the physical demands on playing lots of games.
The Frenchman will lead the Arsenal attack against currently managerless Crystal Palace this weekend, but has earmarked the Chelsea game as one for which he can rest his handsome bones.
“I feel good, but maybe I will have some rest next week, for the Capital One Cup. I will speak to the boss.
“I’m used to playing a lot of games and I feel good with my body so touch wood, no injuries.”
And touching on last night’s game against Dortmund, Giroud echoed the thoughts of Arsene Wenger by suggesting the team should have held on for a point rather than going out to win it.
“After the first half Dortmund were not as good, maybe tired, and we were really close to score the second one,” he said.
“But they kept going and scored on the counter-attack. It’s a shame because we could have done much better. We finished the game better than them and that’s why I’m really disappointed because if we couldn’t win the game, we didn’t have to lose it, maybe draw.
“In the Champions League it’s like that, about the details.”
Holding on for a draw is boring. They went for it, almost won it, but ended up losing. Sometimes this happens. A team of Arsenals quality should always be looking for the 3 points. Leave that holding on stuff for the Spuds. Losing this match is nowhere near a crisis. We’re still top of the group!
COYG
There’s a balance to be found between wanting to win in the short-term and being sensible for the medium-long term.
Arsenal 7
Napoli 6
Dortmund 4
looks a lot nicer to me than 666 – especially as we know that’s the number of beast.
Quite.
666 is Tony Pulis’ phone number.
post code more like….
We might be playing him Saturday
Also the number of caps he went through last season. The goblin horns keep poking through.
They should change it to 20. Flaminiiiiiiiii!
@arseblog The headline reads Giroud happy to keep going but to me he looks like saying he’s tired and needs a break. devil in the details and whatnot…..
Arsenal 9
Napoli 6
Dortmund 3
personally, I thought it was worth going for the win. We could have been on 9, 12 with a win vs Marseille back here and we’re through. A draw and we still needed something away. Let’s be honest too, if Sagna, Rosicky or Özil track Lewondowski they don’t win the game. Going for it or not, you have to track runs (Gibbs too) and stop crosses.
Finding that balance is a lot easier said than done. How’re you supposed to know when to go for the win and when to shut the game out? And about the points totals:-
Arsenal 9
Napoli 6
Dortmund 3
Looks better to me than 764 or 666. You can’t fault the lads for going for it, even if it backfired in the end.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing. If Santi’s shot had sailed into the top corner for a 2-1 win, we wouldn’t even have let the thought of a draw enter our collective heads.
Julio Baptiste’s squad number.
I feel confident that the team will respond very well, because we certainly have the quality to beat Dortmund. We were just a little unlucky yesterday, but the players seem very keen to make up for it in the next match.
Lets give them hell in Germany!
Is it just me or does he use the phrase “touch wood” a lot?
I’d touch his wood
Should bench him for palace match as well.
Have a feeling this weekends game at palace will be either very easy like a 0-5 or very nervy and difficult. I am not gonna jinx it with any predictions
Why did their bastard manager have to call it quits this week. Ah well. let’s rub salt in a bust 5 past ’em then rest giroud and ozil with 30 to go.
I wholely agree with you, what I don’t like is the fact that everyone is making it seem as if Dortmund outplayed us, really grinding my gears
I’m only mildly upset about the defeat because of where it leaves us re: the rest of the group stage. I reckon beating Marseille (mercilessly, if we can), and grabbing draws (at least) in Germany and Italy should see us through the group, possibly as 1st, more likely as second. About holding on for a draw versus going for it, I would not have had an issue with a death-or-glory approach in a knockout game, but this game was about the points so I think they should have held on. Then again, if we weren’t attacking them, they’d be attacking… Read more »
Marseillessly
Rather have a team that tries to win than settles for a draw
Probably why many of the young gunners started supporting Arsenal in the first place
Wengerball over Boring Boring Arsenal any day of the week!!
Amen to that buddy
I think Giroud had a good first season. However, if I had one criticism its that he didn’t do much in the big games and scored most of his goals against the “lesser” teams.
This season he’s scored against Tottenham, Napoli and Dortmund and been outstanding in all three games. Long may it continue you handsome bastard!
2 away draws won’t help our situation, we need to win an away match then Marseille.
No two away draws & beating Marseille is enough as the other two play each other as well, so we would definitely qualify
Looking at the standings in the other groups, I think you might want to win our group and get yourself a runner-up as an opponent in the first knockout round. If we end up runner-up instead, we’ll likely get Real Madrid, PSG, Bayern or Barca. Sure you have to beat some of those teams to win the thing, but you don’t want to have to beat ALL of them. Arsenal are completely capable of getting a win either in Dortmund or Napoli. Last night could have easily gone either way and I don’t think the next game will be much… Read more »
This group is going to the wire. Two away draws and beating Marseilles is enough to qualify no matter what. The result of the Dortmund VS Napoli game would give the final order. Whoever wins would win the group, a draw and we win the group on goal difference with all 3 sides on 11 points. Theoretically Dortmund have the edge right now as they have to face both us and Napoli at home, and we have the hardest run as we have to go away to both of them. That said, all of the above assumes everyone keeps on… Read more »
Need the blonde Samurai to share the load.
HFB can’t do it all by himself.
If chilleini just got sent off for that how was lewandowski not for his on kozzer?.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BXSVbv6IAAAeeI_.jpg
#doublestandards #uefa
its because he picked France over Poland. Roberts still posses
Off topic but watching Scum vs Sociedad game.
Hope Vela does us a favour and buries a few in the second half, for old times sake.
Nobody? HFB..body feeling good..touch wood? *swoon*
So giroud actually says “my body” “touch wood” in one sentense?
Makes you wanna touch your wood doesn’t it?
No, it really doesn’t.
I think we missed flamini yesterday
i think the sun came up yesterday
Yea, we sure did miss flamini
And it was sunny.
We should play Montreal, jenkinson, bendtner, and gnabry in place of Sagna, Gibbs, giroud, and ozil. We should still have enough to beat palace with that team. And it gives key players a rest with a busy November ahead.
if we can beat bayern at their own place, then we surely as hell can beat dortmund at their own place ! COYG !