Friday, March 29, 2024

Wenger backs Giroud and promises goals

Arsene Wenger believes the goals will eventually start to flow for his strikers even though his side have thus far failed to score at the Emirates this season.

The Gunners host Stoke on Saturday as they look to break their scoring duck at the third time of asking following blanks against West Ham and Liverpool.

Claiming he’s not worried about the lack of goals the boss laid down the gauntlet to his three main attackers by pointing to the number of chances that have been created by the team as a positive.

“We have created the chances and that’s what we want to continue to do,” said Wenger.

“I believe that the finishing is a bit cyclical, up and down, and we are the team who has created the most chances since the start of the season, so let’s just continue to focus on the quality of our game.

“It is about the efficiency and the quality of our game, we can score goals and I am not worried about that. We have Alexis, we have Giroud and we have Walcott. It is a massive opportunity for them of course.”

While both Alexis and Walcott found their scoring boots on international duty, teammate Olivier Giroud struggled up front for France as they beat Serbia 2-1 in a friendly at the Stade de France.

The Arsenal man was the target of the crowd’s ire as he left the pitch just past the hour mark in scenes reminiscent of his substitution against Monaco at the Emirates last term.

“He has my full support and I believe that is part of being a striker,” noted the boss on the matter.

“There is no striker in the world who has not been questioned. When he missed a chance and is booed, that can happen.”

Here’s hoping the HFB bounces back this weekend…maybe his goal of the month award for the volley against Crystal Palace will serve as a timely reminder that he has the quality to deliver.

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Lightening Pace

Can we turn cyclical into relentless? Relentless scoring has got a better ring to it….

Dan Hunter

One of the benefits of a new signing is the rejuvanation of the side. Since we didn’t get one, I think we should shake things up a little by employing Sanchez as our striker and Ox and Walcott on the wings, a la Liverfool two seasons ago with Suarez Sterling and Sturridge. I truly believe our front line is stronger than that. A more harrying approach to win the ball quicker and hit teams with their pants down. Giroud can play the super sub role. The difference between us and them when they came so close would be our defence… Read more »

Smart-Arse

Back the boys. No booing. Even if you don’t like him. Cheer him regardless. Players are people and they respond to encouragement just like anyone else. The more you sing and the less you boo, the better the players will perform.

Mein Bergkampf

I didn’t know we had a sports psychologist in our midst. Thanks for the detailed analysis of the human condition.

Smart-Arse

Get back in your cage

Essy baba

It takes more energy to boo than to cheer. Pls grow up and if u still want to remain a baby i will pay u to be spu*s fan(shit).COYG

Wang Coq

Actually if the art of war is to be believed, people respond better to fear than they do to encouragement.

tapps

Not sure being booed would make OG fearful – resentful maybe, but not fearful.

- DFS

Who the hell had ever boo’d Giroud apart from the French fans?

Misdirected silly post.

Smart-Arse

Monaco?

UdGooner

Ummm. No. Positive reinforcement will always work better.

Gunnersaurs's Lover

Couldn’t agree more with this. Let Giroud know we all got his back with some “nananas” at the start of the game.

Wolfgang

Stoke are a physical side. The gunners always have problems against such teams.The thing is Wenger expects teams to let the gunners pass without hindrance. In other words,you let me pass and I will let you pass. Most teams know how Wenger ‘s tactics. So they let him have 90% possession and overplay/overpass and hit on the break.That was how rf used to beat him regularly . Btw,Wenger said he could have gone to RM.Not many managers would have survived a 8-2 mauling with years of barren trophies. It remains to be seen whether Arsenal can score against massed defences.… Read more »

aaron

Why did you come here

Finsbury Park Gooner

Maybe to air his view like the rest of us.

Why did YOU come here?

Stewart Robson's therapist

What’s a barren trophy?

Oooh Ahhh Ray Parlour!

Not sure, but I think Neil won it this year Wolfy!?!

http://www.pressball.info/the-barron-trophy.html

Scott P

Let’s just say there won’t be many mini trophy babies running around

Nicolae

If all the teams know AW tactics we should at least be relegated by now. I mean how we managed to go with just two loses second half of last season? I can only presume it was pure luck! Hei.. If that’s just a luck/bad luck problem you could manage as a well!

A̶R̶i̶d̶d̶l̶i̶n̶g̶N̶a̶m̶e̶ Ceched Out

Yeah, I mean it’s not like we’ve beaten Stoke every single time at home since they got into the Premier League… Oh wait.

newxieland

It just wouldn’t be Arsenal if we didn’t miss a string of presentable chances and then get suckered via a set piece…

Smart-Arse

Probably a glancing or looping header, followed by that horrible deafening Emirates silence when the collective crowd kick themselves for thinking it was going to be an easy win

YoungArse

Giroud may not be the world class man we all wanted by he’s the best we have so now it’s done to us to support him. When the fans were behind him last season he was on fire. Maybe if we show him the same love he could kick on. He improves every year so why not this one? He may never be a 30 goal a season striker, but 25 goals and 15 assists is still a huge contribution which he’s capable of achieving.

Best of luck you hunky Frenchman!

YoungArse

Giroud may not be the world class man we all wanted by he’s the best we have so now it’s down to us to support him. When the fans were behind him last season he was on fire. Maybe if we show him the same love he could kick on. He improves every year so why not this one? He may never be a 30 goal a season striker, but 25 goals and 15 assists is still a huge contribution which he’s capable of achieving.

Best of luck you hunky Frenchman!

YoungArse

Apologies for double post. Tried to correct a typo and thought I could delete my other one!

meletios

dont worry..
your young in arse blog…
shit happens.. 🙂

UdGooner

Arseblog might cringe at your use of ‘your’ and not ‘you’re’ haha.

Sean

This reminds me of Daryl Strawberry in the Simpsons softball episode.

Sure, they look like big and tough seasoned athletes that can take taunts and jibes but underneath it all, what they really need is support.

Don’t be Bart and Lisa, we don’t want a repeat of this: http://static.deathandtaxesmag.com/uploads/2014/07/simpsons-daryl.jpg

wenger's zipper

Naa Naa Naa na Giroud!!!!

chmith

No no: it’s na na na naaa. So YOURE the one always out of sync!!

Martin Finley

Been waiting for over 3 seasons now for Giroud to find his scoring boots, so hope he finds them soon 😛 Giroud just frustrates fans. At his best on form he is absolutely world class, but as much as his top level is impressive, his bottom level is equally depressive. Hehe If he ever found consistency he would be a Great. But at 29 i reckon we just have to accept how Giroud is. He is one of many footballers with inconsistency issues. I just wish we had decent backup for when Giroud is not on form which is usually… Read more »

Cornelius P. Snuffington III

Courtois reportedly out of action for a couple weeks at least, possibly months. Which is fucking hilarious if true, it makes landing Cech over Mourinho’s objections even sweeter than it already was.

I heard the news (sorry Cortois) on Radio 5 live news so it’s official. I cannot help but gloat, he he.

David C

bad karma cheering for other team’s injuries…

Jimbo 1

It is right to support the team and get behind whoever goes out on the pitch in the red and white. However, I don’t accept the idea that there was no one we could have bought who would have improved the team. I am sure it will be swept under the carpet till the next transfer window, when we can listen to Wenger peddling his excuses once again. He has done great things for the club, but he is now only the master of mediocracy, and will never lead us back to the summit again.

Woolwich Peripatetic

Since we don’t get awarded penalties, have a look at how many non-penalty goals some of Europe’s top tier strikers score. You’ll be surprised at the big names (we couldn’t buy) who didn’t outscore Giroud except by padding their totals from the spot.

Danger Mouse

Aw, enough of the transfer window jibber jabber please. All this transfer window crap pisses me off. I remember a time when the football was more important than the feckin transfer feckin window.

Smart-Arse

Here here Danger Mouse. Jimbo your point has been made a million times over. Most of us accept the point. But we have football now, ACTUAL FOOTBALL, to talk about.

GoonerN16

I second that Mouse, enough already, more than enough. Let’s move on, onwards and upwards COYG!!!

Nacho Cheese Kalevra

correction, its spelt Mediocrity*
And if you don’t like Arsène, you can head over to Liverpool and support Brenda.
He loves to splash the cash and talk big. look where he is.
We’ll enjoy arsène and the Arsenal way.
COYG!

Crash Fistfight

Thumbs down for saying “go and support someone else if you don’t like it”. It’s like saying if you’re unhappy with the Tory government you should move somewhere else.

Not saying I agree either way, but I think that comment is silly and illogical.

Mpls

And addressed in the Comment Policy as a no no.

the only sam is nelson

care to point us in the direction of any managers who bought world class strikers for value (or indeed at inflated prices) this summer? Or are all managers masters of mediocracy, because you think they’re all peddling excuses to their fans as well? Or do you think that we should have bought Charlie Austin or Pedro or Berhino? And if so who do you think they represent an upgrade on?

Jimbo 1

At least two of those players you mentioned outscored Giroud playing for vastly inferior teams last season, so who knows. The Welbeck situation certainly would have justified a recruitment of a player of that calibre. I understand the need to support the team and we are all Arsenal fans, but blind faith. Come on.

tapps

Jimbo – league goals last year: Austin 18/35 (51.4%), Pedro 6/35 (17.1%), Berahino 14/38 (36.8%) GIROUD 14/27 (51.9%). So the only one who is anywhere near OG is Austin – and he took QPR’s penalties. You’re entitled to an opinion – but at least make it factually accurate!

Jimbo 1

Well it is a fact that Arsenal are better than QPR and West Brom. The chances to goals ratio is the big problem. I would hazard a guess that Arsenal create a lot more opportunities for their strikers to score than those two clubs. On that basis your statistics support the argument that Austin is better than Giroud. Thank you for helping clear that up.

Andy Mack

If you take Austins 3 penalties out of his numbers he’s even further behind HFB..

- DFS

Citing Austin as mediocre example of a PL player shows stupid bias….he scored 18 goals in the PL for a crap team (and few were penalties) . Could have been had for around 13 million cash and it’s absurd he is languishing in the CL when people are maoning about a lack of strikers. He would have been perfect back up for Giroud (and might have surpassed him with the supply he’d get at Arsenal). He on 4 goals from 5 games this season and I would buy him in a heartbeat. It’s idiotic snobbery that PL teams have ignored… Read more »

Andy Mack

Austin is a decent player and if we didn’t have HFB, DW, TW, plus Akpom and Sanogo (not sure if they’re both season or short loans) all vying for the CF position then there’s no doubt we should have looked at him. But 13m for a player to add to that list for this season plus the fabled ‘WC’ striker we’re looking for that could become available next season seem a bit OTT to me.

Viswaram

You know who else also plundered a lot of goals for a vastly inferior team – Rickie Lambert for Southampton. And that turned out brilliantly for Liverpool!

tapps

One of the reasons that Arsenal are better than teams like QPR and West Brom is that they have better players. Players like – um, I dunno – Giroud?

John C

Pedro’s going to be brilliant for Chelsea and definitely would have improved us

MTZ

Diego Simeone replaced Mario Mandzukic with Jackson Martinez, but that’s about all I can think of.

tapps

My guess is that you’ve been supporting Arsenal since the 2000’s and expect fantastic success every year. You’re deluded.

Jimbo 1

Actually since 1978, and have seen some very ordinary sides play for the club as well as some very good ones. It just annoys me that Wenger always has the chance to push the club on to the next level, but always baulks at the crucial moment. If more fans spoke out, rather than just accepting how things are done, then we might see real change and maybe return to the top where we belong. Anyway, I’ll shut up now, and let the football do the talking.

tapps

I can’t see where Wenger has baulked! The strikers that would have been an upgrade were unavailable. The strikers that were available wouldn’t have been an upgrade. Wenger was unaware of Welbeck’s pending operation – so the idea of cover for strikers didn’t enter his mind.

voldermort

Fans boo the situation and the management not necessarily the team. I don’t agree with it and it just creates negativity for the players.

The fans on the whole love giroud and appreciate that whatever the club does or doesn’t do in the transfer market it’s not the players fault.
Th fact that we create so many chances and still don’t score is frustrating and that’s the problem that a more clinical striker may have solved.
But again the players should and will be backed and any frustration will be aimed at wenger and the rest not the players.

VintageFuzz

Stade Matmut Atlantique*

Stewart Robson's therapist

How ironic that Giroud is the only Arsenal player to score so far this season and yet he’s the one being targeted for not scoring enough.

(Apart from Aaron Ramsey. Who scored against Liverpool, as we know. It’s not Rambo’s fault that smug midget is clearly paying off the linesmen to back his useless team.)

Fatgooner

Totally agree with the above comments about backing Giroud and the boys. Olivier, Walcott an the others are all doing their best and should be supported to the max: booing them if they miss chances won’t help the cause. But if you listen to the comments attributed to Wenger in the blog it just shows how deluded and completely out of touch he is. Our failure to score goals in not ” cyclical” or “up and down”; it’s because we don’t have a world-class striker. Just as with his failure to sign a quality holding midfielder, Wenger has yet again… Read more »

Smart-Arse

Even if you concede that “Striker” is an area we can improve, how do you explain the goal drought of the whole team? Giroud is the only one who has actually scored! Not everything boils down to “lack of world-class striker”. It’s a myth concocted by transfer-hungry baying morons and applied to every single problem.

Danger Mouse

Yeah Fatgooner, Wenger has totally lost the plot. Just FA cup wins ( useless trophies nobody wants to win) and third place finishes ( we should win the league every year!!) in recent times. Just signings like Ozil and Sanchez ( useless players) Only bought Cech this summer ( crap goalie) Only bought Koscielny who no one had heard of when he could have had Chris Samba, what was he thinking! Monreal is useless. Bellerin is too slow and not up to it. Cazorla for twelve million, why didnt he spend 50 million on Di Maria and show some ambition!!!!

tapps

100% agree Danger Mouse. Would only add that Wenger – disappointingly – kept us in the Champions League for five years whilst we had absolutely no money. He’s also spotted fantastic young talent, developed it brilliantly and, even when later sold (through no fault of Wenger’s), made shed loads of money. Oh, and totally re-invented us from being boring to become the great entertainers. Totally was the catalyst for the best stadium in the UK, the best training facilities in the EPL and a complete change in diet and fitness programmes that everybody else is now copying. LETS DUMP HIM… Read more »

tapps

The Villas Boas comment was irony. Thought I’d better point out!

Danger Mouse

Too right Tapps. When you consider that Man U, Liverpool, and even billionaire funded Chelsea dropped out of the top four in that period it makes our consistency all the more remarkable….. I don’t think Wenger is always right, I wouldnt claim he’s the best but he’s certainly one of the best. Fatgooner does make good points at times but how can you describe two FA cups, really nice team being built and champions league football every year as evidence that Wenger has lost the plot?

JonnyJensen

I’m almost certain Fatgooner has some form of reason for this deep seated hatred but I can’t for the life of me work it out. It doesn’t make any sense! The only viable scenario I can envisage is one autumn in the mid 90’s, pre transfer window lunacy, Le Boss took a young fresh faced Chubbygooner on trial , where after a fine display of wing wizardry married seamlessly with the workman like approach of a Romford Pele, a young Chubbs thought his first AFC contract was a dead rubber. Alas, Mr Wenger ignored the plucky chap, citing he only… Read more »

Trez

How does that take away the recent mistakes he’s made? Are you one of the people who feel Wenger is above criticism?

tapps

Constructive criticism is always welcome. The whole idea of ‘if we’d spend more money, we’d be great’ is just drivel. Ask an LFC fan – Borini 10.4m, Assaidi 3m, Alberto 6.8m, Aspas 7m, Sakho 15m, Ilori 7m, Markovic 19.8m, Lovren 20m, Origi 9.8m, Balotelli 16m. Is this really the route we want to be going down?

Stewart Robson's therapist

Paulinho, Chadli, Capoue, Soldado, Lamela, Chiriches all in one summer…still makes me howl with laughter…

Arsepedant

I was at the NLD just after Spurms spent that 107 million. It was marvellous. In the 85th minute the ball fell to Soldildo on the penalty spot, players parted like the Red Sea in front of him, and he whacked it into row Z. Cue the massive chant of “That’s what thirty million buys” ringing around the stadium. And then after the match … “We spent fuck all and it’s still one nil”. Poor Spurms, always in our shadow.

tapps

I agree – we hardly scored any goals in the FA Cup Final last year, did we?

He's got no hair but we don't care...

We very rarely boo a player and in recent years the boos are out of frustration when a problem area is failed to be addressed and we suffer.

I just refuse to buy the line by Wenger anymore when he says we’ll only buy if it strengthens the team.

Did Park strengthen the team when Wenger signed him?…no, I didn’t think so either.

Park was bought on the cheap as a player who ‘might make it’, not one that was destined for immediate first team action. You seem to be slating him for not buying anyone and then slating him for buying anyone!

Andy Mack

Park was bought when we were still in the position where we had to gamble a bit in the market as we didn’t have the money to buy the level we wanted.
We aren’t in that position know.

Andy Mack

position NOW!

He's got no hair but we don't care...

With no top, top, top players available and the need for strikers a desperate one, I’d say we’re definitely in the need to gamble.

Andy Mack

Not that much of gamble!

He's got no hair but we don't care...

Nope but I’m happy to clarify.

Firstly I’m not slating him and secondly you make my point for me: In the MONTHS the transfer window was open, finding one of those players who ‘might’ (as you call it) make a difference would have been very easy, compared the top, top, top ones that are so elusive. If ever there was a time we needed to take that risk it was now.

Mark

For me he’d be a lot easier to cheer for if he would stop standing there with his arms out to say “why didn’t you pass to me” when someone else takes a shot instead of passing to him and he hustles to win the ball back like others do.

God is Bergkamp, Bergkamp is God

I don’t think I’ve seen him complain about that that often (it’s more the moping around after no calls that don’t go his way that irks me). But even if that is the case, he’s always the one who gets himself into clever goal scoring positions in open play (very underrated attribute of his) and either way I’d take a striker who wants the ball at his feet than one that shies off of it/fades into the scenery any day of the week

Andy Mack

I thought that was what all strikers did……

tapps

Honestly, this is the last post I’ll make on the ‘lack of a world class striker signing in the transfer window’ – then I’ll go back to my basket weaving. As an analogy: You’re sat at home in your living room one evening, quietly reading, and you notice that it’s becoming a bit of a strain on your eyes. You check the light fitting, and note that you have a 60w bulb in there. You check the cupboard under the sink, and notice that your two spares are also only 60w. You therefore decide to go out the following day… Read more »

God is Bergkamp, Bergkamp is God

That’s possibly the best use of an analogy I’ve ever heard(/read)

Canuck Gunner

Great comment. The only point I would add to your analogy is that if you are really lucky, you might just end up with a nice tulip garden for that 60M. May not get you what you need, but might make your place look nice.
I swear, there was going to be some metaphor in this comment, but I’ve lost it.

tapps

I doubt if anything – even as pretty as a Tulip garden – would look nice in Manchester.

MTZ

Unfortunately, your rival already had a state-of-the-art 100w “Aguero” light bulb, and has since stocked up on a few more. Not only is his reading light perfectly fine; he’s not likely to run out of light bulbs any time soon. While the current reading light is still adequate, it’s fairly obvious that in any kind of lengthy reading contest, the rival would win over time as the strain would be too much in the current 60w conditions. Light bulbs do have a habit of going out when you need them the most, so it is actually possible that the rival… Read more »

Jon

The boss didn’t mention Campbell among the strikers, but did mention Alexis, so that migh mean what blogs suggested : Alexis upfront and Campbell as a left-winger. Could be interesting this…

santori

Giroud is amongst the top ten in the world. Costa, Aguero, Suarez, Lewandoski, Zlatan, Cavanni, Benzema, Rooney. Some are better some are arguable not. None were available in market which makes all this media claptrap nonsense of us needing a “world Class’ striker frankly moot point. The problem is the media so called experts do not live in reality nor understand the market terribly well. None of them have managed a team nor worked in the transfer market. But the media prefers to hire twits sadly and people in general tend to be gullible. I’m not saying Giroud is of… Read more »

Frog

Three paragraphs. That’s the max you get. Nobody wants to read your novel every 8 posts in every article. Bleh

Tapps

I enjoyed reading it. And how did you get authority to speak on my behalf?

MTZ

You’re obviously not paying attention to the other leagues, mate.

Here’s your list: Costa, Aguero, Suarez, Lewandowski, Zlatan, Cavani, Benzema, Rooney.

Let me add a few: Messi, Ronaldo, Martinez, Aubameyang, Müller, Lacazette, Icardi, Neymar.

Some are on par with Giroud; most are better. He’s not in the top 10 in the world though.

Andy Mack

I think he’s talking about CFs rather than winger/strikers. Sure some of them could play as CF but it’s not necessarily their best position. If we’d been looking for one of those then Pedro would have been a good option as well.

Douglas Buckland

COME ON YOU GUNNERS WE CAN DO IT WE ARE THE ARSENAL

Sanchez' Toe

Surprising that we don’t get many penalties, considering the pacey players that we have getting into the box like Sanchez, Ox and
walcott.

Andy Mack

It’s no longer surprising given that most of the officials are from up north where they think the southern softies all fall over from a gust of wind and kicking the opposition is part of the ‘mans’ game (skill less important than physical prowess!)….

Jaywon

One defends when his strength is inadaquate, he attacks when it is abundant

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