Olivier Giroud says he understood why Arsene Wenger benched him earlier this season, but that his time out of the starting XI was ultimately a postive for him.
Arsenal’s number 12 fell behind Theo Walcott in the pecking order, but rather than get downhearted, he chose to react and until he drew a blank against Sp*rs, he scored 7 goals in 7 games.
Giroud believes the manager’s decision to rest him after he came back from a difficult international game with France was to take him out of the firing line a bit.
“He chose to put me on the bench when I came back from Bordeaux,” said Giroud. “Maybe he thought I needed to be less under pressure.
“We spoke about it. He told me he trusted me, like he did Theo Walcott, but that we were two different players. It was also a tactical choice.
“I understood the coach’s tactical choice, but after four games, I needed to turn things around.
“I told myself, ‘I can’t let this last’. It wasn’t good for me, for the national team or for the Euros. I didn’t want to spend the whole season on the bench.
“It made me react.”
I hope Walcott also reacts to the increased competition.
I would like to see stepping up to dominating games and making a difference in games that we are not necessarily at our best.
yes. like ozil against spurs.
Walcott was playing OK before he got injured. Don’t think Giroud is playing anything better than OK either at the moment. The number of chances these two have fluffed this season would probably back this claim up.
I love OG12. His attitude, work ethic and love for the team are outstanding. All in all, even them being different types of players each excelling in different tactical approach to matches, i believe OG12 is a much more efficient CF than Theo. If theo could improve his dribbling skills (take-ons?), he would be no doubt the complete CF. But I am glad that we have both in our team as options for tactical flexibility.
Agreed, Theo has played a lot better at holding the ball up but has never been a great dribbler. However the stretching of play and threat that Theo poses through his pace is huge.
Great to have them both and be able to switch mid game, bringing on a new player with great energy wanting to prove themselves.
Not to forget Welbeck who is…a mix of Giroud and Walcott!
If Wenger manages to improve them like he did with many other forwards (he even transformed Adebayor into a very useful CF and leaving us shows difference Wenger can make), we would have an amazing bunch of forwards.
Well there is of course the injury Gods to tamper with any talk of domination!
the problem with Welbeck is that his first touch isn’t great and for a striker that’s a tough thing to manage. I hope he comes back soon fit and firing though.
Well there’s a ridiculous comment
Playing week in week out unchallenged has allowed me to relax.
He’s already doing that, though he failed to convert any of the chances he had against sp*rs, but he was a beast against them and by far the most threatening of our players on the day, and against everton also man city away last season among others, and some days of wastefullness in front of goal such as in that NLD are becomming the exception rather than the norm
Don’t get injured tonight please.
Conicidence that sanchez’s dip in form happened since Theo’s been injured and he’s been playin? Everyone loves this guy and but to me he’s average. If he looked like gervinho, he’d be gone by now.
Why? Are you suggesting that Arsene is somehow racially motivated, or that he doesn’t like headbands? Or just that he finds OG12 really really sexy…which is valid, I’ll admit. Still, an odd comment to make.
If he played like Gervinho, he’d be gone by now.
So he doesn’t miss them sitters? The goals that an Arsenal level striker should be bangin in on a consistent basis? Can’t remember a goal that he created himself ever. I don’t know about other people but for me Ozil and Sanchez seem to enjoy playin with Theo a lot more than giroud
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Z2PHd4295E
Wins the first header, turns, runs in between the lines, receives, shields the ball and then hammers it home. Much like my point that Giroud does create himself.
Who has scored more from Ozil assists?
Every striker misses sitters. Just because you watch every arsenal game and not every other teams games, you’re biased.
Bit harsh. He’s special, an outstanding player.
He does however seem to struggle being at his best when Giroud is leading the line as it gives him less room to move into.
Then again Ozil seems to thrive.
Could it be that we’re starting to become flexible as a team?
I’m not sure what you are trying to say? If Giroud were a black man he would be fired? So Arsenal/Arsene are a bunch of racists? I don’t get that. Or they just don’t like large foreheads???
No, he means if Giroud wasn’t “HFB” or a “dreamboat” he wouldn’t get as much sympathy as he does from alot of people.
This made me laugh a bit
Its obvious to anyone who watches our games closely that Alexis plays better and scores more when he’s playing with someone mobile like Walcott/Welbeck. Ozil would have alot more assists if we had a more clinical finisher.
Yes.
competition for places is important to any team to keep them sharp but injuries again has forced our hand in selection at times theo would of been a better one for the $pur$ game with OG on later on he did really well but in all honesty he had open goals on 3 occasions when even Jenson could of bagged 2 of them,
lets hope his ration improves as the season goes on as does rambos and a few others
I’m guessing he’s loving Benzema’s story. He’s probably off to prison based on the strength of the evidence against him leaving Giroud as France’s most obvious forward option. Added to that, I Phillipe Auclair is to be trusted, Giroud hates Benzema. Score. What a bullet dodged for us.
Summer if Giroud anyone?
I get knocked down and i get up again
I’m not sure why selection is always such a zero sum game for people. There seems to be this common view that there is/should be a first choice front 3 and second choice front 3. This isn’t FIFA16 where the players’ attributes remain constant. Players (particularly younger ones) are continuously improving and bringing new capabilities to the team. Walcott is not automatically better than Giroud just because he is quicker. There are circumstances where Giroud’s ability to hold up play in a denser (deep lying) environment may benefit the team more. Out wide, Walcott on RW should be as much… Read more »
Thoughts go out to gooners and everyone else in the Stade de Paris, and all around Paris, right now…Paris, and the world, has seen enough of this bullshit.
Stade de France, I’m an emotional idiot right now.
I came online to check if OG and other Gunners scored and saw PARIS trending! My prayers are with victims and their families.