When Olivier Giroud thumped home a fantastic header equalise for Arsenal in the 89th minute against Manchester United, you might have expected him to be celebrate wildly as he helped the Gunners to a 1-1 draw.
Instead, Alexis Sanchez jumped on his back as the Frenchman reacted in a fairly unemotional manner. Whether it was because he felt Arsenal’s overall performance wasn’t something to celebrate, or frustration for himself, remains to be seen, but Arsene Wenger has admitted the team’s leading scorer last season is frustrated at the moment.
He might have expected to start, with Sanchez clearly still feeling the effects of a hamstring injury, but Wenger went with the Chilean, leaving Giroud the substitute.
Asked after the game how he views the 30 year old’s role, he said, “I consider him to be a regular player. He had a long holiday, after that he was injured and now he’s just coming back for a few games.
“It’s true that in the past two games he has been a bit frustrated but that’s normal because he’s ready to go again. The solution of up front has worked well and I have two options at the moment.
“Olivier Giroud is in both options because can play on the flank. Olivier can only play through the middle, so I can sometimes marry the two together.”
It brings Giroud’s total to 4 goals this season, 3 of which have come from the bench, but he must be pressing hard for a start against PSG on Wednesday.
I do feel Giroud is in a bit of a catch 22 situation right now where if he continues to come in and score off of the bench as he has been doing he is showing what a great late game weapon he is which may make Wenger want to leave him in that role with how Sanchez has been playing. The better Giroud does in the substitute role can have the counter effect of keeping him in it as he can be so valuable there. He will get chances to start, but as a professional he needs to keep… Read more »
I don’t see him pulling a Debuchy. I think he’s more team orientated than his compatriot. That being said if he can keep up this intensity when he starts then fair game. It’s up to AW to rotate him when he starts feeling the effects of the season. I feel for Olivier because he’s in the wars game in game out. He’s up against the Cahills and Shawcrosses of the league and almost always comes out on top physically. It takes it’s toll. Happy to see him scoring again. The gorgeous fella.
Giroud’s goal conversion is amazingly high this season. In his 1st and 2nd season, he squandered soo many chances
i dont think we need to worry about giroud’s attitude.
he’s far different from debuchy.
and every single time he has been dropped or questioned, he has performed and forced his way back into the starting 11. i believe he will finish the season as a regular starter, no doubt.
i really believe our end of season lineup is xhaka and ramsey behind ozil, with alexis and walcott either side of giroud.
Where does that leave our best DM,
Coq?
Only if Santi doesn’t play. Otherwise he may replace Ramsey.
That’s one perspective. I swear whoever takes over Arsenal is going to win a title straight away because the problems we have are so obvious that even a fan would know what to do.
Can’t decide if you’re being sarcastic or not! Like a lot if you are. Dislike if not!
play 4 4 2 alexis goes where he feels anyway ?
Where does Ozil play though?
Just start the guy. He deserves it. Iwobi has been pretty average on the flanks and needs some time out, ramsey didnt really do his cause there any good either.
Alexis prefers the left, giroud is banging in goals. Lets see it happen.
I’d love to see Giroud’s goals to minutes ratio this season. I’d be surprised if it could be beaten.
There is a guy called Harry Kane, if I’m allowed to say his name.
Giroud beats his goals per minutes played even counting the penalties that goon has scored!
He should only be referred to as ‘mouth-breather’ or ‘window licker’ if you like?
Giroud this season in EPL: 6 games played, 3 goals scored, minutes total 109, average 36 minutes for goal. Since TG mentioned that player whose name I cant write: 6 games played, 3 goals scored, 496 minutes total, 165 minutes for goal.
DEAL WITH IT.
MIC DROP.
Is that including two penalties, hahaha!
Always been a fan of the big man – had a rough patch last year as he was largely unsupported in a developing team – he’s a monster addition to the side as an occasional starter and as a genuine goal scoring sub – he nearly burst the fucking ball with that header – nearly woke me up
Also, we do not have a true winger that can cut in as well as run down the byline and put dangerous crosses in on a regular basis. I’m hoping the ox and Theo can help Giroud out. If we had someone in the mould of Jesus Navas, we’d see a lot more chances for Giroud to score.
Jesus navas? Have you ever watched any football?
Yeah that really was a horrendous comparison, should have just gone with Gervinho & be done with it.
Occasional starter? What are you on! Regular for me, but not every game under sun for 90 minutes like be had to in late 2015 because of injuries.
Unbelievable how some of our lot still don’t rate Giroud. Quality player!
In hindsight, Giroud should have started today especially as Alexis was jaded.
Hope Giroud starts against PSG and Alexis is rested and not shunted to the left.
Giroud’s goal per minute ratio is second only to Aguero in the last few seasons (excluding penalties).
He’s a genuine legend. In years to come, we’ll recognize him as such.
Better option at CF than Sanchez, IMO
It’s going too far to call him a legend but it is a shame Wenger has played him into the ground in previous seasons. He’s always been much better when he’s had the opportunity to rotate with another striker.
Sanchez must sign the contract not Giroud. Wenger needs to keep him happy and he knows this and would occasionally need to compromise his team selection to get his man.
Without a midfield schemer like Carzorla threading deep balls for the runners, starting Sanchez is kinda useless. Like what happened yesterday where Sanchez ended up dropping in midfield to collect passes from our safe sideways pair of Coq and Eleney. Also ManU packed their defense and was very disciplined – the perfect situation for bit of a battling ram like Giroud.
And please for the love of God Arsene please give up with Ramsey on the wings!!! I know I’m beginning to sound like a broken record but either he plays in midfield or not at all.
Not at all, us my preference….
No Xhaka and playing Ramsey on the left, which he didnt stay there at all…moving all the way right on a few ocassions in fact, playing tired and hamsteibg strung Sanchez…all ingredients responsible for that way below par performance last nite. Jenks did try his best…not that bad, can be better…best option for Wenger without Bellerin. But the midfield and forwards…he had many other options. Simply disappointing choices…especially picking Ramsey.
Was very flat today. Rambo trying to force thing had a very poor game. Giroud up top from the start would’ve been good, with Alexis from the left in place of Rambo.
Days like these I wish Wenger would change things earlier – make a half time change, issue some clear instructions and head out with renewed vigour
“Olivier Giroud is in both options because can play on the flank”? Alexis, I presume. As for Giroud, few players have that much talent with a humility level to match – top man. And Jenkinson was grand – to come in in place of Hector and not stand out as any kind of liability is a good enough start in my book.
Jenkinson not good enough.
When Ox came on, we had so much more width and threat at no detriment to defense. Jenko is simply not technical enough.
Elneny is another ‘favorite’ which frankly I can’t understand why. When Ramsey dropped into the pocket next to Granit, we had so much more penetration going forward. I don’t even think ELneny is anywhere better than having a Flamini. at the moment.
A lot of people have very foggy ideas about what they are watching.
Elneny is a favorite because of his engine and his ability in possession. It’s true he doesn’t offer much pentration, but he’s also not giving the ball away often. When Santi is healthy Elneny won’t get a look due to his inability to dribble past an opponent. Other than dribble, he’s the closest “safe” on the ball midfielder we have to Santi. He also isn’t usually a liability in defending… He rarely gives up fouls, marks well usually, and more importantly doesn’t get cards. Flamini, Granit, and Coq are ball winners… Elneny is more of a possession center mid to… Read more »
Also, Jenks was fine. Man U were attacking down their right, our left… (Their only goal came from our left, not right) It made sense to put Ox in for Jenks. Not because Jenks wasn’t playing well, but because Man U didn’t attack that side and why not add a more gifted crosser and possible goal scorer in the Ox.
OLI OLI GIRU!
You have a sledgehammer, use it.
Giroud is not Plan B. He is simply a different tool in the Arsenal. But we need to give him more time on the pitch than 10-15 minutes.
Use the sledgehammer.
We don’t have to be running around trying to pick the lock all the time.
Giroud is quality. We just haven’t been playing to his strength enough in the past. Put in decent crosses and he’ll bury them. If countinues to come from the bench and score all should be fine.
Giroud looked so cool as he took the header.
He climbed the third floor while netting it.
He’s far too good for the bench! I think Wenger is easing him in slowly as we have the depth and we still reap the benefits when he comes fresh from the bench if needed!
Giroud’s an arsenal great in the mould of the english players of yesteryear, hard working, team spirited, humble and he scores goals aplenty, beats how under rated he is, including in France, actuallu must be the most under rated player in the world. Probably, his qualities are too old fashion for nowadays…
Beats me why, and old fashionned he is, what a shame
The quote from Arsene Wenger was that Alexis can play in the middle or on the flank, while Giroud only plays in the middle. Thre auther had a typo, I think. Ramsey is a poor optio on the wing as he doesn’t stay wide. He narrows the pitch allowing the defese to stany narrow and clog the middle. Ramsey also crowds the spaces Ozil likes to use. Mesut had some good passes but Ramsey’s constant forays into the middle kept pushing Ozil out wide where he is a lot less effective. Ramsey’s a good player, but his lack of discipline… Read more »
We started to struggle whenever ramsey plays
Alexis is a fighter, he runs, dribbles and he is always hungry and plays with the fire and big passion. Feel de deserved a start. Yesterday did tick mainly because we were quite in flanks, no crosses were there. Ramsey n walcott were total shadows. Mesut was also closed. The other shortfall of Alexis is that he is short for aerial balls. Giroud is a good finisher and he scores from almost impossible angles but he needs a lot of support from flanks, he is not a ball Fletcher like welbeck and others. Suggest we play him as super b… Read more »
Yes Welbz is a better player but Giroud is far more lethal a striker than him
Atleast Giroud should be given an opportunity to start against PSG and this should the game to examine his role as a striker because at times Giroud misuse alot of chances
Boss,Giroud deserves a fair shake @ starting.
The best thing about Arsenal now is that we have options, and we can rotate based on who peaks, with the season being long also we AW can have quality option. Giroud is doing really well and his chances of starting are not far off. My understanding with Wenger is that he is managing injuries well, and making sure he’s got the health team
My heart sank when I saw the team sheet and Giroud wasn’t starting. I had a feeling that was the team Wenger would play and a feeling that was the way it would play out if he did. The clues have been there in our recent performances, which if we’re honest haven’t been that convincing, particularly without Cazorla’s midfield magic. It’s also so frustrating, that Wenger seems unable to acknowledge when plan A clearly isn’t working and make the necessary substitutions early enough in the game. Persisting with 60 to 70 minutes is too predictable and often too late to… Read more »
Arsenal should go with 4-4-2 with Alexis and Giroud up front.
So they can crack defense with Alexis movement and break buses with Giroud. It would be great to have both kinds of attack.With Alexis alone we are only moving around box with no one in the box. Giroud would serve as a aerial threat and also a decoy/magnet for other defenders which makes Alexis ,Ozil,Theo’s jobs easier.
easy to say in hindsight but yeah he should have started. one imagines he would’ve helped us keep possession a bit more
The problem is that Giroud has proven in the last 4 years he’s simply not consistent enough to score throughout the season. He couldn’t score in a whorehouse after January last season. I like him very much and think his ability to change the way we play in games helps us immensely that said he’s not the way forward at this point, he’s an option off the bench. Exactly how he’s being used. To be fair he’s been given more than enough chances to cement the position as his own. He has no one to blame but himself to find… Read more »
I should perhaps amend that to say he should start against some of the “lesser” teams as he’s very much a flat track bully. West Brom at home sure. Bayern Munich away? Perhaps not.
Giroud loves scoring against Bayern. I can think of three goals off the top of my head (two away). Pretty bizarre comment.
We have 2 very viable and different ways to go at teams with giroud and Alexis but Wenger seems to favour consistent selection a lot more than changing the way we might setup to play game to game from the start. Instead he prefers to stick to the same combinations play with pace and try and carve a way through with Alexis then if it doesn’t work bring on the battering ram to change the threat in the effort to destabilise the defence. This however is not the only impact it changes the way we play too and has the… Read more »
I find peoples reframing of opinion regarding Giroud to be hilarious. Arsenal fans can be some of the most fickle in all the land.
I thought in the last 2 PL matches Giroud should have come on after half time when we weren’t really creating. No need waiting to concede first
I hope Giroud scores at least a 100 for us before we lose him. Man deserves some recognition from the fans. Would be a good addition to the Arsenal 100 club with his attitude and looks.
I kind of think Arsene is starting Alexis at striker because that’s what Alexis wants and he’s trying to appease him so that he signs an extension. I hope it’s not the case, but I’m really feeling as if it is. 🙁