Olivier Giroud says he’s going to chat with Thierry Henry about those controversial comments from last season, but says there’s no problem between the two of them.
Speaking on Sky, Arsenal’s leading goalscorer made some clumsy remarks about the former Montpellier man – which he later clarified – but Arsenal’s current main striker say he’ll speak with him about it, if he runs into him as he continues doing his coaching badges at the training ground and the Hale End academy.
“I know Thierry and I knew what he wanted to mean,” he said.
“If I see him we will have a conversation between two men. I’m not angry against him but it’s true that I didn’t understand at first. But it’s alright. I’m not going to be upset about that.
“I’m sleeping well and as long as my family is OK that’s the main thing. It doesn’t affect me too much.”
Setting himself the target of more goals than last season (and this graph shows his goals to games ratio improved a lot 2014/15), he told the official site how he’s become better technically since arriving at the club.
“For sure I have improved my technique with my feet,” he said. “Technically it’s always nice to learn from the fantastic team-mates around me.
“In this way I improve myself, and in how to use my body as well. It’s always physically a big intensity in England. I think I improved physically, technically and I’m a better team-mate as well. Arsenal is not about one player, it’s a team effort. I try to link the play and set up the game.”
He also played down the idea of changing shirt number to 9 in the wake of Lukas Podolski’s departure.
“I don’t want to change because people have bought my shirt with the 12,” he continued.
“I’m not superstitious. I know the No.9 is for the attack leader but I will not be a better player if I wear a different number.”
Giroud faces competition for his place this season from Theo Walcott and Danny Welbeck, as well as up and coming prospect Earl Glass-Striker.
Nice to see him take the fans that have already bought his shirt into account. No need to wear to no.9.
what are you saying, we are saving the number 9 for a new signing?
Just kidding, but maybe the mail will use this comment for an article tomorrow.
ARSENAL on the lookout for new number 9 as Wenger needs someone to fill that squad number.
hmm always thought #52 was the leader of the attack
No no, #52 represents leader of the world, how dare you understate the lord
Haven’t they retired #52 at Arsenal?
Long live TGSTEL!
If we play actually play a winger on the right this season, he must get more goals
Number 52 is The Lord of the Attack
number nine is cursed anyway…
Jeffers (never did it)
Reyes (Real situation)
Eduardo (injury)
Poldi (Wenger never fancied him)
Park Chu-Young (there are no words)
Baptista (4 goal wonder who struggled)
The only one that can break that #9 hoodoo is TGSTEL
Park had the #9 shirt? I did not realise that. Wow, that was a fuck-up and a half. AKB, and all that, but seriously, what the hell was that about?
Too much sensitivity around (‘it doesn’t affect me too much’) given Thierry said ‘I think Giroud is doing extremely well’ then said that you need other attacking options than Giroud, which is a sensible thing to say.
Showing Thierry that he is a worth his place is the best response (eg training hard, doing well next season, scoring goals). Rather than still talking about it months afterwards, better to say that he’s forgotten all about it and move on.
Thank you!! I expected more from someone who’s supposed to be a fighter and strong mentally.
Giroud didn’t call a press conference to talk about Henry. Someone must have asked him the question.
So, as I put, better to say he’s forgotten about it and is concentrating on playing well.
You utter bore.
Interesting personal attack.
Perhaps debate the issues, point out the weaknesses in my arguments? Though I understand that being rude to someone you don’t know is easier.
That’s the gist of what he said really. He’s not angry with Thierry, he’s not upset, it’s not affecting him. English isn’t his first language, mate.
Good point. I read too much into the ‘it doesn’t affect me too much’.
‘It doesn’t affect me at all’ would have been great, though he is employed for the product of his feet/forehead rather than his mouth so easy to read too much into it.
This Henry-Giroud thing is starting to get boring.
Henry has every right to state his opinion….Giroud needs to stop whining and prove he is actually good enough to lead us to the league titles.
Henry is our greatest player ever and probably the greatest to ever play in the epl. Giroud has done nothing in 3 seasons to feel he is above criticism from a legend like Henry and call his opinion “boring”.
As it has been pointed out repeatedly here and is generally the norm with most press conferences ever held by anyone ever.. THEY ARE ASKED QUESTIONS, THEN THEY RESPOND TO SAID QUESTIONS. Ironically Giroud isn’t whining, you are. And since joining he has scored 58 in 134 appearances and won two FA cups, seems a decent return to me.
No you and Giroud are whining. All he had to say was that he’s forgotten about the issue and has moved on simple.
Say what you want, he was very disrespectful for calling Henry’s opinion boring.
11, 16 and 14 in the league is very average for a first choice striker of a leading team.
As was said above, wise words, “I understand that being rude to someone you don’t know is easier.”
Name 10 current strikers proven to be much better than Giroud (i.e Benteke doesn’t count)
Ill give you 2.. Aguero & Costa
Lewandoski, Benzema(yes he’s FAR better), Tevez, Ibra, Sturridge, Martinez. Benteke has similar scoring record while playing in a shit team.
OK
giroud has improved no doubt but still isnt comparable to the supreme strikers at the peak of their powers. i just keep wondering if giroud could have had better dribbling ability and could run behind defences we would have had a top class striker. let us just hope for a miracle where welbeck turns in to poldi in his finishing ability because i dont think we are getting a striker.
Then we might kiss any chance of winning the league goodbye. Our strikeforce isn’t strong enough, simple as that.
I prefer blind optimism to blind hate. We are winning the league as we are. ramsey oxlade and theo will all improve their totals from last season and with cech in goal the formula is complete. More goals scored less goals conceeded.
If injuries are favourable we are going to have a strong league squad and cup squad. oh man, dare i say we stand a shot at a quadriple. Thats fucken it!!! we are going for the quadriple i dont see why not. ooooooooooooospina all the way to the capital one final.
Loooooool so stating my opinion is now “blind hate”?
i call it blind hate because you are so sure that we cant win the league with the current crop. i believe we can, aslong as they stay fit.
So how does me not thinking we can win the league mean blind hate?? That I’m not as optimistic as you are now means I’m hating??
What a lame thought…I don’t hate arsenal and never will…just say it as it is.
Last seasons form suggests otherwise. His conversion rate was exceptional, better than all the PL strikers except Augero I believe. Statistically, performance wise and for overall impact on the team, Giroud is one of the best in the PL. I think Henry’s comments were unfair at the time he made them. Giroud done the business for Arsenal up until that point and has been constantly improving. Last season he done what many doubted he could ever do, and that is be clinical. Since arriving, his style of play has also changed the dynamic of our attack for the better. It… Read more »
So, in other words you’re saying we play better with giroud upfront than van rapist and dare I say, adebawhore?
With the midfield we have, he should at least have scored 20 in the league. Van rapist scored 30 with our worst midfield in 10 years. Heck adebayor got 24 in the league with us. Giroud has brought nothing new to this team. Adebayor use to do the same job giroud is doing and he probably did it better (46 in his last 2 seasons).
Giroud is decent, nothing more, nothing less.
We need better to win the league.
Not entirely happy with that nickname for Van Persie. I know there was that incident where some girl claimed he had assaulted her, but I believe she later admitted to making it up.
Some nicknames are funny, some nicknames are deserved. I don’t like RVP any more than any other Arsenal fan, but this nickname is neither of those things.
Sorry you find it offensive. Its something he gets called on arsenal sites, so I didn’t mean it to be offensive.
Trez – ‘van rapist’ is not acceptable here. Please don’t refer to him in that way again.
There are plenty of things you can call him, if you must, but not that. Thank you.
Arseblog-No issue with adebawhore then?
Well no, because it’s just lame rather than insinuating van Persie, who I do not like – just to clarify, is a rapist. There’s a rather subtle difference there.
My apologies blogs. Its something I picked up from arsenal sites. So offence intended.
Thanks for taking it in the spirit it was meant.
Apples to Oranges.
This team is much more diverse in attack, so it isn’t all that logical to try and compare the strikers simply on goal return. RVP and Adebayor were the main goalscoring focus, and we were entirely dependent on them. That isn’t how it works now. And that’s a good thing, because RVP had his two healthy years and Adebayor, well, he’s got his own troubles to cope with.
And I certainly like Giroud’s attitude and team ethic better than either of them had when they were at the club.
Giroud is expected to be our main source of goals; no matter how you twist it. Others like alexis theo and ramsey are meant to chip in as well, but Giroud is the person who’s expected to finish the chances.
Its not like he’s playing alongside Cristiano or Messi where his job is to play for them.
No matter how you look at it, his goal tally in league for us has been poor. Rvp both scored and assisted goals as well so this excuse of giroud bringing more to the team is moot.
I agree totally. I would even suggest that Giroud’s form dipped exactly after Henry made those comments which really influenced our season, we had a chance of finishing second. In such delicate time, it was not nice or smart from Thierry. He could have said that after the season ended. I’m sure that Giroud did feel offended as Thierry is a legend at Arsenal and for sure he looks/looked up to him. Not all react to such criticism the same, some become better as they want to prove the critique wrong, others’ lose confidence in themselves. I think Giroud is… Read more »
How about this, let’s not have turn into Poldi, but just a better finishing Welbeck? I loved Poldi, but it was all off field shenanigans and no work on the pitch (bar a cannon blast every so often), but Welbeck does actually work his ass off and contributes a lot when he’s in. The only thing missing is the final result for me.
A minute of silence to all of you googling this -> “Earl Glass-Striker”
This article comes up top of the list in both Google and Ixquick.
Earl Glass Striker will still score more than Falcau!
Your average Johnny down at the nightclub scores more often than Falcao.
Yes, Giroud, please use your body well and we’ll be happy.
Good lad, Leave number 9 for our new striker.
Gee he’s not a bad looker
Fires home 30 goals this season. Then no one will question his ability.
I think Alexis could break the number 9 mojo.
Yeah… but, I don’t think I’d want to jinx Alexis like that
lol….i agree. ill leave Alexis number just as he is..seems to be working fine
….i am not superstitious but if it aint broke, why try to fix it ‘n all that?
If we don’t get a good striker,it is a pity nothing tangible for us this season Wenger knows it too
He needs to fire in an overhead kick which deflects off John Terry’s thundercunty face seconds after doing a cruyff turn on the same player at the halfway line. That’s the only way to silence his critics. *grabs coat, look for an exit door*
No he needs to score 20 goals or more in league, then we’ll be satisfied.
Somehow I doubt whoever the ‘we’ are will be satisfied.
Within Arseblog verse, we = Trez + CB + FatGooner + Tobin + few others
Within Arsenal blog verse, we = Le Grove + ANR + few others
Leave me out! I’m a supporter, on the positive side. See most of my comments for evidence…
He had fifteen league goals last year in barely over half a season. I think you’re shorting yourself predicting just twenty from a full, fit season. If he stays healthy, it’s 25 goals easy.
Hence why I said “20 goals or more”. We all know how consistent he is so it wouldn’t surprise me if he doesn’t score 20.
Oh and he scored 14, not 15.
I think I should change my name to ‘HotSexGiroud’.
Don’t you see? Wilshere is going to spear head our attack! In a Messiesque kind of style. Rotating/moving around with Ozil-Ox-Alexis-Ramsey, allowing more penetration with our passing game.
No I don’t unfortunately…
Giroud’s average contribution per season so far have been 13.75 goals and 4.75 assists. Numbers are from dividing his 41 goals and 14 Assists by 3. I think it is clear by now that Giroud who turns 29 yrs old this season wont ever reach the heights of Henry or Van Persie. If Giroud played for United or Tottenham we would be calling him Shit. And I dont thini anyone worries about Barcelona or a bigger club offering Giroud a super deal and take him from us cause frankly none of the other big clubs would be interested since he… Read more »
Simple as that. But some people on here will call you negative for saying this.
Giroud is decent, nothing special.
Giroud, he’s only 29yrs.
The good thing is his game isn’t built on speed so he could last a wee bit longer.
😉
Leave Thiery alone Giroud . Will you ?
Henry was just saying what we were all thinking….Giroud would be quality back up to a Suarez/Higuain/Costa/Ibrahimovic type signing…
Giroud’s strength is staying injury free. In the unlikely event that he gets injured, he heals faster than Bartholomew Henry “Barry” Allen. I believe he’s going to have a great 2015/16 season.
He’s a good lad Olivier Giroud -fits perfect into the family clud we want to be…