Last season Olivier Giroud was Arsenal’s first choice striker and averaged a goal in every two games, but amazingly he has only been in the Gunners starting line-up twice in the League in this campaign despite us being at the halfway point already!
The Frenchman though has still made a big impact as a supersub and has scored five EPL goals despite his limited game time, and of course he scored that fantastic Scorpion kick against Palace yesterday. Arsenal’s keeper Petr Cech is certain that it is a contender for goal of the year. “First it’s a very important goal because we needed to break them down and we needed to score,” Cech said. “When you score a goal of the year on the first day of the year, you put the bar really high!
“I always keep saying that he’s one of those players who you love to have in the team, because he’s a handful and he can score important goals. As we know, he scores important goals, no matter if he starts or if he comes off the bench. He’s always a threat.”
Poor old Olivier has taken a hell of a lot of stick from Arsenal fans over the years, despite the amount of goals he scores. I don’t think we could have started with a more attacking line up as yesterday’s, with Giroud playing alongside Lucas Perez and Alexis Sanchez, so do you think that Wenger should now start every game with Giroud and Alexis? Or should we keep Giroud hungry by using him more as a super-sub?
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I think we should be happy to have several forward options, and who should start can be a matter of form and of course how we best exploit weaknesses in the opponents defense.
However, there is somewhat overlooked factor with Giroud as a forward and Alexis behind him, and that is, we are stronger defensively, because Giroud can help defend corners etc., and when Alexis is slightly further back, his pressing and work rate hurt the opponent more.
Very good points. If you notice on corners he always sets up on the near post. Basically eliminating the threat of someone coming in and crashing from a hard whipped in corner. Now teams have to use more of a lob to get it over him. I do remember when we struggled mightily against them. Around 2007-2012 every time there was a corner even though we dominated possession a team would be able to hurt us on set pieces.
I also love that Cech looks for him on goal kicks. I counted about 6 extra possessions we had through his heading or flicking the ball to a teammate.
Unless we are playing strictly counter attacking football he should be there.
I think he should be kept starving so that when he gets playtime is all good, coz he comes back hungry and does well, but if he starts every match, we’ll start seeing the tongue once again after every miss
Option is good.. He should start some games.. He should start some games from the bench. It all depends on our opponent and who is available. Remember injury,fatique and form is part of the game so players contribution will be very vital.
That Giroud goal still got me buzzing. Goal of the season definitely unless someone comes up with another wicked goal.
I think we are better with Ozil. I would like to see Sanchez in the center with Perez and Iwobi (or Ox or Theo) next to him and have Ozil draw the strings and utilize that pace.
Keep Giroud on the bench as a super sub or sporadically when there is an injury or cup game.
Also when we play teams that battle and park the bus, we have to learn to absorb pressure like Barca do and drop back into our own half inviting the opponent to come at us and then hit them on the break. The pace of Sanchez, Perez, Iwobi, Theo will facilitate that.
Look at the video’s of our losses to Barca and you will see that many of their goals and their chances come from breaking at us with pace not when we are neatly set up in two rows of 4 defending. They invite pressure and then punish you with pace when you lose the ball.
continue as Super-sub.. it ll also be wise to give Lucas Perez more gametime
I think Giroud can start in every game, as long as Sanchez and Iwobi are behind him. I think he has a very good connection with these two players in this season. He can help Sanchez and Iwobi to control the games in the front by using his physical strength, energy and teamwork.
If Wenger wants to gamble again, he can try to put Ozil back as a central attacking midfielder, or keep using Iwobi/ Sanchez as the central attacking midfielder/ forward. Let us see who is better in that important position, compare them in a few games.
I think currently we need players that can increase the team ball possession and have high battle spirit, rather than players that have beautiful technique and stylish way of playing.