At one point of time, most fans, including myself, have criticised Giroud of not being good enough. But give credit where credit is due and he hasn't done badly at all, he has been very good in fact. The problem is and will always be, our main CF will be compared to the likes of Henry, which will always be an unfair comparison.
Well.. Giroud was much improved last Season in terms of his finishing but he's only shown this form for 5 months. I personally think Dzeko is a MUCH better finisher than Giroud. The Frenchman has better link up play but I think Eden would score more goals. I would certainly take him in our squad.
If we don't buy a striker this season and stick with Giroud, let's see if the same people will be singing his praises when he continues to miss sitters. People are acting as if this criticism is unwarranted after one friendly. This has always been a problem with him. Yes, he finished the season strongly and I gave him credit where he's due but at his best he's a good striker and not world class. It's incredibly frustrating to see such creative talent like Özil, Carzola and Sanchez laying chances on a plate and watching Giroud be so wasteful. Is it a coincidence that the top teams challenging for the title or champions league have at least one world class striker? Of course Giroud is going to be singled out because his job is to score goals. Those 0-0 matches where one moment of class is needed is the difference between winning titles and finishing 2nd/3rd. I am in no way blaming Giroud for Arsenal coming up short in the league and CL last season, due to the fact he was injured and most of the team started off poorly. What I am saying is that when you have the world's best number 10 right behind you and you dissipate so many opportunities, then it's clear you're not world class and our ambitions will continue to be limited to the FA Cup until we upgrade.
Sure but its not just that. EPL: Chelsea - Diego Costa City - Sergio Aguero Utd - Wayne Rooney Europe: Bayern - Lewandowski Real -Benzema/Ronaldo Barca - Messi PSG - Ibrahimovic When you look at the clubs we should be competing with ALL of them have at least one World Class CF. Giroud is NOT of that standard. For me its now the main thing that separates us from the elite Clubs.
I'm not saying we shouldn't buy another CF, i have said many times we should. But some of the criticism seems to be a little harsh towards Giroud. He is good for us and complements our attacking array well. I think that Wenger has a bit of a juggling act on his hands, does he go out there and blow a load of cash on a new striker, but what happens to the others - Giroud, Walcott, Welbeck and Sanogo. We have accumulated a few and he has a task to keep them happy. Personally it was a mistake to bring in Welbeck as it only just added to the numbers and not solve the solution of a viable alternative CF to Giroud. Walcott is another problem, his game time has reduced with the addition of Sanchez, and he finds it hard to penetrate the CF spot. Wenger wants to retain Walcott but buying a new CF would likely see him want a move. If we was Walcott, what would you do if another CF comes in?
But Giroud had as good a strike record (if not better) than Costa last season, and doesn't go missing for big sections of games like Costa does. I'm not saying either if better than the other. But I just find it incredible that after a very, very good season last season we have already written him off and are slating him after one pre-season friendly. People say he misses sitter after sitter, but he improved dramatically in that aspect last season, and also creates lots of chances for others. Which IMO a player like Dzeko wouldn't do. IMO people just need a scapegoat in the team, be it Eboue, Ramsey, Wilshere, Giroud, Diaby (even when he wasn't playing) ect and would direct all their vitriol and frustrations that we aren't at the level of the Invincibles against that player regardless of performance.
For me, Giroud is a very decent player of the Mandzukic mould, a player who did very well for Bayern. They're strong, hold the ball up and will chip in with a reasonable amount of goals. However, there's a reason why Bayern brought in Lewandowski. As respectable a job as your Dzeko's, Giroud's and Mandzukic's do, you'll need someone to offer that extra bit of pace, guile and composure in front of goal. I'd happily keep Ollie, just think we need a plan A rather than always starting with what, imo, is plan B.
I wasn't impressed with Giroud's first two seasons at Arsenal. In fact, I thought in the 2012-13 and 2013-14 season, he was very average. Last season, though, was the best I'd seen him play (up until the last 7 matches of the season where he seemed to go off the boil). He was sharper, had a better touch, had a better conversion rate as the stats will show and he seemed to link up well with our midfielders. However, I still feel he can miss fairly simple chances and in high-pressure games, he doesn't perform to the level that is expected of him. He had a very good season on the whole, but we do need someone better to lead the line if we want to win the title and compete in Europe. I'd be more than willing to keep him as a backup, but whether he'd be happy in that role is another issue altogether.
Cheers for all of your insightful and highly informative responses. So you don't think having a better strike record than almost any other striker in the league last season was good? Or having a better strike record than Costa last season (During his 4 month purple patch) is good? You don't think that Costa goes missing for periods of games last season?
Obviously no matter what Giroud does, your just going to write him off as 'average' regardless because your minds made up, so lets get rid of him and all the other players we've had that have been slated or written off (most of our team) and buy new players...
You said he had a 'good' strike rate. Pointlessly subjective statement. Then you said he had a better strike rate than Costa. Which is objectively nonsense. Where is there any argument about having a better strike rate than almost any other striker? Where have you said that, and where have I argued against it?? Don't change your argument half way through. You said he had a better strike rate than Costa... and have said it again now too albeit changed your wording again now you realise you've written cobblers... And with this re-wording are you being serious? You're going to pick Giroud's best possible spell and say that his rate during this spell being high makes him better than Costa? What about the spell when his rate was worse than Roberto Soldado? Does that also now prove that Soldado is better than Giroud? No more than Giroud.
What? All the way through ive been talking about Girouds form from last season, ive never talked about his whole career against any other players whole career. My point from the start is that people are already writting him off and calling him average despite him having impressive stats last year and performing better than some of the strikers other posters listed above. To which you responded 'if only that wasnt cobblers'. I backed it up and now your saying im changing my argument???
I'd rather have Costa leading my line than Giroud. He bullies defenders through his work-rate and aggression on the pitch, and he's a lot more mobile than Giroud which would work perfectly if he was being supplied by Sanchez, Walcott, Cazorla, Ramsey, Ox etc. Giroud just isn't as sharp and is too slow. In regards to the best shot conversion rate, just to clear it up once and for all, the latest statistics show Costa ahead of Giroud, but only by one place: please log in to view this image Was very surprised to Jon Walters top the list to be honest.
