Media: Julien Laurens, ESPN FC
Is Olivier Giroud good enough? Can Arsenal rely on him to deserve the title? What the hell is going on with this guy?
Since clubs in North London brought the France international to the Emirates Stadium after euro 2012, the same or similar questions have been asked. And when some big people (such as Henry) also questioned Giroud, publicly commenting directly that "relying on Olivier Giroud to play as a striker, Arsenal's league victory is no play", Giroud found that his situation has become more and more delicate.
Let's start with the three questions above: Yes; yes; he's a very good striker. This season, Olivier Giroud has scored 19 goals in 36 games in all competitions for Arsenal. It is worth mentioning that in the first three months of the 2014-15 season, players missed all games due to foot bone fractures.
When it comes to Olivier Giroud, we should first understand that he is a team player. He puts the interests of the team first and is an "atypical striker" (other strikers are usually more selfish). It is precisely because of this characteristic that Gunners coach Wenger will rely on him particularly. In the game, Giroud will share the collective work, will participate in the tandem link, will pass the ball to teammates, and cooperate with teammates for two-on-one. He doesn't mind always having to turn his back to goal (knowing that Diego Costa and Aguero can face the goal most of the time) and having a man at the front to attract the attention of opposing defenders.
Giroud's style is exactly what Arsenal need. It's Diego Costa or Aguero, who are not suitable for the gunners today. Olivier Olivier Do you still think he should score more goals? Ok, he can really score more goals. Because after joining Arsenal, he has maintained a progressive trend. He is now 28 years old and has played for Arsenal for three full seasons, and we can also see his improvement through the data: he scored 11 goals in 34 league games in 2012-13, 16 goals in 36 league games last season, and although the player has only scored 14 goals this season, he has only played in 25 league games.
He has been working hard, and when he returned from injury, he became stronger both physically and mentally. He is training to increase his kicking speed and hone his foot skills. Despite his hard work, there are still many who think that the clumsy Olivier Giroud "should not be an Arsenal player". But these critics should first look at Olivier Giroud's body type (1.93m, 86kg), look at his ability to dominate in the penalty area, and see how many high-quality crosses Arsenal can deliver in total in a game, and then it's not too late to draw conclusions. Even so, Olivier Giroud was able to score.
Another significant improvement Olivier Giroud has made this season is that he has also performed in the "big scene" game. In the past, the outside world often criticized him for retreating into a soft egg when he encountered a strong enemy. In this season's league, Giroud has penetrated the cities of Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool (twice). Arsenal have lifted the FA Cup at Wembley for two consecutive years, and Giroud has written his name heavily on the honour book. He scored a goal against Aston Villa last weekend, and against Hull City last season, he assisted Ramsey with a clever heel pass...
How are the other strikers doing? Against the top six opponents in the table, Costa, only won against Arsenal and Liverpool; Van Persie, who only holeed through Chelsea and Liverpool' cities; Rooney simply did not get any gains. Only Aguero outperformed the seemingly "worthless" Frenchman, who scored against Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United (3 goals).
A 4-1 win over Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium in April was Giroud's signature of the season. Throughout the game he put pressure on Liverpool's defence. Just before the end of the first half, he created a free-kick opportunity in front of the field, Ozil directly took the shot, and in stoppage time, Giroud suddenly tried to shoot with his left foot from a long range outside the top of the penalty area, and the ball drew a wonderful arc straight into the net.
I've always thought that giroud was too harsh on Giroud, including Henry. As I often say, if Giroud were an Englishman, with such a performance, the British media would certainly be able to tout it now.
This treatment is naturally unblessed, but Giroud should also receive the applause and respect he deserves.