It is going to be very difficult for Arsene Wenger to now leave the France international star out of the Arsenal starting line-up, as Olivier Giroud scored a vital winner in the FA cup clash at Preston North End after setting up the first two and scoring the third in that unlikely comeback in the Premier League away game at Bournemouth.
The boss was speaking a few weeks ago about the need to look at the form that each player is in when picking the starting line-up and after Giroud’s recent heroics he mentioned it again when talking about the way the big centre forward has been playing.
Wenger told the Arsenal website, “He can’t stop scoring.
“He had some good service as well today. But everybody contributes in the squad and it’s moments in the season where you have to use the players when it all goes for them. Giroud has shown that at the moment in the last month he is always very decisive.
“I must say, the team has great ambition, a great togetherness and they respond always when they are in trouble and that’s a great quality.”
The problem that Wenger has with Giroud’s goal scoring form, however, is that the Frenchman can only play in that one central position and to start him there means moving Alexis Sanchez back out to the left flank, unless he decides to go with two up front.
Most of our success this season has been down to the Chilean’s performances through the middle, so ideally you would not want to tinker with that, but have Giroud’s goals left the manager no choice?
Bob.
I’d have no problem with Giroud getting the front role if Alexis had been directly behind him. Having him in the thick of everything was working a treat, he was been compared to all the deadliest marksmen. Girouds goals of late seem to be mostly trying to dig us out of a hole, when Alexis was hot, Arsenal seemed hot. And the way Alexis was finding Ozil was almost telepathic.
I have partly agree, but we were terrible when Alexis WAS upfront against City and Everton, but I think that has more to do with the midfield than our forwards, and I think that is still the problem no matter who is upfront. Our midfield for a little over a month now has been producing not as many chances, and has reverted back to overplaying the ball, and misplacing the most simple of passes. Add a once again leaky defense, to the list as well too. Our problems extend far beyond who starts upfront for us. The entire team all over the pitch has been looking completely average for a while now. It is up to the players to pick themselves up again and for Arsene Wenger to inspire the players once more. It doesn’t seem to be happening.
@RSH
Our midfield aren’t breaking up play well enough. And they’re not recycling the ball quick enough…
Not debatable, super sub/squad player/rotational player only. Not in our best 11.
Giroud may be scoring late, important goals in the games that he’s started and digging us out of holes, but I’d say that’s because he’s either missing chances earlier or chances aren’t being created due to his lack of mobility.
We know what Arsenal is capable of with giroud leading the line. It’s the same end result at the end of the year as when we used to depend on Ramsey, Theo, Jack, the Ox = 3rd place at best.
I think Welbecks movement, pace and power will soon either partially remove or replace Giroud from starting line up. Our normal formation is generally set so as to accommodate certain players, probably why it never changes but with the likes of Perez now becoming an option , there hopefully will be adaptable attacking options and set-ups (even if Ozil gets benched lol)
Alexis goals seem to have dried up as well
Only because he was removed from CF
As a CF he was scoring all the time.
Anyway Alexis is still up there
1. Costa 14 goals and 5 assists
2. Alexis 13 goals and 7 assists
3. Ibra’vic 13 goals and 3 assists
Think it would be fair to say that our midfield has definitely been at a loss without the magical Corzola.. big shame for our season 🙁
It is not only Cazorla it also the way we play has changed again. In our best games and earlier games we would drop back and defend as a team. This left smaller spaces between our lines and making it harder to overrun our midfield. Walcott in particlular had improved his defensive efforts and did well tracking back.
We have reverted back to less pressing and more spaces between our lines making us easier to play against. We should get back to our pressing game this will shrink the spaces the opponents can use and play into our hands of using our speed on counter attacks when we win the ball back in our own half.
Not to compare us to Barca but despite their superior possession stats, the majority of there goals (against us) come from fast transitions. Not after having us locked into our bax and passing the ball around our defense in the hope of finding a gap.
For me i am glad to see Welbeck back, just keeping the fingers cross, because i have felt he is the one who should take the Giroud place up front, but due to injuries have not had settled in that position as yet.
Given sanchez have been scoring goals in the forward role, i still believe Giroud is the best forward we have at the club, in fact i actually think walcott should be playing directly behind Giroud with Welbeck and walcott out wide, i think we would actual increase our chances of scoring goals
If we continue to use Giroud in our first XI we are not doing our self good. He does not take the ball to the opponent to mount pressure on them but give room for the opponent to settle down on the game and mount pressure on us, but with player like Sanchez on the attack unsettle defenders to make mistake that can lead to goal, we can see that in Chelsea game. We can judge with the numbers of goal been scored by the two players. Sanchez take load out of the midfilders why Giroud add more load to our midfilders. It high time we stick to sanchez and Giroud come from the bench.
move Alexis back to the CF role, him there isn’t just favouring his goal output n it’s also favouring Ozil’s,Iwobi’s,Walcotts and any one around him as he is a false9 n it makes Arsenal unpredictable.
Giroud is a good planB n 2nd half player… even in the games he starts this season his impact is made in the 2nd half, mainly final 20mins.
Spot on Wilshegz. Could not agree more.
Our best games this season have been based on Sanchez as CF and speed around him and this has also played into the skill set of Ozil.
Giroud has scored some important goals coming of the bench and is a great option to have. However, as a team we don’t play to our full potential when Giroud starts. Our play slows down and we become more predictable trying to put crosses into the box.
The last few games Giroud started we won or drew but they were struggles and we played poor and although that is not all on Giroud it was very much Arsenal of last season when we ended up with 71 points.
We have to get back to our speedy game and that can only be with Sanchez as CF.