The French striker Olivier Giroud has been told by Didier Deschamps that he will need to play more first team football if he wants to go to the World Cup with the France national team this summer, and I am sure this is not the first time he has been told this.
But the facts say otherwise – despite Giroud’s reputation as a supersub. The facts say that this season Giroud has been only used as an impact substitute (13 times) in the EPL this season, but he was also brought on from the bench 18 times last season, and 12 times the season before, so this is hardly new. But has he still been starting for France? YES! The whole time….
As Wenger said this morning: “He’s not a sub for me, he’s a regular,”
“I have plenty of good strikers. You can’t play all of them together.
“He is a very important player and I have big respect for Olivier Giroud. If you look at his career since he came here, look how many French caps he’s got since he has been at Arsenal. He has not wasted his time. I can understand the frustration of every player that doesn’t play, but that’s part of the job when you go to a big club.
“Personally I want him to stay at the club until the end of the season. Then we will see.”
Another fact is that Giroud has started every Europa League game, so he has hardly not been getting time on the pitch, which Deschamps will be aware of as well. And of course, as Wenger said, as we progress further in all the competitions, and especially in this congested period, the Bodd hinted that Oli is likely to get even more game time. ” Every players who does not play wants to start in the Premier League, that is absolutely normal. When you have three games like we have this week in six days, there is an opportunity for them to start.”
So, Giroud can forget about leaving. He is getting lots of game time and he will get much more as the season progresses. He is a very important player for us and there is no way Wenger will allow him to leave. Deschamps knows that, but he also knows that Giroud has qualities that many other France players don’t have, so he will continue to pick him.
Everyone should stop worrying!
Sam P
Even donkey wants to leave, lol, how much we have fallen, is being loyal a foreing word nowedays or what
If Giroud keeps playing as a substitution at Arsenal for the rest of this season, he might still go to World Cup, but I’m afraid Deschamps would use him as a super sub as well. Wenger should try to make Giroud and Lacazette play together sometimes, they could have a great connection, because both of them are French.
I wasn’t really worried
Who’s worried? Wenger plays a system that doesn’t suit a striker like Giroud (as we’ve seen for the previous five years), and we also have a better striker in Lacazette, who suits Wenger’s system.
Obviously I want to keep Giroud as a backup, because it gives us great depth upfront, but I wouldn’t begrudge him a move if he wants regular football.
Would be good to see a similar system to the one that France use with LAcaezzte playing a similar role to that of Griezmann with Giroud up top