Former Arsenal star Stewart Robson has claimed that Olivier Giroud didn’t deserve the kind of flack he received while at the club, and thinks he will succeed at Chelsea.
The striker left the club on deadline day to join our London rivals, in a three-way deal including Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang arriving at the Emirates, and Michy Batshuayi to Borussia Dortmund on a loan deal.
Aubameyang is already looking like an amazing signing after only one outing, and is no doubt an upgrade on Giroud, but former Gunners midfielder Robson claims the striker didn’t deserve as much criticism as he received in North London.
“At times (he was treated unfairly),” he said.
“I don’t think Arsenal are a side that want to get the ball wide and put crosses into the box, they don’t do that enough.
“When they were sitting deep and wanted to play on the counter attack, Olivier Giroud wasn’t the player to play on the counter attack.
“So I think he was given a slightly unfair ride.
“Thierry Henry said Arsenal can’t win the league with a centre-forward like Giroud in the side, that was a worrying statement.
“But I think Olivier Giroud, in the right circumstances, coming on as a sub at times when the team is struggling, when you’re on the front foot and getting crosses into the box, he can score lots of goals for Chelsea.
“I think he was unfairly treated at Arsenal.”
Giroud kept up a more than decent goalscoring record for his time with our club, although he never managed to break the 20-goal mark in a single PL season for us.
He was regularly subbed off during his time with our club, and obviously was going to be restricted by the incoming signing of PEA, so we have to respect his wish to leave, but maybe we simply didn’t play the type of football suited to his playing style.
Did Giroud get a harder time than he deserved? Will Chelsea’s style be any better for him?
Pat J
Giroud was the main centre forward for Arsenal for like 4 seasons. Some of the fans were patient with him and supportive. I’ll say the system didn’t bring the best in him as the two wingbacks cannot pull in a decent cross and Oli is not a counterattacking striker, he can’t run behind a striker.
Am gutted he’s gone but he shouldn’t feel bad cos he had his time. Am not sure he would in any top flight team in EPL.
That was a hell of a debut against Watford Oli. Sorry dude.
if we have mendy and sidbe as fullbacks and Mbappe and martial as wingers…giroud would be a star
Sorry bruv, I never rated any of those. Martial maybe??
Giroud had to leave because he was already behind Lacazette. He would have been 3rd striker behind Aubameyang and Lacazette. Giroud wants to make the French team for World Cup. Now Welbeck is 3rd place striker.
Also, Chelsea sold us Cech so it seems fair to sell them a player too.
At the end of the day, Chelsea haven’t been improved a great deal and we got an even better striker. So i am happy. Aubameyang and Mkhitaryan plus Ozil signing = Brilliant and best ever January
Also, I am grateful for every one of Giroud’s 105 goals. He helped us stay in Champions League for 5 years and helped us win 3 FA Cups. Absolutely no hard feelings. Im more upset that Alexis went to United
“Thierry Henry said Arsenal can’t win the league with a centre-forward like Giroud in the side, that was a worrying statement.”
True! Wasn’t AFC material. Wasted 4 years of AFC instead of buying a top striker lyk Laca & Auba #COYG#
Henry has been vindicated by the sales of Oli and it goes a long way to show who’s a better manager between Henry and wenger.
Hint: the one with an upper case initial is……
Sorry but he hasn’t been treated unfairly. He has had periods where he was amazing and then periods where he was abysmal.
I don’t buy the ‘not enough crosses’ argument either. We are a team that create plenty of chances. A striker of any type should have scored more than him.
And to be very blunt – Arsenal have bought two strikers that are superior to him in the same season. Alot of respect for Giroud but let’s be honest – he is a bench warmer for a bug club or a superstar at a team that is mid table. But he is not a too quality striker and is no where near Laca and PEA quality.
I agree with bench warmer for big club or superstar for a mid table side.The way Chelsea are going he will soon be their very next superstar.Dont you just love it?
Haha!
Everyone doubting this comment can go to YouTube and check out Giroud’s misses. There are PLENTY and some crucial misses as well.
This is what we want from our poacher Aubameyang. I reckon he has the best conversion rate in Europe’s top strikers?
I think Laca had a better conversion rate, only by something like 2%, 65% to 63%.
I’m a massive Auba fan but I rate Laca as a CF, Auba is the better ‘attacker’ though 😛
I would like to see a fit Auba on the right, opening up that pace of his and use that movement of his to still get into goal scoring positions to be a threat from out wide. I like Laca movement off the ball and I think he could make gaps for Auba to exploit and add potency to our attack, on a swift attacking movement Auba would almost be the right attacker and CF due to his pace.
Hey dude, when was the last time AFC fans could talk about which AFC striker has the best conversion rate when talking about strikers in general ^.^
“he is a bench warmer for a bug club”
I know people say Ozil has bug eyes and Wenger called on Ozil to make this his team but thats too far ;P
I know it was a typo but couldn’t help myself XD
We never played to his strengths,he baled us out many many times,he is the best target man in Europe,he gave everything thing he had every match and took a brutal beating from opposing defenders every time,he loved Arsenal and is a Gunner forever!!
He gave a lot for this club and was treated poorly,he is a warrior and he ca play for me any time!
He ain’t pretty he just got it done,took a lot of flack for our clubs other deficiencies !!
Ollie G,thank you!!
Chelsea fans were blaming Giroud’s arsenal DNA for their defeat last night!!!
Giroud comes on last night and Chelsea ship 3 goals. Look at some our recent poor results and you will see that Giroud does not always have a positive impact. The guy never was and never will be a top striker.
People say he is great because he starts for France but believes me if Benzema had not gotten involved in the blackmail scandal Giroud would not be starting for France.
Giroud’s vanity gets in the way of putting in a shift.
I’ve had enough of this crap, look I honesty do think giroud is a good striker and he is a fairly consistant goal scorer, and every time he played for arsenal he gave 100 percent and I think we all appreciated the way he was, a true professional, but to say we as fans were too critical of him or that he didn’t have enough of a chance at arsenal is just absolute bullshit, first of all he has scored more headed goals than any other player in the prem since he arrived in 2012 so we did play to his strengths and he was our main striker for four long years and every pundit on sky and motd has at one point said Giroud is not enough for arsenal to win the title ect, but, now we have sold him he is apparently the best thing since sliced bread and the best buy of the transfer window blah blah fuc*#*g blah.
I suppose my point here is that when he was an arsenal player he was bashed by the media/pundits all the time and now he is at Chelsea he is expected to “do really well for them” and I’m pretty sure he will just as he did for us as he is a good striker, but as we ALL know is not world class, thanks for all the goals Giroud you will be missed by a lot of arsenal fans
here here! 🙂
I completely agree with @ Wilcox.
Oli loved Arsenal,he was a warrior took beatings from opposition defenders,gave his all each time he plays.
am sad he left.
I love Oli,and will always love him.
Goodluck Bro.
If AFC supporters was overcritical then I would guess that by large, it was because he was loved and he had such capability when he tried, he lacked competition though and he got lazy which is what I think people moaned about.
AFC should have bought another top CF sooner than Laca and we may have had a more determined Giroud at a younger age which could have made that step up.
Giroud was calling for AFC to get another top CF, he knew he needed competition, even when looking as if he was 2nd choice, he still wanted to stay and fight.
Much respect to the big guy #nananana ^.^