Why is Wenger desperate to boost Giroud’s confidence?

The 30 year-old Olivier Giroud has been giving the Arsenal fans nightmares since the New Year, and there are many Gooners that will point to his inability to put the ball in the back of the net as the main reason for us missing out on the title this year.

I can’t see many managers giving a 30 year old more chances after 13 games without a goal, but Wenger is still starting with Giroud in the line-up, and is still hoping our pin-up will actually score. Le Prof seems so desperate to give Giroud a boost, he is even willing to chalk up his assist to Danny Welbeck aa “as good as a goal”.

Wenger said after scraping past Norwich: “A striker wants to score goals and when he doesn’t, is it pure confidence or is it just to think, ‘How can I score again?’”

“They need goals.

“But he responds, he’s a guy who is mentally strong. Today he gave an assist, I put that in the same category as a goal.”

He responds? Mentally strong? He hasn’t scored for 13 games, Arsene! How can you find a positive there? And giving an assist as a goal is basically just clutching at straws as far as I’m concerned-

Even Giroud was trying to give as positive a sin as he could on the assist. “It is always nice for a striker to score or assist a team-mate,” he said. “I’m pleased to be back, not on the scoresheet but on the assist sheet.

“I’m used to playing for my team-mates and I try to help them when I can. If I cannot finish the work, I try to play for them. This one reminded me of another goal, it was like Theo’s against Leicester.

“I try to play with my first instinct and be efficient, but even if I didn’t score I’m pleased with that assist and I will try to keep working. I will work hard to get the confidence back and the goals as well.”

Someone needs to tell Olivier that it is just a tad too late to help our team this season, no matter how many more goals or assists you get this campaign (zero?), but it is easy to interpret that Wenger wants Giroud to be back in form for France this summer, but at what cost to our season? I don’t see Wenger busting a gut to get Walcott back on form do you?

Another thought i’ll stick in there is that Wenger is also desperate for Giroud to look good in the Euros, so that he will start next season as a player in form, and the fans won’t be screaming out for a new real striker that actually scores goals?

Or am I justbeing cynical?

Darren N

Tags France Giroud Wenger

21 Comments

  1. That’s typical Wenger …
    “Giroud to be back in form for France this summer”, then France will win the Euro …
    Sympathy aside (if there’s such), if I were in Deschamps shoes, I won’t even call Giroud for the Euro …

  2. Perhaps He wants to do an Ibrahimovich on Giroud

    .
    A failed Experiment already!

  3. Have the Ormond street children hospital recieved a bank alert already?
    .

    Anticipating a deserved £10k deposit by “Lord Sugar” into their charity account!

  4. There is no point really, he is not accountable. Remember he said the reason he cudnt complete was because there was no money in the past. when Leicester shows signs of winning it he comes out and says it vindicats him because he knew all along money spent had no relationship to results(then where is then where are our trophies? ) ,bloody hey !! I just can’t believe non of these reporter’s actually remind him what he said. He might just be lucky the Spuds might just loose both their remaining fixtures and he will give us bullcra* about how we have improved. it’s like we are a bunch of Kids that believe everything daddy says.

  5. You don’t find Wenger busting a gut to give Jack game time before the Euros either. There are favourites and “the others” at Arsenal, hence the treatment of Campbell and Coquelin as opposed to the treatment of Giroud and Ramsey.

  6. Giroud is healthy, fit, strong and kicking them AWAY!…medics? Nooo! Problem is the man can’t move his massive body quick enough in the 18 yarder. An anomarly which can’t be corrected or help win us important games.

  7. But wait…do you think Wenger won’t sign any striker this summer???

    I honestly don’t think so,because that will be the height of it…he just have to find a striker,it is a must..

    The team doesn’t need much..a striker and defender…

  8. Giroud needs “confidence” 🙂
    Next week it’s “mental strength”
    the week after it’s “cohesion”
    and then “balance, quality,
    concentration, luck or a new zip.
    All talk talk and more talk.. then some more talk.
    Leicester sing Campione Campione ole ole ole…
    The Emirates majority sing “One Arsene Weneger….. there’s only …..
    Confidence is the right word alright no doubt about that.
    It’s been a confidence trick for going on 12 years now … sigh.

  9. Why is Wenger desperate to boost Giroud’s confidence?

    Is the answer ‘because his own footballing abilities won’t do it’?

  10. I think its more a case that as Welbeck has admitted himself, he is returning to match fitness and Walcott can’t hit a barn door.

    Now if the silly sod had bought a world class striker we wouldn’t be having this discussion

  11. Wenger can boost Girouds confidence all he wants, Giroud still gonna remain an average striker.

  12. I have been looking at minutes played in the PL per non penalty goal. About one month ago kane vardy and giroud were similar at about 160 to 170 minutes per goal. With girouds barren spell extending the stats now are
    Kane 159
    Vardy 164
    Aguero 114
    Giroud 204
    Lukaku 160
    Welbeck 140

    The main point about the above is that everyone is talking about kane and vardy, but it shows who the best striker is, and no surprise it is Aguero.

    With regard to welbeck, the stats are not that meaningful due to his limited playing time but he has scored two vital match winning goals at critical times.
    It is unfortunate that welbeck has been out through injury for so long this season. He has scored two vital match winning goals and an injury free season this year and we would have a better understanding of whether he can be our main striker.

    So we are in the same position as last year, we need a WC striker. I think it was thiery henri who recently said that a top striker helps the defense in that the defense can concentrate on doing their job of defending, knowing that WC Striker will get the goals to win the game.

    1. it still confuses me why we haven’t won the EPL this season, we should of walked it what with the amount of possession we had

      i’m rely impressed with Dany Welback he has a real good ball control his strong and focused

  13. a man now 30yrs old, needs confidence boost from wenger…your time at arsenal is over.

  14. to be fare to Wanger i’m sure his getting a lot of pressure from players and managers of all respected countries with international players in our team for the Euro 2016 to get their players match fit, and what with all the players back from injury it must be a night mare for AW

  15. I’m sorry Arsene if I destroy your escape route of not wanting to buy a striker in the transfer window & laying the ground for it!
    But since Giroud came to the club he hasn’t score more than 16 goals a season. He has always suffered dry spell and it seems once again that your surprise by it when it should be in bold red in your reports that that’s the player he is.
    He is indeed capable of moments of brilliance but than again any player is. Stop blinding yourself and making Giroud look like the great striker we’re all looking for, can’t fool anyone on this one!

  16. Giroud is simply not, and never has been, a complete striker neither is he a good finisher, neither is his speed a reason to frighten defenders. At 14 or 15 goals a season out of somme 150 chances he has maximized his potential.

    If we don’t buy a better striker this summer we will struggle again.

  17. Giroud doesn’t make enough of his own goals either. Most of his goals are put on a silver plate for him. Striker that can make a real difference can make their own goals. RVP made many for us, Vardy, Kane and Aguiro also make their fair share of goals, Sanchez makes what feels like half of his own goals.

    They wrong foot a defender, they curl the ball in the top corner out of reach of defenders and keepers, they beat defenders on speed and power to a through ball, in short they manage to score a few important goals without an easy assist from a team mate.

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