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