Olivier Giroud - Another Alan Smith or "Le Chapman"?

[Brady's left peg]

Giroud, as Kiwomya points out, is a mid market player
all signings are a gamble, Giroud is a slightly longer shot but less money risked
he's had some poor poor games recently. I think he's had far too much responsibility foisted on him, that's the fault of the manager not the player. I still believe Giroud can be a good player for us.

Good point JD, it is down to the manager and his scouting team that we purchased a striker nowhere near the quality required to replace a world class one.
This does not excuse the theatrics we get from him whenever he misses or when he's fouled. It is also becoming a worry that someone his size can hide so efficiently and be totally anonymous for 90% of a game.

May I quote our imperious leader........ We are only interested in signing players of super quality

[northbank123]

Spurs are paying atleast 2/5ths less wages and are out performing us. We can no longer say we are a well run club.

wage bill is as meaningless in isolation as the net spend transfer table (since Abramothief arrival in '03 we're 20th)
http://transferleague.co.uk/

Wenger recognised wage bill correlates more to final league position than transfer spend
without our transfer market profits our wage bill of the last few years would have been unsustainable

Absolutely true. But instead of taking a measured approach (i.e. ditch the wage structure in place of meritocracy and increasing the wage bill but nowhere near to the level it is now and this would've allowed us a bit more breathing space on transfers), it's as if we've thought that paying a squad £30m more a year will somehow make them better players. The whole point of increasing the wage bill is to attract better players, not to award existing players handsomely out of some sense of loyalty or incentive.

[highburyJD]

taking a measured approach (i.e. ditch the wage structure in place of meritocracy and increasing the wage bill but nowhere near to the level it is now and this would've allowed us a bit more breathing space on transfers)

not quite that simple, with a reduced wage bill would be able to attract more expensive players?
I don't think so...

(please no sums where we retrospectively 'save' the wages of all failed signings, youth teamers who won't make it and squad players - to prove we can afford an extra million a week in wages)

[I Hate Hleb]

Why? Isn't that how things work?

[highburyJD]

its not what I'd be using time travel magic powers for...
"given away by Vieira to Giggs,
who charges toward the Arsenal goal
down he goes, hit in the face by an enormous turd
how did that happen?"

[northbank123]

When I said reduced wage bill I meant lower than it currently is and not cut from what it was. Its not like our wage bill has always been ridiculous, the figures over the last half a decade show an alarming increase year on year.

I take your point about hindsight but the reality is we're not spending big wages on attracting the best players. We're using them to pay players like Giroud and Gervinho far more handsomely than anybody else would, likewise with youngsters and those we're handing out new contracts to. The fact that said players have disappointed have just made things worse.

Of course I don't have exact figures or inner knowledge but I would wager a huge proportion of our players wouldn't find another employer who pay them as much as we do. So we're not using it to attract bigger players, we're using it to attract the same calibre of players we otherwise would but on bigger wages.

No point increasing our wage bill when we don't have the stomach for a competitive transfer battle anyway.

[Chippy]

@Arsenal 1h
Olivier Giroud has spoken about how scoring goals is "an obsession" for him. Read the full story, with video, here -
http://t.co/Ifi0YeV1zK

Laugh? I nearly shat!

[goonersid]

@Arsenal 1h
Olivier Giroud has spoken about how scoring goals is "an obsession" for him. Read the full story, with video, here -
http://t.co/Ifi0YeV1zK

Laugh? I nearly shat!

Shagging Lysette Anthony was always an obsession of mine ! alas just like giroud, I never managed it.
What a fucking big french fucking twat.

[VoiceOfReason]

@Arsenal 1h
Olivier Giroud has spoken about how scoring goals is "an obsession" for him. Read the full story, with video, here -
http://t.co/Ifi0YeV1zK

He went on to say that he's also obsessed with The Rolling Stones, and owns no less than two of their albums.

[markyp]

@Arsenal 1h
Olivier Giroud has spoken about how scoring goals is "an obsession" for him. Read the full story, with video, here -
http://t.co/Ifi0YeV1zK

Laugh? I nearly shat!

thats cos you always want what you cant have

[highburyJD]

@Arsenal 1h
Olivier Giroud has spoken about how scoring goals is "an obsession" for him. Read the full story, with video, here -
http://t.co/Ifi0YeV1zK

Laugh? I nearly shat!

Shagging Lysette Anthony was always an obsession of mine ! alas just like giroud, I never managed it.
What a fucking big french fucking twat.

just google Lysette Anthony
ta

[franksav63]

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/foot ... 05984.html

Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud reveals Bayern Munich move

Frenchman almost signed for Bundesliga champions before move to the Emirates

France international Olivier Giroud has revealed that he almost signed for Champions League finalists Bayern Munich last summer before his transfer to Arsenal.

The 26-year-old moved to the Emirates in a £13 million deal after finishing as the top scorer in Ligue 1 last season to help Montpellier claim their first ever championship.

Giroud who was included in the France squad for the European Championships in 2012, attracted the interest of the Bundesliga champions but they eventually signed Mario Mandžukić instead after his impressive performances for Croatia.

“My agent spoke to them and it was approved by people at Bayern,” Giroud told the Mirror. “But they wanted to wait for the Euros and Mandžukić had a great Euros. To be pursued by Bayern, it is good.

Giroud though insists he is happy to stay at Arsenal after a mixed debut season in the Premier League: “PSG? They are clearly very attractive but I am happy where I am.”

The former Montpellier striker has scored 17 goals so far in his first season since his tranfer but has been criticised by some fans and pundits. Giroud believes he has had a better debut season than Didier Drogba who also moved to England after impressing in Ligue 1. The former Chelsea striker notched 16 in 40 games after his move from Marseille in 2004 for £24 million.

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry hit an impressive 26 goals in his first season in 1999-2000 but Giroud claimed: “I replaced Van Persie and when you arrive at a big club like that, they are very demanding towards you. The criticism has not always been deserved, but they push you on. Seventeen goals and 11 assists - that is better than Henry and Drogba in their first seasons. This is the quality I have. I have got better with this team and this staff - it is another level. And I want to continue to improve.”

Meanwhile Giroud is confident Arsenal manger Arsène Wenger will not join Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season.

“We are going to finish the season and then take stock,” said Giroud. “If we qualify for the Champions League, I don't see why he should leave. He built the club and made it grow. Arsenal is where it is because of him.

“He still has a year left and he wants to finish things. He will make his decision in good time. This is not the time to talk about him leaving.”

Wenger says he plans to remain in charge of the north London side: “I want to stay if I do well and if I consider or the club considers that I do well, that is all.”

[DB10GOONER]

God, it was so nice of Arsene to "build the club". What did we ever do before he founded Arsenal in 1996?

[A dallying Gus Caesar]

Who the fuck changed the leader to this topic. Unless dementia kicked in early I did not remember adding the Lee Chapman bit.

Is it a case of the moderators changing whatever has been written by others whenever they get the whim? Nice.

As for the subject matter. Good first year from Giroud. Plenty of goals and assists. Not his fault he is not RVP.
And getting back to the original point made I can promise you Giroud has been much better than Alan Smith was in his first year with us. His first year was shocking, his all round play was terrible.

[goonersid]

Who the fuck changed the leader to this topic. Unless dementia kicked in early I did not remember adding the Lee Chapman bit.

Is it a case of the moderators changing whatever has been written by others whenever they get the whim? Nice.

As for the subject matter. Good first year from Giroud. Plenty of goals and assists. Not his fault he is not RVP.
And getting back to the original point made I can promise you Giroud has been much better than Alan Smith was in his first year with us. His first year was shocking, his all round play was terrible.

Gus,
Giroud has been shite get fucking over it.