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

[LDB]

I am jumping into SteveO's camp now. I gave him time, but I am sick of him losing the ball over and over and trying these outrageous shots where I would win the lottery a few times before he ever scored from one. He is decent in the air and that is about it. Babatunde used to say that he was a French Heskey and I am starting to see what he meant.

He would probably fare better with another striker like Walcott or Poldi up with him, but Wenger will never change the formation, but with this formation, he isn't good enough.

Find it absolutely baffling that it took you (and others) this long. He has next to none of the attributes that you need to be a professional footballer.

It was clear from the beginning he was slow as fuck but there are plenty of centre forwards who do well without relying on pace. I gave him half a season because I wanted him to succeed and in fairness he did show signs of having a decent left foot and head, he has done some nice flicks and a couple of bits of movement that have showed promise. He didn't deserve being written off straight away but to be so far off the pace for the past few weeks and the fact he is yet to even come close to showing up when it really matters changes things.

[kiwomya]

In all seriousness when is Bendtner's contract up at Arsenal? I think Giroud is a better player but I'm not sure it's by much.

[northbank123]

In all seriousness when is Bendtner's contract up at Arsenal? I think Giroud is a better player but I'm not sure it's by much.

End of the season I'm pretty sure. Crazy really that we loaned a player out the last 2 years of his contract - would have been better offering him on a free.

[markyp]

at least bendtner was mobile and really did make up for his lack of skill with bags of enthusiasm,also bendtner would score when it really mattered something giroud hasnt done all season except for maybe west ham at their place,giroud only scores when we are aready winning comfortably,pointless

[Its Up 4 Grabs Now]

Some of his first-touch control in the 1st half was excellent & he genuinely seemed to be working hard to close down from the front, but he's so painfully slow – not just in terms of running, everything he does is like 1 of those dreams where youre trying to escape an angry gay yeti and it feels like you're stuck traipsing through quick-sand. Ultimately he's just miles off ever being good enough to lead the line for a club of our stature (& alleged ambitions). That chance in the 1st half where he delayed the shot & allowed Vertonghen to get back & make the challenge summed him up.

[kite]

Some of his first-touch control in the 1st half was excellent & he genuinely seemed to be working hard to close down from the front, but he's so painfully slow – not just in terms of running, everything he does is like 1 of those dreams where youre trying to escape an angry gay yeti and it feels like you're stuck traipsing through quick-sand. Ultimately he's just miles off ever being good enough to lead the line for a club of our stature (& alleged ambitions). That chance in the 1st half where he delayed the shot & allowed Vertonghen to get back & make the challenge summed him up.

You're going to kill SteveO

[Its Up 4 Grabs Now]

You're going to kill SteveO

I was talking strictly early on in the game (first 25 mins or so, during which time there was even some vaguely remote semblance of shape to our play when we lost the ball) & I'm under no illusions as to whether he's good enough or not - to be clear, he's not & never will be. But to be honest I dont particularly lay too much blame at any of the players' feet today. For the most part the effort was there, there was just a lack of quality & even more so for the remiander of the match a complete lack of structure (on & off the ball). Giroud's "effort" has been disgraceful at times recently but today I didn't feel that was so much the issue.

[Gunnersaurus]

at least bendtner was mobile and really did make up for his lack of skill with bags of enthusiasm,also bendtner would score when it really mattered something giroud hasnt done all season except for maybe west ham at their place,giroud only scores when we are aready winning comfortably,pointless

Yeah like at the Nou Camp when he fluffed his Michael Thomas moment.

Giroud hasn't looked great but please don't put Bendtner up there like some sort of serious option.

[northbank123]

at least bendtner was mobile and really did make up for his lack of skill with bags of enthusiasm,also bendtner would score when it really mattered something giroud hasnt done all season except for maybe west ham at their place,giroud only scores when we are aready winning comfortably,pointless

Yeah like at the Nou Camp when he fluffed his Michael Thomas moment.

Giroud hasn't looked great but please don't put Bendtner up there like some sort of serious option.

I don't want to seem like one of those people that will idealise other players/teams just for ammo to slag off ours, and I still think that Bendtner is shit and would be horrified for him to lead our line, but imo he's better than Giroud.

Yes he'd miss plenty of chances, yes there'd be many times where his first touch would be invariably 10 yards or more, and yes he is an arrogant person with very little to show by way of justification. But he did actually break a sweat sometimes, he didn't hide like Giroud does, he was by no means a great finisher but he didn't shit himself when he got the ball in the box and he came up with some pretty great goals. Our 'title challenge' (can I call it that?) in 09/10 he came up with some very important goals, notably at the death against Hull and Wolves.

If you bother to look back you will see me a few months ago putting up a pretty strong defence in favour of Giroud. But he's had more than enough time to show that never mind bedding in periods and formations, he is nowhere near good enough for the Arsenal. He just doesn't look like a striker - he's not bad in the air (not great by any means either as I've seen far better headers of the ball) but he just doesn't know where the goal is with the ball at his feet and he looks like he doesn't know what he's doing at times off the ball.

[falkirk goon]

Watching the latest shite performance from le lump of merde today I think we should try smudger up top for the last 10games ok he may be 50 now but he would do a better job than this useless excuse for a footballer.

[QuartzGooner]

I think Giroud is better than Bendtner, but not by £13M!

Reality is that for a team that plays one striker, both are at the level of a third choice.

Giroud has a reasonable touch and looks as if he knows what he wants or even needs to do, but his sharpness is just not at the level needed.
It can be improved by specialist training, but whether by enough, or if he will get this, is a moot point.

We need an RVP quality top choice, perhaps Podolski as a second choice, and a fourth choice could be a hungry Afobe or Akpom type player to play as an occasional sub or in domestic cup games.

We should also try two up front at times.

[arseofacrow]

giroud, giroud, what are we going to do with you?

[goonersid]

I would say Giroud's attitude is better then Bendtner, but Bendtner is a better footballer.

[GranadaJoe]

Bender's a dick and a mediocre player. Giroud is a genuine player who isn't good enough to be our main striker. The money spent on Giroud and the Forehead couldn't have bought us a decent player. Nice one AW.

[donaldo]

Bender's a dick and a mediocre player. Giroud is a genuine player who isn't good enough to be our main striker. The money spent on Giroud and the Forehead couldn't have bought us a decent player. Nice one AW.

Giroud and Gervinho cost £23 m.The same amount Suarez cost