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

[TeeCee]

Lets be honest, Giroud has been a damned site more miss than hit!
Chamakh scored a few when he first came, stats looked good, how did he turn out??

[LDB]

I like Giroud and he's a long way from being a "really bad footballer" but I'm not convinced he has enough to worry the top sides and stretch the top defences. We've only 1 win against the top 6 sides this season and I remember thinking in most of those games that we were lacking upfront. If we're serious about challenging for trophies then Giroud is a backup striker or a plan B.

Now, where the fuck art Lukas Podolski? Best finisher at the club by a distance and while he could work much harder he would give us the cutting edge we've been lacking upfront in big games.

[highburyJD]

+1, what LDB said

[Top Londoner]

+1, what LDB said

-100 what LDB said.

The bloke has a thrupenny bit head and legs that need to be put into calipers.

[DarylAFC]

I like Giroud and he's a long way from being a "really bad footballer" but I'm not convinced he has enough to worry the top sides and stretch the top defences. We've only 1 win against the top 6 sides this season and I remember thinking in most of those games that we were lacking upfront. If we're serious about challenging for trophies then Giroud is a backup striker or a plan B.

Now, where the fuck art Lukas Podolski? Best finisher at the club by a distance and while he could work much harder he would give us the cutting edge we've been lacking upfront in big games.

Podolski is a top quality player and I honestly think if Wenger played him as a striker, rather than on the wing where he'd usually have to help out fatos or gibbs, then we wouldnt be talking about what top striker we should sign, because we'd already have one.

Giroud IMO is a good player. I think people expected him to replace Judas but that wasn't going to happen.

[Big_G]

Big_G - WHAT THE FUCK HAVE YOU DONE!!!!!

sorry

got the debate going ey? thats what this place is for lol

knew a mention of the dutch master would work

[flash gunner]

Big_G - WHAT THE FUCK HAVE YOU DONE!!!!!

sorry

got the debate going ey? thats what this place is for lol

knew a mention of the dutch master would work

[kiwomya]

Giroud is what you get when you only shop in the £10M-£15M bracket.

Until Arsenal review the wages at the club we will never see the type of player you expect. On the occasion that we do manage to develop a player that matches expectations, he will no doubt leave after realising he can probably do better elsewhere.

[beck]

If Arsenal as a club were honest about their ambitions then it wouldn't be so bad.

Giroud is the type of footballer that will have you punting around in 4th, 5th, 6th. And thats fine, if indeed 4th, 5th, 6th is the sum total of your ambition.

But when you harp on about wanting to challenge for the very best trophies, a player of Girouds calibre just ain't gonna get you them. Hand on heart JD, in any other top league, that's top league, in European football which club in the top 2 of those leagues do you think would make a sizeable offer for him and have him spearhead their assault on first place?

He's a bit like Bendtner in that some of the parts of his game cannot be improved on any more. His touch. Thats as good as its ever gonna get now. Ever.

didnt he strike Montpellier to the Ligue 1 title over big spending PSG? French league might not the biggest of European leagues but still has some good teams...Drogba came from Marseille after all.

I say give him time, he's already surpassed Drogba's first season stats but Drogba stepped into a title winning calibre side, thats a big difference. He's a good addition to the squad and has the right attitude, unlike Bendtner who you mentioned.

Give him time and he will improve like Forehead and Santos did.10 league goals for an Arsenal centre forward at the start of April is pitiful.Behind Benteke Lambert and Fletcher all playing for teams fighting relegation

henry arsenals all time top goalscorer by april in his 1st season 1911 league minutes 11 goals
giroud 1952 league minutes 10 goals
not suggesting for a moment that giroud will ever be as good as henry but food for thought

[beck]

in any other top league, that's top league, in European football which club in the top 2 of those leagues do you think would make a sizeable offer for him and have him spearhead their assault on first place?

didnt he strike Montpellier to the Ligue 1 title over big spending PSG? French league might not the biggest of European leagues

England
Germany
Spain
Italy

None of the teams that reside in the top two positions in those top European leagues would touch Giroud with a 10 foot bargepoll.

That is all you need to know. He's a bad football player in an average football club. No more no less.

nothing average about this club mate

[northbank123]

The problem with comparing him to Bergkamp, Henry, Drogba and co is that while they may not have set England on fire for the first few months:

1) They didn't have inherent deficiencies in their game like Giroud. A striker lacking either pace, a good touch or composure/deadliness in front of goal will always be limited but may still be a good PL player if they can adapt their game around it. Giroud seriously lacks all 3.

2) They had all shown traits that belied their potential. Drogba had immense physicality, fitness and could be nigh on unbeatable in the air, Henry had lightning pace, loved running at players and once he started scoring was always destined to be class, and Dennis Bergkamp is the most intelligent and one of the most gifted players to ever lace a pair of football boots. Giroud is good in the air but doesn't score as many headers as he should given this, and he (sometimes) gets through a lot of running.

[highburyJD]

Hindsight is always 2020
Drogs looked rubbish first season, terrible touch, couldn't finish

I wanted Suker to start in front of Henry first season

Dennis was the only exception, even then the Sun ran their Hartle-Fool headlines

[Number 5]

nothing average about this club mate

Enlighten me, mother fucker.

[LeftfootlegendGooner]

nothing average about this club mate

Enlighten me, mother fucker.

And there was me thinking Superman was the good guy

[highburyJD]

Somebody on an Arsenal forum, being accused of maternal incest
for the gross crime of claiming Arsenal is not an average club...?

Seriously, that's embarrassing.