Olivier Giroud

Olivier Giroud is Arsenal’s marmite, putting it simply. We either love him or hate him and we come to these conclusions after every game. One game he’s a good enough forward man to win us the league, the next we need a replacement figure. But ultimately, the reality is that we are afraid of burdening him only because we want him to do well.

One thing that preventing him from the ‘world-class talisman’ status you feel, is his inconsistency with goal providing, especially against the big sides. From an Arsenal fan’s point of view, it’s the most irritating thing, in the world.

Giroud in important games 2014/15

Arsenal 3-0 City – came on not 100% fit and got a beauty with his left. Only played half an hour roughly
Arsenal 1-2 United – return from injury, scored another beauty, meaningless however.
Liverpool 2-2 Arsenal – helped us take the lead, but fairly isolated. Played well.
City 0-2 Arsenal – got a goal to double advantage, helped us to an important victory. Played well yet again.
Spurs 2-1 Arsenal – quiet, got the assist to take the lead, limelight on Kane.
Arsenal 1-3 Monaco – dreadful, just dreadful. Missed a handful of clear cut chances and was slated for it.
Monaco 0-2 Arsenal – got us off to a dream start by opening the scoring. Played well but didn’t get deserved critiques due to being knocked out.
Arsenal 4-1 Liverpool – scored a pearl late on in the game to make it 4. Outshone but solid performance.
Arsenal 0-0 Chelsea – not the best not the worst performance, Chelsea defended perfectly, difficult to break through. He was easily muted & had to drop deep.
Arsenal 2-1 Reading – disappointing performance from the whole team.
Man United 1-1 Arsenal – isolated and ineffective, should have scored.

This is not the way the media is presenting him and disagrees with what we think. To this, he has been brilliant.

6 goals, 2 assists in 11 games doesn’t sound too bad at all. But if we were to class this, it’d be ‘great’, not ‘world-class’, not a ‘league-winning forward’.

So why does it seem to not work?

Some of Olivier’s performances this season have looked undesirable, uninspired and lethargic. Is that what you want from you main target man?

Giroud has a very simple way of playing, but strangely effective. He gets the ball down, brings his midfield into play and burst for the box. Once in to the box, he looks to get on the front post or in between centre-backs for the cut back, his movement is class. It’s unreadable at times but, just like Wenger and the way he sets up his formation, Giroud needs to adapt to the defenders he is up against. He should know that against Terry and Cahill, there won’t be those positions to pick up in front of his man, like there is against the likes of Williamson and Coloccini, for instance. Strangely however, he brings a variety of goals, volleys, tap ins, headers and so on.. which makes him one of the most complex and confusing strikers in the league, madness.

Like the blip around the Monaco game, Giroud frequently fluctuates between good and bad, no in between. He was awful against Monaco then hit back against Everton instantly, the inconsistency is bringing his reputation down.

Another reason why I personally love the way he plays is how he brings the likes of Ozil, Ramsey and Cazorla in to play. His quick tika taka style of play is a dream for our dynamic midfielders, bringing them in to the attacking picture. It is the main reason why Ramsey was so prolific in the 2013/14 season and has helped Alexis in his triumph this season. Although it enhances the midfield’s goal contribution, it equally can decrease his, also making his status be dampened as a forward, ‘talisman’.

So the question still lies, how do we win the league with Giroud as our main forward?

My answer is a supporting striker, perhaps Lacazette or Higuain who will help him to improve and pick up the intensity throughout the year.

If you agree or think of any other solutions, comment or @ me on @PanenCazorla

Wenger’s Replacement

Wenger.

The man on every lover of football’s lips? Debatable. The man on every Arsenal lover’s lips? Unsure. The man under undeserved criticism? Without doubt.

Wenger, alongside Ferguson, has revolutionised the way we see, play and even analyse the game. Although not seen in the flesh is undoubtedly one of the most wild and fiery passions you’ll ever see. He hates to see Arsenal lose, or even draw and usually blames himself, selflessly in that case.

He is the man who is to blame, for the transition of ‘love for football’ to ‘desire for football’, seen through the eyes of many in the world of sport. He brings an ethical and philosophical touch to the game and is a keen admirer himself. It sometimes, for him, is a psychological mind game.

“If you do not believe you can do it then you have no chance at all.”

“I believe the target of anything in life should be to do it so well that it becomes an art.”

Wenger has many honors to his name. 3 Premier leagues, 5 FA Cup’s and 5 not-so-prestigious Community Shields. Obviously, we face Villa in the 2015 FA Cup final which could make him the most successful manager in FA Cup history, passing Ferguson from level on 5.
He also takes many individual awards such as 3 Premier League Manager of the Seasons and several French Manager of the Seasons, without any recent triumph.

Wenger has so much nurtured the players who he believes in, in the elder generations like at the start of his managerial career, and also the current generations. Fabregas is a prime example of this and still emulates which Arsene taught him to this day, forget Mourinho. Now, the Cesc subject is still a little sour to me and most of the Arsenal fans who appreciated him as an player and captain at our club. Whether we like it or not, Cesc brought us through that transition from the Invincibles to now, which had the potentaial of a negative spiral of decline. At just 15 he was released in to the first team squad, watching the likes of Vieira, Pires and Bergkamp on the sidelines, it must have been a dream. And this is now why he, as professional football player has grown to excel in a Premiership winning side.

Which brings me on to the touchy and controversial subject on when Wenger should leave, and who will replace him. Never have I said I want him sacked or for him to quit and move on. No. I think getting rid of him will 1. be a mistake and 2. mean that another club can use him and grow successful, without doubt. I strongly agree that he should respectfully retire when he feels he cannot add anything else to the club. He will know.

Like Ferguson, I’d love for him to win us the league once or twice and then retire an go to the executive ranks, but realistically we’re not at that stage, and I’m starting to lose belief that all we need is ‘a few more world class signings’. They said that before Özil and before Sanchez and are still saying it to this day.

Replacement: Guardiola? Klopp? Martinez? Bould? Henry?

Guardiola is way too optimistic, not out of our range but realistically, we’ll never be able to fund him nor lure him to us. I hope I eat my words.

Klopp knows our philosophy and will add to it, that’s huge to have.

I think Martinez isn’t much of a replacement to Wenger, I’d rather keep Wenger in his ageing years.

Bould would be good. Bould is Arsenal through and through but does he have the personality or knack to be a top level manager? I’m not persuaded.

Henry is ideal but not yet. He, like Bould and perhaps Klopp knows the philosophies of the club. He also loves the club and every single Arsenal fan, know him and loves him. It’s too early, but the only thing I worry about with him is failure. Like Shearer and Newcastle, I can’t imagine us falling out of love for the man, but what if?

Bergkamp

See i have made ‘replacement‘ bold throughout, the question lies.. can we replace Wenger, or just fill the gap?

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