Tag Archives: Olivier Giroud

Senior THREE set for Reading return

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imagesTonight Arsenal will look to increase their 11 game undefeated run to 12 in the League Cup against Reading. It will be the usual run out for 2nd strings players, to keep them sharp and match ready. We will also likely see the return of Aaron Ramsey, Olivier Giroud and Carl Jenkinson.

Ramsey has not been seen since the opening day 4-3 defeat against Liverpool. Hobbling off after 61 minutes. The negative nancies moaned that he was rushed back from the European Championship – whilst also moaning that Laurent Koscielny did not play.

His return to full fitness has been slow and calculated. Until yesterday, his drive in the middle of the park has not been missed. So good has Arsenal’s form been since his injury that Arsenal had no need to rush him back. Wenger instead deciding to give him a full pre-season.

Ramsey’s return will be well timed. With Santi Cazorla picking up a late, and not yet disclosed, injury which ruled him out of the Middlesbrough game, it is not fully clear how long he is sidelined for. With tough games against Spurs and Man U coming up, Aaron Ramsey’s extra defensive attributes will be well utilised.

Olivier Giroud is finally set to return from being out with a broken penis toe.

Whilst he is not everyone’s cup of tea, he was missed again Boro at the weekend. His return does give Arsenal a plan B, or an alternative plan A. His strength, aerial ability and hold up play is something that no one else in the squad provides, and he is a welcome return.

It will also be good to finally see Carl Jenkinson make a return in an Arsenal shirt. He might not have the talent to ever be first choice right back, having a player who is Arsenal through and through in the squad is a benefit. And he is good enough to play against 60% of Premier League sides, as he showed for West Ham.

He has not played since January, and it will be good to get him back to full fitness to provide cover for Hector Bellerin. A popular member of the squad, his return will give the side a boost.

Alongside the returning 3, it will be the usual suspects in the other positions.

Cup keeper David Ospina will once again be in goal. Rob Holding and Gabriel will play between Jenkinson and Kieran Gibbs at centre back.

Francis Coquelin and Mohamed Elneny will continue in the middle of the park, with Ramsey playing behind Giroud up top. Oxlade-Chamberlain and Lucas Perez will be the wide men.

Probably line up:

Ospina
Jenkinson Holding Gabriel Gibbs
Coquelin Elneny
Ox Ramsey Perez
Giroud

Keenos

Europe’s Search for a Great Striker

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132The 2016 Eurovision Championships group stage are coming to an end. Finally. If you have made it this far in and are still interested, fair play to you. Myself, I finally gave up yesterday and watched the cricket. Liam Plunkett hit a last ball 6 to tie the game against Sri Lanka in case you were wondering.

It has been a snooze-fest. With 3 times going through, we have seen ultra defensive football and sides pretty much guaranteed of qualification after the first game.

Anyhow, what lives in my memory so far of this tournament are the strikers on show. Or the lack of.hqdefault

There is clearly a crisis in Europe. A crisis of decent strikers. Just look at the list of top scorers so far:

Alvaro Morata – 3 goals
Gareth Bale – 3 goals
Dimitri Payet – 2 goals
Ivan Perisic – 2 goals
Romelu Lukaku – 2 goals

In the top 5 goal scorers, there are 3 midfielders.

Then look at the squads of the major nations, the dearth of strikers can be seen even more

France – France have two main central strikers in their squad. Olivier Giroud and André-Pierre Gignac. The first we all know and love, the second, Gignac, plays for a mid table side in Mexico. Like many sides, they have resorted to playing converted wingers such as Antoine Griezzman upfront.

England – It looks like England have a lot of strikers. Wayne Rooney, Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy, Daniel Sturridge & Marcus Rashford are all in the squad. They have mustered 2 goals between them.

Wales – Leading the goal scoring charts is Gareth Bale. A midfielder. Hal Robson-Kanu of Reading tends to lead the line for them.

Germany – The fact there were calls for 38 year old Miroslav Klose to be recalled to the Germany squad shows just how few strikers there are in Deutschland. Germany resisted and instead went for Turkish based due Mario Gomez and Lukas Podolski. Two players clearly past their best. Thomas Muller, the Germany Frank Lampard, leads the line for them, but has struggled playing upfront on his own rather than coming from deep or wide.

Poland – In Arkadiusz Milik and Robert Lewandowski, Poland actually have two half decent strikers. One potentially world class. Lewandowski has struggled and is yet to get off the mark.

Spain – If I were to ask you the name of Spain’s 3 strikers, you would not get them right. They are Alvaro Morata, Aritz Aduriz & Nolito. There is a lot of hype around the first. Morata is probably the most overrated striker in Europe, despite his 3 goals so far. Aduriz is 35 years old with 8 caps. Nolito 29 with just 12.

Croatia – Mario Mandžukić & Nikola Kalinić. The former is a solid, Giroud style (and quality) centre forward. The Latter spent 2 years at Blackburn.

Belgium – On paper, Belgium have a lot of options upfront. Household names such as Romelu Lukaku, Cristian Benteke, Michy Batshuayi & Divock Origi. Bar Lukaku, are any of the others actually any good?

Italy – When you have Graziano Pellè leading the line, you know you do not have many options.

Sweden – Zlatan.

Portugal – Cristano Ronaldo.

Going through the squads, there are a few big names with big reputations who are clearly on the decline, but other than that there does not seem to be very much. No world class talents with plenty still left in the tank. No young talents about to make a break through.

The well is dry.

And to bring this round to Arsenal, it is a worry. We need a striker. But when our striker is currently the main man for the tournament favourites, you can kind of understand when Arsene Wenger says “there is nobody better” as the reality is, there is not.

Keenos

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Have Arsenal found the new Alan Smith?

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Signed at the age of 25 having scored 39 goals in all competitions over the previous two seasons, a 6′ 3″ striker who was strong in the air, had an eye for goal, but was a tad immobile.

The above description is not about Olivier Giroud but Arsenal legend Alan Smith. Although it could quite easily be about the Frenchman.

I have been thinking for some time that Giroud is the new Alan Smith. Now before all you lads who consider yourself ‘old school’ and think how much better things were back in your day stop reading, hear me out. I am not saying that Giroud is in any way better than Alan Smith, he is not. What I am saying is that he is the new Alan Smith.

Both were signed at 25
Both scored 39 goals in the previous two years for their respective clubs
Both were strong in the air
Both could sniff out a goal in the box
Neither could run very fast

You have two players of very similar talent. Yet one is labelled a legend of the club. The other labelled, unfairly, as a lamppost. A French ponce.

Yes, Alan Smith was First Division (what the Premier League was known before Sky) top scorer (twice) and led the line to two league titles, including THAT one in 1989, and is rightly an legend of the club. But let us compare him fully to Olivier Giroud.

In his first 3 seasons at the club, Alan Smith scored 54 goals in 137 games. Giroud, 58 in 144. Giroud is 1 in 2.48 over the period, Smith 1 in 2.53.

And if you include the latest season, and take it over Smith’s first 5 seasons (the last two he was a target man playing for Ian Wright than the main man), their statistics remain similar. Giroud scores 1 in 2.19 for Arsenal. Smith scored 1 in 2.36.

Their records are near identical. Now of course, there are things to be taken into account· Different era’s. Alan Smith playing often with Paul Merson (or Kevin Campbell, or latterly Ian Wright around him), Giroud playing with Ozil & Sanchez, but these in my mind equal themselves out. And the era’s might be different, but the qualities that both men bring to a side are the same.

With 72 Arsenal goals already to his name, it is likely that Giroud will overtake Smith’s 115 at the end of next season. That would put him 13th on Arsenal’s all time goal scorers list.

I would not be too surprised if Giroud ends up in the top 10. Above the likes of Smith & Dennis Bergkamp. Not bad for a lamppost.

One thing I wondered, if Giroud was English, a working class hero, like Smith, would he be as heavily criticised as he is now?

Giroud does a lot wrong. He looks lazy at times. The hand waving when he pretends to be injured. The good looks. But he is clearly a class act. Not World Class, but neither was Smith.

Many of us would have already read the following infographic over the last week. It makes you think.UntitledIt certainly made me think. We talk about Jamie Vardy being a great rags to riches story. Of a Hollywood film being made of his life. About Ian Wright being a great coming up from non-League to Premier League. Yet Giroud is no different.

The fact is Giroud is a brilliant striker. He is a goal scorer. When we had Thierry Henry, we all moaned that we did not have a big presence in the box. Now we have Olivier Giroud, we moan that we don’t have someone with pace who can beat a man.

Well let me tell you, the perfect striker, someone who is 6′ 3″, great in the air, can beat a man and has searing pace, does not exist. and if he did, his cost would be astronomical. £100mtransfer fee. £300k a week in salary.

Giroud has the ability to become an Arsenal great. He has already lead the line to 2 FA Cup wins, and just needs (alongside the rest of the team) to start adding league titles to his honours roster.

I find it confusing that many people who praise Alan Smith, idolise him even, criticise Giroud.

Now again, get off your high horse, I am not saying Alan Smith is inferior to Giroud, or that Giroud is an Arsenal legend. I am saying that in terms of talent, they are equal. That they provide similar in both attributes and goals to the team.

So maybe it is time to get off Giroud’s back. If Alan Smith was one of your hero’s growing up, think to yourself, is he so different to Giroud?

Maybe it is time to reword a classic song:

“I was down the pub the other night,
My mate said to me I’ve seen the new Alan Smith,
I said to him may I ask who?
He goes by the name of Olivier Giroud!”

If Olivier Giroud go’s on and has a similar Arsenal career to Alan Smith, no one would be able to deny him the praise he would deserve.

Keenos