Olivier Giroud: Au Revoir Cher Ami

[Lilwizzle]

I still prefer our attack with Theo up front as it makes us much more fluid I feel

Does being more fluid actually mean that much? I call bull on the whole idea were a better team with Theo upfront, the whole idea is based on 30 minutes v United tbh.

 

[Rex Stone]

Front 3 of Ronaldo berbatov and younger rooney

Yeah but who was scoring more than 20 goals in that team?

We expect Alexis, Theo and even Ramsey to chip in with big contributions as well.

Bayern won the CL with an absolute poverty striker upfront.

 

[MutableEarth]

Giroud has improved steadily in his time here. His finishing has shown visible improvement - that may in part be down to the enormous amount of chances we've been creating since the beginning of 2015, but he is far more composed and effective in front of goal these days, and that is in spite of the chances he has missed so far this season.

Granted, I do still wish we had someone with a lot more dynamism on and off the ball particularly in certain games, but he's doing well enough for the player he is and even getting better despite nearing 30. World class in ability, he isn't, but one thing I can say about Giroud - he's got some bollocks

I hope he finishes the season strong.

 

[MutableEarth]

Does being more fluid actually mean that much? I call bull on the whole idea were a better team with Theo upfront, the whole idea is based on 30 minutes v United tbh.

It's more based on the end of last season than just the United game - and the fluidity does matter to an extent as it makes us much more capable of exploiting space and stretching teams with Walcott's movement, although he at times is no more effective than Giroud in possession. Alexis seems to fare better with Walcott upfront than he does with Giroud there.

 

[Tir Na Nog]

Does being more fluid actually mean that much? I call bull on the whole idea were a better team with Theo upfront, the whole idea is based on 30 minutes v United tbh.

I just feel that with Theo up front, his focus on going in behind frees up a lot of space for Alexis and Ramsey to become much more of a threat. It's based on a lot more than just that game too. Stoke at home this season, the FA Cup final, Leicester away....... it hasn't been seen overly much due to injuries to various players but we've looked much more fluid in certainly a few games with Theo up front. Giroud seems to drop a bit deeper which at times clogs things up in the area just ahead of the back 4, Theo's constant threat in behind makes the defence drop back a bit and a result creates gaps between the opposition midfield and defence where our three creative players behind him can do some serious damage.

 

[Vinci]

Inconsistency is his biggest enemy. Plays great for a number of games, but can be totally useless the next.

To his credit, though, he has improved season upon season and he has been very consistent for most of this season. I really hope he can keep it up, but it wouldn't be surprising if he goes five games in a row without doing much of use, which always coincides with people saying how players like Bony, Vardy and Dzeko would have been better for us.

He always works his ass off, though, and he is a top professional who is performing to his maximum level.

 

[Maxim]

Yeah but who was scoring more than 20 goals in that team?

We expect Alexis, Theo and even Ramsey to chip in with big contributions as well.

Bayern won the CL with an absolute poverty striker upfront.

Oh wait was that the season vidic and ferdinand were a wall and they scraped many narrow victories

 

[say yes]

Oh wait was that the season vidic and ferdinand were a wall and they scraped many narrow victories

24 league clean sheets..

 

[MutableEarth]

Oh wait was that the season vidic and ferdinand were a wall and they scraped many narrow victories

Yeah, I think that was the season that Rooney overdosed on headers aswell

 

[Batman]

Inconsistency is his biggest enemy. Plays great for a number of games, but can be totally useless the next.

To his credit, though, he has improved season upon season and he has been very consistent for most of this season. I really hope he can keep it up, but it wouldn't be surprising if he goes five games in a row without doing much of use, which always coincides with people saying how players like Bony, Vardy and Dzeko would have been better for us.

He always works his ass off, though, and he is a top professional who is performing to his maximum level.

Here's the trouble. The part about him working his ass off was true up until this year. Are there matches where he does that? Absolutely. He did yesterday. However the reason I've found myself being more critical of him this season than I have previously is that I've noticed that he's had a lot more games where things aren't going his way and he just sort of strolls around the pitch throwing his hands in the air. That's unacceptable. I understand players go off the boil. I understand he can't be great every match. I do however expect effort every match from professionals. That is what being professional is and there have been more than a few occasions this season where I don't feel Giroud behaved like a professional in terms of the effort he gave on the pitch. If you don't have the energy to put yourself about and give 100% then you should be on the bench. That is the issue I've taken with him this season. This was never a problem prior to this season so I'm not sure what has changed but he needs to put in the kind of shift he did yesterday regardless of his form or the results. 100% effort is the absolute minimum he needs to give every time he's selected just as we should expect from every other player.

 

[Lilwizzle]

I just feel that with Theo up front, his focus on going in behind frees up a lot of space for Alexis and Ramsey to become much more of a threat. It's based on a lot more than just that game too. Stoke at home this season, the FA Cup final, Leicester away....... it hasn't been seen overly much due to injuries to various players but we've looked much more fluid in certainly a few games with Theo up front. Giroud seems to drop a bit deeper which at times clogs things up in the area just ahead of the back 4, Theo's constant threat in behind makes the defence drop back a bit and a result creates gaps between the opposition midfield and defence where our three creative players behind him can do some serious damage.

For every good game with Theo upfront I can give you a bad one. Newcastle, Chelsea, Watford, I feel a team with a tactical game plan make Theo redundant.

Away from the team performances from the almighty Aston Villa and Stoke @ home, Theo was far from convincing in both games, missing chances almost as bad as Girouds attempt v Pool.

Okay, he scored. But there's games where he won't be presented with 17 goal scoring chances like he did agaisnt said team. Right now you'd be playing him above Giroud purely on merit.

 

[Lilwizzle]

It's more based on the end of last season than just the United game - and the fluidity does matter to an extent as it makes us much more capable of exploiting space and stretching teams with Walcott's movement, although he at times is no more effective than Giroud in possession. Alexis seems to fare better with Walcott upfront than he does with Giroud there.

It's nice when it works I give you that. But I can get some brilliant Sanchez performances playing alongside Giroud, I'll try get some links for you

 

[say yes]

Here's the trouble. The part about him working his ass off was true up until this year. Are there matches where he does that? Absolutely. He did yesterday. However the reason I've found myself being more critical of him this season than I have previously is that I've noticed that he's had a lot more games where things aren't going his way and he just sort of strolls around the pitch throwing his hands in the air. That's unacceptable. I understand players go off the boil. I understand he can't be great every match. I do however expect effort every match from professionals. That is what being professional is and there have been more than a few occasions this season where I don't feel Giroud behaved like a professional in terms of the effort he gave on the pitch. If you don't have the energy to put yourself about and give 100% then you should be on the bench. That is the issue I've taken with him this season. This was never a problem prior to this season so I'm not sure what has changed but he needs to put in the kind of shift he did yesterday regardless of his form or the results. 100% effort is the absolute minimum he needs to give every time he's selected just as we should expect from every other player.

Been saying this all season and I couldn't agree any more.

 

[Rain Dance]

This Giroud guy is pretty okay, it seems... misses some stuffs but score some too...
Good to have him in our team

 

[Rain Dance]

I got an epiphany (well, actually I am slacking off at work now)

Before this season, Giroud is considered someone who can't perform in big games and only scores against small teams even by the media.
but he scored in several NLDs before this season, does that confirms most think Toothnumb is a small club even those journalists ?

 

[Aevi]

Change title thread to "Giroud: The World Class Donkey" @blaze_of_glory

Best of both worlds, and in a sense true. If you take donkey, a hard-working muscly brute, as his playstyle, well he is really good at what he does. There aren't many other strikers like Giroud, and he is the best at the skill sets within the role.

 

[blaze_of_glory]

Change title thread to "Giroud: The World Class Donkey" @blaze_of_glory

Best of both worlds, and in a sense true. If you take donkey, a hard-working muscly brute, as his playstyle, well he is really good at what he does. There aren't many other strikers like Giroud, and he is the best at the skill sets within the role.

I agree with what you are getting at, but donkey comes off as too disrespectfully I think. Especially given how it's been used on here in regards to him up til now.

I do think the title is weak as is though...

Maybe, "Giroud: the Brightest Lamppost"...?

 

[celestis]

I think it's a good honest title mate .

 

[blaze_of_glory]

Can't think of anything else really anyway. Meh.

 

[SA Gunner]

Its like some have said here.

He is not the best striker we have had a the club, he isnt one of the best in Europe. However he plays a massive role for us and is able to contribute more and more as the season goes by.

Even if we get in an elite striker, I do not want Giroud to go anywhere. He is the type of player who will find a way to get back into the starting eleven. That quality alone makes him massive for us.