If we look just below the top top top quality strikers, Giroud should be put at that level. Whether another player can do a better job is certainly subject to opinion and can be debated. However, over the past two seasons, slowly but surely, Giroud is changing the perception of people about him. Forget the always-moaners. Most Arsenal fans seem to wonder about Giroud and Sanchez playing together. Many hacks grudgingly talk about Sanchez playing with Giroud and earlier in the summer talked about a strike partner/cover for Giroud. Compare this with the view of Giroud by the general public and the press to two seasons ago, even last season.
I would argue that Giroud is an improvement on Judas for the team. During Judas’s best and final season with us, he scored 37 goals in all competitions. The next higher goal scorer was Walcott at 11 goals and then Arteta at 6. In the next season (2012/13), Walcott scored 21 goals, Giroud 17, Podolski 16, Cazorla 12. We also scored 10 more goals than when Judas was here. Last season our top scorers were Giroud with 22 goals, Ramsey with 16, Podolski with 12 and Ozil and Cazorla with 7 each. It is obvious that the goals are now shared across the forward line and the midfield, making it harder to neutralise us. However, also consider that Giroud did not have Walcott to play with, Ramsey was injured for months, and so was Podolski. Now look at the statistics again. When you have a star striker, the ball is attracted to him, but take him out of the game (either through shadowing or a la Bussaca) and you are suddenly looking at a team having to adjust. Giroud is perfect for Arsenal midfielders to run onto to his delicate, oh so soft passes that take out defenses. Our wide forwards benefit from Giroud suddenly pulling wide and taking one or two reluctant defenders with him. Giroud is a vital cog in the ever moving, ever shifting fluidity that is the Arsenal midfield and forward line.
If someone, says Giroud doesnt have pace or cannot dribble past three players like Suarez. Tell them, Suarez cannot win the ball with his back to goal with a defender kneeing him and no foul being given every single time. If they say give the ball to Suarez and he will score a goal. After the obligatory diving and biting jokes, tell them Giroud will win a physical duel without playing ugly, pass the ball perfectly to a wide forward or defender, then play a neat one two with the midfield and will make an assist of the season. Tell them Giroud will be there when at crunch time, you need somebody to do something for a goal, like against Reading, against Dortmund, against Bayern and most recently in the FA cup. Lastly, tell them to expect more screamers from Giroud now that he has got that first one away.
Here is to Giroud and co terrorising defenses this season!
By Sensational Arsenal @Madras_Periyar
Positively Arsenal 
Well george thats what happens when clueless folk like gains here want to correct those who get it right….just like id put others in other blogs at their places ill do same to him..not a problem for me. Multi experienced… i suppose you know that though. The guy is a chiwawa trying to mess with the scrapyard dog. Protect him. Poor thing does not know….
LikeLike
Yes gains sorry if it comes as a surprise to you but there many many footballers out there and wenger can only have a certain amount. Law of possibilities suggest there are other teams too with very good players….who would have known.??? .shocking huh…
LikeLike
A doomer for proving you wrong? Thats a stretch. Try better.
Tell us about ancelotti and how he cant use tens…..i suppose you live in a world where kaka seedorf pirlo never played for him, nor did he win anything with them…. lol
LikeLike
George nothing has changed. No script nothing. ‘ the most maligned and attacked’ …. the fashion has caught up it seems….
I cant be right 11 mos ago and wrong now….perhaps you can find another way to describe my pisstakes on people who think they can correct me in football.
LikeLike
Ego is an amazing thing… an out of control ego is just amazing to watch!
LikeLike
No blog today Chris?
LikeLike
Proven me wrong how? You can’t rant incoherently about shit and say you won. By the way, my comment still stands. For the money some are willing to pay for Hummels and David Luiz, I’d take Johan Djourou every day of the week.
LikeLike
Yes George there is… I’m just a bit knackered and forgot where I’d posted the links. A stress free view on yesterdays game: http://wp.me/p4FeF9-f0
LikeLike
Jack Colback should be playing for England.
LikeLike
Fernando is getting mugged up and down the pitch. Remy Cabella looks a good player.
LikeLike
Djourou looked pertty good in the World Cup. Would’ve been excellent backup. Also perfectly understandable he didn’t want to settle for that.
LikeLike
Ashley Young was having a go at me of his teammates and a bird shit in his mouth.
LikeLike
Great post. I’m from oop north and don’t very often speak to real arsenal fans (in the flesh). You guys for some reason wont travel this far up.
I did however bump into a bloke and his son yesterday and had a nice chat. He was very positive mostly. Loved Arteta (I liked that), but he said Giroud wasn’t good enough for this team. To illustrate this he compared him to Bergkamp and his speed of thought. Well that’s not exactly fair is it. For me if you have to compare to DB10 to criticise then you know that what we already have is good.
I told him that Giroud does so much for the team and without him our wide players wouldn’t get half as much match influence.
LikeLike
Gunner_getcha
How far north?
LikeLike
Giroud is not good enough because Maradona.
LikeLike
I would be very happy if we had Djourou right now.
LikeLike
Looks like we are getting the Olympiakos guy according to the internet.
It could be worse – rumors suggest Manure are in for Mexes. hahaha.
LikeLike
New post up from a very poetic Shotta http://wp.me/p37nXa-12I
LikeLike
Gains 4.24
Well…hummels and luiz are miles ahead/better than djourou, thats not an opinion. Who you prefer is noone’s concern. Ancelotti can play tens just fine and zizu was a huge personality of football and arteta is a kitten when it comes to the very best the game has to offer. Hammetfh had a far better tournament than cambell and is not an unknown with 27 goals in porto for 3 years. Calling me a doomer is your failsafe because i press you to back up your illogical football statements ..
LikeLike