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 
Thanks Sens
Giroud has been one of the best strikers in the League since he arrived.
It’s an awful shame some of our fellow gooners can’t appreciate this.
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Nice read, if more people would just be able to open their minds they would see it too.
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3 points.
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Excellent post SA. Giroud’s stats are pretty amazing because in 99 games for us he has scored 40 goals and assisted 22. Arsene was pretty effusive when speaking about him for both his improvement and production especially on his assist because “…….that is something very important for a team who plays the kind of football we play”.
For me, I think some of the important skills in Giroud’s arsenal are his one-two combinations with team mates in and around the box, deft flicks to set up shooting opportunities for others, his first touch to control aerial balls and his shooting from range. These are the ones least appreciated by most fans.
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Hope we can make the emirates a nightmare place for refs today. I’m surely on my second bottle of the Dutch courage. Already. So good luck to those sitting next to me on the clock end bottom tier.
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Was only discussing Oli Gs virtues yesterday… his hold up play is world class… sure he doesnt have blisterin pace but if he did hed be off to Real for £70m! He is built for the midfielders we have and also for the PL. Particularly those niggly cloggy away fixtures!
Id love us to sign top top top class striker but that doesnt mean we cant appreciate our Giroud!!
O
en route to the Grove via several boozers!!
Up the Arse!!!
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Comparing suarez to giroud? Why? They are different types who offer different things. Depends on the managers plans who and when to use. What can not be denied though is that one is a killer from the favelas while the other is a civilised human with limits and discipline.
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Couldn’t agree more SA. Well said.
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Hunter, I have seen no one comparing Suarez to Giroud. Do you even bother to read posts before setting off on one of your oh so predictable rants?
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My warm up routine has started with a bit of cricket (early wicket), but thanks for the warning Jr gunzz!
Hope you enjoy the game.
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George is there something wrong? I sense frustration in your responce to my comments. Why is that?
I can clearly see the last paragraph ‘…if someone tells you….. tell them…’
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Thanks everyone. Looking forward to the game today like everyone else.
Hunter that is the point. That you cannot compare apples and oranges and say that orange is shit because apple is good for the vitamins it provides. Well, Orange provides different vitamins that apples cannot provide.
Also, in the first paragraph, I say that complete, world class, legendary strikers are very rare and at least in my opinion, Suarez is not in that level. In your response, please consider that I dont want to get into an in depth debate about Suarez.
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“please consider that I dont want to get into an in depth debate about Suarez.”
Or any debate about him at all Suarez. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Hunter
you treat this place like you are posting on Le Grove.
That’s not a good thing.
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So why is the name suarez included in a post about giroud then ?
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Sure sensational. But there are times where you only need vitamin c and all you got is an apple…..
Dc why do you say that? What have i done this time?
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Giroud was involved with most of Arsenal’s big goals of late. The ever so slightly important winner against Tottenham last August. The assist at Wembley. Helped to set up some of the best goals last season, for Wilshere, Rosicky etc.
Is the following just a random coincidence with the forwards? If an idiot like me can see it…
Senior lump: ’08 = Ade ’14 = Giroud
Evil, lethal, finisher: ”08 = Eduardo ’14 = Plodders, under pressure from Campbell etc
Super duper striker: ’08 = the Egomaniac ’14 = Electric Sanchez
A tricky week coming up. There’ll be some rotation for sure. Not enough preparation off the back of the WC for some, so I expect it in a big week with three games. It’s going to be interesting to see how the new physio chap gets on. Shaw’s injury at Utd after beginning a special fitness programme had the mark of Moyes about it, hehe. (Oh. The irony). We’ve seen better management of the athletes, proper rest for fatigue, at AFC after the last few tournaments. But don’t tell the Redzone Experts! They must have had the heads firmly wedged up their Arsenal’s in order to miss that distinction in relation to some other clubs after recent international tournaments.
Things can only get even better now with the new chap in the physio room and more importantly a bigger, stronger and slightly older/ more mature squad.
Chambo MK I is still not quite ready so a similar line up to last week will start. A shame as it was late runs from CM by chamberlain in the second half that did for Palace during their last visit. I’ll have to wait a little while to get my fix of an eleven including Chamberlain, Walcott, Sanchez and more.
Puncheon. Bolasie. Jedinak. Chamack! Not bad players, they’ll all be up for this game big time.
Come on Arsenal.
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Just like dexter says we can still admire a suarez/killer type and also be appreciative of what giroud offers for the time. I dont understand what fury ive caused with my comments this time…
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Back on topic…
People seem to have forgotten what a great partnership Ollie and Theo had before injuries split up the pair of them.
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Oh yeah, that goal that sliced apart the Tottenham illusion was a case in point.
Still having trouble processing the fees they paid for the crap that they bought. Incredible scenes. Someone.
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We can agree the team need 3 or 4 forwards banging in 20+ each this season.
Olli is one of these, cast iron certainty for 20+.
Theo was getting to this level in his breakthrough season,
Alexis Sanchez looks more than capable of scoring plenty in this league.
Poldi ? Will he get game time?
Other forwards – maybe 10 between them, assuming they only will get limited opportunities.
Highly unlikely another forward will be bought this season.
Our midfielders will have to supply a significant proportion of the goals this season.
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Oops minus that ‘someone’ above. Truth is I’m better off not knowing how the Groaners’ pin up Levy came to those decisions.
Ignorance is bliss.
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Özil, Ramsey, Wilshere etc. could all add the goals from midfield. I hope!
Today this will be important, as with Chamberlain in the last meeting.
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Dc we need a forward who will put the ball in the net when the ball weighs tonnes. We have not yet been in such a situation. F.a cup final was nervous because of the ‘trophyless’ taunts. It does not compare with the pressure of being in a cl semi or final and millions watching you and having to beat the absolute best the comp has to offer.
As for “back on topic’ i would appreciate to know in the future (now not a good timing…season premier and all) what prompted the unjustified le grove comment. I dont want to consider you as unaccountable.
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When i say need i dont mean to purchase….i mean that we need whoever is there to ‘kill’ first time asked.
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That Man United team looks ropey.
Where are all these new stars queing up to joining the ‘biggest club in the world TM’?
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Heh poznan’s last two articles and especially the one about ‘the change’ in sanchez, khedira post are on the spot. Thats what we are talking about. Players who make the difference!!
we play in 5 hrs..plenty of time for a swim…and food..mmmm
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Hunter 10:47am and lots previous.
most seeking aggravation for the sake of it? but hey, that’s just my opinion.
Gains and Dex can be RPINTA at times too, if i’m on about it, but in smaller doses.
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Manu will look ropey for a while but make no mistake…van gaal will sort them. Terrible thing to happen really. Eraserhead will get them top4, which sucks as i was hoping for them to go further with moyes and break new records….. bastards….i see the media are already paving the way for united to get back….fucking racists and their manu love affair…
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What 10.47? In previous article? Let me check…
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Hunter
I think the players you want to see at Arsenal only exist in computer games, they don’t seem to be real people with real emotions and real human failings.
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Lets get back to Sens article about Ollie Giroud.
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Yes lets .Its a wonderful article and deserves to be the topic of conversation.
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Hey whats wrong with my 10.47?.lol…im replying to george who is telling me i talk shit..heh…when in reality others talk more shit. My ‘rants’ carry truths…not fantasy and rumours….
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Dc … no… they exist in real life too. Last time i checked suarez vidal masherano schweinsteiger khedira kross di maria were all alive and well.We just cant afford as many and still have to cut and paste a bit. Im no criminal for pointing it out. Please read poznan on players ‘who change the game’…do you not agree?
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I really really can’t see the clothes on Emperor Van Gaal at all.
It must be just me, as all the great people of the Kingdom agree that he has the finest raiments on.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cy5W0UZdrAg
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“It’s not a King, it’s only a Queen with a moustache!” LOL
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Come on now…. van gaal changed european football with his 94 ajax. Wenger has not done that yet. Im not saying one is the better than the other but they are both great football men who think on the game and offer a lot to the sport. I genuinely hope he flops at united but then again he is too good a manager to be an utter failure for them. I reckon they will get top4 back from liverpool.
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I’d say a few of those icons are placed a little too highly on your altarpiece Hunter.
I’m quite satisfied with many of the cheap old ragamuffins we have in the squad.
Sprinkle in a little gold dust from Ozil and Sanchez and something really magical could happen.
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Swansea take the lead!!!!!
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Suited booted and sat outside the church
What a bloody day to have a wedding
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At least SA is keeping my spirits up
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They are placed highly on the altarpiece of world football, not mine. To get there they have achieved and done things.
I dont understand on what authority we dismiss cl winners or highly respected professionals of the sport on the basis of club allegiance but anyway……
i support football my friend, and the teams that are compatible to my ideas of how the sport should be played. It is a conscious choice and nothing to do with tribes or communities…
all managers of these top clubs know. It depends on what you like. Wenger offers something else, mourinho offers something totally different, van gaal something totally different. They prepare their products and put them up for sale. The fans choose which product they follow.
i follow football first and foremost and the teams that are compatible to my ideas principles and philosophy of how the sport should be played. Wenger holds top spot but i cant deny there are others who also know……van gaal is one of those guys….sadly.
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If the day goes well:
Hammers will smash the Totts,
Swansea will keep this lead and
Burnley will catch Chelsea cold.
Then it’s up to The Arsenal to run up a cricket score this evening.
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Fabianski is doing extremely well on his debut. The magic of Van Gaal’s 3-5-2 is that if you have shit wingers, the central creative player, which the entire offense hinges in, is easy marked out of the game.
I’m a huge fan of Giroud. I think the man who developed Henry and Weah may know a thing or two about strikers.
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Who is their creative player – Mata?
Shame to see a good player being wasted, but he was too greedy.
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There goes Van Gaal revolutionizing football.
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Yup.
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Fabianski played like a boss today.
First Swansea victory at old Trashford.
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Karembeu holds a CL and World Cup Champions medal.
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