There is an ongoing debate of late on how there is no room for Olivier Giroud at Arsenal and why he must leave the North London Club.
So many writers believe that the big striker has no place in the Gunners set-up and will not be missed. The man himself has expressed doubt on his Arsenal future and it appears that he is willing to move ahead.
While some fans(a great portion of Arsenal fans indeed) have constantly been calling for the Frenchman to leave, I feel this is rather unfortunate. At this juncture, let me categorically state that I like Olivier Giroud and will love to see him score more goals.
Sentiment apart, I strongly believe that the Frenchman’s contribution is far from being useless. I think the notion that we don’t need him is ill-informed and should not be taken seriously.
Since 2012 when we signed the striker, he has returned an incredible 98 goals in 226 competitive matches. This is only two goals shy of the 100 goal landmark and that he has done in 5 seasons, playing week in and week out as a sole striker in some cases, not minding the exhaustions and inevitable dry spells as well as injury and lack of match fitness shows how committed he has been for us.
Giroud may be lacking in some aspects as a striker, but there are areas in which his talents and roles are indispensable and it is nothing short of foolish to assume that with the capture of Alexandre Lacazette we don’t need Giroud. The two strikers are different in some many ways and instead of ultimately substituting the two, we will be better off seeing them complimenting each other.
While Lacazette is faster and more mobile, Giroud is Bigger and more physical. There are some games where a particular deployed tactics may not work effectively and it will only be ideal to switch and this is where the combination of the two will pay off.
During the period last season when Wenger experimented with Sanchez as an outright striker, there were instances where it didn’t work out too well and Giroud was called up to offer a different dimension to the team. On several occasions, the French man rose to the challenge and delivered results.
The draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford easily comes to mind. There were several other occasions like this and I don’t think there is any other striker at Arsenal who can provide the options Giroud offers. His phenomenal aerial ability cannot be disputed and although Danny Welbeck may have the height and physicality, he clearly lacks the experience and positional discipline to replace the Frenchman.
Another reason why I won’t like to see Giroud leave in this current transfer window is his unconditional love for the club. In spite of the hostility from several sections of the fans and undue criticism from pundits(even Arsenal former players), the man has shown love and respect to the club and deserves his place among Arsenal greats.
This may sound like a sentimental piece, but then, what is football without sentiment? Olivier Giroud is an Arsenal great in my opinion and deserves to stay longer, even if just to score two more competitive goals.
