Skip to main content

Reasons why Giroud is the striker that Arsenal needs!

I am pretty frustrated with all the Giroud-bashing being done in the media, over how he is not the striker we can win titles with, over how he doesn’t score goals quite efficiently and regularly, over how he isn't quite lethal in the decisive moments and a lot more! For all the haters, the critics, and the neutral who do not know what to think, here are my reasons:


The provider/enabler: It is a clichéd statement that forwards are signed to score goals for the team. I wonder if this is true in present day football. Total Football as made famous by Cruyff, had every player playing in every position to the best of his ability. If that is so, why could a forward not be quite content with assisting goals rather than wishing to feature on the score-sheet always? Giroud isn't the leader in assists, but he is very much capable of playing the crucial pass with a little of trickery thrown in to win the ball, and move it forward for the others to latch on to.

Quick release: His link-up play is on par with the best in the department. No needless dallying with the ball at his feet. Playing a first-touch pass to secure the ball or to attack the opposition is exactly the type of play that he specializes in.

Physical play: His physique gives him an advantage in winning headers during a corner, or from a goal-kick, or to secure second balls. These are quite essential when your team is on the defense. He acts as a defensive midfielder during those moments, crudely speaking.

Thorn in the flesh: He possesses this uncanny ability to frustrate the opposition by holding the ball a little longer than usual, at the crucial moments. If first-touch passes are his forte, then the exact opposite of it, is another. Anyone who follows Arsenal’s games regularly, can relate to this fact. How many times have we seen Giroud drawing the defender’s ire or eliciting an yellow card or winning a non-existent free kick for his team, from positions of no significance? Football is a hugely psychological game, and the more you anger your opponent, the higher is his frequency of committing errors.

Tormentor-in-chief: He also fulfils his forward role quite capably. Give him a difficult situation to score and 9 times out of 10, he will get that goal for you. His misses from easy situations can be irritating to watch. Then again, nobody is perfect and all of us are always learning, aren’t we?


Considering all this, I say Giroud is more than enough for us to win the league. Instead of buying a world-class striker, we could groom one and keep him with us. The likes of Campbell, who has risen through the ranks, Jeff-Rene Adelaide and Alex Iwobi have shown great potential in the few minutes of playing time that they were given. With regular playing time during Cup competitions and as a substitute in League games, an upward shift in their development and tactical awareness can be observed. I truly wonder the need for us to scour the market for a striker! 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

On P.G.Wodehouse and why he should be read more.

I enjoyed reading Saumya Balasubramanian's article in the Open page dated 16-JUNE-2019 (Wodehouse, undistilled). I truly believe this world needs to be made aware and talked of PGW's works more than it currently is now. I am all of 25-years old and I was initiated into the world of Wodehouse by my family who were and still are crazy fans of the author's oeuvre. When everyone around me was fervently and reverently talking of Jeeves, I would be gnawed by a feeling of being left out. Of knowing zilch about this fictional character who apparently had given and still gives a glut of laughs when his exploits were explored in family conversations. To add more salt to this wound, my aunt would relate anecdotes wherein she used to fight with her cousins and uncles and father of how and where Jeeves had been right and wrong.  I would feel frustrated at not being a member of this league and I resented that. One fine rummy day, I took a leap of faith from my staple reads of Hardy B...
1 comment
Read more

Of sport, music, and dance.

Having born into a TamBrahm family, it was a default that I had to be surrounded by these three elements. Apart from the constant exhortation to ‘succeed’ in our grades at school, due to the alignment that we are part of (I do not want to use the word caste), our conversations hinged and revolved on majorly these three topics. Granted, there were exceptions according to each household and each parental mindset, but either all, or one, at the least, of these, were definitely a part of every TamBrahm household. Now, why am I ranting about these elements, in general or in separate? What spurred me to thrash out this piece on a non-eventful day? Why should I be putting these words to a screen for the world to read? How am I doing this (brace yourself for free advice on writing!)? When did the material for this piece (only intangible, unfortunately. I revel in them) originate? I will answer these questions, and you , the reader, be the judge of whether to skim, scan, or sprint from this pie...
1 comment
Read more

Thoughts into the abyss.

Do we think? Do we truly think? Response 1: Yes we do. We think and decide the food to be consumed daily, we think and plan ahead to reach our workplace or educational institution on time. We do think. A lot. Response 2:  Be more specific please. The universe is a melting-pot of disciplines. Where specifically is the area that you want me to base my answer to that question on? Response 3: What I think and profess to the world outside will be far different and occasionally be unreasonable to you. For this reason, I shall not answer the question. Response 4: We stress our brains quite intensely at the workplace or at the educational institution. Please do not plead with me to think anymore than I already do. Response 5: The age for thinking has passed me. Let me spend my days relaxing and taking rest after having run a metaphorical marathon my whole life. These are the typical comments that I could distill from my mind, imagining a situation where individuals of varying ages...
Post a Comment
Read more