Olivier Giroud

[NikkiCFC 7,635]

Yeah, great goal, 2nd one also nice header. When Timo is not available I hope we go with Giroud, Pulisic, Ziyech and Havertz.

[Vesper 27,437]

Why it’s never wise to write off Olivier Giroud

https://theathletic.com/2127505/2020/10/11/giroud-chelsea-ukraine-write-off-100-caps/

There isn’t much Vincent Duluc hasn’t seen in the game. He has been a reporter at L’Equipe for more than 30 years and covered nine World Cups, but this is a question which has left him truly nonplussed: why is Olivier Giroud a regular starter for France and not for the two clubs who bought him to play in the Premier League?

“I don’t know what is missing in his game for him to be treated this way,” he admits with genuine bemusement. “But one thing is for sure, he will never quit.”

The night of October 7, 2020, is one Giroud will never forget. He became just the eighth footballer to reach 100 caps for France and marked it with a brace against Ukraine to go above Michel Platini as the second-highest scorer for his country with 42 goals, which is only nine behind Thierry Henry’s landmark.

With the European Championship next summer and a World Cup to come the following year, the target of reaching and even overtaking Henry is firmly in his sights.

The ambition is a realistic one because unlike at Arsenal and Chelsea, Giroud knows he is going to be picked to play up front regularly no matter whether he finds the back of the net or not. After all, this is the centre-forward who played all seven games (started six of them) at the World Cup two years ago and didn’t score once as France lifted the trophy.

It is a rare anomaly for a player to have so much more backing at international level than at his club. That’s not to say Arsenal and Chelsea haven’t played him over the years, but he has started just 144 Premier League games in more than eight years for the two London rivals — an average of 18 per campaign.

Given there are 38 matches each season and he hasn’t suffered many long-term issues — the worst was a fractured foot, which kept him on the sidelines for three months in 2014 — it demonstrates how much he has been underemployed compared with his national side.

It’s hard to determine what is more surprising. The fact he is picked so often for France despite being in and out of the reckoning at club level or that Arsenal and Chelsea haven’t made him a mainstay of their line-up when they see France do so at every opportunity. If he is good enough for the world champions…

So what makes him so important for France?

Duluc explains: “The three main reasons are, first, he’s very good. Second, Karim Benzema has not played for France since 2015 so there has been less competition. Third, he is the ideal player for Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappe to play off, so that makes him ideal for France coach Didier Deschamps as well. 

“He played those seven games at the World Cup because he is very useful, is very important for the others. When he wasn’t scoring there was some grumbling that he wasn’t as good as Benzema, but not a big outcry.

“It has not been so tough for Olivier because when he scores, everybody says Giroud is so strong, a very fine player. When he doesn’t score, people are still thinking it’s OK because the team needs him, the other players are better with him. He is in a win-win situation.

“He is like Roberto Firmino at Liverpool — you have to put your ego in your pocket. It’s not like he is trying to score just for himself. When he does not score, he is still playing for the others. When Mbappe does not score for two-three games you can tell he is playing for himself, trying to score by overplaying. Giroud never does that.”

The 34-year-old will always be respected by the majority of football lovers in his own country, but a section still finds him his selection over Benzema hard to accept.

Benzema has spent 11 years leading the line at mighty Real Madrid, an achievement in itself. He has won 18 trophies there including four Champions Leagues and three Liga titles. In contrast, Giroud has never lifted the Premier League or European Cup — he has four FA Cups, a Europa League and three Community Shields to show for his efforts in England.

But Benzema has more of a history of trouble off the pitch and was accused in 2015 of allegedly being involved in an attempt to blackmail France team-mate Mathieu Valbuena. Benzema has not played for France since.

Despite many calls from his admirers for Benzema to be reinstated, Deschamps has remained resolute in his backing of Giroud. The former midfielder not only believes in being loyal, but is also described as being rather stubborn and single-minded.

One attribute Deschamps found key during his playing career — and he lifted the World Cup himself with France in 1998 — is the harmony of the squad. With players having to spend weeks away together in a camp at major tournaments or flying off to testing foreign matches during qualification, Giroud is regarded as a far greater asset in keeping morale strong than the more maverick figure of Benzema.

Then when you consider Deschamps’ tactic is to use Giroud as a focal point to bring the best out of world-class players such as Griezmann, Mbappe and Paul Pogba, you can see why he is such a valued member. Benzema may have more talent, but there is more of a risk of upsetting the equilibrium.

Such is the animosity shown by Benzema fans towards him, Giroud revealed in his autobiography Always Believe It that he turned down a move to Lyon in January because that is where his fellow striker started his career.

“There is a shadow over Giroud and it is always the Benzema shadow,” Duluc adds. “Even if Benzema is the better player, maybe the France team is better with Giroud.”

The level of respect Deschamps has for Giroud was clear when speaking before the Ukraine fixture. Giroud was playing in the lower leagues in France during his early 20s and didn’t get a cap until he was 25.

“He has an above-average strength of character and this is related to his background,” Deschamps said. “He reached the professional level quite late and like all the players in this case, he doesn’t see it as revenge but with strength in him.

“He is never as strong as when he finds himself in a difficult situation and performing at a high level is about being strong in the head. He is always there.”

Giroud has demonstrated that fortitude since his first move to an English club in 2012, when he joined Arsenal from Montpellier for around £13 million.

It would be wrong to suggest fans didn’t appreciate his efforts there or that everyone was against him. You could argue it was almost an impossible task from the outset to overcome the obstacle of following in the line of great Arsenal forwards: Ian Wright, Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry and Robin van Persie.

He didn’t exactly arrive as a big name. Giroud came along just as Van Persie was in the process of defecting to Manchester United and question marks over the direction the club was heading in were being raised once more. Lukas Podolski joined in that window too but to much more acclaim.

A sign of the relatively low-key nature of Giroud’s arrival came while he posed for photographs on Hackney Marshes as part of a media interview before the new season. One passer-by, who was out walking their dog, came up to ask a member of the entourage standing near Giroud, “Who is that getting all the pictures taken of them?” When they were told it was Arsenal’s latest acquisition to play up front, the individual shrugged their shoulders in an underwhelmed fashion and trudged off.

As The Athletic documented in July, Arsenal were constantly on the lookout for other options from Luiz Suarez to Jamie Vardy.

Arsene Wenger spoke in glowing terms about Giroud, but by chasing other targets, sent a pretty clear message to the supporters and the player that he wasn’t seen as the man to fire the club back to a Premier League title.

Giroud’s second season, 2013-14, was his best for Premier League starts (36) in an Arsenal shirt and he scored 16 times in the league. In 2015-16, when Wenger’s men finished runners-up to Leicester City, he also found the net on 16 occasions having played in every match (26 starts, 12 as sub). In terms of numbers, that was as good as it got. He was very much a peripheral figure in the last 18 months, especially once Alexandre Lacazette joined in 2017.

There was a feeling in the crowd that he was good but not quite good enough. There would be barren streaks during the campaign or matches when easy opportunities seemed to be spurned.

For example, when Arsenal lost 3-1 at home to Monaco in the last 16 of the Champions League in 2015, Giroud took most of the blame. He had missed six chances from inside the area. The one touch that counterpart Dimitar Berbatov had in the box at the other end resulted in a goal for the visitors.

Wenger always spoke supportively about Giroud, but his actions spoke louder than words by pursuing other talents in the same position. Giroud was still wanted but as a different option or someone to bring off the bench, not the main man. Alexis Sanchez, who joined from Barcelona in 2014, became more of the focal point and also suited the preferred style of play involving quick passing and movement.

With the benefit of hindsight, you could argue comments Wenger made in April 2013 hinted at the role Giroud would find himself in. “He is a little bit less (like) the strikers we used to have until now, but he gives us another dimension with the physical challenges in the air.”

It’s also worth bearing in mind that as Wenger’s popularity decreased dramatically over the final few years, he was under more pressure to consider making changes. Perhaps Giroud became guilty by association.

At Chelsea, it has been a different story. From day one, Giroud was under no illusion that he was bought as a back-up striker but it is to his credit he hasn’t settled for that.

It was his purchase in January 2018 that allowed Borussia Dortmund to sign Michy Batshuayi on loan and Arsenal to acquire Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from the Bundesliga club.

Initially, he was behind Alvaro Morata in the pecking order as Antonio Conte’s troubled second season in charge continued, but by the end, he was in the first XI as Chelsea beat Manchester United to win the FA Cup.

The next season under Maurizio Sarri, he had spells playing second fiddle to Morata and then Gonzalo Higuain. But it was his 11 goals in the Europa League, including one in the final against Arsenal, that fired Chelsea to the trophy.

Under Lampard in 2019-20, the Frenchman had a spell when he played just one Premier League fixture in three months. The Chelsea coach wanted faster players on the pitch to run in behind defenders and press opponents. He opted for Tammy Abraham, who had reached 13 Premier League goals by mid-January, most weeks.

In that one game between November and February when Lampard gave Giroud a chance to impress, he struggled to make an impact and Chelsea lost at home to West Ham United. You could argue it was just rust from barely getting on the pitch, but for Lampard, it was a sign his suspicions were correct and he was simply too slow.

Giroud came very close to leaving in January and probably only stayed because Chelsea couldn’t bring any of their targets in that month. Before the window shut, he met with Lampard and they have had a much closer bond ever since. The manager appreciated the determination and willingness to work hard.

It brought results too as Lampard turned to Giroud, initially because Abraham was injured, and he scored eight Premier League goals from February to help Chelsea secure a top-four finish.

But normal service has been resumed. Chelsea’s new signings Kai Havertz and Timo Werner are on the scene now and Abraham is back in favour. Four games into the Premier League season, Giroud has played just 17 minutes.

Lampard is once again trying to inject more pace in the team’s play and looking towards the future. Giroud is out of contract at the end of the season.

Still, just as Deschamps feels Giroud’s personality is an asset to have, so does Lampard. While other players are perhaps causing issues when they’re not selected, the same can’t be said for Giroud.

Speaking last month, Lampard said: “When he’s not playing I keep hearing him behind me on the bench shouting for Tammy, encouraging, backing his team-mate, and those things are huge.”

It wouldn’t be a surprise if Giroud forces his way back in the Chelsea side once again — you can certainly picture Werner enjoying running on to his flicks and headers.

As Duluc concludes: “He is 34 but doesn’t accept his fate. Even if he just gets 10 minutes off the bench, he will fight to score. Olivier says he has a few years ahead of him, there is no limit for him.

“After the last World Cup, we thought it was over for him, that Euro 2020 would come too late. But now he looks certain to play at the delayed Euros next summer and if he does that, why not play at the World Cup at 36? He always has this thing, the ability to bounce back.”

[NikkiCFC 7,635]

 

[Vesper 27,437]

13 hours ago, NikkiCFC said:

 

roflmaooooooooooooo

[Jase 43,479]

 

[King Kante 1,341]

I find it really frustrating how SFL utilises Giroud. Should be one of the first off the bench 70% of the time as his hold up play can help bring the AM's/Werner into the game more. 

[NikkiCFC 7,635]

Same situation like last season. 

He was close to leave last January but I think when market opens in two months again he will leave especially with Euro coming. With Werner around he won't get a chance. 

[Jase 43,479]

Here we go with the Giroud rumors again...

 

[Magic Lamps 11,473]

3 hours ago, Jason said:

Here we go with the Giroud rumors again...

 

Deschamps should become Girouds agent if he is so keen on brokering moves for him. Incredible. Never seen a manager so repeatedly and brazenly ramble about other clubs transfer business. 

[Jase 43,479]

 

[Hutcho 8,443]

If he wants to go play more regularly then let him go play more regularly. He's still great and in another situation he'd be leading our line but he isn't gonna get the minutes he wants with the competition we have and whilst he's probably the best 3rd choice striker in the league by a million miles it's understandable why he doesn't get loads of games for us given our current situation. Now if any injuries happen between now and then, then of course that would change things.

[Magic Lamps 11,473]

5 minutes ago, Hutcho said:

If he wants to go play more regularly then let him go play more regularly. He's still great and in another situation he'd be leading our line but he isn't gonna get the minutes he wants with the competition we have and whilst he's probably the best 3rd choice striker in the league by a million miles it's understandable why he doesn't get loads of games for us given our current situation. Now if any injuries happen between now and then, then of course that would change things.

Most injuries will come at the business end of the season after the accumulation of fixtures. That is when we will need him. I think it would be foolish to let him go just now. He knew what he was doing when signed a other extension. I am confident he will get his minutes in the busy festive schedule and surely next year. 

[Vesper 27,437]

20 hours ago, Magic Lamps said:

Deschamps should become Girouds agent if he is so keen on brokering moves for him. Incredible. Never seen a manager so repeatedly and brazenly ramble about other clubs transfer business. 

fucker is ex Chels too won the bloody FA Cup with us in 2000

he needs to staple his gob shut

[OneMoSalah 8,619]

1 minute ago, Vesper said:

fucker is ex Chels too won the bloody FA Cup with us in 2000

he needs to staple his gob shut

Hes France manager so he wants his key players playing week in week out so they are in good shape for the tournaments and international games. Dont see the fuss. All international managers are the same.

[Jase 43,479]

35 minutes ago, Magic Lamps said:

Most injuries will come at the business end of the season after the accumulation of fixtures. That is when we will need him. I think it would be foolish to let him go just now. He knew what he was doing when signed a other extension. I am confident he will get his minutes in the busy festive schedule and surely next year. 

But how many minutes is the question. Will it be enough to satisfy him? Last season worked out well because there was no option apart from Abraham upfront and in some ways, we also kinda got lucky with his contract extension because the Euros was postponed and the pandemic happened. 

[Jase 43,479]

Regardless of when Giroud leaves, we knew it was going to happen at some point and we're gonna need to find someone who is happy to play the backup role in January. 

[NikkiCFC 7,635]

3 minutes ago, Jason said:

Regardless of when Giroud leaves, we knew it was going to happen at some point and we're gonna need to find someone who is happy to play the backup role in January. 

Werner, Abraham and Havartz in urgency can play CF. We don't need replacement when Olie leaves. But for next season Broja can be that 3rd striker. 

[Jase 43,479]

12 minutes ago, NikkiCFC said:

Werner, Abraham and Havartz in urgency can play CF. We don't need replacement when Olie leaves. But for next season Broja can be that 3rd striker. 

In the short term aka from next January till May, we could probably get away with Werner, Abraham and Havertz. But long term? I don't think so, not when Werner is played on the LW half of the time and Broja is not the answer. At his age, he needs to be playing week in week out to develop and not sit on the bench.