- Back to Home »
- Blog , player »
- Player of the Week: Week #2
Posted by : Unknown
Monday, 26 August 2013
As I'm sure you're aware, Arsenal fans have been sitting rather uncomfortably recently, perched right on the edge of their seats as they endure the trials and tribulations that accompany being a Gunners fan. One of their recent worries is lack of transfers, or more accurately, lack of goalscoring talent. But the way I see it, that all pretty irrelevant - not only have they signed young French prospect Yaya Sanogo, as well as having German powerhouse Lucas Podolski, they also have a man that goes by the name of Olivier Giroud in their squad.
Giroud, signed for £9.6m from Montpellier, was hugely overlooked in the Arsenal squad last season, and despite bagging 17 goals in his first season at the North London club, was often ridiculed for his lack of talent and prowess.
Already this season, Olivier has netted three times for Arsenal in just three appearances, and there's plenty that he brings to the game. His height, six foot four to be exact, means that he brings a solid presence to the front line of Arsenal's attack that someone like Theo Walcott of Sanogo wouldn't bring. He's not weak either, and his height also means that he had a fair bit of strength on the ball. He has the ability to be a clinically finished lone striker, or he is capable of holding the ball up and shrugging off defenders to wait for supporting players.
All of his attributes feed right in to Arsenal's style of play. Midfield characters such as Theo and Santi Cazorla bring elements of pace to the attack, and Giroud slots in nicely and enables the Gunners to play nice, counter attacking football - shown this week against Fulham.
It's not a one off either. He is a very talented player. His characteristics mirror those of any striker across Europe, he's in the right place at the right time, his attack mind is spot on and he knows what the rest of his team is doing to support him. I get confused when people criticise Giroud, I really do, because as far as I can see, he's a quality striker that Arsenal fans should be thankful to see him wearing their shirt.
This week, Giroud showed once again that not only can he finish, but his hard work and determination continue throughout the game. When analysing the game afterwards, BBC Match of the Day's Alan Hansen said that Santi Cazorla was "once again, Arsenal's stand out man", but I firmly disagree. After scoring Arsenal's first goal, he was also available in their second and third, and although they were both scored by Lukas Podolski, Olivier was sure to be working hard to make another option inside the box [See GIF below for his commitment to be available in the third goal, determined to stay open and onside even after a 70 yard sprint].
Back to his goal against Fulham this weekend [See below], that also shows one of his unnoticed talents - his natural instinct. Yes, the original ball in was a shot and in no way was it meant to fall to him, but his instict for scoring meant he was able to pounce on the chance and slot home in a cool fashion to put the Gunners one up.
Olivier Giroud is, in my eyes, one of the most overlooked players in the Premier League, and I see him as one of the most clinical finishers in the League. He's got strength, aerial ability and pace too, which he incorporates in to his game with one hundred percent effort each and every time. He was a very clever buy for Wenger, and he could, or really, already is, the answer to Arsenal's goalscoring woes as they look for a natural, consistent goalscorer.
What's your view on Olivier Giroud?