Reading 2 – 5 Arsenal
Match Report | Highlights | Arsene’s reaction
I considered writing this article several weeks ago, but was temporarily dissuaded of my view. After the Fulham match in which he scored a brace, Olivier Giroud was briefly flavour of the month at Arsenal. He followed that impressive performance with a goal in the North London Derby, and all seemed well in the world. At long last, Arsenal had a centre-forward again.
I had slated Giroud early on. His lack of goals seemed to be me to be down more to poor technique than ill fortune. I’d been a bit harsh, no doubt, and when he began to score I was relieved and delighted that I appeared to have been wrong. I, like the rest of the Arsenal fanbase, have been willing him to succeed. He’s French, he’s handsome, he works hard. We paid a fair bit of money for him, and he’s got a cracking song. Naturally, you want him to do well.
Since that derby game, Giroud has made six appearances without scoring. He is starting to feel the pressure again, as his heavenward glances and angry reaction to not being allowed to take a penalty against West Brom show. It’s not entirely his fault: he’s been benched on a couple of occasions, and hasn’t had fantastic service. But therein lies the rub: without good service, Giroud offers very little attacking threat. And it’s also a very specific type of service he seems to thrive on.
Whenever Giroud is on the pitch, I find myself willing us to cross the ball in to the box. Of his seven goals this season, four have been headers. Six have been from crosses. It’s an impressive conversion rate, but I’m not sure that we’re set up to play as a team with a traditional target man.
Arsenal’s best team performances this season have come when they’ve played with a fluid front three based on pace, movement and dynamism. Take, for example, the games at the Etihad, against Southampton, or Monday night’s thumping of Reading. On those occasions it’s been one of Gervinho or Theo Walcott in the central striking role.
It’s a team game, you see. Giroud might benefit from a style based around crosses, but I’m not sure anyone else does. I’m not even sure we have the type of wingers who are prepared to get to the byline and swing it on a regular basis. Podolski can cross, but he’s far happier making darting runs inside to try and get in to goalscoring positions. Giroud is a significant aerial threat, but Arsenal would have to change their entire playing philosophy to get the best out of him. The simple fact is that he isn’t good enough to justify that sort of sweeping philosophical shift. It is rarely wise to mould your tactics around one player. Admittedly, last season Arsenal did evolve a style that was built almost entirely to provide ammunition for Robin van Persie, but he responded with almost forty goals. Giroud can not be expected to emulate that kind of efficiency.
I’m not saying he’s a bad player. I think he’s a very good one. I’m just not sure he’s the right one. For years, people talked about Arsenal needing a target man as a Plan B. Finally, they have one. Giroud looks twice the player of Chamakh at the moment, and will doubtless become an important part of the squad. There are times when we will need him. But his style is opposed to that of the team. He doesn’t fit Plan A.
Watching the Reading game it was impossible not to be struck by how the selection of Theo Walcott, a far more mobile player, at centre-forward immediately helped restore the buccaneering swagger of old to the Arsenal side. But don’t be fooled: Walcott does not represent the long-term solution, largely because I suspect he won’t even be here in six months. The very fact he’s being selected in such a crucial position when his future is in doubt shows that Arsene Wenger is having to be pragmatic to ensure results. He cannot afford to take a stand.
Unless, of course, he brings someone in. If I had the key to the safe at Arsenal, I’d be plying all the resources I could in to bringing in a top drawer centre-forward. As Manchester United showed when they got Van Persie, sometimes it’s worth paying big money to secure that extra cutting edge. We need someone with electric movement, frightening pace and lethal finishing. There are goalscorers out there, it’s simply a question of showing the will and commitment to bring one in. I genuinely believe it could transform the fortunes of this team.
I personally feel that gervinho has more of an attack threat than giroud
Then you confused fam
Seriously confused; gervi can’t even get 2 d tail end of a beautiful through pass and ur saying he’s better than giroud…..get ur head out of the clouds mate!
please don’t mention Gervinho as an attacking threat. He is only good for playing outside the box, once in the box, he is useless
ok the ducking black ivorian can run and he can try to dribble past guyz but as a central striker you need to find the back of the net.u need to score goals.my grandma can finish better than gercinho.atleast olivier is settling down no.
What’s his being black got to do with anything? Gervinho sucks balls and all – but why stoop so low with brainless racism. Henry, Wright et al, club heroes. Drogba: “ducking black Ivorian” who beasted us every freaking match.
Get your head into the 21st century, mate.
Does anyone else think that Giroud deserves another striker beside him, instead of making him the sole focal point of the Arsenal attack?
If pace is all we need out of a front man, then why has the team struggled with Gervinho down the center?
Podolski,Giroud and Walcott should be our strikers. All have different skill sets. They haven’t played much together either,but when they have, goals were scored.
Giroud is still finding his feet, though his head is doing well. If you have seen him play for Montpellier, you know his feet aren’t lacking for skill.
We need walcott up there. Walcott is great centre forward
Giroud just doesn’t fit in with our play. He is great player but he does not work good at Arsenal
Heh
Oh .. you were serious sorry then.
Fully agree with everything you’ve said. I’ve thought the same ever since I first saw him play.
Love the guy and really want him to succeed, but he just doesn’t fit in with the way we play.
Why has everyone suddenly forgotten that Podolski is actually a striker? It seems everyone had forgotten, including Wenger.
Our best finisher, more mobile than Giroud yet as direct as Theo. He’s a slightly worse version of Van Persie.
lol….a slightly worse version….
WTF you talking about – he’s better than RVP
Giroud is a decent squad player. Using either him or Theo up front provides different attack options. Why does he have to be the superstar RvP type player you all expect him to be. He is a good player who will only get better. Great addition to the squad.
Always nice to see an offence score with headshot s
Go giroux !!
Go Arsenal and
GO STAN
YEAHHHHH
I totally agree on Giroud. Love the guy but we need someone with pace and nimble, like Walcott. I think we should do everything to keep him. All we need is more urgency and speed to our attacking. Gervinho is quick but lost in front of goal. Reading game had our best attacking st up for sure. I also agree with your second. I would blow our whole budget and bring in Falcao and I bet we’d get some silverware.
If Giroud thrive on crosses as been insinuated in the article, then Giroud is right for Arsenal now considering that 4 goals out of the five scored at Reading on Monday all came from crosses. When Arsenal played the tik-takka football one of the major outcry was that we never win against well organised teams as we become easily predictable and cannot not mix it. Now we can play the tip-tap football and can still get crosses and scoring, what is the problem with that ?
You guys don’t seems to know what you’re talking about… You don’t become highest goal scorer in a top league in Europe by error, Giroud has intelligence, movements & fire power to be a great Arsenal striker. He hasn’t fully adapted to our style of play & Wenger has refused to play to his strength… The few times he did, we saw Giroud blossom. Walcott &Gervinho
Maybe you should manage the team, if ytou think you know better than SIr Arsene….
Oh! wait a minute you haven’t got a fucking clue what you’re talking about.
Stick to playing football manager on xbox…hehe
Your argument would be stronger but for the fact that apart from Theo’s goal the others all came from crosses(tho Olivier would have taken Santi’s first goal on his knee) Giroud’s movement has been good and his ability to receive and hold or flick on the long ball has been impressive. Cast your mind back to some very clever by play and passing exchanges around the box that came to little because of Cazorla’s warrant to sling long range pot shots wide of the goals…some times very wide!
Our problem has been that our wingers have seemed oblivious to the fact that WS1 has been targeting him and are waiting on the wing for the usual passing movement. This has resulted in them not being advanced enough to take advantage of the headed through balls. Also our midfielders have struggled until recently to get into goal poaching positions – note Wilshere’s goal from Giroud’s header and Santi’s poaching last weekend.
The most amazing thing to me is that we have spent the last few years bitching about having no plan B and when we finally get a forward who gives us something else you tell me we cant play to his strengths? Look at the goals he has scored – we obviously did a some time. To me our problems stems more from a corporate lack of football intelligence from the likes of Walcott and Gibbs and the general lack of anything other than an ability to bamboozle the opposition and team mates alike from Gervinho.
Lastly Giroud’s capacity to be a threat from set pieces (especially from Theo) not only creates goals but creates space for out other centre-halves to have a go as well. With 2 defenders having to keep Grioud in check, Mert TV and Kos have all been able to poach free headers in the box. (Just dont let Santi take the corners…he is terrible)
…Are not and will never be good strikers; they just don’t have what it takes! Unless Wenger plays a false Striker game pattern that doesn’t require an all out striker. Between Giroud & Podolski Arsenal will enjoy an appreciable number of goals this season… I just pray Wenger is wise enough to adjust to suit Giroud’s strength until he fully adapts to our style.
I don’t particularly blame Giroud for his uninspiring goalscoring form. IMO it’s more an issue of service. The real disappointment came after the WHU game. The team seemed to be getting up a head of steam and Giroud in particular seemed to have gained a lot of confidence and after that game was ready to roll. He showed this for France, scoring in the international break (late equaliser against Spain?), but when he returned the rest of the side had gone completely to sleep. Against Norwich he worked hard and clearly wanted do well but there had been a change in the attitudes of the other players (no closing down for the goal – would never have happened before that international break), and no one was moving off the ball, while OG was stuck in the centre surrounded by defenders. He was then sadly dropped from the side despite the fact that neither Podolski nor Gervinho made any attempt to move off-the ball to create space or give him chances, so we ended up rewarding the lazier/more fatigued/off-form players and penalised the guy who at least was trying. This has happened a few times actually, not just to Giroud.
Of course we must accept that he’s no RVP, so when the rest of the team is playing poorly, he’s not going to conjure something out of nothing or suddenly lose his marker in a tight space, and even RVP couldn’t do it on every occasion, AND on many occasions he got a perfect pass from Alex Song. We should understand that when 99% of the crosses are hitting the first defender or going 6ft over his head, Giroud’s not going to be the most effective forward in the world – and that’s how it’s been in a lot of our games!
I also noticed something strange in the WBA game. On 2 occasions Gerv could have given him a clear shot at goal but on one of those chose to take on a difficult shot himself and on the other played a difficult ball across to Wilshere which Jack almost got to. I have wondered at times whether the other players really want to give the ball to Giroud? The players certainly moved more for each other against Reading when Theo was up front. Is it a case of them enjoying playing more with Theo or has Giroud just been unlucky to lose his place in part due to the sloppy service he’s been getting, and this has coincided with the rest of the team returning to form? They certainly haven’t looked so tired recently.
“Why has everyone suddenly forgotten that Podolski is actually a striker? It seems everyone had forgotten, including Wenger.”
Enough of this. He’s a winger or second striker. He made his name playing on the wing for Germany, or sometimes behind Klose (a true centre forward). We tried him through the middle in his first game and he showed no understanding of where to go without the ball. Through the middle he’s better when the play is in front of him (ie from midfield), but he is capable of delivering great crosses from his wing positions or of cutting in and scoring.
please don’t speak with authority as if you know what you’re talking about.
Podolski made his name as a CF at 18 for cologne. His last 2 seasons for them he was their top striker. He started as a striker for Germany under Klinsmann till he was moved by Low to fit his system. He he even scouted him as a striker?
One game in the season? The very first game in a new team in a new league? Yeah, let’s judge him then.
I bet you also thought Gervinho was a great striker when he scored 2 goals in his first game up front too.
I actually think Giroud will end up being a good signing but not a great one, he’ll be better next season after he’s had time to settle. The problem is we dont have time and need another striker bringing in this January, Huntelaar maybe, dont fancy Llorente as he’s similar to Giroud, Cavani is out of our range so Demba Ba maybe the best option. Knows the league already and is a proven goalscorer at 2 clubs, can play alone upfront or as a two. Cheap with get out clause at £7.5m so just offer the money and sign him, simples. We all know Wenger want break the bank so no point dreaming of a big name but believe me, if Ba didn’t have this clause in his contract Newcastle would want atleast £20m before even considering selling their best player, the guy has 11 goals in 17 games in a team that is 15th or so and is struggling badly. In a team that’s top end like us and creating loads of chances he’ll be up there for being top scorer every year, plus Senegal have not made the ACN this year so we wouldn’t lose him to that. Great move IMO, would love to see him and its another genuine option. Not like Gervinho, Chamakh etc who are not realistic options.
He is the right striker for us. With a classic striker type like him, the rest of the squad are pushed to work better as a team instead of just make a thru pass & hope for the striker to run as hell.
Not just that he’s the right striker for us, in some of our games this season I think our team is the one who doesn’t deserve him. His work rate is amazing, strong all around, of course he’a not as skillful as RVP, but that goes to other 99% of strikers that are playing today everywhere as well.
No he will not be the main striker for Arsenal. More of a plan B when things are not going well. We do not play with a target man; Ade was the closest we had, but he is more mobile and skilful.
Sir Alex said, Van Persie is cheap for his quality and contribution to Manu. If we miss that man why not we get the Hunter who on par with RVP or even better for much less money.OR, Luis Suarez who I think is a complete striker with great skill including dunk diving (a smart guy he is)Or the lethal one in Radamel Falcao for whatever cost.
Giroud is good, I like him too, but he need time which we don’t have. This year if we can finish four is lucky enough. How can luck has to do with this when we have professor and professionals to run this club. Winning has to be design by tactical genius and individual selections, that is the art, luck only play 10-15% at most.
In my opinion, we have quite a depth and decent squad, but trophy and tittle is still out of reach at the moment. With this squad we have to date, we really have to work on the mental to win every game and fuse them into a solid teamwork, click it to win game even with different players on the pitch. Manu squad is no better than us, but their mentality is strong to win game.
He is good and talented, as you told he is not right striker for Arsenal game. Mainly i think he is not that much fit for EPL. Because he is not that much good in holding ball for bit long time, not good in run and not good in physically. Without these qualities i don’t he will succeed in EPL.
RVP can hold the ball and run that is the reason he score 40 goals for Arsenal. We need a striker who can hold the ball and pass and run.
he is crap
Podolski should be our alternative frontman.
This is hogwash. What happened to giving players some time to adapt before judging them completely like this?
As far as I was aware the guy only scored one header last season for Montpellier out of the 25 he got. Seems there’s more to his game than you suggest, and that should be blindingly obvious to anyone who watches him.
Also, our ‘plan A’ has been pretty shite this season regardless of who plays up top.
What this article pretty amouch amounts to is that he’s not RVP. There’s a shock.
Dont forget that we are defensively stronger with Giroud in the side. Defending corners Giroud is as good as Drogba.
You guys talk crap, wonder if any one of you is able to kick a ball. RVP wasn’t a super man, if he was, he cld have won us th CL and the League last season, and its a fallacy to compare him to G12, he is even diiferent to Rooney, Suarez, the reason being he is RVP and G12 is G12. For me he has a quality that others dont have and I dont think its true that he cant hold on to the ball, and to say that he isn’t the striker we need is crap, coz the guys we are talking about are not invincibles. Whats the point of the article anyway, to dampen the spirits
True, true, RvP has the ability to be super silky-smooth in movement and deadly with his left foot and good with his right and scoring nearly a goal a game and loving the Arsenal long time whilst still carrying on in a professional manner and chain-smoking 20+ ciggies a day.
Giroud looks good in a shirt and is a handsome face for our female fanbase to gawk at.
Why do we compare the two players when they offer different things?????
i thin giroud needs more time in the gym to build a rippling physique to show off under those tight arsenal shirts so french mademoiselles can sigh oh la la while.paying french cable for hte right to watxh giroud in his tight shirts which well line the coffers at arsenal fc quite nicely thank you very much!
We could have just given rvp a payrise, signed the players we did and now be top of the league. But that wd require wenger and the other blood suckers getting theirs heads out of the trough.
ah ok so every cunt that wants a payrise can just walk up to the board and demand it or else he walks out?…. great thinking! what i dont get is …what does wenger got to do with the level of salary the board is willing to pay robin or anyone else ?…..
Yes, wtf you talking about…
We give Carl Fucking Jenkinson Pay rise and Ramsey because they are world class players. When RVP plays as good as them – they he can knock on Sir Arsene’s door.
Even my dad says that is far better to have three average players than one world class one. Anyway, Sir Arsene will make another RVP whenever he wants.
I wouldn’t put too much stock in a swashbucklIng performance against reading. Let’s see theo against a real cb. Or arteta against Rooney again. The manager is simply not up to scratch. We beat reading and wengers email instantly is telling us how great our record has been and how we are all over reacting and should be grateful. We have the best record against first division clubs in the universe. Wank wank money in the bank.
Theo is not the answer. If he we’re then a big club wd b sniffing around. And they are not. Well maybe there is some truth to manure sniffs. Maybe. But he won’t be getting anywhere near cf up there.
Wenger out
is it your money that is rotting in the bank then?
oh it isnt?….. hmmmm carry on …..
Weg who do you think has the biggest package of the two? Based on your intimate knowledge of these things?
without a doubt, giroud.
van perise, as we’ve all surmised, must have an undescended left testicle, hence affording him the room for that perfect left-foot strike. And his perfect technique must be a product of not having much in-between his legs to interfere with his wind up and aim. I betcha it’s just one pendelumatic testicle swaying to and fro to counter-balance the prodigous swinging leg of his striking foot.
giroud walks, moves and kicks like a man who is heavily encumbered with something more that ennui and a sense of debroullier…. i.e. massive junk in the trunk!
I get your points in that article and I’m not saying I disagree, but I think it’s important for teams to have more than one plan. Giroud offers something nobody else at Arsenal does. Wenger may not choose to utilise his particular skills in every game but there will be games when he’ll need exactly what Giroud offers.
Yes Giroud offers French class….but you little Englanders want pie and mash
You really narrated some facts about Arsenal supposedly center forward. Giroud will only do better when Arsenal wingers and full backs consistently cross the ball from the wings. His power lies in his head.
I missed him during the Bradford game. There were more crosses than many of Arsenal passed games.
He may likely be of no use if Arsenal kept to her traditional way of playing, ie short passes.
Majority of his goals both in France and in England were/are scored by his head. His team mates should by now know that.
“I’m not sure that we’re set up to play as a team with a traditional target man.”
Response: Podolski, Chamberlain (or Walcott), Sagna, Gibbs represent penetration down the flanks and the opportunity to cross. Giroud also gives opponents something else to think about. Playing Walcott inclines Arsenal to play one-dimensional pass pass pass football.
“For years, people talked about Arsenal needing a target man as a Plan B. Finally, they have one”
Response: Arsenal had Adebayor (64 goals in 114 starts) and RVP. Both could score goals as target men. PLan B is not new to Arsenal, they have been thinking about for several years now. Walcott represents a shift backwards to when we didnt have a plan B.
“I’d be plying all the resources I could in to bringing in a top drawer centre-forward.”
Response: Why bankrupt the club? Arsenal don’t need to do this, we made Anelka, Henry, Adebayor and RVP, we should make another.
“Why bankrupt the club? Arsenal don’t need to do this, we made Anelka, Henry, Adebayor and RVP, we should make another.”
Response: With £70m available to spend, I don’t see how buying a striker can bankrupt us? By the way, our more recent creations have been Bendtner, Chamack, Park and Gervinho.
Nope, I’m with GS on this one.
70m available to spend ? WOW…..
since youre in the vault confirming this kind of info with your own eyes,…dont be a cunt…grab a pack or two of them millions and share it with the rest of your brothers like mommy taught you
gs started blogging in 2004 …in the good year after being spoilt with pires henry and vieira class..now that he has to show backbone and support his club he joins legrove attitudes…hehehe oh you loyal arsenal fans with your blogs and opinion making and facts and criticism and how easily you think you can JUDGE and EXECUTE professionals…
GS has given an opinion on a football blog that he doesn’t think Giroud is the answer. He’s given his reasons which may be right or may be wrong. So why do you question his loyalty? Are you saying that only opinions that praise Wenger and the players should be submitted?
Get a life you sad cunt
because i find it strange that a person who creates a blog out of genuine love and support would approach such subjects with the critical eye of the ultimate judge, thats all…..
and it goes for all/most bloggers who although started off with good interest at hearts, it has developed into a frenzy where anyone who feels like it can come out and critisise (negatively) on matters where he/she has no knowledge of , experience, authority or expertise..
public opinion is formed by such criticism and then you have idiots marching out stadiums demanding trophies and explanations from an organisation that has as its priority to run the club properly and not like the mad people at chelsea city etc etc…
it is unbelievable that people still go round saying ” i dont know whether the manager is working under financial restrictions or not, if he does then he has indeed worked miracles”
do you nned any further proof other than the investments made in stadium and training facilities?
do you need a certificate from yale to realise the simple concept of investment and breaking even ?
do you need nasa scientists to explain to you that long term planning and emphasis on youth requires patience and support ?
these things are simple yet arsenal fans / bloggers etc are drowning in a table spoon of water and creating a fuss for nothing and essentially feeding the little englanders establishment of wanting arsenal and wenger to get seperated. the 26.12.00 hurts them like a motherfucker…a foreigner with africans and french players dominating english football like that ? without breaking the bank?? without feeding the epl/sky system ???? oooo anticrist 666 ….
any loyal fan with a modicum of respect towards the manager that MADE our club what it is today ( global brandname and point of reference for flair football and operational quality) should feel INSULTED when cunts form various dark corners come out attacking him and our principles as a club, and not join in the sick parade of trying to oust the clubs most important asset and influential figure.
if gs has a problem with what i said he can always respond in his own words, unless he gave you authority to act as his lawyer….
Yes my dad is right…
This idiot GS, should bow down to Sir Arsene. Just because he writes a blog, it gives him no right to question the greatest manager in the history of Arsenal.
And how does Gazidis know we have 70m – did he go to the bank and count it himself.
“Just because he writes a blog, it gives him no right to question the greatest manager in the history of Arsenal.”
right on the money !!
good boy youre learning.
the only people on this earth who have the right to question arsene wenger are the people that pay him for his services. noone else.
the rest of us/you enjoy the ride or if we/you dont enjoy the ride we/you withdraw and go do some gardening till arsenal comes back to please us/you with titles and stuff…
in other words if you aint got something good to offer just shut the fuck up and stop busting our balls with your negativity. the plans have been made, the people who made the plans have other things in mind than risking 200m per year to go for the titles and please some mugs who cant tolerate their chelski and spuddie friends/relatives/colleagues pi55taking on monday mornings….
so just because you are weak and dont have a spine to support through thick and thin youd rather listen to the cunts laughing at arsenal? youd rather listen to those who want to create conflict than believing in your own team…
such amazing fans you are …
You tell em dad….
The customers/fans don’t pay Wengers wages – it comes straight out of Kroenke’s pocket. So he is the only one that is allowed to criticise.
Silly little Englanders…..Just because 60,000 Englanders pay £1500 a year that generates £90m…..they think they can criticise the manager in the world.
Stick to football manager 2013
“By the way, our more recent creations have been Bendtner, Chamack, Park and Gervinho”
Response: Stop listening to Jamie Redknapp and Ian Wright on television shows. Park, Bendther and Chamack were understudies to the strikers I mentioned. They were never seriously viewed by Arsenal as prime time strikers. I agree with you, however that Gervinho seems clumsy on the ball.
Seems to me like the guy you are asking for is Podolski. He has played that role before and has done well with it. With a guy like Podolski “up top” then someone like Chamberlain could cut in very effectively into space from the left side.
I think we’re waiting for benny afobe to grow up and take his rightful place as the arsenal centre forward. He is fast and strong and possesses a good head on his shoulders. i believe he was one of the players of whom wenger referred as having nothing more to learn in terms of technique, so lets see the young man in action one of these days!
i wager the reason we’re not relectuent to let walcott go is because young benny is girding his loins to take up that position and soon even gerry will be giving his marching orders as young benny comes into his talent.
Has anyone else tried playing Slade’s Merry Christmas Everybody backwards? Is it me, but during the chorus can anyone else hear the subliminal message “Wenger is god, you English peasants.”
Now if you play the Pogues Fairytale of New York backwards, you can clearly hear Kirsty McColl singing the words “hunter is a cunt and hunts cock.”
Further evidence if ever needed, that hunter is truly a cunt.
Thats riciculous! If the club are too stupid to Realise the old logo is magic and full of tradition and wonderful to look at then that’s their look out. But stopping people that actually do love the club ( as opposed to what it brings them) from using it disgusts me. Actually more and more things disgust me about the amerisnal.
People saying Podolski made his name as a winger is ridiculous. 2006 World Cup, where he broke out and won the best young player award, he played as the second/supporting striker to Klose and flourished. He then moved to the left wing as Löw took over as head coach and thrived when he had Lahm playing left back (Germany’s glaring hole now is left back as Lahm plays his more natural position, right back). His best position is not lone striker or winger, it’s supporting striker. That’s why he flourishes with Gibbs at left back as he can cut inside and play his deadly role….
I know this was an article about Giroud, but I saw people calling for Podolski as striker and I don’t think that’s a good idea because he’s struggled every time he’s started at striker.
As long as Gibbs and Poldi are healthy the left side will be solid. Hope Walcott signs and agreed that Giroud is plan B and Walcott is the best plan A…
COYG win-out until the new year then buy,buy, buy.
Well, as a supporting act, perfect then to have Giroud with Podolski if we can figure a way to play
2-3-1–4
Say
…….Poldy…..OG………
santi……..Jack………Ox
Gibbs…….Arteta……Sagna
…….TV……..Per………
but when have we tinkered with formation/set up of late? Alas.
@Jeff: agreed… Podolski thrives in a 4-4-2 where he can play supporting striker like he did so many years ago under Klinsman…
Also agreed that his best option currently at arsenal under the 4-2-3-1/4-3-3 they currently play is left wing as he struggles as the lone striker, thankfully Arsenal have Gibbs who complements Poldi perfectly, where Santos destroyed Poldi’s productivity….
Good news that both Podolski and Gibbs are locked down to long term contracts so their partnership can continue to grow.
Fellow gooners, I think Arsenal’s future
Is bright. Well, at least the left flank lol
All the media hyped nonsense on Walcott, Podolski has had 5 goals and similarly 5 assists. He should be givena go up top IMO but for the fact there seems a lack of viable LW options (bar Gervinho)as oppose to @RW.
With Rosicky returning to squad, we should consider on occassion Santi LW and Podlski up top.
The good thing about Poldy is he doesn’t take much to set up for a shot and he can really belt them.
You English peasants….you know nothing about football.
Arsene Wenger is developing his new 4 year plan. He has already extended contracts of the five most exciting Englander players – they are like five new signings. And in 4 years time they will be best in the world – so we won’t need new world class signings.
Arsene knows best
Sir Arsene is a magician…
He first tried Africa and you all saw the magnificent signings.
Then he went on to France and once again you saw wonderful signings like Chamakh.
Now he is doing the same with England….and he pays them so well that they are forced to stay – Sir Arsene really is the professor.
He is a good striker to have at Arsenal but should not be the ONLY option.
The likes of Gervinho, Walcott to me seem circumstantial and not players who can give us what we need in the long haul.
Podolski is a slightly better candidate in my opinion in the middle up top than either of the two aforementioned with 5 goals and 5 assists.
But agree that we will definately need another striker and pref someone with pace and technical skills/guile.
To which I would add we should also look at the player not being cup tied and possibly close to entering peak age 24-28)
The list is short.
I would like to see someone like Leandro Damiao who @23 6’1 provides the skill and speed we need alongside durability without need to sacrifice aerial strength.
Downside, he was priced high to scare off Spurs (maybe not such a downside) but price may have cooled off somewhat as he hasn’t had as productive a season with struggling Internacional.
Also for consideration could be Pato, again still only 23! He has plenty of pace to burn and creativity to add up front not to mention top drawer experience. Surplus to use at Milan due to El Shaarawy’s emergence, Milan may have to sell to meet FFP (irony) which may see him go for a more reasonable price than expected.
Downside, an injury liability, do we need another? But not cup tied thanks in due part to him being rested for first half of season due to another ‘unexpected thigh injury re-occurance”.:D
Finally dare i mention something out of far left field. how about getting something back if Walcott gets sold on to say Liverpool? We sell Chamakh to big Sam to help facilitate them recalling Carroll and then take Suarez to match our Santi as a dive partner and more crucially with his sneaky play and speed. not sure if he is 23 but he should not be cup tied on account of Liverpool.:D
No Demba Ba. Poor attitude.
nor Llorente, similar set of capabilities to Giroud.
nor Hunterlaar, no upside with age.
or Jovetic, too slow although he is a clever fellow.
or Cavani, not likely.
Munich!
i have the flu
wenger out!!!!
Dad, they are English peasants what do you expect? You can’t expect these silly little Englanders to be perfect supporters like us. They think just because they supported Arsenal for 30 years and go to games every week that they know what they are talking about. Whereas we watch highlights of ALL the games on Match of the G’Day for the last three years which makes us all round much better experts than these peasants.
And for all you ball busters out there let me tell you that there is one man bigger than the club and that is Sir Arsene….He is Mr Arsenal
www“““““www““““`eeeeeeeeeeeeeee
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AAAAAAA“`RRRRRRR““`SSSSSSS EEEEEE“NN N“`EEEEEE
A““`A“`R“““R“`S“““““E“““`N`N N“`E
A““`A“`R““`R“`S“““““`E“““`N“N N“`E
A““`A“`R“`RR““`S“““““E“““`N“`N N“`E
AAAAAAA“`RRRRR“““`SSSSSSS“`EEEE““N““N N“`EEEE
A““`A“`R““R““““““`S“E“““`N““`N N“`E
A““`A“`R““`R““““““`S`E“““`N“““N N“`E
A““`A“`R“““R“““““`S“E“““`N“““`NN“`E
A““`A“`R“““`R“`SSSSSSS“`EEEEEE“N““““N“`EEEEEE
Wait, so Park was never given a chance to prove himself, the much-maligned Vela is top scorer for a bottom-10 team in La Liga, we can’t offload Bendtner because Wenger feels entitled to 10mil+, we loaned wonderkid Joel Campbell and Chamakh still looks like he has never seen a football pitch in his life and somehow, Gervinho and Giroud are the problem?
Gervinho, as much as I hate him as a central striker, has something I always felt Arsenal lacked in recent years- someone who can dribble. Sure, he is successful roughly 1 out of 4 tries, but it’s better than watching the ball go from just outside the opposition’s box to Szcezny in 10 back passes. When teams park the bus, bribbling is a great way to unlock the defense. And last I checked, Giroud scored more goals for Montpellier (an average team turned champion) than any of Demba Ba, Luis Suarez or Fernando Llorente (also a contract rebel, which should paint a pretty picture should he ever join Arsenal).
What I’m saying is that we don’t exactly have Bergkamp, Reyes, Henry and Wiltford, but we could do much worse. We just need that little extra (I have seen Huntelaar since his spell at Ajax and really think he would suit our current formation). I think we are a solid GK, CDM and ST away from a team that can challenge for trophies.
Dear cock hunter before you lambast the guy who writes this blog that you routinely defile and I quote
come out and critisise (negatively) on matters where he/she has no knowledge of , experience, authority or expertise..
Do you even know GS area, depth of any of the above? For all you know GS could be SAF or Mourihno. GS has been pro wenger from day one and for you to slate him for the opposite merely pulls your troll cloak off in the same way wenger is having his professorial robes removed stitch by stitch.
sorry but pros like saf and mourinho have more important things to do than hosting a web-page where morons like you get together to bash the clubs greatest manager…..
who slated gs ? not me….i just laugh at the entitlement some people feel to comment critisise and JUDGE…
as for who is ruining this place ..look at yours and your buddies posts about cocks ..lol…i called you little englanders cause thats what you are when you show such disrespect to our manager and what he;s done for us and you cant digest it…the trolls got hurt and are focusing on me rather than swearing at our players and manager all the time…
hehe cunts/trolls ..
if gs has any problem with what i say he can tell me …dont see how you get involved like a fart in the wind…peasant.
So we get knocked out by bayern. That will be quick efficient and brutal. Then, out of all competitions (fa cup soon to follow) we will be able to focus entirely on the league and probably secure 4th spot. Ho hum……. What is the point of AFC??
to make a profit like any other business and to fuck 5pur2 every year
All of what you say about crosses and headers would be fine except you didn’t do your homework, Giroud scored his 17 goals in the French league last season with balls played to feet on the ground.
I understand that young Alex Pato is available due to the emergence of young El Sharwaay. I suggest we find the funds to entice young Pato to North London and bed him in the ways of the Arsenal.
I’ve watched lewandowski numerous time and i’ve come to the conclusion that this guy play similarly to rvp with his good technique, great finishes, positional awareness and attacking position and this guy excels when he’s given small space in the box or receiving long balls. Arsene should either go for him and sell Wallcot for watever money he gets or go for a more established worldclass striker like Falcao or Cavani.
james rodriguez
I am a man with a large one in the middle. Does that mean I’m more qualified to talk about large ones than most men? Damn right it does.
So apologises if I offend anyone with my in-your-face bravura and zany joie de vivre, but I am proud of my effervescently large endowment and will talk about it like a new father talks about his newborn son.
I believe one of the universal human rights was freedom of speech, and that includes freedom to express ones penis in whatever form and format one likes. And if that includes chatting about it under an alias on a blog site about Arsenal football club, well, so be it….
DID THE FOUNDING FATHERS GO TO WAR AND FIGHT LITTLE ENGERLANDERS SO THEIR ANTIPODEAN COUSINS COULD NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO TALK ABOUT THEIR PENSII ON INTERNET BLOGS ABOUT ARSENAL FOOTBALL CLUB?????
Dad you should be more respectful to the peasants, after all they are just little Englanders, who think they know more than Sir Arsene
What Munitionsman and the others don’t realise is that the customers/fans don’t pay Wengers wages – it comes straight out of Kroenke’s pocket. So he is the only one that is allowed to criticise.
Silly little Englanders…..Just because 60,000 Englanders pay £1500 a year that generates £90m…..they think they can criticise the best manager in the world.
Stick to football manager 2013
we are third in the laegue once more
wenger out!
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At least write back to admit when you’re wrong. We applaud you loudly when you are right. It’s the least you can do.