Player Profile: Olivier Giroud

Na-na-naaaaa, na-na-naaaaa, Girrrrrroud!

It’s funny how a few months can change everything, isn’t it? In August, many Arsenal supporters clamored and clung to the half-hearted Karim Benzema rumors as a potential upgrade to his fellow Frenchman, Olivier Giroud. To those fans, Giroud was good, but not great — a starting striker, but one that could not lead Arsenal to their first Premier League title since 2004.

Now, on the eve of the crucial Christmastime push, Benezma has gotten himself exiled from French National Team, Giroud was the hat-trick hero against Olympiakos, he has scored more than legend Dennis Bergkamp for the club in the Champions League, and Arsenal are one of the few bonafide contenders in England.

And yet, it still bears mentioning: is Olivier Giroud good enough to win Arsenal the Premier League?

Although Giroud has done wonders to dispel those notions, it’s worth looking at a good, old fashioned pros and cons list for the Meaty French Forehead.

– Cons –

– Frustration Leads To Missed Chances Leads To Temper –

How many times has Giroud missed a couple of clear cut chances, only to see his mental state spiral out of control, get a dodgy second yellow, head-butt an opponent, or blast another over the bar? (I know that video is from 2012, but bear with me…) Perhaps, then, it is fair to say that the Frenchman has a bit of an uncontrollable temper — which is fine, with the results sometimes benefitting Arsenal, but, often, those bursts of emotion can truly hurt the team.

– Lack of Pace –

If it wasn’t obvious before, Giroud’s ariel ability and raw power can offer so much in that potent Arsenal attack, what with Mesut Ozil, Aaron Ramsey, and Theo Walcott often flanking him on all sides. However, Giroud is not the fastest man on the pitch at any given moment, which can often lead to misfired counter-attacks or crosses that bounce just a step too quickly for him.

– Inability To Go One-On-One –

This goes hand-in-hand with the aforementioned pace, but because of his speed, Giroud is incredibly unlikely to take on defenders head-on. Instead of trying to go past a defender with agility and footwork, Giroud relies on his first-touch to score goals. Sure, he’s scored some absolute screamers in his lifetime, but, like the goal against Manchester City in the Community Shield, these are opportunities taken without the use of fancy dribbles or blow-by speed.

– Pros –

– The Meaty French Forehead –

For Arsenal, there is no better target for ariel attack than Olivier Giroud, bar none. Although Giroud may miss his fair share of shots, he’s often the best option to aim for off Ozil’s tasty, meticulous set pieces, particularly so when their tall defenders (Per Mertesacker, Laurent Kosicielny, or Gabriel) can not make their way up pitch. Nothing feels as right as some solid forehead contact before the ball launches into the back of the net. They are powerful, they are immense, and it may just be Giroud’s absolute best weapon on the pitch.

As of note, Giroud is actually an extremely valuable defender as well — so long as you forgive his own goal against Sunderland a few weeks ago. In the waning moments of close games, you’ll find Giroud right in the thick of things defensively, clearing out set pieces, and towering over his opponents.

– Back-To-Goal Ability –

For what he lacks in pace, Giroud more than makes up in strength. This strong striker is often the point-man for balls cleared out of the defensive area, outlet passes, and the give portions of any Arsenal-quality give-and-gos. Without a doubt, the Frenchman is one of Arsenal’s strongest players and they massively rely on his ability to hold the ball up so the rest of his teammates can pour downfield. Without his efforts in this regard, the Arsenal attack would be reduced to attempts to pass out of the defensive zone, which can end poorly for the technically sound, but overconfident club.

– Creating Space + Opportunities For Teammates –

This is, perhaps, Giroud’s most underrated and least talked about qualities and that’s because these are things only found in highlights and post-match analysis, not in box scores or stat-sheets. The next time you watch an Arsenal game, keep a very close eye on Giroud as his off-ball runs often create pockets of space for those around him. Ever wonder how Joel Campbell might free himself for a perfect Mesut Ozil pass? Well, it might just because Giroud’s movement helped drag defenders out of position. His Frenchman’s large stature and adept finishing ability demands attention and players like Ramsey, Walcott, and Alexis Sanchez benefit from it.

– Opportunistic –

While Giroud gets guff for missing in front of net, these are often half-baked chances that the striker makes the most of. Say what you will about his big misses in big moments, but Giroud has also has scored plenty of difficult, technical, and special goals over his Arsenal career — just by simply being in the right place at the right time. While people may consider that to be the characteristics of a poacher, it does take some undeniable skill to achieve these so-called easy tap-ins.

– Conclusion –

Ultimately, the jury is still out on this one, but, if it’s possible, is it time to admit that most of the general public was wrong? While Giroud is, of course, not Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, he is still likely a far more capable striker than anybody was willing to credit him for. In fact, Giroud has outperformed Wayne Rooney, Diego Costa, and Karim Benezema, all strikers that supporters vehemently believed were heads and shoulders above Giroud’s skill-level.

While we still don’t know if Giroud is enough to reign over Premier League, the early results are positive. Anchored by an early-season benching in lieu of Walcott, Giroud used that as motivation to up his game and is a huge reason why Arsenal find themselves within striking distance of first at Christmastime. Following Giroud’s first-ever Arsenal hat-trick against Olympiakos, it may be time flip the script permanently on the often-maligned striker, embrace the weirdness, and thrive off our Meaty French Forehead.