Arsenal Need so Much More Than Olivier Giroud in Attack to Win Premier League

It is sometimes said that Olivier Giroud is a player that divides opinion. Some appreciate his outstanding hold-up play, while others lament his erratic finishing and lack of pace.

However, this summer the Arsenal fans seem united in their view about the French forward. Whatever qualities they may believe he has, he cannot prop up Arsenal’s attack alone. The Gunners need more attacking artillery in their squad—and time is running out. 

Even Giroud himself seems to agree that Arsenal could do with adding a new forward. When England striker Jamie Vardy was linked back in June, the Frenchman told Sky Sports (h/t the Mirror): 

I’ve been told Jamie wants to join us. It’s a very good move for us. I think we can complement each other.

That’s all I can say, he is a fantastic player, so yeah, it’s a good move for us.

As I said in the past, I’m happy with competition. We’ve always had fantastic strikers at Arsenal and I want the best for this club so hopefully he’s going to help us to win this title.

I expected a top striker to come in and I think it’s very beneficial for the club and for the team, so hopefully he’s going to score a lot of goals as he did with Leicester.

If Giroud was speaking honestly, there are two possibilities here. The first is that he recognises that his best performances in an Arsenal shirt have tended to come when competition for places has been strongest. The arrival of Danny Welbeck in the autumn of 2014 inspired him to some of his most effective form in an Arsenal shirt—now, with Welbeck out, he might crave someone to keep pushing him.

Alternatively, maybe he simply wants a bit of help. Giroud has becoming a lightning-rod for criticism over the past few years, but that’s partly because he’s spent long periods as Arsenal’s only viable option at centre-forward. Welbeck has been injured and Theo Walcott hugely inconsistent. The strain on Giroud has been significant, and occasionally he has faltered under the sheer weight of expectation.  

As it turned out, the Vardy move was doomed to fail—the player ultimately chose to stay at Leicester. However, Arsenal must not give up the chase for a new goalscorer. Their need remains as acute as ever. 

…

continue reading in source www.bleacherreport.com