Summer Transfer Misery and Recriminations.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

Giroud was playing in the last WC in the same team as Benzema at times. And the Euro's before that, I think.

And he's not terrible. He's just more of a squad striker for a club like Arsenal who are supposed to be after the best.

Precisely, that's the sensible conclusion to come to

[KSE Comedy Club]

Rooney is only mentioned as a hero in the pantheon of the daily shit rags and sky sports

[Power n Glory]

Difficult to judge how the French regard their player since we're not there to see or here. I think the World Cup 98 and EURO 2000 teams should be held in high regard.

[The Emirates Gallactico]

Wiltord got 49 goals in 173 games for us

Giroud has scored 82 in 188

If Giroud has scored in less crucial games internationally (i only remember Wiltord scoring the one goal in euro 2000 that counted as crucial) it's because France has diminished as a quality team compared to what it was, rather like Arsenal in that respect.

lol Wiltord.

Tbf to those Wiltord stats, often his appearances would be as a sub and with us having Pires, Freddie, Henry etc we weren't as reliant on him for the build up play or the finishing as we are now with Giroud where now nearly everything has to go through him (which explains why our build up play is so slow and laborious). Mind you, I think all things considered they were about similar quality - Wiltord did certainly have his flaws like Giroud does.

I do remember him getting angry with Wenger about starting out wide which I always thought was ridiculous as did he really expect to start ahead of Henry who was literally the best play in the world at that point?

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

Absolutely

I honestly wished he'd played more in the unbeaten season but then you have to say was Wenger wrong not to play him?......i know the official line was that he was injured but that was more than likely nonsense.

[I am invisible]

Giroud was playing in the last WC in the same team as Benzema at times. And the Euro's before that, I think.

And he's not terrible. He's just more of a squad striker for a club like Arsenal who are supposed to be after the best.

In a weird way, I think his robustness and fitness actually count against him in this team of weaklings? While everyone else is having their usual 3 or 4 months off injured from November onwards, Giroud is usually still there, soldiering on through Christmas, New Year and the winter weather, with fewer and fewer first-choice team mates around him, and more and more squad players and reserves providing support - is it really that surprising that he starts to look seriously jaded and uninspired after a while? Sure, he has limitations as a players, but everyone needs a break every now and then, and other players to share the load with.

As you say, in an ideal world, the guy is a squad striker for us, so I don't really blame him because we end up having to use him far, far, far more often than we should. I'd prefer someone else up top, as I'm sure everyone would, but I'll say this for him: he does at least contribute something respectable over the course of a season., which is more than I can say for a lot of the coasters we have on the books. Honestly, the return of goals from everyone other than Giroud and Sanchez has been absolutely pathetic this season!

[Kano]

Gotze off the market by the looks of it:

“I look forward to the new season in Munich and will do everything possible to be in top shape for my first training session under Carlo Ancelotti,” he said.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

We're so delighted about Granit Xhaka we're debating Giroud vs Wiltord for pages on end!

[Kano]

We're so delighted about Granit Xhaka we're debating Giroud vs Wiltord for pages on end!

This is the Internet, where someone always has to be wrong.

[GP]

This is the Internet, where someone always has to be wrong.

Not me, though.

Never me.