They say situations of greater entropy are bound to happen, especially Arsene Wenger’s love for annual French acquisitions. History suggests no team in the Premier League era has won the title with just a single recognized striker in their armoury. Olivier Giroud’s ability in leading Arsenal’s strike force up front has been a major reason why the Gunners have set the pace in this Premier League season so far. The Arsenal number 12 forms an integral part of the squad who after eight long years of disdain are finally getting their act right and in due course of time must believe they can seriously win the Premier League title come this May.
Today we here at Soccersouls will analyse Giroud’s off the ball movements, tactical brilliance and his attacking forays in the final third, dropping deep, holding the ball up for his team mates and conclude whether Arsenal need a better striker than the Frenchman.
Dropping deep and making space for his wingers:
Just consider the following heat map against Fulham. Even though Arsenal didn’t deliver their best half of football in the first half against the Cottagers last week, see how Giroud drops deep in the right flank and makes space for his overlapping defenders.
This leads to a snowball effect, the defender who is marking Giroud is dragged out of position, this creates yards of space if he goes with the French striker, enabling the attacking midfielders to draft into a pocket of space, thus the opposition defensive midfielder doesn’t know whom to pick up. As the space now opens up, Giroud now can lay the ball to the overlapping defender, who cuts the ball back into space and the move is finished off. This is exactly Arsenal’s target man workout.
Giroud’s action areas:
Let’s look into Giroud’s action areas in the following snap. Majority of the time the Arsenal striker tries to barge forward making a certain straight locus. This is where Football’s golden rulebook comes into play.
You have to work with your wide players in training so they know what runs you’re going to make. Normally, if the crosser gets to the line he’ll send it to the front post, and if it’s a cross from deeper it goes to the second post. However if the striker makes a run in between the opposing centre back, to get rid of him, and the first post, it means that the crosser will surely aim for the near post. It’s important that you and your team-mates agree on the strategy in training. At Montpellier too, Giroud had developed a great understanding with the wide players and this season too, Arsenal with their overloading of the midfield, and playing normal midfielders on the wings, the striker has been able to express himself much more compared to last season.
Holding the ball up front using your body:
If you are a target man, the main aspect of your game certainly has to be how you can use your physical strength and bringing others into play.
If we are to notice Giroud’s total passes completed from the match, we can easily figure out how he gets his body in the right position, shields the ball from the defender and drags him out of position, momentarily making space in the final third and laying it off to the overlapping defender or the rampaging winger or even making his trademark flick passes. How many times we have seen him making such passes to Jack Wilshere from edge of the penalty box. Giroud is also a decent header of the ball, sometimes however he looks lost, and its frustrating when your lead striker doesn’t find the back of the net often.
Now coming to the negative aspects of his game. Even though his hold-up play plays an important role in Arsenal’s gameplay, lack of forward runs, and his average finishing skills are frustrating to watch. May be in games against average teams, Arsenal’s golden set of attacking midfielders have enough goal scoring threat in them to win games on their own. But, against top teams like Chelsea and Manchester City, Arsenal need a better striker, some one who can score a goal out of nothing, someone who can finish most of the chances that comes in his way. If they are to get anywhere close to win their lost famed Premier League title, along with Giroud’s hold up play, they need more goal scoring options in the team. Atleast some one like Karim Benzema would do wonders for the gunners. Hope Wenger knew this and act accordingly before the January window shut close in less than ten days time.