Another game, another set of fans turn on their main striker. Arsenal’s French striker Olivier Giroud didn’t have the best of times in a recent match against Serbia. He only touched the ball 16 times in 62 minutes before he was yanked off with a chorus of boos by the French supporters. Giroud missed a host of chances at goal and even was responsible for losing the ball that led to the Serbia goal.
France won the game 2-1, but questions are being raised about the ability of Giroud to lead the attack, calls have been made regarding Karim Benzema being the lead striker for Les Blues and similarly the Arsenal fans want the striker to be a part of their squad and possible replace Giroud.
French striker to replace French striker?
Benzema was at the centre of a lot of transfer rumours in the summer and it seemed that he was destined to leave Madrid, but he ultimately stayed at the Spanish club. Arsenal though need to upgrade their striking options and that has been somewhat of a frustrating experience for the Gunners faithful.
Giroud isn’t the worst striker in the world but he is highly inconsistent and that is something that doesn’t cut it with most fans. Of course it isn’t the fans only who get frustrated; it is the team as well. One of the major criticisms of Giroud is his lack of movement, he might be a great finisher but he needs to move more than just around the penalty box, they need someone who is willing to make some great runs but also to pick up the ball and link up with the attack.
Arsenal do not only rely on their striker to get the goals, they need someone who can switch positions with the likes of Sanchez and Ozil or Walcott, basically anyone who plays in the wing and that player could be Karim Benzema. The other French striker also has a better goal scoring record at Real Madrid and could do wonders for the Gunners if he does join.
Benzema also has a great record in creating goals and assisting teammates, something he has had to do a lot of his career at Madrid, especially since Cristiano Ronaldo has been at the club. The 27-year-old might be happy at Madrid but in this world of football a good deal is too hard to pass by. Arsenal need to get a good striker in who will fit in nicely with the system that they deploy and while Benzema might not come at the moment, they need to bring in a striker who can be a better bet than Giroud.