Arsenal: Wenger “Relying” On Olivier Giroud An Expiring Concept

Arsenal is strained at striker for the upcoming clash with Swansea, yet Wenger has still found time to praise Olivier Giroud.

Arsenal and Olivier Giroud are clearly at odds thanks to something, and I doubt it is a toe. Supposedly the big Frenchman sustained a toe injury against PSG in a match that he saw red in. However, that red card was clearly instigated by Thiago SIlva and, honestly, I’m quite surprised it wasn’t appealed.

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So to think that it was the red card that Wenger has used as his reasoning for benching Giroud is foolish. Sure Giroud was a little abrasive, but seeing red was not merited, just like Gabriel’s red against Chelsea was unwarranted.

There has been a lot of speculation that Olivier Giroud and Arsene Wenger are at odds and it’s perfectly reasonable to think that. Giroud spouted off early in the season that he clearly wasn’t a priority and that likely ticked Wenger off.

Yet, Le Prof clearly had other plans, as Alexis up front has worked out and proven Wenger’s experimentation valid.

It’s left Giroud in a spot where substitution duties would be his calling, which obviously isn’t the most appealing situation for him to be in. Whatever has happened behind closed doors we can’t be sure of. But we can be almost positive that something has indeed happened.

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And yet, Arsene Wenger has done the stand-up managerial thing and come out and told the press how much he can rely on Giroud. He said the big Frenchman is always with the club and will always push through his critics.

It’s a cute little quote or two that might have made Giroud crack a smile, but little more. The simple fact of the matter is that Arsenal no longer has to rely on Giroud, and the 30 year old is going to have to find other ways to invest himself in the sport.

I never had any problems with the Gunner’s usage of Giroud. He was absolutely not what was holding them back. Lacking a true competitor was a major factor, but Giroud himself was perfectly capable. His style of play was very conducive to what Wenger was doing.

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Nowadays, everything is different. Giroud’s style is in the opposite direction of where the Gunners are headed and no matter what Wenger says about reliability, it’s hard to imagine our very talented lamp post being relied upon as anything more than a super sub or spiritual support.