Arsenal: Olivier Giroud Doesn’t Need Arsene Wenger

Arsenal has come a long way since Olivier Giroud first arrived (believe it or not). So long, that it’s safe to say that he doesn’t need Arsene Wenger anymore.

Arsenal filled the void left by Robin van Persie by bringing in the duo of Olivier Giroud and Lukas Podolski. Much to the chagrin of many fans (not me!) Giroud won out (hooray!) and became the go-to striker for the Gunners.

Not just the go-to striker, however. He was the only viable striker the team had for far too long. It led to some frustrating times, where the Frenchman had no one to spot him on tough days and no one to lighten the burden a bit.

He even called for a new striker himself a time or two.

But we had to stick with him because Arsene Wenger was sticking with him. Plus, money was a bit hard to come by post-Emirates. So they tell us.

During his troubles, you have to believe that, had another striker been there, Giroud would have found plenty of time on the bench. Just look at now. So, in a sense, he needed the stubbornness of Wenger to stick with him.

Giroud recently came out and said that he hopes that Wenger will stay. And that got me thinking: What would happen to Giroud if a new manager came to Arsenal?

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Easy. Absolutely nothing would happen. Because Giroud doesn’t need anyone to keep him in the place that he is.

Some people would beg to differ. They’d say that without Wenger, Giroud would have been sold long ago and who knows, that may be true. But where we are at right now is the pinnacle of Giroud’s effectiveness at a time where his type is not very prevalent across the footballing world.

That makes him a very useful commodity and one that continues to “confound his critics” per say (if you’re a fan of FIFA 17).

I only point this out because there are some Gunners that I think desperately need Wenger around. Theo Walcott, for instance, needs Wenger. Not many other managers would continue to march him out there like he does.

Francis Coquelin is another. It’s clear that his effectiveness is very limited and any other manager may ship him off to a lower-tier club and upgrade.

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But not Giroud. Giroud absolutely deserves to stand alongside the Koscielny’s and the Alexis’s of this first team as an unquestionable member. There is no charity here, no endless line of faith. Giroud is a top-tier, dare I even say elite striker.