I have no problem with Giroud.
He was a decent enough player who was good value and perfect as cover to a top quality striker.
But how did such a limited striker stay as first choice for more than five seasons?
He is the perfect illustration of why we are in the position we’re in.
Lack of investment, lack of ambition and persistence with under performing players.
Without opening those wounds too much but Van Persie was right. He wanted to win and club lacked the ambition to match it and everything since then has been further proof. Giroud is symptomatic of that period after as @InvincibleDB10 put it. This Pochettino quote below sticks with me in relation to RvP.
If Giroud bleeds blue then that’s okay with me. Our fans won’t need to sing his name any longer. Sokratis bossing him about in the final will feel good.
His extension with Chelsea has been confirmed. He can continue wearing blue to go with his weird blue blood
He’s also been named in the France squad again unlike a certain Arsenal striker :giroud:
Transfer ban. They have no choice but to renew the contract with the bignosed lamppost.
That white power symbol is very Chelsea, maybe they really have infected his bloodstream 
Giroud must be the luckiest footballer ever.
Transfer ban
Giroud provides a different option for France
It’s actually that simple lol.
Lacazette kind of plays for Arsenal as Deschamps makes Giroud play for the national team, so a good alternative. But he rather selects Ben Yedder…that’s just dislike for Lacazette from Deschamps.
Deschamps is a fraud anyway. I can’t imagine how you can botch a WC with Lloris in goal, Umtiti-Varane as CB duo, Kante and Pogba in midfield, Mbappe and Griez in the front 4. Take in mind I haven’t even mentioned the glorious depth of the team and what players had to be snubbed.
Man had this France playing like Greece in 2004. Never forget.
I mean, they won the final 4-2. That’s not really a Greece 2004 score line.
Mbappe was scoring for fun in the final.
Tbf, they way Croatia conceded those 2 first goals was a joke. The fact that Croatia (for the most part until their WC batteries were drained) was controlling the match and was putting the pressure was sad. The previous ties add to the argument. Score half a goal and go through.
I see no issue trying to get results but that France, with that quality(and chemistry playing together for so long) should have put on some better displays.
Didn’t they beat Argentina in a 4-3 classic in the round of 16 also ?
Yep. Almost got knocked out by that ‘terrible’ Argentina.
Doesn’t really fit with your “Greece 2004” narrative then lol
How? It kind of does. France were sitting deep and were relying on their crazy defence to keep them in the game while Mbappe was punishing teams on the counter.
Not exactly ‘Greece’s set piece and pray Charisteas puts it in’ but still. Small team mentality.
Greece didn’t score more than one goal in a single match at Euro 2004 and France scored 4 goals in the final and in one of the knockout rounds against Argentina.
So yeah, I don’t think it’s accurate to start likening France to Greece 2004, that’s evidently a hyperbolic way of commenting on what that team looked like.
Being tight at the back and playing a counterattacking game does not make you Greece, come on man
Fact of the matter is, France small dicked their way through that WC. Don’t care how many(lucky to add) goals they scored. I have no issues with teams being conservative and playing ugly but France(and probably Brazil) were a level or two above everyone else. I am avid admirer of the French NT but what I saw last summer was disappointing to say the least.
Don’t think they care when they have a world cup trophy tho
Agreed. None will remember the way they played, the result is there and it will stay there forever. Just sucks because that team could have produced brilliant football.
Most international winners are like that unfortunately, it’s pretty much one of the few ways to win a world cup or European Championship.
I remember the Spain side in 2010, for all their quality players and style, pretty much relied on having a solid defence and getting the odd goal.
