How has Batman kept him in 3rd place most of the season? One awful showing against wet spam? Do me a favour!

He was class today. Great link up play.

Great that he delivered today. Starts against Bayern for me. 

He's a proper target man isn't he? Sometimes I forget how useful it can be to have the option of someone so capable in the air to launch an out ball towards. Liked that in the buildup to the second, Azpilicueta just chucked the ball at Giroud's head from the throw-in. Oh, and he won more defensive headers than anyone else in the side. I thought it was telling that the first thing Abraham did when he came on was to lose a header.

Giroud bullied Alderweireld today, both in terms of physical strength, and (embarrassingly enough) for pace as well. Top man management from Frank - rest him for three months at a time so he's physically rejuvenated and hungry for goals. I also really enjoyed his body language for the goal - clearly not expecting Barkley's shot to bounce back to him but immediately reacted to welly the ball into the back of the net, then plaintively looking straight at the ref to see whether it might be inexplicably disallowed.

Really good performance today, made himself our unquestionable second choice.

39 minutes ago, PloKoon13 said:

He's a proper target man isn't he? Sometimes I forget how useful it can be to have the option of someone so capable in the air to launch an out ball towards. Liked that in the buildup to the second, Azpilicueta just chucked the ball at Giroud's head from the throw-in. Oh, and he won more defensive headers than anyone else in the side. I thought it was telling that the first thing Abraham did when he came on was to lose a header.

Giroud bullied Alderweireld today, both in terms of physical strength, and (embarrassingly enough) for pace as well. Top man management from Frank - rest him for three months at a time so he's physically rejuvenated and hungry for goals. I also really enjoyed his body language for the goal - clearly not expecting Barkley's shot to bounce back to him but immediately reacted to welly the ball into the back of the net, then plaintively looking straight at the ref to see whether it might be inexplicably disallowed.

Really good performance today, made himself our unquestionable second choice.

It's bizarre that he hasn't started more games. He bossed Liverpool in the Super Cup and barely appeared since. 

I think it's telling we didn't press as high yesterday with him in the team and we were much more solid in defence as a result.

He must start against Bayern. Beyond Boateng they are short and weak in the air. He could give us a real advantage. 

40 minutes ago, Spiller86 said:

It's bizarre that he hasn't started more games. He bossed Liverpool in the Super Cup and barely appeared since. 

I think it's telling we didn't press as high yesterday with him in the team and we were much more solid in defence as a result.

He must start against Bayern. Beyond Boateng they are short and weak in the air. He could give us a real advantage. 

Frank has been stubborn trying to bed-in the youth and it has cost us results, now we are in the business end of the season he needs to tread more carefully and play our best team.

Frank still deserves credit for trying the youngsters and some like James deserve their place yet to persist when you have better finishers on the bench and are not scoring is madness.

 

14 minutes ago, Strider6003 said:

Frank has been stubborn trying to bed-in the youth and it has cost us results, now we are in the business end of the season he needs to tread more carefully and play our best team.

Frank still deserves credit for trying the youngsters and some like James deserve their place yet to persist when you have better finishers on the bench and are not scoring is madness.

 

Oh I don't mind him playing Tammy it is the insistence with Michy that is baffling. Glad he is getting a game and I hope he starts against Bayern. 

1 hour ago, Spiller86 said:

Oh I don't mind him playing Tammy it is the insistence with Michy that is baffling. Glad he is getting a game and I hope he starts against Bayern. 

It looks to me like Giroud was on his way to another club in January so that may have played a part in why Frank picked Michy over him, hoping he would play well enough as he would be at the club for the rest of the season. 

He’s a top professional. Imagine how Morata would be now if he didn’t get a move he wanted in January.

Really happy for him to snatch the spot back from Bats but it’s ridiculous it has taken this long. He always has been better than Bats.

2 hours ago, dkw said:

It looks to me like Giroud was on his way to another club in January so that may have played a part in why Frank picked Michy over him, hoping he would play well enough as he would be at the club for the rest of the season. 

It looked like it was going to be Spurs aswell, so glad that didn't happen now...

Really hope he gets the chance to play a more substantial role in the rest of the season - he's shown professionalism through long spans of no match time, then has done well on return when given the chance - surely got to be in the running more either starting or on the bench to come on in support in more matches ahead, both for taking his chance recently and his all round play.

His fitness is still an issue though, he can't be relied upon. He really faded when it came into the 2nd half, but he's definitely a better alternative to Michy. 

Just now, Slojo said:

His fitness is still an issue though, he can't be relied upon. He really faded when it came into the 2nd half, but he's definitely a better alternative to Michy. 

Yeah think with his age as a consideration, can't expect a regular full 90 minutes, but starting performances like yesterday then coming off a bit earlier perhaps half-time or not long after, or as an impact sub 2nd half with 20 to 30 minutes to play etc, think he could make some more real positive contributions rest of the season, especially as mentioned when Bats has been unfortunately misfiring so much.

Been excellent since he's come back in. Gone from being our forgotten man to being our front line striker. I'm really pleased for him. I really like him. We all know his limitations but crucially, so does he, and he's very good at what he does. No doubt he'd have left if we'd have brought somebody else in, but it may prove to be a real stroke of luck.

He basically bulled Gomez and VVD tonight enabling the wide players to do their thing.

I thought it was a good battle with VVD for a bit.

3 minutes ago, Strider6003 said:

I thought it was a good battle with VVD for a bit.

For some reason he's the one player VVD really struggles with.

He always scored past him in their Arsenal/Southampton days and in their Chelsea/Liverpool clashes Giroud has faced him four times and had the better of him in three.

It was great how he received, held and played the ball to our wide players with our goal kicks, and that against one of the best CB in the PL. It was great to see a proper centre forward back in the team. 

What was that VAR check of red card in the first half? On the ground I could only see how, I thought, he was fouled by VVD but then, the ref gave them a free kick and the screen informed us that VAR was checking for a red card.

7 hours ago, RMH said:

It was great how he received, held and played the ball to our wide players with our goal kicks, and that against one of the best CB in the PL. It was great to see a proper centre forward back in the team. 

What was that VAR check of red card in the first half? On the ground I could only see how, I thought, he was fouled by VVD but then, the ref gave them a free kick and the screen informed us that VAR was checking for a red card.

I think it was because as he fell his foot came up high close to VVD's face. In fairness to VVD he was signalling to the ref to say "dont be silly play on" 

8 hours ago, RMH said:

What was that VAR check of red card in the first half? On the ground I could only see how, I thought, he was fouled by VVD but then, the ref gave them a free kick and the screen informed us that VAR was checking for a red card.

 

Towards the end of the game Mane got a yellow for striking Dave in the face, but there was no VAR review and the BBC chose not to replay the incident. Strange. Yellow cards always get replayed on television.

2 hours ago, Bonzodog29 said:

I think it was because as he fell his foot came up high close to VVD's face. In fairness to VVD he was signalling to the ref to say "dont be silly play on" 

Yeah, the foul probably could have been called on VVD. He kind of flipped Giroud into a cartwheel. So it flipped his foot high... 

 

19 hours ago, Davey Baby said:

Been excellent since he's come back in. Gone from being our forgotten man to being our front line striker. I'm really pleased for him. I really like him. We all know his limitations but crucially, so does he, and he's very good at what he does. No doubt he'd have left if we'd have brought somebody else in, but it may prove to be a real stroke of luck.

Giroud would've been even better if we had someone like Pulisic or Ruben healthy and in the team.His link up play is good and those two would know how to take advantage of that.He doesn't score lots of goals for us,nor for France but he was a regular starter in their wc winning team.And the guy is great if you play to his strenghts.Probably Lampard's biggest mistake this season was favouring Michy over Giroud.

Edited March 4, 20206 yr by mm24

3 hours ago, Bonzodog29 said:

I think it was because as he fell his foot came up high close to VVD's face. In fairness to VVD he was signalling to the ref to say "dont be silly play on" 

 

1 hour ago, Skinnedy said:

Yeah, the foul probably could have been called on VVD. He kind of flipped Giroud into a cartwheel. So it flipped his foot high... 

 

Ok, it would have been typical to get a VAR call against us after our player had been fouled, but fair play to VVD. That's the thing with how it works, we don't get any indication in the stadium of why or what is being VAR'd.

12 hours ago, RMH said:

 

Ok, it would have been typical to get a VAR call against us after our player had been fouled, but fair play to VVD. That's the thing with how it works, we don't get any indication in the stadium of why or what is being VAR'd.

Always been the issue with prem refs IMO they try to keep everything they do secret, rather than coming out and saying sorry got that wrong i thought XYZ they just hide from any outside scrutiny happened before VAR now happens with it.

Scary thinking we were so so close to selling him. What the f*ck were we thinking, bats should have been the one who was being replaced.

Big fan of Giroud, top professional and always works hard.

Getting him to play only half a season has done him a favour.  He looks fitter and sharper now than he has for a while.