Whether it be at Arsenal or at Chelsea, Olivier Giroud has found it hard to break out as the number one striker.
He scores goals, no one has ever questioned that, but at both the Emirates and Stamford Bridge, players were bought to eventually replace him, much like Timo Werner was this summer.
Giroud will forever fight for his spot, as he’s proven time and time again, which is exactly why Didier Deschamps keeps picking him for his France squads.
Once again, the manager relied upon the Chelsea man for the three internationals played in this break, and he showed once more his eye for goal by finding the back of the net.
For René Girard, who was his manager at Montpellier, the fact his former pupil still hasn’t managed to convince everyone doesn’t sit right with him, as he explained to France Bleu.
He said: “Yes, it’s a shame. We speak a lot about foreign forwards, but the one time we have a little Frenchie, who’s polite, good, respectful and does extraordinary things, there’s a need to find faults. He deserves to be looked at differently. And honestly, he needs to be strong, because he’s sometimes been questioned. He’s always answered, and that’s beautiful”.
That’s exactly what he’s done at Chelsea, as following his near exit last January, the striker ensured he gave Frank Lampard a headache with his performances, scoring six goals in nine appearances in the league after the Covid-19 break.
He’s found it harder to find room this year following the arrival of Werner, but it’s too soon to write him off entirely, because when you do, he always pops back up and shows everyone why they’re wrong.
As for whether we’ll see Giroud’s like again, we might, but Girard feels it’s rare: “Guys like him, you don’t meet 50 in your career”.
