Man on the spot

    Olivier Giroud  
  

     In the summer of 2012, Arsene Wenger in typical fashion bought a tall, handsome Frenchman for a fee rumoured to be around 12.4 millions euros, a direct replacement for Robin Van Persie who had earlier left for Manchester United. It looked a shrewd buy, not surprising give the buyer, Olivier Giroud was the top scorer in his final seasons in the Ligue 2 with Tours and the Ligue 1 with Montpellier. Olivier Giroud then went on to lead Arsenal's lines for the next four seasons, with a season's average of 14 goals in the league. It's this paltry output that had Arsene using Sanchez as a striker this season effectively condemning Giroud to the bench. Sanchez, ever grateful, has taken the to role like a duck to water 13 goals and 7 assists at the season's midway places him on route to score 26 goals at the season's end not regarding his assists. It's safe to say Giroud better get comfortable with the surroundings on the bench.

     The point is not Olivier's output in this case, although it really should be, it is the intangibles. Olivier is the best header of the ball i know besides Sergio Ramos (Yes, better than Christiano Ronaldo). Olivier is a sage when it comes to 'tap and move' football and his passes could be sublime but if football was all about headers, Sergio Ramos would win the Ballon D'ors. Sanchez has a 'run till I run into the ground' attitude, an attitude that puts him in a far better light than an equally talented Mesut Ozil. Sanchez is a very good dribbler, seems to continually play with an insatiable desperation and gives off airs of being totally dismayed by Arsenal's comfortability with the 12 year vacation of the Premier League winners' medal from the Emirates. As a bonus, Sanchez's jog is Giroud's lung bursting run.

     It is therefore a given that Sanchez remains Arsenal's frotman. But what does Giroud embody that has to have Arsenal fans worried. Arsene Wenger's misguided decision to stick with Giroud for four seasons is not a blip, it's the norm. For Giroud, see Ramsey, Ox-lade Chamberlain, Walcott, Debuchy, Monreal and Wilshere. Some of these guys may still turn out great, Nacho Montreal has. But imagine Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho or any other serial winner as Arsenal gaffer, these guys would be long gone. Sanchez is the blinding light in the crepuscular Emirates' atmosphere and his body language coupled with his dithering on signing a new contract implies a suspicious amount of dissatisfaction. For Arsenal fans' sake, let's hope the supporting crew step up so as to convince Sanchez to stay. But for Olivier, taking a cue from Nigerian pidgin sayings, 'Life na turn by turn.'. This is Giroud's turn on the sidelines.