Ever since Olivier Giroud came to Arsenal he has found it hard to be appreciated by the Gunners fans.
When he signed for the club in 2012, Wenger stated that the French striker was not a direct replacement for Robin van Persie but, sadly for Giroud, that is how he has been compared. Not many fans knew who he was and because it took him some time to adjust, many gave up on him before he had the chance to fully show what he can do.
This season Giroud is having the time of his life. He has scored eight goals in his last nine Premier League games and was clearly the star man for Arsenal’s second leg Champions League game against Monaco. His form has earned him a nomination for March's Player of the Month and his game has greatly improved since joining the North London side. this season his goals and form have pushed Arsenal further up the league and they are now fighting alongside City to try and overcome Chelsea for the title.
Despite the season he has had, many fans still aren’t convinced by the Frenchman. He missed three months of the season with a broken leg and it would be interesting to see where Arsenal would be now if he had been fit from the start.
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Fans don’t forget things easily and it has taken nearly three years for Giroud to find his form at Arsenal, so they are too wary to start believing it will last. If his form continues into next seson then I am sure many fans will let their guard down and learn to appreciate him more.
Last week Martin Keown said that Arsenal fans should worship the ground Olivier Giroud walks on. At other Premier League clubs, Sergio Aguero, Diego Costa and Harry Kane are almost seen as Gods, and they can do no wrong in the fans' eyes but, for Giroud, it is completely different despite his stats equalling and sometimes surpassing his peers.
So what does Giroud need to do to win over the fans?
Simply put, he needs to carry on doing what he's doing. Arsenal fans are not as vibrant as some other clubs and they don’t often “worship” certain players whether they love them or not. Since the “Invincibles” Arsenal fans have compared every player to that team and if they do not reach that high standard it will take a lot for them to love you as a player.
Giroud could be one of Arsene Wenger’s best signings in years and he is improving with every game. I think it will not be long before fans start comparing him to some of the Gunner’s greats and if he carry his current form into the next season they may even compare him to Thierry Henry (then again they might not!).
Players will always have those fans who are doubters, but I think it is time Arsenal fans realised the days of the Invincibles are over and the new squad could be just as good.
Arsenal fans need to learn to love Giroud, or he will be gone before they realise what he had to offer.
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