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France's Franck Ribery, right, jumps over Belarus Aleksandr Martynovich, center, while France's Olivier Giroud, left, looks on during a Brazil World Cup 2014 group I qualifying soccer match France against Belarus, at the Stade de France stadium in Saint Denis, north of Paris, Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2012. (AP)
The French revel in generally being blasé about life.
World Cup football team disasters, topless royals and misfiring strikers are seemingly blasé about their approach to life.
Mix that blasé-ness with the hyper-focused English Premier League and the end result is untold pressure.
Which is why, Olivier Giroud’s statement that he is feeling pressure at Arsenal stepping in to Robin van Persie’s shoes is only going to add to the pressure at the Emirates.
Manager Arsene Wenger has blasé-ed himself out of favour with the general Premier League follower and the quite a few specific Gunner fans.
Which is why Giroud is in danger of becoming this season’s ‘Fernando Torres of last season.’
The Gunners won’t mind it if he can deliver the Champions League trophy like Torres did last season.
However, having missed two sitters, one of them costing Arsenal points, Giroud is in danger of going through a confidence-sapping period, much like Torres went through for most of last season, eventually costing Andre Villas-Boas his job.
Wenger will not worry about that effect, given that after seven trophy-less seasons he is all but a shoo-in for another contract extension, but Giroud could continue to struggle and is putting himself under pressure.
He has come in for £12.8million man from Montpellier.
He was the top scorer in French football last season.
He is here to replace Robin Van Persie.
If that is not pressure enough, he has yet to score in three games for Arsenal.
Which is why his latest statements to the press, will not bring joy (or hope) to Arsenal fans.
The 6ft 4in striker was quoted in The Sun as saying: “In reality, the pressure doesn’t come from following in the footsteps of Henry, Pires, Petit or Vieira but Robin van Persie’s departure.
“I was expecting to be his substitute but now I’m his natural successor. If I do have pressure, it’s on that level.
“Wenger’s the person I will learn a lot from, because I still need to improve. I know it and he knows it.
“He told me I’d made the right choice coming here, to improve.”
THE GIROUD ARSENAL WANT
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