Good point.

Armor wrote:

Higuain isn't even a top 10 striker. I'd be more interested in Carlos Bacca if we take it that an elite striker isn't available. Also if we want to talk about goals then Higuain only scored 4 more league goals than Giroud this season even though Giroud missed 3 months with a broken leg.

I think its also worth pointing out that Giroud has an interesting ability to improve every season (not just at Arsenal). Would easily have hit around 25 goals this season if he hadn't got injured.

not sure about that. olly does well for 3 months then hits these nasty lean spells. 

Armor wrote:

Higuain isn't even a top 10 striker. I'd be more interested in Carlos Bacca if we take it that an elite striker isn't available. Also if we want to talk about goals then Higuain only scored 4 more league goals than Giroud this season even though Giroud missed 3 months with a broken leg.

I think its also worth pointing out that Giroud has an interesting ability to improve every season (not just at Arsenal). Would easily have hit around 25 goals this season if he hadn't got injured.

Giroud didn't miss 3 months last season, yet he didn't outscore him then either. It's very simplistic to assume that Giroud would've scored much more than he has had he been less injured this season.

Higuain would kill it here, I can't believe people still want to watch Giroud run with a football.

As I said 3 months of good football and only Neymar, Messi, Suarez etc. are upgrades.

We can forget about Cech too. For 3 months Ospina's stats are better than courtois.

Forget about comparing him with Giroud, the issue with Higuain is that he's supposed to be a proper goalscorer, that's pretty much his sole function, yet 18 league goals is his best output in three seasons. Forget Giroud, I have a difficult time believing Theo, with a run of 37 games as our lead striker, couldn't manage better than that. I mean in 1 game he got 17% of the way towards matching Higuain

It's just bang average return for the type of player he is. If he perfermed the function that the likes of Benzema or Giroud play in their teams then fair enough. But he doesn't.

I was certain he'd be a success here two years ago when we nearly signed him, but his time in Italy has been underwhelming.

For a player that creates more than Giroud and has more than 50 assists in the last 6-7 year he does a lot beyond scoring for a "proper goalscorer".

Time in Italy underwhelming?

He has nearly the same goals in the last 2 years that Giroud has in 3 years.

otfgoon wrote:

Forget about comparing him with Giroud, the issue with Higuain is that he's supposed to be a proper goalscorer, that's pretty much his sole function, yet 18 league goals is his best output in three seasons. Forget Giroud, I have a difficult time believing Theo, with a run of 37 games as our lead striker, couldn't manage better than that. I mean in 1 game he got 17% of the way towards matching Higuain

It's just bang average return for the type of player he is. If he perfermed the function that the likes of Benzema or Giroud play in their teams then fair enough. But he doesn't.

I was certain he'd be a success here two years ago when we nearly signed him, but his time in Italy has been underwhelming.

Welbeck did the same, it's one game, nothing to by. Different when you have to play up front for 50 games, Theo can't manage to stay on his feet for a couple of games, let alone over a whole season.

Goal return doesn't even matter much, if he scored as many as Giroud here, chances are we'd still improve as a team because we actually have a striker who can move and make defenders think twice.

In his "underwhelming" seasons at Naopli he scored more than Giroud ever has managed, but you say it's underwhelming? I'd love to see people's reactions if Giroud managed to score 29 goals in one season "world class", "Real can fuck off, Ronaldo or nothing", etc.

He managed something like a goal per start in his last couple of seasons for Real. The guy is a machine.

Gunner89 wrote:

For a player that creates more than Giroud and has more than 50 assists in the last 6-7 year he does a lot beyond scoring for a "proper goalscorer".

Time in Italy underwhelming?

He has nearly the same goals in the last 2 years that Giroud has in 3 years.

Not sure why Giroud is the benchmark for whether or not you've been underwhelming, but yeah, it's amazing what the Europa league can do for your stats. Why don't you show their league stats from the league couple of seasons? I guess it's inconvinient to your argument.

Chili Palmer wrote:

otfgoon wrote:

Forget about comparing him with Giroud, the issue with Higuain is that he's supposed to be a proper goalscorer, that's pretty much his sole function, yet 18 league goals is his best output in three seasons. Forget Giroud, I have a difficult time believing Theo, with a run of 37 games as our lead striker, couldn't manage better than that. I mean in 1 game he got 17% of the way towards matching Higuain

It's just bang average return for the type of player he is. If he perfermed the function that the likes of Benzema or Giroud play in their teams then fair enough. But he doesn't.

I was certain he'd be a success here two years ago when we nearly signed him, but his time in Italy has been underwhelming.

Welbeck did the same, it's one game, nothing to by. Different when you have to play up front for 50 games, Theo can't manage to stay on his feet for a couple of games, let alone over a whole season.

Goal return doesn't even matter much, if he scored as many as Giroud here, chances are we'd still improve as a team because we actually have a striker who can move and make defenders think twice.

In his "underwhelming" seasons at Naopli he scored more than Giroud ever has managed, but you say it's underwhelming? I'd love to see people's reactions if Giroud managed to score 29 goals in one season "world class", "Real can fuck off, Ronaldo or nothing", etc.

He managed something like a goal per start in his last couple of seasons for Real. The guy is a machine.

I was being facetious with the Theo hattrick, but I do think he could be lethal up top.

Giroud managed 22 last year and managed 19 in 26 starts this season and unlike your Argentine friend he doens't play in the Europa League or take penalties. He's a better goalscorer maybe, but it's hardly night and day.

He was a machine at Real maybe, he's not been at Napoli. 

otfgoon wrote:

Chili Palmer wrote:

Welbeck did the same, it's one game, nothing to by. Different when you have to play up front for 50 games, Theo can't manage to stay on his feet for a couple of games, let alone over a whole season.

Goal return doesn't even matter much, if he scored as many as Giroud here, chances are we'd still improve as a team because we actually have a striker who can move and make defenders think twice.

In his "underwhelming" seasons at Naopli he scored more than Giroud ever has managed, but you say it's underwhelming? I'd love to see people's reactions if Giroud managed to score 29 goals in one season "world class", "Real can fuck off, Ronaldo or nothing", etc.

He managed something like a goal per start in his last couple of seasons for Real. The guy is a machine.

I was being facetious with the Theo hattrick, but I do think he could be lethal up top.

Giroud managed 22 last year and managed 19 in 26 starts this season and unlike your Argentine friend he doens't play in the Europa League or take penalties. He's a better goalscorer maybe, but it's hardly night and day.

He was a machine at Real maybe, he's not been at Napoli. 

I don't get the Europa League argument, it's not only shit sides who participate. Teams like Besiktas play there and Giroud managed 0 goals against them. I'd understand this argument if Higuian scored against shit sides only, but fact is he doesn't; he has scored against Juve x2, Lazio x3, Fiorentina, Wolfsburg, Roma, Sampdoria, etc. Good sides. He also scored last season in the CL a few times, so again I don't get it. The guy scores, no matter the opposition.

But, we're only talking about stats here. As I said, we'd improve just by having a different player alone, and him having Özil and others to set him up instead of amateurs like Callejon wouldn't be bad. Not to mention that Napoli are pretty shit as a team.

Purely going by their stats without any context is meaningless, as oft points out. It's even more meaningless looking at his form for Madrid. I think Armor actually makes a good point in that Giroud has improved every season and I think will continue to do so.

However, in support of Higuain, I do think our attack will improve from having a player who can run behind the line or run with the ball at speed. That's how we're set up now days and as a result Giroud does hinder us. Like Chili Palmer says, it's not a pleasant sight seeing Giroud running with the ball, trying to keep up with Sanchez and Ozil.

But the downside is that Higuain is the world's biggest bottler, Madrid fans used to give him stick for that and, judging by his performance in the WC + the final and his misses last week raise serious question marks on that side of his game. I don't think Giroud is much better in that respect, however we really shouldn't be paying 30m for someone who may well be better than Giroud but has his own limitations.

Meh. I wouldn't be gutted if we signed him anyway, and I'd probably start him ahead of Giroud for some of the reasons you (and GM) outline. I just don't see it going anywhere exciting and we'd probably be stuck with him for the next 2 or 3 years.

otfgoon wrote:

Gunner89 wrote:

For a player that creates more than Giroud and has more than 50 assists in the last 6-7 year he does a lot beyond scoring for a "proper goalscorer".

Time in Italy underwhelming?

He has nearly the same goals in the last 2 years that Giroud has in 3 years.

Not sure why Giroud is the benchmark for whether or not you've been underwhelming, but yeah, it's amazing what the Europa league can do for your stats. Why don't you show their league stats from the league couple of seasons? I guess it's inconvinient to your argument.

Ever since converting from the wing position to up-front he's averaged 19 league goals a season for the last 7 years.

Has Giroud even hit his average once?

I'd actually be inclined to go with Walcott, Giroud and Welbeck if we can't get a player like Benzema or Cavani. Make a big signing, world class wide man instead.

I know everyone manipulates stats to suit their argument to an extent, but you take it to a whole new level

General Mirth wrote:

Purely going by their stats without any context is meaningless, as oft points out. It's even more meaningless looking at his form for Madrid. I think Armor actually makes a good point in that Giroud has improved every season and I think will continue to do so.

However, in support of Higuain, I do think our attack will improve from having a player who can run behind the line or run with the ball at speed. That's how we're set up now days and as a result Giroud does hinder us. Like Chili Palmer says, it's not a pleasant sight seeing Giroud running with the ball, trying to keep up with Sanchez and Ozil.

But the downside is that Higuain is the world's biggest bottler, Madrid fans used to give him stick for that and, judging by his performance in the WC + the final and his misses last week raise serious question marks on that side of his game. I don't think Giroud is much better in that respect, however we really shouldn't be paying 30m for someone who may well be better than Giroud but has his own limitations.

So what's your answer Welbeck or that Giroud get's overplayed to the point of getting injured or his out of form patches?

I'll tell you what my answer is. Get the best striker you can in the market. We all know the ones that Claudius mentioned are not available with a very minute possibility of Benzema. Higuain represents one if not the best of the rest. He's an outstanding scorer and a different type of player. If needed he could even play with Giroud. 

Gunner89 wrote:

As I said 3 months of good football and only Neymar, Messi, Suarez etc. are upgrades.

We can forget about Cech too. For 3 months Ospina's stats are better than courtois.

Stop putting words in people's mouths

Gunner89 wrote:

otfgoon wrote:

Not sure why Giroud is the benchmark for whether or not you've been underwhelming, but yeah, it's amazing what the Europa league can do for your stats. Why don't you show their league stats from the league couple of seasons? I guess it's inconvinient to your argument.

Ever since converting from the wing position to up-front he's averaged 19 league goals a season for the last 7 years.

Has Giroud even hit his average once?

How does this even hold? Higuain's clearly been the better player over the course of the two players careers, that's not the argument. But it's obvious that Giroud of three years ago isn't the same player he is now and whether that improvement is worth sticking with him is a merited discussion but

For the record, Drogba was 29 before he scored 20 goals in the league. The seasons before that he managed 12 and 10 for Chelsea.

Gunner89 wrote:

So what's your answer Welbeck or that Giroud get's overplayed to the point of getting injured or his out of form patches?

I'll tell you what my answer is. Get the best striker you can in the market. We all know the ones that Claudius mentioned are not available with a very minute possibility of Benzema. Higuain represents one if not the best of the rest. He's an outstanding scorer and a different type of player. If needed he could even play with Giroud. 

I agree with your answer. Hell, I'd happily take Higuain and make him first choice but there are pretty clear limitations and reasons why we would choose not to do so as well.

It's not a no brainer that you make it out be.