Wednesday, 12th June, 2013
Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud has refuted suggestions that he was aiming to replace the club’s former talisman and current Manchester United forward Robin van Persie.
Giroud’s arrival from Montpellier had been taken as a sign that Arsenal were looking to move beyond the sale of Van Persie to the Premier League champions.
And the 26-year-old went on to show much evidence of that change, scoring 17 goals in all competitions for the Gunners since arriving from Montpellier last year.
In February, much had been made of the comparison between the debut Arsenal campaigns of Giroud and Van Persie respectively, with the former pointing to his statistics as being better than the Dutchman’s.
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However, he told the club’s site today: "It was not easy at all. It was a massive challenge with a positive pressure. I arrived here in a very humble way. I never said I wanted to replace Robin.
"He needed a few seasons to really be at his best here. I hope that as early as my second season, I can play week-in and week-out and keep scoring regularly because it’s key for a striker."
Arsenal have gone trophyless for eight years now – since their 2005 FA Cup win – and many had called for manager Arsene Wenger’s departure, especially after defeats to Bradford City and Blackburn Rovers in cup competition this season.
However, Giroud remains positive the new crop of signings, including himself, can bring a revival of sorts to the Emirates, as he backed Wenger, who is in line for a contract extension.
"[Wenger] gives his opinion but he takes into consideration what you are telling him too", Giroud added. "I felt at ease with him straight away.
"If we start better than we did this season, I know that we will compete for the title next year because we are used to playing together now and have improved as a team.
"We have also improved as individuals throughout the season, especially the newcomers like Santi [Cazorla], Lukas [Podolski] and me."
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