Why France's Most Important Player Is Not Paul Pogba Or Antoine Griezmann, But Olivier Giroud

Why France's Most Important Player Is Not Paul Pogba Or Antoine Griezmann, But Olivier Giroud
10:30, 21 Jun 2018

Amid a France squad that is worth hundreds of millions of euro, it would be tempting to assume that a figure such as Paul Pogba, Antoine Griezmann or even Kylian Mbappe would be the key man.

All three are among the most marketable stars in the world game, yet when it comes to importance for the national team, their influence is pushed into the shade by a 31-year-old signed for the now-modest fee of £18 million.

Olivier Giroud is a player who has long split opinion in England, where his strength and aerial ability seemed to juxtapose with the technical game favoured by Arsenal. Last January, though, he moved across London to Chelsea, where he was expected to provide a snarling, aggressive replacement for Diego Costa.

Instead, he falls between two stones, neither the quicksilver forward desired at the Emirates, nor the pitbull that Chelsea craved.

It is Didier Deschamps with France, however, who has brought out the best in the former Montpellier man.

So important is Giroud now perceived to be with the national team, there was an element of surprise when he was omitted at the expense of €120m Barcelona star Ousmane Dembele in Les Bleus’ opening World Cup match against Australia.

Concerns that France would not be as fluent without their most physical forward option proved well founded, too.

Reliant on a forward line that leant heavily on speed, Deschamps’ side were easily stifled by the Socceroos and it was not until Giroud was called from the bench to provide the assist for the winner that France could finally claim a 2-1 victory.

“When he’s not there, we realise how useful he is,” the coach reflected in the press conference prior to Thursday’s clash against Peru.

Although Deschamps refused to reveal whether his most physical attacking option will start against the South Americans, it is a safe bet to assume that he will be recalled give how high in the coach’s esteem he has been held.

Only three players have scored more goals for France than Giroud: Thierry Henry (51), Michel Platini (41) and David Trezeguet (34).

“I’m happy to have equalled Zinedine Zidane,” the forward said after netting his 31st international goal in a World Cup warm-up win over Ireland. “I hope to continue climbing the rankings.”

His importance, though, is more than a simple ability to find the net, as his coach has pointed out in the past.

“He’s effective in front of goal, he’s there for that. He has been for a long time, and that’s what we ask of our attackers,” Deschamps said.

“He’s a player who’s often unjustly criticised. He doesn’t have the qualities of other attackers, but his style of play allows him to play well, link play and that doesn’t stop him being efficient. It’s very important.”

Those qualities that Deschamps listed back in May were the very qualities that were absent from France’s opening display against Australia, which was one-dimensional and predictable.

The hold-up play, the intelligent flicks and the aerial threat; how France could have used the Chelsea forward’s qualities as a target man to change the complexion of the game, which the coach admitted was “more complicated” than he expected.

He may not offer the glamour of some of his more storied team-mates, but he can bring his own brand of fluidity to an attack that can otherwise be predictable and countered through sheer numbers.

Certainly, he is not the type of player who is likely to turn a game with an outrageous moment of technical skill, but Les Bleus already have countless players of that genre. Sometimes the most effective answer is the simplest one, after all.

Giroud’s presence in the starting XI for Thursday’s fixture is not one liable to take up many column inches – Pogba, Mbappe and Griezmann are in the team for that – but if he is there, a more effective, efficient France is likely to be present. And as long as the result is the right one, the No.9 will not care who the headlines go to.

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