Arsenal striker Oliver Giroud has claimed that being dropped by Arsene Wenger earlier in the season has helped him in many ways this season and improved his form.
Wenger dropped the Frenchman in order to field an in-form Theo Walcott upfront for the Gunners and Giroud has claimed that it was a real wake-up call for his Arsenal career. Walcott was in stunning form at the start of the season, terrorising defences and Wenger had little choice but to drop Giroud to the bench and leave him out.
However, the Frenchman has come back strong, with a number of goalscoring substitute appearances and an injury to Walcott has earned himself a place back in the starting XI.
He [Wenger] chose to put me on the bench when I came back from Bordeaux [where he played against Serbia]. Maybe he thought I needed to be less under pressure.
We spoke about it. He told me he trusted me, like he did Theo Walcott, but that we were two different players. It was also a tactical choice.
He has spoken about how he needs to be playing games for Arsenal to make sure he is in France next summer playing in the European Championship and that made him reevaluate his motivation at Arsenal and work harder than ever to make the team.
I understood the coach’s tactical choice, but after four games, I needed to turn things around.
I told myself, ‘I can’t let this last’. It wasn’t good for me, for the national team or for the Euros. I didn’t want to spend the whole season on the bench. It made me react.
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