Chelsea manager Frank Lampard granted Olivier Giroud a well-earned start in Seville and suffice it to say, he didn’t disappoint.
Chelsea fans who doubted the Olivier Giroud have to now acknowledge the excellence of the Frenchman. The Blues striker nailed a haul—4 goals—in the Champions League game against Sevilla. If there was any doubt by fans of Chelsea—or any other team, for that matter—the magnificent performance of the Blues’ No. 18 in Spain should silence them.
His performance proved why Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has been totally wrong to keep the French target man on the bench in too many games for too many minutes this season. Lampard hopefully now realizes that Giroud should be starting often—if not all the time—for the Blues and should go nowhere in January.
Why the gaffer cannot see what others can about the big Frenchman is bizarre. It’s obvious that when Giroud plays, the Blues usually win, especially in European competitions. Yet, some Chelsea supporters have not been able to deduce that Giroud remains one of the best No. 9s in the game today. Even at age 34, he is still at the top of his game and somehow continues to get better. Frankly, it’s time that the Blues on-field leaders acknowledge the same and give Giroud the minutes he deserves—he’s earned them.
Yet, Lampard persists in beating his other front-line players down and grinding them into the ground rather than rotating Giroud into the team when he is surely one of his best options at center forward. Now, hopefully, that message has been delivered, and rather than Giroud leaving for Inter or anywhere else, he should be offered an extension to his contract. He’s just too good a player for the Blues to let walk.
Giroud has earned an extension. He’s still playing at the top of his game when actually on the pitch and as mentioned earlier, he may be playing better than ever. Some of the Chelsea faithful may have recognized his excellence even when he wore the red and white of the Gunners. Seeing him go to another English side—or any other competitive club in Europe—would be heartbreaking. Not to mention it could come back to haunt Chelsea.
Anyone who thinks that Didier Deschamps, the French National Team manager, is going to continue to roll out Giroud in his team if he is not worthy is, well, let’s say mistaken. Giroud scored no goals in the past World Cup, yet, was France’s center forward throughout. If Deschamps is smart, he will be there for the European Championships and the next World Cup, as well. He is the glue that allows France to continue to work.
Giroud has to play if the Blues and Lampard are to be as successful as they can be. For Chelsea, using Giroud in a solid rotation will allow the team to be the best version of itself. It’s time for the Blues to let this key player play; the team and the club will be the beneficiaries.