Antoine Griezmann needs time to adjust, asserts Didier Deschamps
Despite a dream move to Barcelona, Antoine Griezmann has struggled to adapt but Didier Deschamps believes the striker needs time. In ten appearances so far in the league, the 28-year-old has netted just four goals with Ernesto Valverde opting to play him out of position to accommodate other players.
A €120 million move from Atletico Madrid after what seemed like a decade of chasing and Antoine Griezmann finally got his dream move. The 28-year-old walked into the Camp Nou as a World Cup winner, a Europa League winner and a serial goal-scorer which is exactly what Barcelona needed especially after they lost Neymar. However, four months and less than ten games later many fans and indeed critics have a few issues with the 28-year-old striker.
So far, the Frenchman has only managed to net four goals and produce three assists in 14 games across the board but Didier Deschamps is not worried. In an interview, the France head coach went on to admit that while Griezmann has struggled, he’s also been played out of position and still needs time to fit in. He also added that despite all the problems the former Atletico Madrid man has faced, he will always give his all for the team.
"Not at all. Even if you have great players at Barcelona, it doesn't happen in a day. It depends on how they play, how they work with each other. Also, he's put in different positions than the ones he has with France, even though he played a long time ago. He must fit in, the other players as well. He didn't choose the easiest solution and it's a big club, so the expectations are huge," said Deschamps reports Goal.
"He's always part of a team, but he's not used to it yet. Even when he's not as good, he's always positive for the team. With us, it's a different situation, different position, he can play at his best position where I've put him a long time ago. Of course, he has a very important role in how we play."
Despite being heavily criticized for picking the Chelsea striker, Didier Deschamps has once again included Olivier Giroud as a part of his squad for the international break. The former Arsenal star played an equally large part in France’s 2018 World Cup success but has found game-time hard to come by at Chelsea so far.
Under Frank Lampard, the Frenchman has played only 211 minutes with the Blues’ boss opting for either Tammy Abraham or Michy Batshuayi. But Deschamps isn’t worried about that either as the France head coach went on to admit that while Giroud hasn’t played much for Chelsea, the 33-year-old proves himself time after time for France.
"I picked him last month because of what he did in the past. He's an important player for us. He proves it on the pitch. When he scores, it's good for him and, even when he doesn't score, he's an important player for us. Sadly, the situation hasn't evolved for him, but he is there because I trust him, because of what he has done in the past and in October,” concluded Deschamps.
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