Is Kelvin Gameiro France's Best Striker At The Moment ?

Is Kelvin Gameiro France's Best Striker At The Moment?

By Ewah Chika.

Two goals in two starts for France is not a bad record for a striker who couldn't even make Les Blues squad for the European Tournament in the summer despite having an impressive season with Sevilla scoring in the Europa League final, winning the trophy and playing in the Copa del Rey final last season.

Kelvin Gameiro might have felt unlucky having no single call up since Didier Deschamps took over as Laurent Blanc successor in 2012 yet the striker has slowly rebuilt his dwindling  career in Spain allowing his football do the talking for him. At 29, the former Lorient striker appears to be in his peak having flopped when he moved to PSG scoring only 26 goals in 77 years (two years) in Paris with the likes of Nene and Zlatan Ibrahimovic taking the spotlight from him during his time at the club.
The striker appeared like one whose career was dead and buried before he made the brave call to move to Andalusia (Sevilla) where Unai Emery got the best out of him winning the Europa League thrice and scoring 66 goals in 143 games in all competitions for the club.

In Deschamps new system, Gameiro is utilised upfront as a lone striker with club mate Antonie Griezman slightly positioned behind him with the likes of Dmitri Payet and Moussa Sissoko on the wings in a 4-2-3-1 formation. In this system, the energy, industry and pace of the striker is exploited to the maximum as he is one used to high pressing football having played for both Unai Emery and Diego Simeone. The striker was handed a starting berth against Bulgaria after coming on as a substitute in the draw against Belarus  (World Cup Qualifying Games). Gameiro took his chance in his first start scoring twice and putting on an impressive display perhaps because he knew the likes of Oliver Giroud and Lacazette were out injured, Karim Benzema still suspended and Andre Gignac past his prime. Griezman for example will be relieved and excited at Gameiro's new form considering he has been overburdened with the scoring of goals and creation of chances for his country for sometime now.

The positives of having Gameiro in the French team is due to his pace and perfect movement on and off the ball unlike Giroud who is sluggish and unable to breakdown deep defences without aerial balls.

Though it is still too early to make predictions, Gameiro is a good finisher with a physical presence and enormous energy which will be handy against certain opponents. For now, the Atletico Madrid striker must take his chance and make himself an undisputed starter for his country .