Arsene Wenger had just given one of those knowing smiles as if to mock the temerity of questioning his judgment.

“If people underestimate Olivier Giroud, it will not last because people never deny evidence,” he said. “If he continues to develop as a player and continues to score goals, he will be rated like he deserves to be. I don’t know one player in my whole life who has been underrated for his whole career.”

Wenger has defended Giroud countless times but this declaration came on January 15, two days after the 29-year-old’s two-goal haul at Liverpool took his tally to 18 from the Gunners’ last 22 games. He had also recently become the third quickest Arsenal player to reach 50 Premier League goals.

Even Thierry Henry had changed his mind. Having previously claimed Arsenal could not win the League with Giroud leading the line, Henry suggested his former club now had a striker capable of scoring 30 goals, which he insisted was a pre-requisite to finish on top.

Giroud has not scored a League goal since. His brace against Hull in the FA Cup fifth-round replay are his only goals in 15 matches.

It was errantly reported in some places that Giroud did not start Arsenal’s mountainous climb against Barcelona in last week’s Champions League tie to preserve him for Saturday’s trip to Everton. In fact, Danny Welbeck was selected for both games — just as he was at Tottenham and Manchester United in Arsenal’s previous high-profile clashes — and the reality is that Giroud has not been first choice on the big occasions for some time.

Welbeck is struggling with the workload of consecutive matches as he rebuilds his fitness following 10 months out but it speaks volumes that Wenger preferred to gamble on him at Goodison Park rather than entrust Giroud with the responsibility of keeping Arsenal in the title race.

Giroud has come to encapsulate so much of Wenger’s modern-day Arsenal: likeable, respected, not without considerable merit but suspicions endure he lacks the genuine quality of more expensive alternatives.

A personal view is that Giroud is a thoughtful, intelligent striker good enough to keep a club in the top four but not consistent enough to make the difference in a title race. While Tottenham's Harry Kane (21 goals), Leicester's Jamie Vardy (19) and Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero (16) carry the fight from the front at the top of the scoring charts, Giroud has 12 at a worse minutes-per-goal ratio than the rest.

His record of 78 goals from 137 starts (plus 42 substitute appearances) since arriving from Montpellier for £13million in 2012 is very decent but the suspicion Giroud is a flat-track bully remains. He has made 29 appearances against Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United and Spurs in English football’s three main competitions. He has scored just four times.

Giroud has scored five in nine against Liverpool and Wenger has previously argued that his fellow Frenchman’s link play is of significant additional value to the team beyond his goal return. There is a shortage of world-class centre-forwards in the game but they do exist and Arsenal have shunned dipping into their vast resources in favour of hoping that Wenger’s faith in untapped potential will be realised.

Giroud has purple patches of fine form yet goal droughts lasting much longer than an elite-level centre-forward should endure — it is indicative of a genial character for whom criticism often prompts prolonged introspection.

Theo Walcott has also been unable to fill the void but it is Giroud who has been regularly implicated by Wenger and his team searching for explanations for a run of five wins from 16 games in all competitions; the differential is not huge but Arsenal have scored the fewest goals in the top four.

It was significant that against Watford, Swansea and Tottenham — and even in both games against Barcelona — Arsenal failed to capitalise on promising starts before defensive frailties were exposed.

Giroud is not the sole culprit but he is the striker Wenger opted to back after failing to sign a replacement in 2013. Perhaps the international break with France will help revive his fortunes. Karim Benzema’s omission for the games against Holland on Friday and Russia next Tuesday should afford Giroud time to find his shooting boots for the run-in.

Then again, perhaps he will never quite be good enough. Those questions Wenger wryly dismisses still remain.

Fans are out of this world

There is frustration among many fans at the two-week hiatus from an enthralling Premier League campaign but the antipathy towards the international break is once again not reflected in England’s attendances.

Tuesday’s friendly against Holland at Wembley is a sell-out. England have played seven home games since the World Cup debacle and only once has the crowd dipped below 70,000 — for San Marino’s visit in October 2014.

Of course, Holland are one of the more glamorous opponents they have faced but for close to 90,000 people to brave London’s rush hour on a Tuesday to watch England’s developing team is a remarkable testament to their enduring appeal.

The end-of-season roadshow will give supporters in the north an easier chance to demonstrate their support and whatever scepticism exists over England’s chances of success at Euro 2016, they will go there with unparalleled support once again.

Frank Skinner once told me: “If the World Cup was held on Jupiter, somehow 40,000 England fans would turn up.” France is somewhat closer but the loyalty England fans continue to show shouldn’t be underestimated.

Find the spark, Adebayor

Emmanuel Adebayor has a track record of starting well at clubs only to trail off into anonymity — so Crystal Palace should be rather concerned.

It was a no-risk gamble to take the 32-year-old on a short-term contract in the hope the motivation of his damaged reputation and the prospect of an uncertain future would reignite the spark. Yet five League starts and two substitute appearances have yielded just one goal — he has been taken off more often at half-time.

Manager Alan Pardew is in dire need of a return to form with no League victory since December 19 but Adebayor is among a number of players badly below their best contributing to a collective malaise.

The Eagles will surely not be relegated but a quick flurry of goals from a man more than capable of producing them would make certain.