Giroud admits to goal jitters

Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud admits that he has been nervous in front of goal of late but remains optimistic of rediscovering his goalscoring touch in the near future.

The 25-year-old is currently training with the France squad in preparation for their upcoming World Cup 2014 qualifier against Belarus on Tuesday.

At club level, he has not had the best of starts with the Gunners, having failed to score in three appearances. In recent weeks, he has come under staunch criticism for a perceived lack of composure in front of goal.

The Frenchman admitted that the weight of expectations thrust upon him, following an impressive season in the Ligue 1 with Montpellier when he scored 21 goals in their title-winning campaign, could be preventing him from performing well in recent matches.

Nevertheless, he remains confident that he will overcome the problem and score on a regular basis for club and country.

"I've been freezing up a little bit just when I've been about to pull trigger and that's exactly what happened in my first few matches for France," he told FIFA's official website.

"I'm not too worried about it, because I've been scoring in training and I feel pretty comfortable being a part of this team.

"I just need to not think about things too much, so that I feel as relaxed as possible when the time comes to stick the ball in the net."

Giroud cited a difficulty in communicating with his fellow players as being a problem at Arsenal although he feels that he will develop promisingly under the guidance of manager Arsene Wenger.

"I really want to improve my English and speak fluently, without having to think about what I'm about to say," he added.

"Being at Arsenal will help me with my development, and with a manager like Arsene Wenger in charge, I'm definitely in good hands."

Arsenal are next in action against Southampton on Saturday in the Barclays Premier League.