Lukas Podolski has paid homage to Arsenal’s away support claiming that the sight of them travelling in their thousands makes him proud to be a Gooner.
It’s fair to say the charismatic German has maintained fan favourite status at the Emirates throughout his first season despite the fact he hasn’t played much in the last few months due to injury and a drop in form.
Lucky for him a cheeky grin, comical taxi jaunts around London and general tomfoolery on the training ground go a long way to winning hearts and minds even if the effectiveness of his hammer-like left foot has been blunted.
“I enjoy it here,” Podolski told Arsenal.com.
“The supporters in England are very good – the Arsenal fans of course, but the others too. Everywhere I go they’re happy, funny and friendly. I feel very good here, both in the stadium and out of it.
“At away matches, I see our away support, three or four thousand people, and the atmosphere they make – I feel proud of them, and of the Club.
“It is important to talk to them and I like writing a few things on Twitter, taking photos, things like that. I have fun and hopefully people enjoy it.”
While it’s nice to hear he’s settled in the most important thing is that Podolski performs on the pitch. Admitting that injury has taken its toll in the second half of the season the German international underlined that he still feels like he’s not done too badly since arriving from Cologne.
“I did well earlier in the season, then had an injury which put me out for a few weeks, but now I’m back and hope to play a big part in the final run of matches. But it is the coach’s decision, of course.
“Overall I am happy. You must remember I came from a team [Cologne] that was going down, and it wasn’t so easy to come straight to a big club and be strong. But I believe I have the quality to play in every game here and think I have done well until now.
“I’ve scored some goals and made assists, so I am content. But I’ll be happiest if we can make the Champions League, because every player – and every team – wants to play at that level.”
It’ll be interesting to see where Podolski fits in for the last few games with Theo Walcott fit, Gervinho in form, Oxlade-Chamberlain showing flashes of a renaissance and the likes of Cazorla, Rosicky and Ramsey all with experience on the wings.
He’s certainly got the ability, it’s really a case of how Wenger chooses to use him…
Whats the situation with Podolski? Is he injured and out for the season waiting for the surgery cus the earlier then surely the better so more time for him to recover in the summer for next season. Seems abit of a waste seeing him sit on the bench or not even making it. Or did he have a “3 weeks” and now is ready…
to my understanding he’ been carrying an injury from his old club that isnt enough to rule him out, but is enough that they dont want to aggrevate it by lots of game time
I would love to be part of that away support, were tickets not so bloody hard to get…
Also, we gotta keep Pod right? And perhaps let him play occasionally.
join the supporters’ club, they’re opposite the old north bank entrance. it’s £35 a year but they get bugger all support from Arsenal and work their bollocks off, and you don’t have to join the official schemes etc to get away tickets either.
So do the supporters trust get an allocation of away tickets? If so i would be very interested. Im a Red member and only go to category C home games, would love to go to an away game we a mate or two! ‘We all follow the ARSENAL, over land and sea’.
Cheers Sam, I’ll try that. There is another slight obstacle, in that the missus and kids tend to get the the hump if I disappear for too long at weekends… especially if I roll in a bit worse for wear!
I tend to see more weeknight games than Saturday ones on account of this.
Bit henpecked. Sorry!
Is that what the fat guy with the cigar is all about? I’ve always been curious what goes on in there.
yup, that’s the supporters’ club bar. cheap beers, too. cracking prints and photos in there, too.
ill give it a crack next time i go to a home game, thats the old Highbury north bank right?
I would if I could afford it, I have a lot of admiration for the regular away support, it’s bloody expensive!
Poldi has only shown glimpses of what he is capable of. The side has not performed well this year but I expected more from the German international. He should be a 20 goal a season man at the very least. May be he’s burnt out ?
In my coutry there is problem…
….and that problem is transport 🙂
The fact that you expect ANY player not playing in a ST/CF position to score 20 goals a season is ridiculous. I don’t think any player this season in any of the major European leagues who is not playing as a forward has scored more than 20 goals. The only exception is Ronaldo which doesn’t really count because Real allow him to roam freely and essentially do whatever he wants. The last time a Premier League player who isn’t a ST/CF scored more than 20 goals in a season was Fat Frank a couple of years back. Even then, at… Read more »
He should get a chance upfront instead of Giroud. He is probobly the best finisher we have at the moment and he has played for most part of his career as a striker.
But is he a target man?
He is also possibly our best crosser and links up well with Giroud, who thrives off headers and flick-ons. Furthermore, Podolski is able to use his physical quality better on the wing, instead of the center, where he could easily get smothered by bodies. Furthermore, Podolski, on the left wing, is ideallly placed to cut inside slightly and fire off a screamer with his left foot, see: West Ham (Commentator: ‘Podolski can certainly hit them!’).
Having a target man like giroud has never been the arsenal way. So why is it such a necessity. The players we were linked to in the winter that everyone was crying out for wasnt exactly the tallest players(huntlaar, david villa etc.). Seriously what does Podolski have to do get a chance, its always some excuse why not to use him there. Saying podoski doesnt have positional sense while in the middle is really just a myth, how can u judge him if hasnt actually played there for us, he scored 44 for germany in a hundred game from the… Read more »
If we can play with Walcott and Gervinho upfront, we certainly should be able to play with Podolski upfront. Who is far more of a striker then Gervinho and Walcott.
of course he’d single out the travelling support for praise as we make more noise away than we do at the grove
although i think that’s the same for pretty much every club these days
i like podolski, he works hard, he’s direct, he scores and makes goals with the minimum of fuss. it’s all good – if he sticks around a few seasons along with other key players (a big if, of course) we should see regular title challenges becoming normal again
It’s nice to hear positive comments from him especially since there are rumours suggesting he will be sold. Doesn’t sound like that will be the case to me. I certainly hope not.
It took several games before Wenger let him play a full 90 minutes and we only see him as a sub these days so maybe his overall fitness is not quite 100%
Ol Poldi has a geat attitude on the pitch, hes always giving a teammate a pat on the back or a thumbs up or something. Very positive player. = Awesome! 🙂
Growing into a peripheral figure for a player experencied as poldi is not good at all. I feel he needs a kick right now to get on with the rest of the season. He won’t start, im sure but being on the bench for 90 minutes is not easy to take. (even for the vermaelens and schezzers; it must be killing them!}
Get this guy a game. Preferably in Girouds position (who has looked out of sorts for sometime now) sub on 65 minutes.
Ah non, we want Giroud’s aerial presence against a team like Norwich, especially in the abscence of Mertesacker.
If we are 3,4,5 nil up by 72 minutes and we are showing our dominanant, technical side, than Podolski will come on, yes.
So far, Podolski’s Arsenal career has been underwhelming. For a guy with more than 100 Germany caps, and who is reportedly earning 105k a week, you would expect a much greater impact than we’ve seen so far. He must be the most expensively paid bit-part player in the Premier League.
‘He must be the most expensively paid bit-part player in the Premier League.’
No, that’s probably half of Money City and Chelsea’s squads.
$ee: $amir Na$ri
Na$ri?
He will make it
I see most have taken the tabloid bait and gone right off the deep end based on precisely nothing, AGAIN! Podolski’s been great for the team, played well, scored and assisted and works really hard too. Whats not to like? Injury have curtailed his chances a bit, but he will play soon enough. I would like to see him given another chance up front, but wide left is also a great outlet for his talents. And yes, away games are sooooo much more fun than home games, in the main, although I have enjoyed a large amount of home fixtures… Read more »
Hi Poldi am proud of U.
He must play as striker and not on the left. I think Giroud is good with the head but technical zero and slow also. Left Ox or Gervinho Walcott on the right poldi on striker that’s it
Still suprised why Poldi isnt playing. Forget aerial sh*t, he’ll play better than the slow-fine boy striker of ours.
POD-GOAL-SKI!!!
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