It’s well known that Lukas Podolski was on the verge of leaving Arsenal during the last transfer window, but the German has revealed a conversation with Arsene Wenger, and his distaste of playing for any other Bundesliga club than Cologne meant he ended up staying at the Gunners.
Of course there’s the issue of Olivier Giroud’s injury which changed the Arsenal manager’s mind about letting him go, but speaking to Bild today, Podolski said, “I had a very good conversation with manager Arsene Wenger. He stressed that he relies on me and my qualities.”
He touched on the rumours that he might have been on the verge of joining Wolfsburg and although he didn’t rule out a move to a different German club, he made it clear that wouldn’t have been his first choice.
“There weren’t a lack of offers. There were some requests from abroad (outside Germany), and also from the Bundesliga. But it would have been difficult for me as a FC Cologne fan to play for another club in Germany.”
Podolski made his first appearance as a late substitute in last Sunday’s disappointing 1-1 draw with Leicester, and with the signing of Danny Welbeck will have to compete for a place on the left hand side.
However, he does have goals in him and adds attacking depth to the squad, so the fact he’s staying put in these circumstances is good news.
I’m glad he is still here.
…mainly so I can break out the Pogoalski puns, for when he hammers in his next goal.
Odd Wenger doesn’t seem to want him about, tho.
I love Podolski, quality player.
I just wish Arsene valued him more.
I’ve always wondered what would happen, if we gave him the same amount of time up front as Giroud has had over the last however many seasons.
It would be interesting to see the what the difference would be in stats.
I think it has been clear from the beginning that Podolski was signed up to fill the forever void since Pires left out left. I get that he’s a striker and can potentially fill the void up front, but it looked more like Wenger wanted him as part of a trio of strikers with Giroud and Walcott, until he was forced to whip up the team defensively and tuck in the wingers. Podolski has played up there but he takes away a balance in a tall, strong aerial dualist that we now see in Giroud, Sanogo and, now, Welbeck. Short… Read more »
People always bring up Podolski’s aerial ability, but is he really that bad? I think his finishing with his head is quite good actually, it’s just that he plays mainly on the wing, so he doesn’t get that many headed chances. Last season he won 56% of aerial duels in the league, compared to Giroud’s 51%. Odd, isn’t it? Giroud is 4 or 5 inches taller, and a bit heavier, but Poldi is stockier and actually the stronger of the two. Now that I’ve started, it’s interesting to dig a little deeper. Last season in the league, Giroud averaged 0.9… Read more »
The stats on ariel duels won are a bit unfair, Because almost every premier league centre backs are bigger and stronger than full backs…
Most fullbacks are short…
There, I said it 😀
The stats on ariel duels won are a bit unfair Because, almost every premier league centre backs are bigger and stronger than full backs…
Most fullbacks are short…
There, I said it 😀
I also love Podolski.
I’m not the biggest fan of Giroud if I’m honest, I think he is a good squad player.
However, I don’t think he should be the main guy leading the line for us.
He isn’t anywhere near good enough.
Van Persie (sorry for bringing him into it #c**t)
Eduardo
Henry
Bergkamp
Wright
Anelka
Overmars
That’s that calibre of player we should have leading the line for us.
I like Podolski, but…The biggest problem was always his movement.
To be fair to Giroud, those percentage stats comparisons may be due to the amount of games Giroud played in as opposed to Poldi, Giroud has certainly played a lot more and therefore had a greater rate of headers/tackles/interceptions etc etc.. I think these comparisons alone are not effective enough to compare the two
Giroud is french (+1 in wenger books), Giroud became an wenger project.
Wenger doesn’t look at passports. Adebayor was his project for a while.
Glad he stayed for another season, it’s not as if he’s useless for us…
But didn’t he play for Bayern Munich for a year?
Bayern Munich is in another league altogether
thats when he realised he cant play for any other german team.
He went to Bayern when Cologne were relegated. He returned to Cologne when they returned to the Bundesliga.
Ohhhhh Lukas Podoooooolski
Hope he bangs a few in against city.
Good to have him,…at least until January!
Aguero is the only striker in the league more effective than Poldi when it comes to goals/assists per minute
Definitely a keeper, and that’s before you look at his lovely instagrams and cheery smile and stuff. The adventures of Gunnersaurus and Poldi really ought to be a regular feature in the matchday magazine.
Really?
Definitely – I heard that Gunnersaurus and Poldi stumbled across a tear in the space/time Vortex just next to the Armory the other day, and they tumbled through it back to the old Laundry End at Highbury in the 1930s. They enjoyed the day training in the famous “WM” formation under Tom Whittaker, before getting back to the Emirates in time for tea! Ace. See how it’d work?
brilliant. just brilliant. cap is well and truly doffed to you, good sir.
And I could have a cameo each week and the Gunnersaurus would eat me but then a clone would take over at Stoke. I mean, do you remember a time with me?
I’ve got Peter Crouch doing that shitty robot thing again and he’s just knocked into me. That should have read ‘a time without me’.
A bit off topic but, please Mark…
When we play you this season, please send your players out to kick the ball and not the Angels in red and white?
Just please 🙁
No, not really.
I’d say Poldi is more a striker/left winger than a ‘keeper
I like Podolski and all, but please do not compare the two.
I was watching him during the warm up at Leicester, and his finishing is insane. Him and Campbell were taking turns hitting the ball into the far top corner from the left hand side, Campbell was well average and Podolski bagged 4 out of 5 belters.
Then he chased Campbell around bullying him for a while #aha
Indeed, whenever I see him training before a game, his finishing is unreal. He bangs in shot after shot into the top corner with power. Also impressed with Cazorla and Sanchez’s finishing in training, they stood out from the rest along with Podolski. Saw Campbell training as well before and at half time at the Besiktas game and he did look incredibly average. His finishing was terrible and he kept miss-controlling or miss-passing the ball, literally did it like 20 times. At least he doesn’t do it on the pitch.
Podolski is an interesting one. He’s one of the best finishers ever to have played the game when he gets to take a good shot. He almost never misses a good opportunity. But he’s not very good at creating those opportunities. Despite being relatively quick, he never seems to run in behind the defense, he can’t hold up the ball very well, and I don’t think any of us can remember him ever beating a man with a dribble. He’s also got wickedly good delivery on his crosses, but again it’s the same thing: get the ball to him in… Read more »
Except against Bayern where he steamrolled Lahm and smashed one high past Neuer
Yeah but to be fair that was an obvious foul that just wasn’t called for some reason.
I don’t know whether he’s the right fit for the team but he scores goals regularly when in the XI (excellent goals/min figure). Maybe Özil in the middle and Podolski/Alexis either side of Welbeck up top could get the best out of the front three.
I think he’d be deadly if he was playing striker in a 4-4-2. Could be an option if we ever needed to rest Ozil.
No combination made from our current squad can be termed as “deadly”. Lets just hope Wenger works out the right combination soon enough so that we can atleast see off teams like Leicester. Not a single game in the season so far has been an easy one for us (apart from the Community Shield).
We have an excellent attacking squad, and plenty of the combinations could be ‘deadly’, at the end the tactics and players have to be right as well though.
THANK GOD we have that thunderous left hammer shot in our squad
Thor (disguised as a big green Polish Dinosaur with a familiar red jersey at the hospital in Gliwice) went to find Lukas room on the maternity ward. Upon finding Lukas lying in the arms of his father he carefully approached them: “Congratulations on having a son. Here (ceremoniously bows down and hands over hammer), give this to Lukas when the time is right” Lukas father, both elated and delirious after the birth of his child, replied : “Thank you so much … but why the fuck are you giving me a viking hammer?” Thor: “Trust me, one day you will… Read more »
Sorry bro, but what the actual fuck have you been ingesting????
Sadly, this is what the interlul does to me.
Weird.
Glad he’s staying
AHA
15 goals this season Poldi. all from the bench. thanks
I so want for him to have a blinding season, I was hugely excited when I heard we’d signed him, and there’s such a stonking player in him just waiting to be unleashed. Were he to have left this summer, he’d have been my biggest regret as an Arsenal fan since Arshavin, albeit not for the same reasons.
We need to keep our players, especially our forwards.
The cost (and availability) of replacing anything we currently have is extortionate.
Pretty fortunate we got Welbeck on the cheap.
Giroud, Welbeck and Sanogo. Worldclass stuff we’ve got up-front. Defenses beware!
There was a time at the start of their careers when the likes of Anelka and Henry weren’t very good.
I thought Anelka was the opposite: spectacular and influential before he was even 20 years old, and then just got steadily worse over time. But I might have misremembered.
Yeah, Anelka was past his best days by the age Welbeck and Sanogo are now.
I’m happy Poldi is staying. It’s well assumed that Wenger doesn’t have as much faith in him and although he has that magnificent left foot it’s easy to see why from some of his performances. Particularly defensively but also offensively. I don’t think it’s from lack of trying because actually his work rate is pretty good when I see him but sometimes he seems a bit rash or doesn’t make the best decisions. He should get some advice from his fellow Germans at the club about reading the game both defensively and offensively but at 29 at the top level… Read more »
http://www.kerrygum.de getting the grinning Podolski to promote your gum brand is a no brained. #aha
Put the effort in Podolski, we love you!
My favourite Podolski Arsenal moment was his cross to Giroud vs West Ham away, in the middle of Giroud’s first purple patfh.
Glad he stay with us. Working rate is low though but he’s a lethal
He will leave next season and will be replaced by Marco Reus….I can dream right?
When was that photograph taken?
Oh yeah…
IN THE MERRY MONTH OF MAY!
And what did she wear?
I’m more than happy he stayed.
He is an intelligent footballer. He thinks more than 2 seconds ahead. Just yesterday he was thinking 1 1/2 weak ahead, when he made the tackle that injured Zabaletta. 😉
I love poldi, and he is the best finisher Arsenal has at the moment. The only issue i have with him is his lack of movement, he is rather static at times. It will be interesting to see the link up play with Alexis part of the team. I wonder what will happen when Theo gets back? The way Poldi connects with the fans is inspirational. COYG
To be fair, the whole forward line has been extremely static recently. Apart from Alexis that is, whose movement off the ball is so refreshing to see. Would love to see a bit more movement off the ball, to give the wall of defenders who park in front of our goal every game something to think about.
Hope he stays a long time. He genuinely loves the club and a great pro for the youngsters to learn from.
He needs to be used well. Leicester showed he’s not the solution to every problem.
I actually don’t want Poldi yo go, but I fear Wenger may try moving him in the January window when Giroud is back. Personally I would wish him stay for at least the season.
I can’t remember any time in recent years where there were more discussions about who should play up front or in the midfield. Bottom line is we finally have some depth. And that’s a good thing.
just hope he gives it 100% when he gets a chance to play does’nt like back tracking and leaves the left back home and dry at times and us open to counter attacks best have him down the middle take that part of the game from him then get thatleft hammer firing at the target……..
Blogs: Is Arsene still in the Vatican, why still no comment from him about Welbeck? What’s going on?
Arsene’s in the Vatican,
Bergkamp’s in His heaven–
All’s right with the world!
Soz, couldn’t resist…
That photo made me laugh. He looks like a crazed mad man about to kill Wenger! Anyway, love Poldi, but don’t think he will get much time in the team. He is great at shooting and crossing, just does not get involved in, you know, playing football. Doesn’t combine with team mates, chase back, tackle, pass and move and so on. He is good 1% of the time when shooting or crossing, but stands by the other 99% of the time. Not due to laziness, he’s just not very good at football. Giroud on the other hand is good at… Read more »
Yeah, too bad football isn’t about shooting, crossing, scoring and assisting, because if it was, boy that Podolski would be summat, innit?
Is it about those things? *brings out notebook*
Have you had a diagnosis, or were you deemed sane enough for care in the community?
“Not good at football” chaps don’t get that many German caps….
What a brilliant personality to have in the dressing room! Just wish he had more to his game than just his thunderbolt left boot. Like Wenger once said, he seems to play at 80-90%. If he played at 100% he would be world class.
How come people bang on about his work rate but then the same people excuse Ozil’s even poorer work rate. At least Poldi is effect at one end of the pitch, Ozil hasn’t really been effective at either end.
AAAALLLTTTAAAA!!!!! Wie geil ist das denn!!!! I’m happy he’s happy!
I guess because Ozil is like fluid dynamics, he doesn’t have to be effective at either end?
If we want to beat mancity next saturday. we have to drop ozil and wilshire. wilshire holds on to ball too long, then tries to make some crazy one two pass and lose the ball, then the team breaks on us. plus neither wilshire or ozil can kick, rosicky is a better option than both of them. ozil is the laziest football player i have seen. rosicky is just as skillfull as both of them, he can kick, he has pace and can win the ball back. if we want to beat mancity we have to line up like this.… Read more »
#aha #showdowntalks #thor #lol #FCKöln #noothergermanclub #Wengerconversation #trainingshots #insanefinisher #ball #aha #Poldiadmitspossiblebundesligareturn #aha
I really think this is how Blogs should write every article about Poldi. We all will understand. Pretty sure too that’s how Poldi will write an article of himself! lol.
We need to play 4 4 2 with poldi and campbell on the edge!!!!!
Last night against Argentina, not only did he twat the twatish Zabaletta in his twat, leaving him twatted (too much?), but he also made four tackles. Towards the end of last season he actually started working quite hard defensively, at least for a forward. Maybe we forget that he was out for about four months with his hamstring injury right at the start of last season, and that was the first big injury in his career (who would have thought, eh?). He came back near January and it took him a while to get fully fit and get his sharpness… Read more »
on a side note, according to Schalke 04 there never was a bid made for Huntelaar.
Did Arsenal ever have another player with such hard and precise shots?
he was IMO more likely to leave than Campbell.
Joel if he performs up to promise of his loan in Greece and the world cup is a shoe in to take over from the German where the German is last season on contract and likely back in the market in Jan when Giroud comes in.
Portugese are smoking the Jose pipe. We would not be trading Campbell for an over inflated (and frankly over hyped) Carvalho even if his agent desperate to make some dosh would try to push otherwise. Wenger has been categorical that Campbell would feature this season.
Honestly not a doomer but podolski has been desperately uninsipiring in his short arsenal career. By far the least effective of giroud, cazorla and podolski trio bought the summer we sold rvp and to be honest i had him down as the one most likely to succeed. This re writing of his contribution bears no resemblence to his lack of qualities in an arsenal shirt disguised by some admittedly valuable goals. Am i really alone in expecting much much more from this guy? I would have been very happy to sell him because i think 2 seasons is enough to… Read more »
#aha #wishedwesoldLP10 #disguised #2seasonsisenoughtojudge #deutschland24argentina #noproof #aha #Arsenal
Love Poldi
Great player with a wicked powerful shot. Wish he played more as he has the qualities to be a game changer.
Wonderful to see my countryman captain my country last night. Delighted he stayed at AFC
I think the big question is how do we maximize Podolski’s specialty? In this team he is unparalleled in finishing, second to none. I remember in the ’12-13 season when Podolski, Cazorla and Giroud were all just so in sync and we played some truly swashbuckling football
And then Ozil came and ruined everything! Without Ozil Cazorla would still be playing in the middle CAM role and performing like he did in his first season.. I still remember that cut back true ball pass he gave to Giroud in his first game of the season that could have won us the game but giroud missed badly that’s when I knew Cazorla is the real deal with vision and passing and shooting ability with both feet.. and giroud would be a 1 goal in 5 chances striker! I wish we had a better finisher I wish poldi be… Read more »