Arsene Wenger admits that Lukas Podolski has been frustrated by his lack of game time but insists the German international has an important role to play as the fixtures pile up ahead of Christmas.
The 29-year-old came off the bench to grab a dramatic stoppage-time winner against Anderlecht last night and the boss underlined that his strike wasn’t a coincidence but a demonstration of the player’s qualities.
“He is frustrated and I understand that of course, but he is important and he showed that,” Wenger told press after the game. “He will also be important in the coming months.
“It took him a while to get back to a good physical level [after the World Cup] and now he is nearly there.
“He was never close to leaving. He has 115 caps for Germany. This goal is not a coincidence, that shows you his quality.
“I think he is a guy you want to have the ball in the box. His shot is fantastic, his accuracy is great and he has very short back lift. He nearly scored before and I know when he comes on he can score.”
Obviously delighted with his first goal of the season, and very timely it was too given the abject nature of Arsenal’s performance in Brussels, Podolski stressed that he’ll always back himself to score, especially if the ball falls on his favoured left foot.
“Sometimes you have to be a little bit lucky and today was the day. When the ball is on my left foot I score 99 per cent of the time. It was a good moment for me and the fans because they support me all of the time.”
Eager to stress that it was better to hop home on the Eurostar with a good result, rather than a decent performance, he reflected:
“It was a dramatic game for the fans and for us as well but at the end we have the three points.
“If we lost today it would have been difficult. It was important that we won and went back to London with the three points.
“I hope [we can gain momentum]. We had 25 shots on target against Hull City and we drew. Today was not the best game but it’s important that at the end you get the points and we have the points.
“We still have three games left and nothing is certain yet. We have an important game against Anderlecht at home and if we win that then I think we can go through.”
Honestly at this rate Daniel Crowley will be an important player for us in two months’ time when everyone over 20 is injured
His goal offered up a glimmer of hope amongst a pile of shite!
Please shut up Arsene and do the talking in the dressing room.
If Wilshere starts on Saturday I will cry. He’s keeping out people like Rosicky and the Ox FfS, never mind Podolski and Campbell and the like.
He has had one good game for us and that was 5yrs ago.
How is Jack keeping out two wide forwards? He’s not playing amazingly well but to keep out players in positions he doesn’t even play in? Seems like you just needed something to bulk out your complaint.
I certainly do agree that Poldi, Campbell, Rosicky and Ox need chances and starts. It’s only fair considering how many chances and starts Cazorla, Wilshere, Flamini and the like have had this season. It’s an actual joke that all of the above players are established stars for their national teams respectively (especially Campbell and Rosicky) but cannot get a look in at our current shambles of a team
Oleg Luzhny and good ol Mart Poom were also established internationals…just sayin
Having said that they probably both would have got a game last night
you know, watching yesterday’s game with about 10mins left in the first half i proclaimed that arsenal was going to go down 0-1 between 60-70′ (i was off by a minute) and then only after the ox came on would they equalize, and yes they would definitely equalize. idk what the ox has done to get benched after a bunch of quality performances this year, but i really think he should be out there…. that is unless arsene has learned to rotate his starters and i doubt that’s the case. if you have to play jack, why not put him… Read more »
Does anybody even take any notice any more. Who is AW trying to convince us or himself
I fear for us I think paul Merson was right I what he was saying last night we would of got smashed against better side passing was awful !! Gibbs said ” this is tough place to come ” Anderlecht won one of 12 at home in champ league shocking !!
We’ve already replaced Podolski with Welbeck and Alexis, both players give you more throughout 90 minutes.
Surely Arsene’s just trying to drive the price up?
He didn’t say “Podolski will start ahead of Welbeck and Alexis”. He said “He will also be important in the coming months”. It’s called squad depth, and it’s nice to actually have some (in that area of the pitch, at least).
definitely this ,ed. poldi’s great if you’ve got a team out there that can bring the ball up and create waves upon waves of scoring opportunities. that allows podi the chance to stake out a spot and get the football equivalent of a hockey one-timer or rebound opportunities. poldi’s the kind of guy you bring in when you’re chasing a game and want people out there with a shoot-first mentality, seeing as that’s about all he brings to the table. ask the mannschaft about his defensive prowess =D
Did you see Alexis reaction after the game? Was not happy with the teams performance at all. He’s a born winner that boy!!
A pile of shite. Utter cack. Steaming turds. Shameful. ‘System’ dead, subs late and failure in transfer market is destroying the season. Hope Gazadis has lined up dinner with Guardiola and Chips ‘we do as we are told’ Keswick has the gold watch at the ready.
Great man to have in the team. Loved his power salute to the fans after his goal last night…
Keep him and give him more game time; he has a goal threat in his DNA.
Does that mean we have to sell him back to Goal Threat FC?
to be sold then to abromovich fc
Impact sub. Like Giroud.
If only Ozil had half the fight and determination of Alexis Sanchez.
We should have brought Cesc home.
Arsene needs to leave in May, until then we need to support the team
yes, ozil didn’t try very hard last night. shameful.
I honestly cannot listen to wenger anymore….
Then don’t. . You know the mute button is just up top..
How can we be this far into the season and be so far from any semblance of coherence? I am done hearing from players saying the same platitudes after every poor performance. Wenger’s reaction to Jacqui Oatlet shows everything about the man. Anyone who dares to challenge him is shot down with contempt and condescension. Until there is wholesale change at the club, we will continue to underperform and tread water. I feel for Sanchez, he deserves better from those around him.
I’m sure in the 18 years he’s been in charge, Arsene has had enough of journalists with an agenda against him so he’s bound to be a bit surly with them.
‘Enough journalists’? I think that should say ‘Every journalist’!
They’re all just stirring as they know Arsenal keyboard fans are the easiest to stir up shit with.
not long til wenger retires now. I love the man but there is better options out there nowdays that would do so much better with this squad. all of that is irrelevant now though so I’ll support wenger annd the team until the change happens. good times ahead gooners 🙂
Who is better? (Of those who would actually come – Mourinho/Guardiola etc. don’t count).
This isn’t a troll – I’m genuinely interested as to who people would suggest. Over the last couple of seasons I’ve heard names like Laudrup and Martinez, but neither of them has covered themselves in glory recently.
Arsenal should be putting in a non-confrontational succession plan in place for his eventual departure. Jurgen Klopp would be a great manager for us. We should be knocking on his door now.
I would take Klopp. His contract ends in 2017 i believe, and it cant be fun allways being in the shadow of Bayern Munich. And if he ever gets a star player on his hands, Bayern waltz in and take him away both strenghtening themselves and weakening a rival in the process.,There literally is no way Dortmund can win the league in the foreseeable future. In Arsenal he would have a fighting chance in a club with a strong economy and a World class setup thanks to Arsene Wenger who have built an Empire ready to take on the giants… Read more »
Dortmund are currently 14th in the league, 7 points from 8 games. Their worst start for decades apparently, much worse than ours. If Arsenal were in such a position fans would be hysterically demanding Wenger’s resignation.
LOL at the irony, but totally agreed.
and they roundly trounced us.
I really doubt Klopp would come to us. He’s managing a team with awesome home support, so why would he come to the emirates with the bunch of whingers we’ve got. Our away fans are as good (or better) than any but the fuckwits that boo our own players at home pretty much guarantees that Klopp won’t come here.
Klopp or Simeone. They’d be hard to pry away though
Arsene, now you say Podolski is ready for first team features. It was only a few months ago that he was not playing with the potential he should be and therefore had fallen out of favour. I guess this lead to the transfer wish, rumours. If Lukas is now back in favour and is now able to be playing at his best, start the man! Stop trying to ailianate him and upset the fans by refusing to give him a place. Give him a start against Sunderland and allow him to prove his worth.
I would like klopp to be our next manager if im honest. I feel like he would do a better job because he would play to our strengths and actually fill the gaps in the squad (like most managers would) and also use all the tools available to him to create a winning machine. wenger has done so much for this club and it pains me to say it but I feel like hes ran out of ideas and the younger, more dynamic managers have worked out how to trouble him on a consistent basis. even managers like steve bruce… Read more »
There’s younger, more dynamic managers, and then there’s Steve Bruce.
If Podolski had been at the end of a few of our chances against Hull, we’d have won that match by half a dozen goals (I know he was ill, so he wasn’t an option, but it’s not like he would’ve played even he was fit). He’s got the work rate of Arshavin, but I’m more than willing to let that slide if he can score us some goals. Getting very, very annoyed with our “passing the ball around their box” tactic – just shoot already! Then again, if our shot accuracy is on par with our corner accuracy, trying… Read more »
For set pieces Kallstrom is about as good as they get. We had him last year for a pittance, hardly ever used him and then let him go. Great waste IMO.
I am eternally grateful for all that Arsene has done for our club. We have had some great menories and trophies over the years. I do think though it is time for him to step down. Retire next May thus giving the club ample time to find a worthy replacement. He is not the manager he was, he does not seem to be able to change with the times and the club needs to evolve to survive. Tactics, formation, recruitment all found wanting time and again. It is very sad to see him and the club like this but it… Read more »
On a more immediate note it is painfully obvious that Wilshere and Ramsey cannot play in the team at the same time, Ramsey has gone backwards in form, is Wishere ever going to live up to all the hype? We are in dire need of a Viera like presence in front of defence to add some fucking backbone to the midfield. Go back to 433 or 442 as 4141 does NOT work for us! And Alexis is in a class of his own! The effort he puts in! The other players should watch a video of him over 90 minutes… Read more »
His first name is Lukas, it’s Lukas, it’s Lukas…
Who is better?
Well we’re not allowed to say Mourinho or Pep for some reason ( although I don’t want pep as don’t want to watch any more I name passing). So I’ll go with…
Simeone
Klopp
Conte
Bielsa
Pochetino
Koeman looks pretty tasty
Martinez
Laudrup
At least they have a clue about tactics or some kind of philosophy. Wenger is just shit. Not sure how anyone can defend him anymore.
Simeone – Wedded to Atleti Klopp – Wedded to Dortmund Conte – Maybe but Conte has only ever won on another 1 team league – Besides they are pathetic in UCL Pochettino – No. Overrated and just not all that good. Koeman – I like him but lets atleast give him a full season before we decide he’s the one Martinez – Everton struggling. Enough said. Laudrup – Not sure about him… Maybe The issue with this Wenger out thing is that there just are not enough top Managers out there who are hireable. Would people be ok with someone… Read more »
I actually like Benitez. FACT.
Pervert!
It’s gone on far too long any other club Wenger would have been shown the door a long time ago wilshere shouldropped rosicky in his place needs a new man in charge hopefully klopp from Dortmund I read another post where they said Steve Bruce he must have been a spurs fan
Wenger is a highly successful manager and has done a lot for this club. I am a big fan and supporter of him I’m not quite sure I would really want him to go …. but what worries me is some of his comments lately during performances which are less than stellar. To describe that game as anything other than a woefully poor performance so far short of what arsenal football club demands is crazy. Yet his post-match comments suggest he just can’t see what’s been in plain sight all season. Coupled with his persistance with a system that isn’t… Read more »
It’s almost like he’s trying to not destroy the already fragile confidence of his players…
He doesn’t need to berate players publicly, but hearing something that acknowledges we were
a bit crap doesn’t hurt. Plus he can end it by complimenting the team on being the best looking
squad in the league. Forget strategy, that’s probably why other teams try to crock us because if
you’re on the injury table, you don’t get camera time and take all the women.
East Gooner.
No one is wedded to anything, everyone has their price and we have way more money than Athletico and Dortmund.
Pochetino operated? Bet he finishes above Arsenal and that’s with a strike force of soldildo and Harry Kane ffs.
Koeman. I agree I don’t know much about him but he’s freshened up Southampton and that is exactly what we need because we are beyond stale.
As for Everton struggling, so are we. At leat he has an idea of how to get out of it. Wenger will just play the same team again and again.
Why does wenger have to sight poldi’s fitness as the reason he wasn’t playing. Just say you didn’t think he was in form. This club needs to stop sugar coating things and get down to business..
For Arsenal, all comps
A goal every:
Poldi 152 mins
Sanchez 175 mins
Giroud 183 mins
Walcott 249 mins
Ramsey 404 mins
Cazorla 440 mins
Wilshere 903 mins
Came across this online. Despite playing Podolski on the left. We have to find a way to play him more!
the last few games, in my opinion anyway, it’s seems that with Welbeck as such an on the shoulder striker and Alexis when he gets forward playing on the shoulder too, our midfielders runs from deep are non existent. I think Giroud is really missing at this stage, not necessarily for goals but we have no target who we play off anymore. Ramsey has cant seem to find opportunities to run from deep to the level of last year at least. If when the midfield get the ball everyone runs away from them towards the goal players like Wilshere will… Read more »
Good observation! Could it be that the man tasked with letting the midfielders change their game to suit the kind of strikers now available have failed to do so? Maybe this same man has felt that he could just get mobile strikers into the team and everything click would automatically without adjustment in playing style. I know this is a simplistic view of the whole shamble that’s been our performance so far this season, so am not suggesting it’s that simple. It’s just another ‘maybe’ as we seek answers to what could be wrong with this team that look good… Read more »
Poldi should be in the squad or team week in week out… proven quality.
I like Alexis. His workrate is unmatched and I’m so pleased he plays for Arsenal. But I think people need to watch his play over the whole 90mins. He gives the ball away quite a bit. Just when we build momentum, poof, it’s gone. And Alexis has been very quilty of contributing to that. He’s not the panacea that people would like to believe he is.
Everyone has been “quilty” of giving the ball away, but as the shorts that make the man, I always make
him run back by convincing him that that person is trying to take his ladies away.
Also, anyone know where I can get stats for distance covered in a match?
I’d rather he try something and maybe give the ball away than pass it sideways yet again.
I think the main problem is our players haven’t really clicked on the field yet. The new formation doesn’t make it easier for them as well, isn’t it? That’s why this is the period where individual brilliance counts, like Alexis, Poldi, etc. I’m as frustrated as any gooners, but calling this a lucky win (Merson), or our manager don’t have philosophy or tactics is ridiculous. In this circumstances, I think the one obvious down side about Arsene is that he is well known for letting his players to clicked naturally, by themselves. Cos in his philosophy, it would create a… Read more »
Hope for what? 4th place? Wenger needs to buy a whole new defensive line in Jan just to be able to have a chnace of getting past Bayern/Real/Barca in the Champs League knockouts
It’s nearly November and they still haven’t clicked.
How long do we wait … 2019?
‘I’m as frustrated as any gooners, but calling this a lucky win (Merson), or our manager don’t have philosophy or tactics is ridiculous’ But it was lucky? And he doesn’t have any tactics or a philosophy? How else do explain some.players pressing and some sitting deep. If the team knew what they were doing they would all be doing the same thing.
We played badly, but there’s nothing lucky about those two late goals. That’s perseverance. When Man City or Chelsea play badly & still win, people (pundits, etc) see it as a quality of a champion, but when we’re the one who did it, it’s luck? Come on.
But I agree, the understanding between each players seems awol at the moment. The team & the manager need to get it together quickly!
i feel like we’re going to be stuck with this formation for a while. wenger made some remarks criticizing hodgson for playing wilshere in a deeper role so now he’s backed himself into a corner. he needs to prove that wilshere can contribute in an advanced role (even though he consistently fails to do so) and can’t go back to playing him in the box to box role (that he’s actually better at) because he’ll have to admit he was wrong and hodgson is right. so he’s trying to fit both wilshere and ramsey in central midfield in a 4141… Read more »
Holy crap there’s a lot of B.S. going on around here…