Lukas Podolski has, once more, expressed his disenchantment with the situation he’s in at Arsenal and said he’ll talk to Arsene Wenger in the coming days to discern his intentions towards him (as if they’re not already clear).
The German international is now well and truly fed up with life on the bench and at this stage of his career he says he wants to play more often.
“I am not 20 or 21 years old, I can not afford to wait for a chance,” he said. “I’m 29, and I want to play.
“What more can I do than what I’m already doing? I scored two goals in the Champions League and ended up on the bench right away.
“I do not know what else I have yet to prove. In the coming days I will speak with the club. I have to understand their intentions towards me. Arsene Wenger is not blind, he sees what I can give.”
Asked about interest from Inter Milan, he said, “There is nothing certain. First I have to figure out what he wants to do with me at Arsenal.”
Ultimately it seems that Wenger views Podolski is nothing more than an option from the bench, even when the team is struggling with injuries he’s had to spend most of his season there.
Unless further injuries hit the forward positions, the return of Theo Walcott is going to make any first team chances even more difficult.
Nevertheless, experience has shown Arseblog News that you can’t have too much depth and any departure would be best suited to the summer.
With all his flaws mainly based on his work ethic and inability to track back I can see why arsene would prefer Welbeck ,Sanchez ,the ox etc instead as they offer more protection on the flanks. However I think the instinctivness in front of goal and sheer power this guy can generate really brings something different to the team and it would be a shame for not just the squad but as a huge poldi fan to see him leave.
#aha
“”With all his flaws mainly based on his work ethic and inability to track back I can see why arsene would prefer Welbeck ,Sanchez ,the ox etc instead as they offer more protection on the flanks. ”
and maybe one day we’ll accuse Merte to not goal and Kos to not play n°9… If the defenders need strikers to do their job, then change the defenders.
As much as I like him(that OP left thunder foot of his), he just doesn’t help in defending. Arsenal’s playing style just doesn’t fit him.
I the other players Wenger prefers were really helping the defence, we wouldn’t be conceding those foolish goals. I love the ox but he does everything but scores goals. Poldi doesn’t defend but is an attacker that scores goals, the ox defends but an attacker that doesn’t score goals. I think Wenger just doesn’t like Poldi as a player. People even Vieira said Pires did not help defence. Pires played every single game during his prime under Wenger.
What?!!
I’d love us to be hard to play against again, when teams are lining up against us in the tunnel their shitting their pants, Podolski doesn’t fit into this category of player, let’s ship him on and wish him well.
I’m sure he makes any goalkeeper and indeed the goal itself tremble with fear when he plays!
There were enough times this season we could have played Podolski, clearly the manager has no plans for him and should allow him leave but not till end of this season when the squad van be properly assessed. I smell disaster if he moves in Jan.
Perfect opportunity given to him by the HFB. Poldi is a big asset if fit and motivated.
I get that most people believe his work rate does not warrant a starting place, but let me just put it this way that Wenger has been very wrong how he has utilized Rosicky and Podolski. With injuries to Ozil, Theo, Ramsey, Wilshere, Arteta they should have been playing MUCH more, not starting every game but used in rotation. I mean, Rosicky played 22 minutes of PL football with the amount of injuries we had, they should each have got atleast 20-30 minutes of football each game, but there Wenger screwed up again by waiting till after 8- minutes to… Read more »
Couldn’t agree more. Also, they’re perfect ‘plan b’ players, in that each can change the game. Poldi with his directness and ros with his energy. Whenever they come on, they seem to have plenty of positive impact, and not just be a like for like replacement (when like for like replacements come on, opposition can just keep doing what they’ve been doing all match, so then we just keep banging our heads against the same brick wall)… With these two, opposition have to change things. AW totally fucked up by playing the same injury prone midfield into the red zone… Read more »
Well said!
Absolutely agree. I am tired of the black and white, good for Arsenal or not take on some players. Podolski as a regular starter, no. But used for specific games and playing 45 minutes regularly should have been routine.
I hope he goes, too good to be sitting on the bench.
I’ll say again the same people who say he has a poor work ethic are the same people who defend Ozil for having poor work ethic by saying we didn’t buy him for defending.
Think I’d like to see a Poldi/Alexis/Theo front three feature against West ham away. With our first choice back 4 seemingly available, the midfield virtually picks itself with the current injury list. And that’s about as good as it gets for us at the moment.
Big fan of Poldi. Great goal scorer who also has a wicked cross to his game. Has shown plenty of desire when he’s come off the bench this season. To have comments on player ratings of “ran about abit” funny always been accused of never doing that. There have been some bloody awful performances this season and lazy ones to boot. Yet Poldi still sits on the bench. Seen some stats yesterday Alexis ten prem goals seventeen matches tucked in behind Wrighty and infront of ashavin. Whatever happened to him? “He got fat and lazy” no got messed about. Why… Read more »
Watch Wenger surprise us all and start Yaya instead of Poldi.
That Sanogo is higher up the pecking order than Podolski has always caused me great consternation. I’d be upset, insulted, and looking for the exits too.
Wenger shld allow him 2 go if he doesn’t consider him suitable 4 d team. He ‘s not getting younger.
there was a time poldi fitted into this team but the way we play now he doesnt fit the pattern, its ok having a rocket shot but his strength is from the bench when needing a goal nice luxury to have for the team but for a player at 29 they need regular game play, if it had’nt been as usual last summer with our injury crisis he may have gone then, cant see AW letting him go till the summer unless we get an offer we cant refuse, not sure how long left on his contract (think 18 months)… Read more »
I understand his frustration. Soring two goals and then ending up on the bench in the next match is a rather clear indication that he simply can’t play his way into the side. I would hate to see him go, but I wouldn’t blame him.
Keep him till the summer, we let upson go in a January sale and lost the title race due to a shortage of defenders!!! Learn from your mistakes Wenger!!! We don’t want to miss out on forth (best we can realistically do) because of a lack of players – on that note bring in a top class defender and defensive midfielder ASAP!!!
But we’re not short in any of those areas. Up front Wenger has Giroud, Welbeck, Sanchez and even Sanogo ahead of Podolski. Out wide he has Sanchez, Welbeck, Ox, Cazorla etc etc ahead of him so why not put him out of his misery and let him go.
We’re not short on attacking options tho. As much as I like Podolski, imho, he won’t be a huge loss should he go in January. That being said, I would prefer we hang on to him til at least the summer.
First and foremost : Seasons greetings to Mr & Mrs Blogs and all the readers of Arseblog!! I agree poldi should have had more game time, especially when we need goals, even if it meant he just hung around the central area, and got fed from every direction. BTW If he leaves, what will happen to Social Media -!! A great loss!!! He’s funny, sensible and got a killer left foot. No doubt, you need strength in depth, and although a bit part player, deserves at least 15-30mins as rotation policy to get us the result. Arsene, if ur reading… Read more »
It’s rally odd for a manager to sign a player then not use him then cite tactical reasons for benching them.
Surely before you sign a player you already know their games. Poldi is quite right in expecting Answers from Arsene.
It’s situations such a these that lead players to leave the club bitter and end up bad mouthing the club.
He’s not the quickest, wenger knows this, he is not defensively switched on, wenger knew this, he can’t play alone up front, again wenger knew this so why sign him in the first place when you know his limitations?
I honestly can’t work out the logic behind not using Podolski. People complain about his work rate but he scores goals. Surely he could at least be used as a rotation player. Strangely, Wenger seems to rate Sanogo ahead of Poldi and is willing to allow Poldi to become ever more frustrated. Looks like we’re going to lose a talented and useful player. #justiceforpoldi #aha #idontknowwhathashtagsarefor
We don’t owe anyone anything, they are paid accordingly to be fit, ready and motivated when called upon. Other things to worry about right now.
Then what do we pay Diaby for?
Just joking.
Seriously though, what do we pay him for?
How would you like it if you were working for a company and you are a hard worker and competent and all, and one day you get ill due to work and can’t work for maybe a year and the company just decides to stop paying your salary for the rest of your contract?
Not sure how many times we have extended Diaby but it is a tragedy he’s still here and we keep doing that in hope that he will return fit? Sometimes you have to cut your losses. And it is very naive of you to make that comparison of an ill worker. If one quits football he can still work in other fields/industries whereas if you are ill, you CANNOT work at all.
Let him go and watch him score for that new team and wenger will regret
Maybe wenger is reluctant to play such an orthodox left-footed winger on the left due to the style of kieran gibbs, who is best on the overlap. It seems like all wenger’s left-wingers are right footed.
Apart from Ozil.
You have to earn your right to play football, we have too many players lacking the same characteristics, there’s been no place for impact players at the top level for a long time.
I’d take welbeck over Podolski every time, Podolski can’t play on his own through the Middle, and is a liability on the left.
Arsene doesn’t trust him, there’s no value in keeping him!
But he is an attacker that scores ! Scoring goals is the goal of the game.
Sell him and buy a CB with the cash
A guy who was selected with the German team for Brasil, who won the WC, who has more than 100 selections with the best team in the world is not good enough for Arsenal??? Go figure why you’re 6th.
He played the same position as his position at Arsenal.
It is earsier to point out the weakness of Poldi because we don’t have a solid midfield and defence. Tactically can we say the manager has been spot on? Has the manager maximised the potentials in he team by way of tactical utilisation of the players? I don’t see why the likes of rosicky and poldi can’t get good game time. Campbell was developing well in greece, Wenger brought him back to sit on the bench and we all expect his game to get to another level.again when he leaves who will wenger bring in? Has he been able to… Read more »
I’d hope to see him start today in the absence of Giroud, swapping with Welweck.
I hate to see Podolski wasted like this. It annoys me that guys like Wilturd and Adebarndoor had such leeway from Wenger yet a WC winning Lukas gets nothing.
I feel for him not getting any game time. The 2 main arguments seem to be that we have better options & that he doesn’t track back. On the first point – he is our most effective finisher & sets up goals too & that’s got to count for something. It’s also an irrelevant invalid argument to say it’s a choice between him & Alexis etc. Sensible squad rotation & effective use of subs means there should be plenty of opportunities for him but this isn’t happening. On the tracking back argument, maybe some people haven’t noticed how many goals… Read more »
Honestly cannot understand why he’s rarely even being used as a substitute this season. Granted we’ve had injuries during games and some cards but why the hell are we parking the bus so much for the last 15 minutes?!? Why not go up two goals to seal the deal? Poldi has a genuine gripe here, I can’t imagine any other manager using him so little given our squad situation. I believe in Welbeck, but surely there have been games when he or maybe less than 100% Chamberlain/Sanchez should come off for someone with more cutting edge once the defense has… Read more »
He is likely gone if not Jan at end of season. Personally would have preferred Wenger to have put him on against Hammers for last 10 minutes. I think Wenger (rightly) wanted to protect the lead given time remaining. Had we knocked in one of the chances for Santi, Alexis or Ox in second half, Wenger would have likely run out either of Campbell or Poldy (or both) I felt we erred a bit too much on caution with both Calum and Gibbs on. In some sense it is counter productive as we then sit too deep and invite undue… Read more »
Well everyone has noted Alexis is starting to run on empty, so using Podolski half hour here, half hour there, makes a lot of sense – gives Podolski a chance to shine and other players a much needed break, i.e. before they hit the red zone and get an injury that impacts negatively on the squad, as has happened to Kos, Ramsey, Ozil and the list goes on!!! Poor man management from Wenger!!!