Lukas Podolski - An Apology
By Sam Oliver
Harsh judgement slightly premature
What on Earth was I thinking? I mean, I was very, very sceptical of this signing, and at the time, I thought I had good reason. His record when he went to Bayern Munich was very poor, and despite his legendary status at Koln, his goal scoring performances there were good, but not anything special. As Podolski put pen to paper for the Gunners, I was very doubting of him. From what I’d seen from his time at Bayern and for Germany at the Euros, he wouldn’t be a great acquisition for us; I then, very foolishly, compared him to Julio Baptista, the blundering Brazilian whose first touch occasionally got mistaken as a fifty yard through ball. Both with plenty international experience, both big and bullish (which, I associated with being slow; True about Baptista, not about Podolski.) I also had my reservations on Podolski’s first touch which is such a crucial asset in the Premier League.
Not so bad after all then
His performance against Sunderland didn’t bring much promise either, but he was also out of position at centre-forward; he is a really a left sided striker, who has the potential to form a fantastic partnership with Kieran Gibbs down the left hand side (How Gibbs wasn’t picked for the recent England squad is beyond me, criminally under rated by everyone in the England set-up. Stuart Pearce didn’t even pick him for the Olympics squad for Christ’s sake! Gibbs will be among the World’s best left backs in a few years. You heard it here first.)
I do think Gibbs and Podolski already have a very good understanding after only playing a few games together, and this bond will only get stronger as they play together more. Even against the German’s old club Koln in pre-season, Gibbs and Podolski combined brilliantly to set up Podolski’s second. Something special is happening down Arsenal’s left flank, and I can’t wait to watch these two dominate teams on their left wing this season.
Another thing I like about our German is his work rate, which ties in with how he and Gibbs have seen their partnership blossom. Unlike most wingers, Podolski seems more than happy to work very hard to help out defensively, and the same can be said about Gibbs going forward; they both work ridiculously hard for each other, which will only bring more successes for us through the years. I really hope both of them stay at the club for a while so we can see these two working together in full swing.
But of course, the most impressive part of Podolski’s Arsenal career so far, is how he’s taken his goals. The first against Liverpool, you would have expected him to score with the position he got himself into, but his run was superb; a great ball into the pint sized Spaniard Cazorla, who drove forward excellently (Watch Giroud’s movement too, completely takes Agger out the game), and fed it into Poldi to tuck it past Reina. Of course, I didn’t tell you about the fact that Podolski ran about fifty yards off the ball to get into that position, breezing past a surprised (and crap) Glen Johnson in the process. Brilliant team goal all made from Podolski originally being was back defending, to when he fed Cazorla and sprinted half the length of the pitch to score. That, is exactly the type of player we haven’t had in a while. You can’t say much about the free-kick against Sunderland, other then, WOW. Top free-kick, bending into Kelvin Davis, who still had no chance of stopping it; His enthusiastic celebration led to a whole bunch of internet geeks making those Memes of him celebrating, which began funny but then as they ran out of ideas and became not as funny, grew a little tiresome. And his third goal, which I’ve only seen one replay of, but it was a great team move, and again both Podolski and Giroud’s movement in offensive positions, was absolutely fantastic.
So, after my rather critical view of this signing, I am delighted to announce that I was completely wrong, and Podolski is indeed a very complete left forward. I can’t wait to see him in action against Citeh on Sunday; I think he’ll give Zabaleta a very tough time at the Etihad. (And by the way, just how good is Santi Cazorla? He literally has everything; pace, skill, perfect passing and a great shot. And as for Giroud, don’t worry. His movement and heading is great, once he gets his first goal that will give him so much confidence and we’ll see a very good player.)
And my last point. Szczesny – Sagna, Koscielny, Vermaelen, Gibbs - Arteta, Diaby, Cazorla - Gervinho, Giroud Podolski: this team can win things, and just imagine when we get Jacky Wilshere back. Keep the Faith.
20th September 2012
User Comment and Reaction
User comments on this article are now closed. If you want to continue the debate, why not do so on the Gooner Forum.
me 13:34pm 20th Sep 2012
I like what you wrote and agree. Cazorla has scored already @ Liverpool and Podolski Free Kick was against Southampton. - Post No. 28991
CB 13:34pm 20th Sep 2012
'Harsh judgement slightly premature?' - this implies it might be right shortly in the future. How about 'Harsh judgement totally wrong'? See Bouldy's comments on his finishing... - Post No. 28992
berkampisgod 13:46pm 20th Sep 2012
And we now have strength in depth which has always been the missing link BFG centre half Santos left back corpral jenkinson right back rosicky wilshere coqalin midfield Ox Theo up front - Post No. 28993
Naz 13:50pm 20th Sep 2012
Good article admitting a mistake. Its refreshing. The thing about us is that we create quite a bit so you know chances will come. - Post No. 28994
Eddie 13:55pm 20th Sep 2012
FFS he's only scored 3 goals.Remember Chamakh scored double figures before christmas when he first joing us.Too many Gonners making instant decisions.What next Forehead is the African Messi? Get a grip will you - Post No. 28995
rustagun 14:00pm 20th Sep 2012
That's why no one payed any attention to what u had to say.Your just a blogger if you didn't think this guy was quality before we bought him,you need to start watching sum games and getting behind the team instead of getting behind your little computer screen! - Post No. 28996
Paul 14:02pm 20th Sep 2012
Maybe you have learnt another very important lesson,,,,, wait before you judge,,,the manager knows better than you. Also perhaps you need to start getting behind the manager and team more mate....just a thought - Post No. 28998
Orson Cart 14:14pm 20th Sep 2012
This team can win things.......yeah the Emirates cup is back next year. Hooray.Book your place at the town hall - Post No. 28999
Bob A 14:27pm 20th Sep 2012
Well written but I think that his best effort although not scoring was the first Southampton goal how he got bundled to the floor ( most strikers would have rolled around the floor cry for a foul) what did he do, jumped up beat three players and layed off a super pass, for Gibbs to smash in a cross for the first goal. - Post No. 29000
Sime 14:30pm 20th Sep 2012
Ya! Arsene still knows! - Post No. 29001
Rickthegooner 14:30pm 20th Sep 2012
Wow !! Fair play !! Apology accepted. Maybe we will get some more positive posts in the futre ???? - Post No. 29002
Caknucklehead 14:34pm 20th Sep 2012
goal against Sunderland? I think it was Southampton - Post No. 29003
Gary 15:10pm 20th Sep 2012
Podolski has always been a quality player 100 German caps.As for Giroud sadly i see another Chamakh.Scored goals in a piss poor league.How Montpellier won that league shows how poor it was.Demba Ba available at half the price!!!! - Post No. 29004
maguiresbridge gooner 15:23pm 20th Sep 2012
Hope that they stay at the club for a while is all we can do but we all know what happens when the big guns come calling and profit is required. - Post No. 29005
Bard 16:20pm 20th Sep 2012
Good post. He's something of a surprise package. I love his workrate as well as his finishing at the moment he looks top draw. The real disppointment on tues was Diaby. He looked too much like Walcott, a headless chicken and I'm not certain he has the game awareness to play in Arsenal's midfield. That mistake in the box was a schoolboy error and could have been costly; it was classic Eboue. Also agree about Gibbs; the key question for him is his ability to stay fit for extended periods. Yeah that squad with Jack back in the mix looks better and more balanced than for years. - Post No. 29006
Lobsta 16:40pm 20th Sep 2012
I hope this article serves as a lesson to all those football-manager-wanna-b-know-it-alls to NEVER EVER think they know better than a man who has succesfully led one of the top english league clubs for a better part of 2 decades - Post No. 29007
mukwaya 17:07pm 20th Sep 2012
Indeed great things are within our site with such a formidable team. - Post No. 29008
Abhijeet 17:48pm 20th Sep 2012
free kick was against southampton. you might want to put jenks next year in your preferred lineup the way you have woken up to gibbs this year. And trust me, BFG is there for a reason ... - Post No. 29009
Tim 18:09pm 20th Sep 2012
The answer to your question 'what was I thinking?', is that you weren't. You made a rash judgement before even giving the player a chance, just like your assessment after only one month of the season is also rash. Balanced opinions are what's needed, take your time. - Post No. 29010
shooy 19:19pm 20th Sep 2012
I agree with the sentiment that you should wait before you judge. The problem is that you have now compounded your mistake by rushing to a further contrary judgement after only a few games. I like what I have seen of Podolski and if he keeps performing similarly he might well prove to have been an astute purchase. Judgement? Well I'll leave that for a bit yet. - Post No. 29011
boomergooner1727 19:24pm 20th Sep 2012
great post, especially on gibbs. the only runs of fitness he's had have come when the side was struggling so i think we are seeing a level he's actually been at for a while. there is obviously much room for improvement but after a couple of consistent seasons with the 'new' arsenal he will be mentioned amongst the game's elite. he's just got to stay healthy. it's odd that he was a regular with the u21s and has a couple of senior caps but now that he's matured he's ignored and rated a 75 in fifa13, which wouldn't matter if the rating system wasn't done by fifa's "experts". in any case, after a season of terrorizing defenses with his new bavarian buddy i think folks will come around. and speaking of new signings...trying to break into and excel in last year's squad would have been a tall ask for giroud, cazorla OR podolski so without getting ahead of myself, does anyone else feel like gervinho is a new signing too? he didn't appear in an arsenal kit much more than the aforementioned lot, after all. maybe he'll pan out and perhaps he won't but at the moment there is reason to believe he's headed in the right direction. so to the point i was originally going to make, while zabaleta is in for a long afternoon, i think it is chelski's branislav ivanović who should be dreading next saturday. it is a testament to the british media that he has not been hounded for his marking this season. seriously. if you have the time, access or interest, browse through the chances and goals against his side this season; his positioning is dreadful and lacks the athleticism or technical savvy to recover. i think the match up between he and our german will be one of the deciding factors in one of our big upcoming tests. - Post No. 29012
CaSh is King 19:39pm 20th Sep 2012
Buy Jesus Navas & Demba Ba in Jan. Sell Wally, Hair Gel & Arsh-aggggh-vin then we can begin to talk about squad depth. - Post No. 29013
arsene 20:10pm 20th Sep 2012
well at bayern he was there two seasons and was out injured for a year in which they signed luca toni, he had trouble getting back in the team ,its hard to say he bombed at bayern - Post No. 29014
TJ 21:04pm 20th Sep 2012
"Gibbs will be among the World’s best left backs in a few years. You heard it here first"...REally?? Arsene Wenger has been saying it a while and any Gooner who has watched him could see it and that his injuries were holding him back - Post No. 29016
anon 21:11pm 20th Sep 2012
A wise man knows nothing. A fool knows everything. - Post No. 29017
Mike 21:23pm 20th Sep 2012
Sadly that's the problem with amateur bloggers who know jack **** but pretend they know better than Wenger. I suggest you keep your naive assessments to yourself in future and let the experts do their jobs without the inane criticism that bloggers seem to relish spewing out. - Post No. 29018
Cambridge Gooner 0:22am 21st Sep 2012
You're also prematurely retracting your censure. Poldi is a very effective player, but he has proven nothing yet. Remember Chamakh early in his career?! I'm not negative, I've loved our start to the season and I think that any criticism over our performance against MontP is ridiculous. A win away from home against the French champions can only be hailed as a success (by anyone's standards). You're also wrong about Cazorla, he doesn't have everything, especially not pace, or any ability with the ball when not played along the ground, but he does look a brilliant player - Not dissimilar to a certain diminuitive Russian in 2009 (again, not being negative, just realistic). - Post No. 29020
Rockett 4:41am 21st Sep 2012
I agree with everything except Giroud he is not fast enough his touch sucks and cant hit the barn door from 10 yards i predict he will be a flop sorry to say Wenger got this one wrong we need a center forward with pace he doesent have it looks terrible and when you add the fact he cant score to it he is a stop gap at best wenger knows it to why plan B Gervinho and we need to buy in january if we want to win title we need a Drogba if we want to win champions league or premier league Giroud sorry is definatly not good enough. - Post No. 29022
kos 8:47am 21st Sep 2012
Your line-up. I still prefer Per with any of Verm and Kosc bcos he brings stability and his positioning is better than the two of them. Verm and Kosc are similar(all action and have flair to go forward) but Per holds back to protect the back when such forward movement happens. - Post No. 29023
GG89 8:48am 21st Sep 2012
Still too early to say anything about any of the new sign ings... so far cazorla is the best edition to the premiership... Gervinho, so far, the most improved player and perhaps Mannone is a top, top keeper... But the real thing is that the arse get rid of the habit of folding in the big games... potential is all very well and it doesn't mean trophies. - Post No. 29024
chris dee 9:23am 21st Sep 2012
Beware of critising a player after a few matches,that's as stupid as praising them after a few games. Chamakh was a world beater in his first ten games and Denis Bergkamp couldn't hit a barn door in his first eight games. So let's wait and see until the end of the season. 'Poldi'? Only players who help win Arsenal trophies should have affectionate nicknames.For the moment he is still Podolski. Just like Vermaelon is just Vermaelon not the 'Verminator' until he holds a trophy aloft. - Post No. 29025
Stroud Green Road Boy 10:27am 21st Sep 2012
Too early for judgments either way but what we do know is if Poldolski and whoever else prove to be outstanding performers for us this season, other clubs will come knocking and AFC will sell for the right price. It's going to be endless transition whilst the current club policy is in place, with Wenger continuing to struggle to keep us in the top 4. - Post No. 29028
siyan 10:44am 21st Sep 2012
An hallmark of a great person is humility. Thanks for this piece. I may not know you but you are great for doing this. One thing most of us are overlooking is the fact that though Giroud has not scored his movement, particularly off the ball, brings some confusion to opponents defence and most of the time frees Gerv, Poldy and Cozy. His work rate is commendable. Very good team worker, his goals will come but please let us ease the pressure off him and encourage him. For the price we got him, he is none the less a very good addition. - Post No. 29031
Jon s 11:32am 21st Sep 2012
You only named 10 players in your last point. Missed the ox! - Post No. 29032
timao 12:32pm 21st Sep 2012
Who do you think you are Nick Clegg? - Post No. 29035
northbank123 23:11pm 21st Sep 2012
Can't remember the last time I saw a player in an AFC shirt put in as much as a shift as this bloke. The man is hungry for goals and his direct approach will terrify defenders. - Post No. 29040
Germangirl 0:45am 22nd Sep 2012
Thank you! Very refreshing to hear. Being German I have been watching Poldi and the ups and downs of his career with joy and pain for a long time now. Yes he failed at Bayern but he was very young and hyped and Bayern is a serious conservative cut throat club. Poldi is Koelner- if you have met people from cologne you will know that they are always up for a laugh and try and take things as they come. Very positive and upbeat people. In short, Munich and conservative Bavaria wasn't for him - and I can't blame him for that. Yes his perfomance in the national team recently hasn't been the best but he still scored 44 goals in 101 games for Germany. The boy is 27!! It is thanks to Loew that Poldi had a chance to shine internationally and play at the level he does now. Without him, he would be long gone and forgotten as one of those 'great talent, but never quite made it.' I hope with all my heart that he can continue to shine at Arsenal, prove all his critics wrong and finally enjoy his football again. That's what our Poldi is all about and I'll never give up on him. :) - Post No. 29041
West 5:20am 22nd Sep 2012
Give the man a chance! - Post No. 29043
Ali 7:43am 22nd Sep 2012
Arsenal and the new signings have started the season in great form which is a credit to Wenger. But let's not get overboard, the season is not 4 games, it is 38 games plus CL, Capital one cup and FA Cup. They will have to perform consistently from the beginning until the end with no more February and end-of-the-season collapses. Cazorla, Podolski and Giroud will be viewed as a success by me if they score at least 25 goals between them this season and assist a few more. - Post No. 29044
sparksy 10:49am 24th Sep 2012
Thats the problem mate, too many people making quick judgements based on a few games. Same with Mertesacker and Gibbs. Heard many people over the Emirates last year sayimg the germans too slow and clumsy and how we had bought a dud. And then how injury prone and lightweight Gibbs was and no we've not heard it first from you about him being one of the best full backs. Get a grip mate and don't be so quick to slate the team when its not warranted. - Post No. 29057
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