Next 3 months to make or break Podolski’s Arsenal career?

It is a good job that the Arsenal and Germany international striker Lukas Podolski has pretty happy and eay going temperament, because otherwise his frustration at his lack of playing time since joining the Gunners over two years ago would surely have boiled over at some point.

For a striker that has over 100 caps and nearly 50 goals for one of the best international sides in the world, and a very good strike rate for Arsenal when he does get on the pitch, it must be hard to understand why Arsene Wenger so rarely calls upon his talents in front of goal, or brings him with no time to influence a game.

So I think the next three months will make or break his Arsenal career. The 29-year old has admitted in a Sky Sports report that he will have to consider his options if things don’t change. And between now and January, with Olivier Giroud and Mesut Ozil injured, is the ideal time for him to get the playing time he craves.

Lukas said, “Definitely, I cannot be satisfied with the situation I am in at Arsenal.

“I have not been in negotiations with other clubs, nor have I told Arsenal that I am looking to leave.

“I have just said how the situation is for me. I am under contract at Arsenal and I am unable to say, ‘I am off’.

“I am going to think things over soon as it’s going to be winter time.”

Figures in the Germany national set up have also advised him that he needs to resolve his lack of club action somehow. Then there are the Arsenal transfer rumours reported in The Daily Express suggesting that Julian Draxler from Schalke could be a January target for us and the 20-year old often plays in that same left forward role as Podolski. Draxler also needs to prove his form and fitness in the next few months, so it could be a straight race between the two German forwards. But which will win?

Tags Draxler Germany Ozil Wenger

40 Comments

  1. Podolski is just one of many
    having his value questioned.
    It seems like everyone at Arsenal
    is under fire, players + Management.
    Just 7 EPL games in and every player
    has been criticised for their performances
    and their attitude. Management is under the
    pump as regards player selection, tactics and injuries.
    Fans are slagging off players Management and other fans.

    1. Arsenal has had a tough schedule and the horror injury toll
      just makes it worse. Now the schedule is much easier through to
      February but still we have Man U. Liverpool (A) Dortmund and Gala (A).
      Hopefully the worst is behind us, the injury toll will ease players like Podolski
      will find form and the team will go on a long run of success.

      1. i know people are going crazy and saying united and spuds are above us in the table. Lets see who did man u play um everton and ugh ugh thats freakin it. spuds have played us and liverpool while we have played 4 of the top 6. City ddont look to good to me this year unless pellegrini changes something fast, and chelsea i think are beatable but they have been winning so they deserve credit so far.

  2. Just another good player marginalised by Wenger and left to rot when they could have helped the team if Wenger had more than one formation and tactic.

  3. Well. Atleast Szczesny was man of the match yesterday,(was it?) now all he has to do is replicate that form and keep going at it.

    Just one clean sheet from 7 games are not enough. After Arteta is off, he should be made club captain not Jack.

        1. Also Szczesny is very vocal. I like the way he shouts at our players to get them rallied up during corners anf set pieces, also keeping in mind he is a lot younger than Mert or Kos. Don’t remember the last time our captain shouting at the players in the tunnel.

          But the only obstacle is Ospina, if and when Szczesny plays very bad, he will be dropped for David. We don’t want another Vermelean, do we?

          Ramsay as fantastic a player he is, is not captain material. He can’t shout at the opponents much less our players.

          Given a choice, Szczesny or Jack(80% chances, due to being our academy graduate and English).

  4. Poldi can do wonders on the pitch, no doubt. but sometimes he plays like he doesn’t care – probably because he’s not getting playing time. But when he’s at his best, Poldi can do damage. With all these injuries, he will prob be on the pitch more. So he better remind us why we call him the prince.

  5. And for all the stick Mert has to go through and the notion Koscielny makes Mert look good, i have to applaud your efforts.

    1-1 against Lesciter. Koscielny injured and comes on despite injury with a head gear (must be applauded), but directly at fault for the equaliser.

    2-0 Chelsea. Brings down Hazard. Penalty.

    So i hate to piss on your parade, but that notion Koscielny is making Mert look good is a bullsh*t theory. Yes Mert is slow and has his faults like all other defenders but he is better than average.

    Kos-Mert is a partnership. Both works in tandem and have a very good understanding. You can see how highly they appreciate each other in interviews.

    P.S.- Koscielny is the best Arsenal player at the moment and i love him. Pointing out fault in our players makes me look like a hypocrite, but Mert deserves the same amount of respect as Koscielny.

    1. i back you up, maybe and just maybe with per 49 and kos 51, but they are def a partnership….they actually waited to be both lifting the fa cup at the same time after verm and Arteta i think

    2. Per Mertesacker is always made a scapegoat by fans on here even when it’s Kos6’s fault,it’s not by mistake that he’s conceded 7 penalties since 2010 people must stop making excuses for him he must be criticised if need be like other players e.g. Ozil,Giroud,Per,Poldi etc

  6. Unless he starts banging in a goal a game wenger will never play him ahead of his favourites and as soon as he has a bad game he’s out. Whereas players like Wilshere are Guaranteed starts regardless of form or performances.

    1. to be fair he has scored that when put from the beginning, even in ucl games hes been lethal,
      i dont unerstand wenger for this one

    1. yup people don’t realize his importance cause he’s not flashy or dribbles past 5 players and scores a bicycle kick

      1. Wouldn’t put Germany’s loss solely down to Özil’s injury. Germany have lost Lahm, Klose and Mertesacker to retirement and players like Schweinsteiger, Reus and Khedira are injured too. But yes, Özil is an important player for Germany.

        On a side note – did anyone see that bullet of a volley by Podolski that hit the crossbar? Could’ve taken someone’s head off with that.

  7. I just hope Wenger sees and keeps on rewinding Podolski’s fantastic volley for Germans against Poland, the shot hit the bar and the posts rattled dramatically. It was a wonderful effort by a very experienced goal getter. All Arsenal fans should definitely watch this. The commentator’s words “All youngsters should watch this fantastic powerful volley, a wonderful example on how to execute a perfect volley” Once again I hope AW keeps on watching this effort and maybe this will open up his eyes…What a waste of an experienced and talented personnel!

    1. Szceny (MOTM) never saw Pold’s powerful shot coming, as it was hit with so much power and venom. Lucky for Szceny that it hit the bar.

      1. He sold German young prospect Thomas Esfield to Fulham. Hmmmmmm. Something is brewing. Conspiracy to make German’s weak in France 2016?

        1. I believe so. After that Ozil and Gnabry will become a formidable force again once France have their trophy

          #PrayforOzil

  8. OT: Ozil injured. The excitement beginning to fade. The season was gearing up to be really electrifying with the pacy trio of Walcott, Welbeck and Sanchez in front of the master distributor, the wizard of Oz. Not the same thing with Jack or Santi, the excitement just fizzles away.

    1. Santi Central is just S exciting because he will shoot on site as well as having two perfect feet so his passes will be at every angle

  9. Poldi is a world class player and a lethal striker…why wenger underestimates me is beyond any argument in his favor (and everyone here knows i back le rof up as much as i can)

    1. Just because Poldi has “clinical finisher” next to his name on FIFA doesnt mean he is a world class talent. He is the most overrated average player

      1. check the stats mate, check the stats, by FIFA u nean the game? sorry to break ur heart but i dont even know how to play those hahaha, hell i sometimes dont even kow how to log in here thats how much of a tech guy I am 😉

    2. I don’t deny that he can be a fantastic player when he’s on the ball but he goes missing in games all too often. People have made this complaint about ozil but podolski is far worse in this regard. He pops up with a fantastic cross or a powerful shot every now and then but otherwise he might as well have gone for tea

  10. When you are not playing too often, your confident would be dashed. In the case of Lukas,he is a good player but lack of game time dash his confidence. I pray he boast his goal scoring tricks again.

  11. I still see this guy as our savior in some important games…but wenger really s**ks for not giving this man some run of games.

  12. Our season is already over no chance of winning prem or champions league simply nowhere near good enough we will have to play fringe players in fa cup due to all the injuries and we will come unstuck in that as well and can see us struggling to make top 4 season is going to be a complete disaster!

  13. everybody in Germany knows that Lukasz Podolski scored only versus little Teams like Liechtenstein, Andorra a.s.o.then he makes always 3 goals. from his 47 goals in his 118 caps are 5 penalties too. Germany has 15 millions people with polzka roots, the only reason that Lukasz Podolski ever played a game for the national team.

  14. I think we should sell Poldi in January not because he’s a bad player but that Alexis is the future at LW, Ox looks to me like the primary backup for Alexis and Theo, and Gnabry will ultimately push Ox over to the left more. If Poldi played well as an impact sub I’d say different, but he seems to take time to get into the game, and when you’re put on in the 70th minute that leaves little chance for impact. As a starter he seems to play much better, and he hustles more than he gets credit for, although near Alexis’ standard. But he just isn’t going to get those starts bar injury to Alexis.

    I do criticize Wenger for playing Ozil on the wing rather than Poldi for all the reasons that have been repeated ad nauseam on this site. But I reluctantly think it’s time for Poldi to go home to Koln or any other German team where he’ll get to play.

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