Arsene Wenger was much critized for not playing Lukas Podolski in the Arsenal First team, despite his excellent goalscoring record for the club, but now the German is struggling to get a game on loan at Inter Milan it would seem like Le Prof was right.
Podolski accused Wenger of disrespect when he was sent away in January, but now the ex-Koln man has been rejected by the Italian giants, he is talking about coming back to Arsenal, and thinks that Wenger will play him!
‘When I go back to Arsenal I think I have the chance to play there,’ Podolski said in the Mail. ‘I have one year left so well will see what happens. I feel very well at the club and with my teammates as well. I had a great two and a half years; I scored a lot of goals there and had a lot of assists.
‘The first six months of the season were not easy, that’s why I changed clubs. But now I’m ready.”
Podolski was given his chances in Serie A but after 12 appearances he is yet to score his first goal for Inter, and subsequently has been left on the bench by Roberto Mancini, including for the big Milan derby played last weekend. ‘It’s not a problem for me. I’ve been in this business of playing football long enough,’ Podolski continued.
‘Of course I want to play every game but it’s the decision of the coach, he makes the decision and picks the first XI and when he thinks the players on the pitch are better than me or in better form than me then they have to play.
‘I’m ready, I’m fit, I want to play because a derby is always a great game and it’s for these types of matches you play football.
‘I’m here now to finish the season then I have two games with the national team, then we will see.’
I think it is time for Podolski to wake up and smell the coffee! He simply cannot play for a big team any more and should go back to Germany and prepare for early retirement. There is no way that he will play for Arsenal again whether he has another year on his contract or not.
He must tell his agent to try and find another loan deal for next season to see out his Arsenal contract, and stop living in cloud-cuckoo land!