I have been a huge fan of Poldi, as he is fondly referred to, ever since he made his first start for the German national team. So when Arsenal announced his signing in the summer of 2012, I was thrilled. He was exactly the kind of world-class, experienced talent that the team was lacking. And when Robin Van Persie departed later that summer, it became even more apparent that we were lucky to have someone like Podolski who is one of the best finishers in football today. Since then, it has not exactly worked out the way I had hoped it would, and much of that comes down to unfortunate circumstances.
The German sees himself as a traditional number 9, a target man, or playing in behind the striker, but Wenger has preferred to play him on the left side of an attacking front three, where he has still managed to stamp his strong, physical presence and unerring accuracy. Down that left flank, he also has a good, burgeoning relationship with Kieran Gibbs, which could by all means develop into one similar to Sagna-Walcott down the right. It allows him to move further forward or cut inside. This continues to provide us with a certain versatility of attacking options and positions with regards to Podolski. A versatility that in no way lessens his ruthless directness of play, whether in a central, left sided or target man role.
Maybe that’s where some of the disagreement has stemmed from, something that has been blown out of proportion by the media. That said, none of us are privy to the thought processes of our Professor, and it is quite possible that we are not seeing the bigger picture that he is. With Theo Walcott out for the rest of the season and Giroud the only main striking option (though Arsenal do have Nicklas Bendtner on the bench), Podolski’s return from a 4 month layover is one of the best pieces of news for a squad that has been plagued with injuries to key players.
Irrespective of the position, Podolski has had a good impact on the team’s performances since he’s arrived, and it is unlucky that he has had to deal with so many injuries during that time. In the 2012-13 season, he netted an impressive 16 times in 33 games (61% shot accuracy), which included Arsenal’s Goal of the Season (a spectacular volley vs Montpellier in the Champions League), a great opening goal in the win vs Liverpool at Anfield in September and a thunderous free-kick vs Southampton, among others. His team link-up play was evident in his 11 assists, 31 total chances created, 84% average passing accuracy. (Squawka)
Another telling point of his efficiency and experience is the fact that he scored as many as Giroud, who was also in his first season for the club, with a better completion and accuracy rate. This is not to put down the Frenchman, who according to me is highly underrated in many sections of the Arsenal support, but to show what Podolski is capable of in his debut season in the tough English Premier League in spite of injuries and the obvious ‘settling down’ factor.
Given a good first season, the hopes were high for an even better 2nd season, hopes that increased once the signing of his compatriot, Mesut Ozil was announced. However, Podoski picked up a muscle tear (left hamstring) in the Champions League qualifier vs Fenerbahce back in August. It left him out of the side for nearly 4 months and us bereft of our most lethal finisher.
Podolski showed us full evidence of that obvious drive to make up for lost time when he played his comeback game on Boxing Day. It was a bitter-sweet moment as Aaron Ramsey, one of Arsenal’s best players and top scorers till then, had just felt his own hamstring give way. With Arsenal trailing 1-0 to West Ham, Podolski came on as the substitute in the 65th minute, energetic and making his presence felt immediately. An assist and a goal ensued within three minutes. Eight minutes later, the German made sure that Arsenal would regain their place at the top of the table, by scoring an absolute scorcher with his left foot. It was the perfect comeback.
On January 1, Podolski, as a lone centre forward against Cardiff City, made his first league start of 2013-14. After a fairly solid but goalless performance, he was subbed off in the 65th minute for Tomas Rosicky. In the next games, he came on as a substitute vs Fulham, was an unused substitute in the Aston Villa (league) and Tottenham (FA Cup) games. He then started the FA Cup game vs Coventry City, scored 2 goals and put in one of his best performances this season.
Against Southampton, Podolski had warmed up and looked ready to come on before Flamini got himself unnecessarily sent off. Arsenal had looked out of sorts for pretty much the entire match and the resilient home side was looking more likely to score. Many can argue that bringing on an attacking player when you are 10 men down in a difficult away fixture is the kind of risk a manager needs to take if they want to challenge for the title. They wouldn’t be wrong. But only time will tell if Wenger choosing the safer option in the form of defender Kieran Gibbs was a good decision. For now, any rational Arsenal fan will consider that as a point gained (however frustratingly so).
Podolski started against Crystal Palace. He may not have scored but I also saw a player who didn’t hesitate to contribute defensively, who tracked back down that left flank to clear an offensive threat, and a few minutes later, sprinted up the length of the pitch to a loose ball that was eventually headed out for a corner.
Last season, there was an initial tendency of inconsistency, of a certain lethargy at times. Especially when it seemed like he didn’t have the stamina to finish 90 minutes on the pitch – it later turned out that he’d been playing with an existing injury that hampered his pace, his movement, his ability to spot and create the free spaces he needs to be in to either deliver the cross or receive the ball and slam it into the back of the net. This season’s comeback has been similarly cautious, with Wenger naturally keen to ensure that once he’s back to full match fitness, he will stay there. The comment below is proof that there’s no controversy.
“He will play. He has been out for four and a half months. It takes you time to get back but he looks now sharp.” (Wenger, January 2014)
And you just have to look at his stats from the West Ham match to see the immediate impact. In the Premier League, he has 71% shot accuracy, 90% average pass accuracy, 81% average duels won and 2 average defensive actions (Squawka). In 8 appearances (4 starts and 4 substitutes), he has scored 5 goals from 14 shots (0.71 goals per match average), put in 3 crosses and 8 clearances and 1 assist. (ESPN)
Amongst the fan-base, there are Gooners like myself, who still think he’s one of our best finishers when fit and will play an important role if we are to win silverware this season or the next. But there are also those who are not as convinced by his performances, believe in the rumours of Wenger not favouring him and think he’s another Arshavin who needs to be shipped out (there were many who wanted him sold this summer and now in the winter window. Even now there are new articles popping up about how the club are going to sell the German).
We are all aware how statistics can be twisted to prove a point, but we can also agree without a doubt that many also paint the right picture, not easily visible to the naked eye. And nobody can dispute Podolski’s experience or quality on the domestic and international stage (111 caps and 46 goals to make him the 5th highest goal scorer in the history of the German national football team, as well as the youngest European to bag a century of international caps at the age of 27).
He also brings a positive energy and belief, the infectious, cheerful spirit that doesn’t clash with his steely attitude to win. Mentally strong, resilient, experienced in crunch situations, he relishes the challenge and will come through under pressure more often than not. Podolski’s a team player, an influential figure the young players seem to look up to, respect and love. With his pace, composure and efficiency aided by that hammer of a left foot and good knack for scoring headers, the German is an asset. He is also immensely loveable off the pitch for more reasons than his obvious passion about Arsenal.
Lukas Podolski may not be the flashy player, or the headline-grabbing brilliant player like say Messi or Ronaldo (both of whom he incidentally beat as a 20 year old to win the 2006 FIFA Young Player of the World Cup award), but he is a world-class forward who I still strongly believe can help us to win the silverware we all crave as Gooners. It is a belief that Arsene Wenger also seems to share. Only time will tell.
Anushree is a part of the @Football_P family. You can follow her at @AnuNande.
