Lukas Podolski Report.

Lukas Podolski.

Mr. Lukas Podolski, the man who causes so much blasphemy on this forum is the subject of speculation to our beloved Arsenal. I have decided to take some time out and give you all my scouting report on Lukas.


Lukas is a lot like our star man Robin Van Persie, he has been carrying his team on his shoulders all season, he is very versatile, left footed, pacey, explosive, reliable, and unpredictable. Lukas has played for big club, Bayern Munich. He started out with F.C Cologne (Koln) and was a fantastic young lad, impressing a lot of people and despite scoring 12 goals to help keep them up, Koln quickly sank to relegation. Becoming an integral part of the national team, little Lukas could not stay at Cologne. Real Madrid hovered, Hannover hovered, Liverpool hovered, but Bayern Munich acted and signed him for 10 million euro. After falling down the pecking order due to the coaches preference to play duo Luca Toni and Klose, he returned to Cologne after being assured that signing for them would not hurt his international chances. He had a horrid first season, only scoring 3 goals.

Back to the present. Lukas Podolski is arguably the best striker in the Bundesliga based on current form and other than Mario Gomez, there is very little who even hold a candle to him. 15 goals in 53 shots and 4 assists in 19 games show that he is a much better player at the moment. Another resemblance to our captain, he is almost a complete striker. Can score from distance, can create, can score penalties, can handle pressure well, can score freekicks, there is almost nothing he cannot do. The man is almost always an integral part of his team when he plays, for example, he has scored three goals and assisted another three to help Germany win all ten of their World Cup qualifiers.

Will update the rest of this report later.

ALLLLIIII!!!!!!! You are the best Thanks for doing this one

Stat : Poldi (as he is fondly called in Köln), is joint 4th top scorer in Bundesliga this season, IIRC..

Ali, could you compare how his style is to RvP's and how we would benefit by playing both him and RvP as LW and fwd? And also how he would fare if used as a back up to RvP? Oh and his injury record too..

srigooner wrote:Stat : Poldi (as he is fondly called in Köln), is joint 4th top scorer in Bundesliga this season, IIRC..

Ali, could you compare how his style is to RvP's and how we would benefit by playing both him and RvP as LW and fwd? And also how he would fare if used as a back up to RvP? Oh and his injury record too..

I will be much more in depth when I update it ! I will do all this !

i want Giroud scouting as well plz

Sina wrote:
i want Giroud scouting as well plz

For that, you got to believe in Ali

Sina, you could dig up some kickass Poldi videos on youtube for this thread..

[I can't remember the last time a thread excited me this much]

GODOLSKI .

THAT. LEFT. FOOT.

I am no Sina,but I found 3 good videos of Podolski in YT







Some very good goals scored by GODolski.Somehow he reminds me of RvP,that nonchalance while scoring some of the most difficult goals,is just like RvP.

Now who minds Arsenal FC,having 2 RvPs?

@ernie

Sina wrote:@ernie

@ernie -

Ernie.

Those goals - just breathtaking. Fricking lasers off of his left foot. MAKE IT HAPPEN ARSENAL.

All jokes aside, for some reason, i dont think this move will be fruitful for both parties.

I dont think Podli likes being the small fish in the big pond, but rather the Big fish in the small pond. Otherwise he wouldnt have gone back to Koln in the first place.

To add to that, to bring Poldi in, i dont think he is going to be happy playing second fiddle to RVP or being put on the wing.

Or if he does, Theo, Gervinho, OX or Ryo will feel the pinch ( taking in that Ox and Ryo stay at the club and dont go on loan)

He will be playing a completely different tune to what he is used to in Germany or Koln.

Add to that, this is a new country (despite Per and Wojo being there, moving to a new place is never easy)

I dont think Podli likes being the small fish in the big pond, but rather the Big fish in the small pond. Otherwise he wouldnt have gone back to Koln in the first place.

This isn't quite accurate. Köln is his hometown club, and that played a big part in him moving there after it didn't work out at Munich.

Also, if you believe reports, the whole reason why Podolski wants to move is because Köln aren't matching his level of ambition. He obviously isn't content with just being in that small pond. He wants that pond to be bigger.

To add to that, to bring Poldi in, i dont think he is going to be happy playing second fiddle to RVP or being put on the wing.

He's played on the wing several times and has done well there. Add to that, van Persie may not even be here next season.

Or if he does, Theo, Gervinho, OX or Ryo will feel the pinch ( taking in that Ox and Ryo stay at the club and dont go on loan)

Chamberlain won't go out on loan, but Miyaichi most probably will. Walcott might not even be here next season, either.

Besides, what's wrong with competition?

He will be playing a completely different tune to what he is used to in Germany or Koln.

Add to that, this is a new country (despite Per and Wojo being there, moving to a new place is never easy)

I'm pretty sure the player will be fully aware that playing for Arsenal would be different than playing for Köln. I don't see why this would be an issue.

And I'm also sure that if he had no intention of moving outside of Germany, he'd have shunned our interest a long time ago.

I agree with Jay, except I expect both RvP and Theo to be around next season..

I'm so jealous of Arsenal fans...you should be grateful for just being linked to the mighty god.

Seriously though, I've always felt warmly towards Arsenal. So i'm glad he's joining you guys and not City, Chelsea, or Spurs.

GoonerJay29 wrote:

I dont think Podli likes being the small fish in the big pond, but rather the Big fish in the small pond. Otherwise he wouldnt have gone back to Koln in the first place.

This isn't quite accurate. Köln is his hometown club, and that played a big part in him moving there after it didn't work out at Munich.

Also, if you believe reports, the whole reason why Podolski wants to move is because Köln aren't matching his level of ambition. He obviously isn't content with just being in that small pond. He wants that pond to be bigger.

To add to that, to bring Poldi in, i dont think he is going to be happy playing second fiddle to RVP or being put on the wing.

He's played on the wing several times and has done well there. Add to that, van Persie may not even be here next season.

Or if he does, Theo, Gervinho, OX or Ryo will feel the pinch ( taking in that Ox and Ryo stay at the club and dont go on loan)

Chamberlain won't go out on loan, but Miyaichi most probably will. Walcott might not even be here next season, either.

Besides, what's wrong with competition?

He will be playing a completely different tune to what he is used to in Germany or Koln.

Add to that, this is a new country (despite Per and Wojo being there, moving to a new place is never easy)

I'm pretty sure the player will be fully aware that playing for Arsenal would be different than playing for Köln. I don't see why this would be an issue.

And I'm also sure that if he had no intention of moving outside of Germany, he'd have shunned our interest a long time ago.

Thanks Jay

I agree with Sri that i expect to see RVP and Walcott here next season.

Sina wrote:
i want Giroud scouting as well plz

I'd like to see one as well, but I don't think Ali has the time. So unless you or Sri wanna do it then I'd be happy to oblige

MJGunner wrote:

Sina wrote:
i want Giroud scouting as well plz

I'd like to see one as well, but I don't think Ali has the time. So unless you or Sri wanna do it then I'd be happy to oblige

Go ahead MJ

Messi (the poster)

Also, if you guys want I'll do it, it's just that I had like 4 exams in these 3-4 days

Ali"The Superman"8775 wrote:Messi (the poster)

Also, if you guys want I'll do it, it's just that I had like 4 exams in these 3-4 days

So do you want to do it or are you busy?

MJGunner wrote:

Ali"The Superman"8775 wrote:Messi (the poster)

Also, if you guys want I'll do it, it's just that I had like 4 exams in these 3-4 days

So do you want to do it or are you busy?

Nah.. let him study.. I'm sure some one else would have the time.. Do you MJ?

srigooner wrote:

MJGunner wrote:

Ali"The Superman"8775 wrote:Messi (the poster)

Also, if you guys want I'll do it, it's just that I had like 4 exams in these 3-4 days

So do you want to do it or are you busy?

Nah.. let him study.. I'm sure some one else would have the time.. Do you MJ?

I thought you finished your exams, Ali.

I have a wedding tonight but I'll see if I can do it before, if not then tomorrow so yeah I do.

We will see during the summer, i hope we don't *bleep* this one up

After his departure to Inter Milan on loan, @RoamingLibero looks back to Lukas Podolski’s Arsenal’s career and questions if we’ll miss him at all.

—

Following the two hammerings at the hands of Liverpool and Chelsea, the dreadful loss to Everton and the points dropped away at Stoke and at home to Swansea, by mid-April 2014, what had been a strong and pretty convincing title push lay in ruins. But there was life in Arsenal’s season yet, even though it felt far from the case at the time. Nine long years without a trophy were just two games, against Wigan and one of Hull City or Sheffield United respectively, from being forever cast to memory.

In the 63rd minute of the semi-final and the 61st of the final, the situations were somewhat similar: there was a one goal deficit, Arsenal needed to recover it soon, and would need a change of some kind to do so. At this point against Wigan, Lukas Podolski had managed two shots (one off target, one blocked) and 17 completed passes (12 backwards, 2 sideways). Against Hull, it was one first half shot and 15 passes (8 backwards, 1 sideways). And yet, his substitution elicited great dismay of an alarming amount of the Arsenal support.

Rarely have any incidents encapsulated a player better. Podolski had been poor, but Arsenal desperately needed a goal, and it made sense for many that he should be kept on because of his finishing ability. However, once he came off for far worse finishers, but immeasurably better workers and movers, Arsenal created more chances, and their play became more fluid. Arsenal were better for his removal, the team looked better without him.

The question from there is, where did the myth of Podolski really come from? There is no denying he is an excellent finisher from left-sided and central areas, as well as a decent crosser, but the ‘everything else’ is either deeply lacking or completely absent. The biggest issue of all is his movement. An attacking player can be forgiven for inefficiency if their movement can destabilise opposition defences, yet Podolski’s is so often stagnant that it can be like playing with a cardboard cutout perched on the corner of the opposition box, just waiting.

That’s the thing with Podolski. He is, on paper, astonishingly effective – the stats and his goals to minutes record backs that up. But his effectiveness is almost completely limited to teams who will allow him the room to wander around at his own pace, chance into the ball within 20 yards of goal and similarly give him the time and space to get a shot away. In those circumstances, there are few better.

It reflects in the level of teams against which he scored; of his 19 league goals, 3 have come against top-half finishing opposition; a Liverpool in disarray, a 10-man Spurs, and West Ham. Two of his 4 FA Cup goals were against Premier League teams; against 9th-finishing Swansea and what turned out to be the match-winner against an in-form Liverpool. In the Champions League he has an impressive 8 in 14, but only 3 against teams who would go or were beyond the group stage (Schalke and Bayern twice).

His assists are similar. Two across the aforementioned Liverpool and Spurs games, 3 against West Ham (who finished 10th) and one against Manchester City, as well as one away at Schalke. And this was not for want of starting in the bigger games. Against the league’s top 7 in 12/13 and 13/14 (same teams, different order) he started 11 and came off the bench in 3 (Chelsea away 13/14 not included), and mustered just those 2 goals and 2 assists.

Arsene Wenger’s refusal to bring him on from the bench when in difficult positions often drew criticism, but over his two and half years in the league, he made 21 appearances from the bench, and can only really claim to have made a discernible impact in four games. In 12/13 there was Stoke at home, wherein he scored a deflected free kick, and the 3-1 vs Norwich, where his goal sealed the game after Arteta and Giroud put the Gunners ahead. In 13/14 there was West Ham away and Swansea at home which, while both oppositions opened up, were glimpses of the player Arsenal thought they were getting in the summer of 2012.

He was not mistreated at all by the club. If anything he was given too much of a pass for a long time, and when Arsenal found a better balance without him, he rightfully lost his place. His ever-reducing playing time was the response his performances deserved. Contrary to some corners of belief, he was never played ‘out of position’, apart from the few games he played as a centre forward. Using his impressive Germany record to defend him (a record which, it must be said, really does lose some sheen upon further inspection) is an endorsement of playing him on the left wing.

There is a space for the technically limited forward player at the top level. Some survive thanks to exceptional work rate. Others through what they provide off the ball, constantly stretching the opposition and causing problems for their defenders. When Arsenal were in dire need of some inventive attacking movement, coupled with goalscoring last season, Podolski offered painfully little.

His social media behaviour also seemed to create something of a blind spot for him. A reluctance to criticise because he asked the club photographer to take a picture of him posing with fans. A happy, smiling presence it would feel almost cruel to shout at. The idea that he ‘got it’, when really all he ‘got’ was the desire of fans to be visibly appreciated or acknowledged by the players and management. He will surely repeat it in various forms at Inter.

I have tried to avoid the arguments about his defensive ‘efforts’ because if an attacking player gives enough, you find ways to work around it. That was the way with the great Robert Pires, Andrey Arshavin before it all went south, and even Theo Walcott now. While the former two were key to the flowing football of the time and the latter vital in pushing teams back, Podolski barely risked loitering with or without intent.

A few hashtags, some staged photographs and the ability to hit the ball very, very hard have earned him a love that his performances just didn’t merit. As much as it would be nice to have a player who ‘just scores goals’, the reality is that to exist like that, they need to be relied on for goals against teams of all levels, in all types of situations. You make exceptions for the flaws of your best, your most reliable and your most important.

Podolski never came close to being any of them.

___________________________________________

http://arseblog.com/2015/01/podolski-vital-hotshot-or-cologne-ranger/