Date: 28th June 2015 at 7:43pm
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Although while writing this, Lukas Podolski is still very much an Arsenal player even his biggest fans would struggle to conceive anyway he can get back into our current squad. So how is it that Podolski, a world cup winner, is now on the very fringes of Arsenal?

On paper, the man with a left foot like Thor’s hammer looks the real deal. 31 goals in 82 games is nothing to be ashamed off. Especially when he has mostly been deployed on the supposedly unfamiliar left hand side of the attack.

When Podolski joined the club in the summer of 2012, the club had just sold their best player and captain to a rival (again) and Podolski’s signing was the beginning of Arsenal signing ‘recognisable’ names among European football. Podolski actually made his debut playing in his preferred role as a striker in a home 0-0 draw to Sunderland. Perhaps this was a sign of things to come.

It was clear that Podolski did not have the presence up front to become the top signing that Arsenal needed if they were going to challenge for the highest honours. Although Wenger insisted on trying him up front in the occasional game (usually when Giroud was struggling for form), it never quite worked up top.

This meant that he was moved to the left, a position he has played regularly for Germany, but not one he particularly relished. Regardless of whether or not Podolski enjoyed playing there, his best football for the club certainly came when he played in the wider position.

Although he may not have had the defensive ethos truly needed of a modern winger, he was able to score and create goals. Usually, absolutely astounding goals.

He finished his debut season with 16 goals. Not too shabby. However, the fans an indeed the manager clearly weren’t convinced that he was the player we all hoped for and expected.

Podolski came into the second season established as a key attacking player for the team, and made this clear with a thunderous brace away to Fulham in the second game of the season. However, he then fell to a hamstring injury in a Champions League qualifying game to Fernerbache. The injury would see him out of action until December.

In this time the club broke their transfer record by purchasing his international colleague Mezut Ozil for £42.5 million and also went on a 10 game winning run which saw Arsenal seemingly in a title race. When Podolski returned with a goal away to West Ham on boxing day, fans hoped that his ruthless power would be just the boost the club needed as the season went on. Unfortunately, this wasn’t exactly the case.

Podoski wouldn’t score in the league again until March, by which point Arsenal’s title hopes had all but disappeared. He did however manage to net an important brace in the FA Cup against Coventry as well as scoring what would be the winner over Liverpool in a later round of the competition. It could not be doubted that Podolski had and still has immense ability and can hit the ball like no one else in world football, but it was becoming increasingly evident that he struggled for any sort of consistency.

Although Podolski scored a further two goals away to Hull, for me, his Arsenal career ended in the FA Cup Semi-Final against Wigan. Podolski started this most crucial of games on the left hand side and brought very little to the game. To be fair the entire team didn’t exactly shine as the Gunners relied on penalties to surpass the Latics.
However, it was his lack of desire to try and change the game which was so disappointing.

He was lucky enough to gain a start in the Cup Final possibly because of his impressive display against Hull during one of his better games in the league a month earlier. However, Podolski showed the same lacklustre performance that was becoming typical of the winger. Arsenal did manage to overcome Hull’s two goal lead and lift the famous cup, but it was no thanks to Podolski.

Following a successful World Cup, where Podolski played a minimal part, he entered the 2014-15 season with his biggest challenge to his Arsenal career. Unlike when he joined in 2012, this Arsenal squad didn’t need him. They had upgraded with world class player, they had bought Alexis Sanchez.

Podolski found himself struggling to even make the bench and had it not been for Olivier Giroud’s freak leg break away to Everton, he would have certainly seen himself leaving at the end of the summer transfer window. As it was he stayed at the club only making minimal appearances.

A winner against a resilient Anderlecht was certainly his season highlight, and only highlight, but it became clear when he was loaned off to Inter Milan in January that his career with the club was all but over.

In my opinion, the reason Podolski just hasn’t worked out at the club is a mixture of his attitude, as he clearly sees himself as a striker, as well as the transformation the club has undertaken since 2012.

 

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