arsenal to sign podolski

reports suggesting that arsenal have agreed to sign lukas podolski in the summer

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17295576

will he be a success? few years ago looked a world beater has his form dropped too much since? and is he a partner or replacement for RVP?

His form has been much improved this season, at a pretty poor performing side too. I think he may be judged a little harshly on his time at Bayern, but his national team performances show he can play at a very high level.

I'd hope he was a partner for RVP. But he is a capable replacement if that is how it is transpiring too.

Someone else mentioned it on another thread - a front trio of RVP, Pod and Ox is quite mouthwatering!

Im more surprised how little it's costing them to sign him he's a top class player on his day

fernando wrote:Im more surprised how little it's costing them to sign him he's a top class player on his day

He was out of contract in the summer. Theoretically they could have waited, but probably best to get in first!

sodhat wrote:

fernando wrote:Im more surprised how little it's costing them to sign him he's a top class player on his day

He was out of contract in the summer. Theoretically they could have waited, but probably best to get in first!

I thought he had another year?

probs to stop people cutting in if he has a good euro 2012

Seems to relish internationally, and being a big fish in a small pond at Koln. I think the fee means this is relatively risk free, I doubt he'll flop, but he could either be average or a revelation I reckon.

Also...

The odd thing about the signing of Podolski is he is a very similar player to Van Persie, he's got a strong left foot, and prefers to play a little deeper. I expected Arsenal to sign a out and out striker so that Van Persie can drop a little deeper and get involved in the play a bit more like he seems to want to, but it's likely they're going for a Barcelona-esque front free, where they can all swap around and drop deeper.

Crimey wrote:Also...

The odd thing about the signing of Podolski is he is a very similar player to Van Persie, he's got a strong left foot, and prefers to play a little deeper. I expected Arsenal to sign a out and out striker so that Van Persie can drop a little deeper and get involved in the play a bit more like he seems to want to, but it's likely they're going for a Barcelona-esque front free, where they can all swap around and drop deeper.

They have Walcott already.

Excellent signing, has been excellent at Koln this season and his national record shows how good he is. Think if you look at the amount of goals he scored at Bayern it wasnt that bad and he was given a bit of a raw deal.

Hope for Arsenals case he aint been bought to replace RVP though.

azania wrote:

Crimey wrote:Also...

The odd thing about the signing of Podolski is he is a very similar player to Van Persie, he's got a strong left foot, and prefers to play a little deeper. I expected Arsenal to sign a out and out striker so that Van Persie can drop a little deeper and get involved in the play a bit more like he seems to want to, but it's likely they're going for a Barcelona-esque front free, where they can all swap around and drop deeper.

They have Walcott already.

Who's a perennial under-achiever with no hint of being a top class striker......

Under achiever? A regular england starter. A regular Arsenal starter and being played out of position? I would call him an under achiever if he's played in his favoured central striker and does nothing. Many called Henry an under achiever before he switched to central attack.

Next year will belong to Theo.

Podoloski would be a class signing for most sides around the world..and lets be honest arsenal do need a partner for RVP....with chamakh gone missing since he started well, there's no one left to partner RVP.

azania wrote:Under achiever? A regular england starter. A regular Arsenal starter and being played out of position? I would call him an under achiever if he's played in his favoured central striker and does nothing. Many called Henry an under achiever before he switched to central attack.

Next year will belong to Theo.

He's had SIX YEARS to show he's got more than just pace and a decent finish. He hasn't. For someone once considered a 16 yr old 'prodigy', that's underachieving. Rooney was also a 16 yr old prodigy and look what he's gone on to. And he was played out of position quite a bit by Fergie.

Henry had already achieved plenty before coming to Arsenal, he just took a while to settle in. He wasn't an instant hit but that's different from 'underachieving'. In his first season, out of position as you say, in 47 appearances he scored 26 goals and got 11 assists. In 6 seasons Theo has only scored 10 or more goals once and only equalled 11 assists once. He averages 6.5 goals and 6.5 assists a season.

TopHat24/7 wrote:

azania wrote:Under achiever? A regular england starter. A regular Arsenal starter and being played out of position? I would call him an under achiever if he's played in his favoured central striker and does nothing. Many called Henry an under achiever before he switched to central attack.

Next year will belong to Theo.

He's had SIX YEARS to show he's got more than just pace and a decent finish. He hasn't. For someone once considered a 16 yr old 'prodigy', that's underachieving. Rooney was also a 16 yr old prodigy and look what he's gone on to. And he was played out of position quite a bit by Fergie.

Henry had already achieved plenty before coming to Arsenal, he just took a while to settle in. He wasn't an instant hit but that's different from 'underachieving'. In his first season, out of position as you say, in 47 appearances he scored 26 goals and got 11 assists. In 6 seasons Theo has only scored 10 or more goals once and only equalled 11 assists once. He averages 6.5 goals and 6.5 assists a season.

That's because he's been playing in a position where scoring is much harder. Play Owen on the wing and see how many he scores.

As for being a 16 year old prodigy, that was Erikson's fault. He shouldn't have gone to the world cup. He had't played a single game in the EPL.

Henry was worse than useless at Juve before Wenger bought him. He was played out wide there and was marked out of games. In his first season at Arsenal he played as a central striker. Theo is the 3rd highest in assists in the EPL. 2nd highest goal scorer for arsenal. Not bad for a winger.

Rooney is a better footballer. Rooney was a prodigy but look what Messi has done (silly comparison as was yours). Some players are simply better than others.

azania wrote:

TopHat24/7 wrote:

azania wrote:Under achiever? A regular england starter. A regular Arsenal starter and being played out of position? I would call him an under achiever if he's played in his favoured central striker and does nothing. Many called Henry an under achiever before he switched to central attack.

Next year will belong to Theo.

He's had SIX YEARS to show he's got more than just pace and a decent finish. He hasn't. For someone once considered a 16 yr old 'prodigy', that's underachieving. Rooney was also a 16 yr old prodigy and look what he's gone on to. And he was played out of position quite a bit by Fergie.

Henry had already achieved plenty before coming to Arsenal, he just took a while to settle in. He wasn't an instant hit but that's different from 'underachieving'. In his first season, out of position as you say, in 47 appearances he scored 26 goals and got 11 assists. In 6 seasons Theo has only scored 10 or more goals once and only equalled 11 assists once. He averages 6.5 goals and 6.5 assists a season.

That's because he's been playing in a position where scoring is much harder. Play Owen on the wing and see how many he scores.

As for being a 16 year old prodigy, that was Erikson's fault. He shouldn't have gone to the world cup. He had't played a single game in the EPL.

Henry was worse than useless at Juve before Wenger bought him. He was played out wide there and was marked out of games. In his first season at Arsenal he played as a central striker. Theo is the 3rd highest in assists in the EPL. 2nd highest goal scorer for arsenal. Not bad for a winger.

Rooney is a better footballer. Rooney was a prodigy but look what Messi has done (silly comparison as was yours). Some players are simply better than others.

The prodigy bit wasn't Erikson's fault, though he contributed. When you're a 16 yr old subject to a multi-million pound 8-figure transfer to a top 2 club - that makes you a prodigy (scoring a hat-trick for England goes a long way too).

Quote from your response on the other thread:

Similarly Wenger played Henry as a winger when he started off and eventually moved him centre.

Are you now changing your mind as to what position Thierry was first played in upon transferring to Arsenal?? From my memory, and my Gooner mates' whom I've just checked with, Henry spent his first season or two on the wing. We agree that isn't his best position, as it isn't for Walcott, yet I have shown how much better his record was in that position than Theo.

As for your assists/goals claim - source?

Here's mine: http://www.statbunker.com/football/btb/index.php?PL=competition&CompID=373&statType=assist

Theo is currently joint fourth, with Giggs, Valencia and Sessegnon. Ahead of him are Mata, Nani and RVP (all on 9), Adebayor (on 10) and Silva (on 14).

2nd highest goal scorer for Arsenal is a red-herring statistic as nobody has scored any goals for Arsenal other than RVP. There are 34 players who have scored more than him in the EPL this season - he has only scored a paltry 5. That's the same as Johnson, a winger who hardly ever plays, and less than half what Dempsey has scored from midfield for Fulham.

Last season he got 7 assists - joint 8th in the league with 14 players ahead of him; and 9 goals - Arsenal's 3rd highest only, joint 9th in the league with 24 players ahead of him.

Wenger was Henry's manager when Thierry was at Monaco. he was a winger then. My mind never changes especially when I'm correct (as you well know)

If I played for Man City I reckon I could score goals. Especially as they were scoring goals for fun at the start of the season. Yep, Theo has the 4th highests. Considering the terrible start of the campaign Arsenal had, its very good that he has that many. Arguably RvP wouldn't have as many goals were if not for theo's play.

azania wrote:Wenger was Henry's manager when Thierry was at Monaco. he was a winger then. My mind never changes especially when I'm correct (as you well know)

If I played for Man City I reckon I could score goals. Especially as they were scoring goals for fun at the start of the season. Yep, Theo has the 4th highests. Considering the terrible start of the campaign Arsenal had, its very good that he has that many. Arguably RvP wouldn't have as many goals were if not for theo's play.

In short, owned.

I've exposed you on every point you've made.

And don't try and escape the reality of your previous post based on a convenient technicality, you and I both know Henry's Monaco career has never been an issue or point of discussion in this debate. You meant at Arsenal, I agreed and demonstrated how you were still wrong.

That said, revisiting your squirming Monaco point - in the two full seasons he did play he got 10 goals and 13 assists in one and 11 goals and 12 assists in the other.

Still better than anything Theo has achieved to date.

What on earth are you on? Henry was a winger at Monaco and Juve. His goal scoring exploits were not evident in that position. In Juve he flopped. He came to Arsenal and Wenger played him as a central striker and he flourished. I see many similarities.

Wenger also said that he always saw Henry as a striker and played him on the wings to develop his football skills.

Granted Theo does not (and will never) have the close control, tough etc as Henry, but his goals/assists record playing wide are similar. Play him in the middle and I see another Liniker or Owen style of player. Instinctive goalscorer with more composure than they did after playing on the wings.

Knew you wouldn't be man enough to admit it, reading your posts is just funny now.

He might be a replacement for RVP. Podolski was shocking for Bayern when he moved there and he blamed homesickness so if he is homesick while playing in Germany he might be the same in England.

I don't think you play someone out of position for as many seasons as Wenger has if you plan on playing them up front in the long term it just isn't going to happen now, he's a winger and I expect him to stay a winger.

walcott lacks a footballing brain, if he wasnt quick he would be a terrible footballer. luckily for him his pace gives him a chance although he shows his lack of vision often in his crossing.

whether or not you think walcott should be playing up front is your opinion, wenger doesnt agree with you and if he were as good as player as your suggesting then he should be doing alot better in a attacking team playing right wing. you put him upfront and all your doing is giving him less space than you get out wide, CF's are easier to defend, with walcott all you would need to do is sit deep and thats his main and only weapon beaten.

dublfcynwa wrote:He might be a replacement for RVP. Podolski was shocking for Bayern when he moved there and he blamed homesickness so if he is homesick while playing in Germany he might be the same in England.

Dont think a ratio of 1 goal in 4 is brilliant for Bayern but not shocking either.