Re: Cardiff 0-3 Arsenal | Premier League 30/11/13
Posted: Mon Dec 02, 2013 6:51 pm
GSK_AFC wrote:Angelito wrote:GSK_AFC wrote:Angelito wrote:GSK_AFC wrote:Podolski was worse than Theo upfront last season. He looked lost.
SchlandGooner or Starman can bring the stats because I'm not interested right now, but he played 4-5 games as a striker last season. The first was his very first Arsenal game and the remaining when Giroud was suspended. I remember he scored 2 or 3 goals. That's not "lost" really. Giroud played 30/31 games as a striker last season and scored the same amount of goals as Podolski did (both scored 11 in the Prem and Poldi played nearly half the time Giroud did).
In the CL, Podolski scored 4, while Giroud scored 2. In fact, Podolski scored more goals than van Persie in the CL. Podolski is fine as a striker. Walcott is better as a winger.
He's a goalscorer sure but if you think goals equate to being a good striker, Theo scored more.
It may have been 4/5 games but he really did look lost, he didn't make any great movement and isolated himself. I'm sure he scored half his goals when playing upfront through setpieces too.
They're both best out wide but I don't think Poldi could do a good job upfront as you think.
Giroud looks lost half the time he plays as a striker. Just because he jumps a lot really doesn't suggest otherwise. Sometimes he can't even shoot properly. But these things happen. My point isn't that Podolski is a striker at the level of Suarez/Aguero, but that he would be equally as beneficial as Giroud, if not more. If we had Lewan, yes, there would be no case--but it's unfair to say that Podolski looked lost when Giroud does the same many times, but since he plays so many games--people just tend to forget that. And, if a striker scores goals, it really doesn't matter if he's invisible. Watched van Persie against us? He was tepid and scored a goal...
On Theo, I didn't say he cannot play ST at all. He's a better winger than a striker and I can't understand where this Walcott vs. Podolski debate comes from. Walcott has never played as a ST in his life in top flight football, if we ignore his stint last season. Podolski has played as a striker for Germany and Koln. Last season, he scored goals too despite not getting many games/playing time as a striker.
It's too early to give a verdict. With Ozil, Rosicky, Cazorla, Ramsey, Walcott, and Wilshere supporting Podolski, I doubt he'd have trouble scoring goals, or creating trouble for the opposition. His finishing is as good as van Persie and he drops deep many times. The whole concept about Podolski not playing with his back to the goal is half-baked. He's not a striker like Ibra or Falcao. He's more in the mold of van Persie, Tevez, Aguero, etc. Not at their level but Podolski at his best is as good a forward as you'd find.
I think Poldi would be a poacher if we were to play him upfront, he doesn't really excel at interplay and he wouldn't be able to hold it up like Giroud. He never dropped deep at all when upfront last season. His first touch will kill many of our attacks aswell.I'd only have him upfront as a last resort, I'd rather buy a backup to Giroud like a Pato for example.
I've never seen Poldi play upfront before he came here so I can't judge him on anything but arsenal games which he looked very uncomfortable upfront. No way is his finishing on par with RVP either, he mainly smashes the ball and can only use his left, RVP has perfect technique and can finish with both feet.
It might be too early to give a verdict but based on what I've seen so far I'd be hesitant to give him more games upfront.
Never drop deep
Yeah the Wigan heatmap I posted earlier really showed that..also in this two he almost idled infront of the goal..
His first touch will kill many of our attacks aswell ?
He mainly smashes the ball and can only use his left ?
Seriously ? :rofl:
0:18 aweful first touch and that right foot really sucked, 2:15 another awful first touch
1:04 bad first touch at least he smashed the ball with his left, 1:32 no technique
Awful !
Lucker !
No way is his finishing on par with RVP either.
In 2012/2013
Shot Accuracy RVP 59%, Podolski 61%
Pass Accuracy RVP 80%, Podolski 84%
Conversion Rate RVP 18,44%, Podolski 20,37%
RVP made 88,46% from inside the area
Podolski 63,63%
Yeah, RVP is cleary the better finisher
GSK_AFC wrote:The only time I can think of good interplay is from Liverpool (A) last year.
I rate Podolski but only as an outlet on the left not upfront.
So what of the team joker Lukas Podolski who now freely admits to playing through pain the majority of last season? A player who many forget was playing up and down the left flank and combining superbly with Cazaorla tight up until the New Year. The player who single handedly destroyed West Ham with one of the finest individual displays by any Gunner last season.
From http://1nildown2oneup.net
Massa wrote:Agree with GSK. Poldi also started vs Newcastle upfront. Barely did anything before getting subbed off
Besides the assists to the 0:1 winning goal and making at least one run where he could have scored unguarded if Walcott would have passed to him instead of making a field goal attempt plus at least once dropping deep and starting and attack which Cazorla wasted and some other stuff he barely did nothing..