Podolski signs!

[Young Guns 11]

Confirmed by the man himself.

http://www.fc-koeln.de/news/detailansicht/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=4813&cHash=798324b1a22697bd2852832f171c8384


The move to Arsenal gives me the opportunity to play at international level in a top European club. I chose not to FC, but for this great opportunity in my sporting career. The decision for this step is not easy for me because the first FC Köln, the city and the fans are very special for me. I'll wear the FC always in my heart. We must now concentrate all the forces together and focus exclusively on the league.

Good start, Wenger :good:

[Flavs]

what?

[Flavs]

Its alright have seen it now

:dance:

[Young Guns 11]

:lol: Quote is translated, badly.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Poldi. :bow:

Welcome.

[Flavs]

right that's one in now get onto M'Vila if that's true

[selassie]

Great signing, one of our most high profile in recent years. Let's hope there is more to come, M'Vila please?

[Marc Overmars]

Germans. :bow:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

We've been yellow bar'd on SSN!

:faint:

[Flavs]

Sell him, he's shit!

[Ernesto]

Woop- and might I add- woop!

[Xhaka Can’t]

RVP :rip:

[Flavs]

RVP :rip:

The podster on the left with RvP up top! and its interchangeable

[Flavs]

The optimist in me says this is because we have learnt from last seasons debacle and got our business done early so we can concentrate on getting rid of all this accumulated shite we have in the reserves.

The pesimist says its because season ticket renewal is up and numbers are well down...

[Young Guns 11]

The podster on the left with RvP up top! and its interchangeable

And all of a sudden I'm excited for next season :faint:

[Flavs]

And all of a sudden I'm excited for next season :faint:

Good! You should buy a season ticket...

[Dennis Bendtner]

RVP. :wave:

Though if we're going down the route of replacing players with lookalikes, how about Belhanda for Chamakh, or M'Vila for Kyle Bartley?

[Marc Overmars]

Kagawa is available from Dortmund you know. #justsayin

Japanese Germans. :bow:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Mertesacker, Eisfeld and Podolski.

Arsenal FC is the new Nationalmannschaft.

Don't.

[Flavs]

RVP. :wave:

Though if we're going down the route of replacing players with lookalikes, how about Belhanda for Chamakh, or M'Vila for Kyle Bartley?

I would literally Cum buckets if we signed Belhanda

[McNamara That Ghost...]

RVP. :wave:

Though if we're going down the route of replacing players with lookalikes, how about Belhanda for Chamakh, or M'Vila for Kyle Bartley?

Chakma was our replacement for Wenger only just missing out on Ronaldo.

[Young Guns 11]

RVP. :wave:

Though if we're going down the route of replacing players with lookalikes, how about Belhanda for Chamakh, or M'Vila for Kyle Bartley?

Behave! He's not going anywhere.

Hopefully. :pray:

[Flavs]

God can you imagine if after the West Brom game we announced 3 or 4 new signings and then spent the whole summer rehousing the spaz squad(tm)

[McNamara That Ghost...]

I'll be cringing everytime Podolski and RVP are near each other in the Euros. :rose:

[Gubby Allen]

Unlike us to.do anything before 2am on 1st September. He'll probably pull his hamstring now to get USS back to normality.

[Ernesto]

God can you imagine if after the West Brom game we announced 3 or 4 new signings and then spent the whole summer rehousing the spaz squad(tm)

Ooh, that gives me mad chills, bro. I've nay been this excited since the Invasion storyline!

[Marc Overmars]

I can't believe we have signed a proper footballer.

I feel like crying.

[Cripps_orig]

Thats our summer transfers done then

[Syn]

Probably the biggest name we've signed in recent years. Probably on par with Arshavin. Lets hope he doesn't eat as much.

Established goalscorer, good age, German....can't see anything wrong with this. Top signing.

Need a goalscoring midfielder and an intimidating DM and we're all set. 2 or 3 good players in addition to keeping Van Persie, Song, Vermaelen and Szczesny will suffice as far as I'm concerned.

[Young Guns 11]

Fee is 10.9mill apazza, not bad at all.

[Flavs]

I can't believe we have signed a proper footballer.

I feel like crying.

:console:

[Flavs]

I'll be cringing everytime Podolski and RVP are near each other in the Euros. :rose:

fight fight fight fight

[Cripps_orig]

He can play on the left of the front 3 as well as the middle

Expect him to be put on the right then :coffee:

[Young Guns 11]

Probably the biggest name we've signed in recent years. Probably on par with Arshavin. Lets hope he doesn't eat as much.

Established goalscorer, good age, German....can't see anything wrong with this. Top signing.

Need a goalscoring midfielder and an intimidating DM and we're all set. 2 or 3 good players in addition to keeping Van Persie, Song, Vermaelen and Szczesny will suffice as far as I'm concerned.

So much speculation right now that we're closing in on M'Vila and looking to get rid of Diaby :dance:

[Dennis Bendtner]

He can play on the left of the front 3 as well as the middle

Expect him to be put on the right then :coffee:

He can cut in and score with his left peg.

Sounds good.

Wenger. :bow:

[Kano]

er, go lukas, er go?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3Juhm54IkI

[Marc Overmars]

RVP is the biggest signing we can make this summer, lets hope this is the start of a positive few months.

[Marc Overmars]

Fee is 10.9mill apazza, not bad at all.

He had a year left on his deal. As does Dempsey.

Make it happen Vinger.

[GP]

This is our best signing since Arteta.

[Power n Glory]

Great news.

Where will he play? Who gets left on the bench?

[Dennis Bendtner]

I would literally Cum buckets if we signed Belhanda

Must get

Wenger loves him apparently, so I guess he would express similar sentiment.

Hazard has confirmed he is moving to England, too. The must get fire-sale is hotting up. He'll be off to City or United though.

[Cripps_orig]

Great news.

Where will he play? Who gets left on the bench?On the left of the front 3

Middle if as expected RVP goes

Gervinho if on the left

No one if in the middle

[Marc Overmars]

Must get

Wenger loves him apparently, so I guess he would express similar sentiment.

Hazard has confirmed he is moving to England, too. The must get fire-sale is hotting up. He'll be off to City or United though.

United want Kagawa apparently. To be honest I reckon I'd prefer him to Hazard as well.

[Cripps_orig]

United want Kagawa apparently. To be honest I reckon I'd prefer him to Hazard as well.Only for shirt sales tbh

Quality wise, Hazard pretty much pisses on Kagawa

[Flavs]

You could do a sociological study on this thread, everyone is happy and upbeat and then the naughty kid in the corner keeps shouting out negative comments trying to get attention. really is quite pathetic it's like that bit on the Simpson's when everyone is sat ignoring Bart and he is jumping around trying to get noticed

[Özim]

Good signing, now if we don't lose RVP this will have been a very positive move.

[Marc Overmars]

Only for shirt sales tbh

Quality wise, Hazard pretty much pisses on Kagawa

Hazard would be off within 3 years tbh, he will have Barca DNA or some shit.

[Kano]

Must get

Wenger loves him apparently, so I guess he would express similar sentiment.

Hazard has confirmed he is moving to England, too. The must get fire-sale is hotting up. He'll be off to City or United though.

absolutely no chance of hazard - one of the city clubs will have him once the silly bidding starts.

we need more germans, fuck the french.

krauts are built to last, don't fuck around and know how to win.

[GP]

You could do a sociological study on this thread, everyone is happy and upbeat and then the naughty kid in the corner keeps shouting out negative comments trying to get attention. really is quite pathetic it's like that bit on the Simpson's when everyone is sat ignoring Bart and he is jumping around trying to get noticed

:lol:

So true.

Hazard can fuck off too. Mercenary fuck.

[Cripps_orig]

Hazard would be off within 3 years tbh, he will have Barca DNA or some shit.You make a good point.

As for Podolski, its a great signing. Been a fan of his since 2006. Just hope he comes good.

Also hope this is just the start of the quality signings that we need and not Pub team signings such s Jenkinson, Arteta, Gervinho etc

[Flavs]

Jesus, 43 goals in 95 caps for the motherland as well.

[Power n Glory]

On the left of the front 3

Middle if as expected RVP goes

Gervinho if on the left

No one if in the middle

Would be strange to see Gervinho on the bench after one season. He usually gives a player more time than that. I hope we don't sell RVP or Theo but at least we've done business early. It may help with the contract talks and convince them to stay but if not, we have a player in that can fill in.

[Cripps_orig]

Wasnt there someone on GW who was adamant Podolski is shit and is a Must Not Get?

[Kano]

gubby allen i think (sorry gubby if not you)

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Jesus, 43 goals in 95 caps for the motherland as well.

And that's from the left mainly, too. It just hasn't worked for him that well at club level. He has time to turn it around though, unlike say, Klose.

[Flavs]

not Pub team signings such s Jenkinson, Arteta, Gervinho etc

:lol:

http://www.add.org/

[Cripps_orig]

:lol:

http://www.add.org/:unsure:

[Dennis Bendtner]

Our two Germans could have over 180 caps between them by July. :faint:

Efficient. Durable. Beasts.

[Power n Glory]

Wasnt there someone on GW who was adamant Podolski is shit and is a Must Not Get?

He must have popped up on the radar before his move to Hamburg. He went for around the same fee back in 2009.

[cricketsi]

There must be somebody willing to call this a shit signing, just in case he flops so they can quote themselves in a year and feel all smug that they were the only genius who said it at the start... where's Joker gone?

[GP]

There must be somebody willing to call this a shit signing, just in case he flops so they can quote themselves in a year and feel all smug that they were the only genius who said it at the start... where's Joker gone?

He'll be over here... http://forums.bluemoon-mcfc.co.uk/

[Cripps_orig]

Just seen the article on Goal.com

Can finally believe it now :dance:

Podolski :bow:

Arsenal :bow:

Our front 3 of Podolski, RVP (if he stays) and Theo will scare the shit out of everyone.

End this tragic season now and start the next one asap

Wenger still out though

[Dennis Bendtner]

Arsenal Football Club is delighted to announce that a deal has been agreed to sign German international striker Lukas Podolski on a long-term contract for an undisclosed fee.

The Polish-born attacker will team up with the Gunners in the summer ahead of the 2012/13 season from Bundesliga side FC Cologne, where he has been in fine form this season, netting 18 times in 28 league appearances.

After spending his early years training and playing with FC Bergheim 2000, the 26-year-old joined the youth set-up at Cologne in 1995, before making his first-team debut in 2003. After three successful seasons with Cologne he moved to Bayern Munich in 2006. He spent three seasons with Bayern before re-joining FC Cologne in 2009 and is now regarded as one of the leading strikers in the Bundesliga.

Podolski has made 95 appearances for Germany and scored 43 goals since making his debut as a 19-year-old in 2004. He made a huge impact with a series of impressive performances at the 2006 World Cup, where he scored three times and followed this up with three more goals at Euro 2008.

Podolski was also part of the German team that produced a number of eye-catching displays at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, including a goalscoring contribution in the 4-1 win over England in Bloemfontein in the last 16. He also featured for ‘Die Geißböcke’ in the pre-season friendly against Arsenal at the RheinEnergieStadion last July.

Manager Arsène Wenger said: “We are delighted to secure the deal for Lukas and see him as an important part of our future. He is a top-class player, a very good finisher and a proven performer at club and international level. He is a very strong player and will provide us with good attacking options.

"We are happy to have made this signing early and we are looking forward to watching Lukas contribute at the European Championships over the summer, a level where he has already made 95 caps at the age of 26. That is a phenomenal record and just shows his quality as a player.”

Speaking about his move, Podolski said: “I’m so happy to be joining Arsenal Football Club and to play in the Premier League. Arsenal is one of the top clubs in Europe with a huge history. There are many top quality players at Arsenal and the style of football which the team plays is fantastic. I’m proud to become an Arsenal player and am looking forward to playing my first match at Emirates Stadium and doing my best for all the Arsenal fans.

“I am looking forward to becoming an Arsenal player, but at the moment, my focus is with my current club Cologne. I will give everything I have until the end of season to make sure the team finish as high as possible in the Bundesliga. There will always be a place in my heart for FC Köln.”

Everyone at Arsenal looks forward to welcoming Lukas to the Club in the summer.

http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/arsenal-agree-deal-for-podolski

[GP]

http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/arsenal-agree-deal-for-podolski

[Power n Glory]

It's all official. Beautiful.

[Flavs]

http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/arsenal-agree-deal-for-podolski

Interesting he mentions signing him before the Euro's due to the shop window issue. Perhaps we will sign a couple more as well

[Marc Overmars]

Interesting he mentions signing him before the Euro's due to the shop window issue. Perhaps we will sign a couple more as well

Done well to get him in now tbh. Some players and their clubs will probably want to wait until after the Euros, to attract more interest and of course more monies.

[Syn]

Am I right in saying Podolski plays as a striker for his current club but out wide for Germany? (he can't have got a 1 in 2 int. record playing out wide though surely?)

I wonder what this means for Theo. Wenger obviously sees him as a regular in the first team (and rightly so) but we've adding a more attacking player into the line-up might change Theo's role a bit.

[Power n Glory]

Am I right in saying Podolski plays as a striker for his current club but out wide for Germany? (he can't have got a 1 in 2 int. record playing out wide though surely?)

I wonder what this means for Theo. Wenger obviously sees him as a regular in the first team (and rightly so) but we've adding a more attacking player into the line-up might change Theo's role a bit.

Until the window closes or both Theo and RVP put pen to paper, we won't know.

[Flavs]

Am I right in saying Podolski plays as a striker for his current club but out wide for Germany? (he can't have got a 1 in 2 int. record playing out wide though surely?)

I wonder what this means for Theo. Wenger obviously sees him as a regular in the first team (and rightly so) but we've adding a more attacking player into the line-up might change Theo's role a bit.

I think RvP, Theo and the Podster will be first choice. Park and Chamakh are on their way which leaves us Campbell, Gervinho and the Ox as the back up

[Cripps_orig]

I think RvP, Theo and the Podster will be first choice. Park and Chamakh are on their way which leaves us Campbell, Gervinho and the Ox as the back upDont forget Song who can also play there

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Am I right in saying Podolski plays as a striker for his current club but out wide for Germany? (he can't have got a 1 in 2 int. record playing out wide though surely?)

I wonder what this means for Theo. Wenger obviously sees him as a regular in the first team (and rightly so) but we've adding a more attacking player into the line-up might change Theo's role a bit.

He does. Klose usually started for Germany up front (not sure if that will be the case this summer) - Germany score a bag load of goals.

[Flavs]

He does. Klose usually started for Germany up front (not sure if that will be the case this summer) - Germany score a bag load of goals.

With Muller on the right :good:

[Letters]

Good signing, now if we don't lose RVP this will have been a very positive move.

Who hacked Zimm's account?

[Flavs]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2010/matches/match_51/default.stm

:)

Lampard :pal:

[Flavs]

Its sing song time!! Where the fuck are jens Face and LMG??

[Dennis Bendtner]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLKDNXv9ets&feature=related

Dual purpose signing making Squillaci piss off :bow:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2010/matches/match_51/default.stm

:)

Lampard :pal:

:lol:

Hansen: Well y'know if you look at 2002, I thought the worst German side in history did really well. 2006 average, they continue and continue to defy the odds, this team is average as well and it might as well end here.

:haha:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkP1Rf0bJ_E

[Olivier's xmas twist]

Who hacked Zimm's account?

Get quality players the fans get happy accepr ACh who is still being a mong for some reason.

[Cripps_orig]

Get quality players the fans get happy accepr ACh who is still being a mong for some reason.Making shit up as usual

[Olivier's xmas twist]

Just seen the article on Goal.com

Can finally believe it now :dance:

Podolski :bow:

Arsenal :bow:

Our front 3 of Podolski, RVP (if he stays) and Theo will scare the shit out of everyone.

End this tragic season now and start the next one asap

Wenger still out though

Goal .com really

[Flavs]

Podolski..wo oooh
Podolski..wo oh oh ohhhhh
He came from Germany
To replace RvP...

[Olivier's xmas twist]

Making shit up as usual



Thats our summer transfers done then

While everyone else was happy we signed quallity you can out with this trying to put a downer on things as usal.

[Syn]

It'll be quite cool watching him in the Euros. Remember when we all got excited when Rosicky scored some goals in the 06 WC. Then he hit a long range strike in a CL game. Then he died and forgot how to shoot. But I'll be backing the Germans in the Euros...after England and Netherlands get knocked out.

[Flavs]

While everyone else was happy we signed quallity you can out with this trying to put a downer on things as usal.


Yeah! Yeah! you tell that brown-skinned motherfucka

[Flavs]

It'll be quite cool watching him in the Euros. Remember when we all got excited when Rosicky scored some goals in the 06 WC. Then he hit a long range strike in a CL game. Then he died and forgot how to shoot.

I think that's because he discovered the joys of cocaine shortly after those Euro's

[Olivier's xmas twist]

Yeah! Yeah! you tell that brown-skinned motherfucka


:lol: he's probably spaffling more then anyone right now.

But it does feel great to sign quality in stead of some like Gev tbh.

More please Wenger and the board.

[Cripps_orig]

:lol: he's probably spaffling more then anyone right now.

But it does feel great to sign quality in stead of some like Gev tbh.

More please Wenger and the board.Probably

Been a fan of Podolski since before most on GW even knew who he was

Podolski :bow:

[Olivier's xmas twist]

Probably

Been a fan of Podolski since before most on GW even knew who he was

Podolski :bow:

Hes quality and how good is it to have somone who is not scared to shoot for once.

[Olivier's xmas twist]

Good signing, now if we don't lose RVP this will have been a very positive move.

:gp:

We have someone who is not afraid to score goals lol and i can se him getting lots with the way we play.

[LDG]

Cracking signing. Quality player with bags of experience. Just what we need.

:scarf:

[Marc Overmars]

He's tailor made for our 4-3-3 tbh, he will slot in very comfortably on the left.

Definitely can't wait for this turgid season to be over and done with now.

[Xhaka Can’t]

We've fucking signed someone!!!!!

And he's good!

I think I'm actually going to cry!

[Shaqiri Is Boss]

I think I'm actually going to cry!
That's my default reaction when we sign someone as well.

[Flavs]

That's my default reaction when we sign someone as well.

:lol:

Stewart Downsyndrome :bow:

[Mr. Lahey]

veryy happy with this piece of business. now bring in Mvila and Hazard which will help wrap up the RVP contract extension and the title for next season.:partytime:.

[Japan Shaking All Over]

The optimist in me says this is because we have learnt from last seasons debacle and got our business done early so we can concentrate on getting rid of all this accumulated shite we have in the reserves.

The pesimist says its because season ticket renewal is up and numbers are well down...

Got a feeling this was announced so that we can have a little cheer around the place as we go for the final push towards third place

[Olivier's xmas twist]

:lol:

So true.

Hazard can fuck off too. Mercenary fuck.

Pretty Much rather get Gotze anyway. Hazard will go to the mancs, he is the Good midfielder the mancs fans have been crying out for but have never got for some reason.

[She Wore A Yellow Ribbon]

great signing.

interestingly this means a couple of things:
- more quality squad depth. we now have ox, theo, gerv, podolski and even rosicky who can play out wide. its a massive upgrade on benayoun who will be leaving at the end of the season.
- may mean theo gets played up front. with ox growing in confidence, he'll make a stake for a first team place. theo can be played up top to give rvp a rest. after all wenger said theo will always be a striker.
- signings like this will persuade RVP to stay.
- more versatility. podolski can play up top and LW. so when we go into the final games of next season we can rest RVP instead of playing him when he's clearly fatigued (which is what we are doing now).
- more experience - been at WC's etc.

good start wenger.

[Olivier's xmas twist]

great signing.

interestingly this means a couple of things:
- more quality squad depth. we now have ox, theo, gerv, podolski and even rosicky who can play out wide. its a massive upgrade on benayoun who will be leaving at the end of the season.
- may mean theo gets played up front. with ox growing in confidence, he'll make a stake for a first team place. theo can be played up top to give rvp a rest. after all wenger said theo will always be a striker.
- signings like this will persuade RVP to stay.
- more versatility. podolski can play up top and LW. so when we go into the final games of next season we can rest RVP instead of playing him when he's clearly fatigued (which is what we are doing now).
- more experience - been at WC's etc.

good start wenger.

Good thing about the player he seems to want to play for the club too not just for the money i mean were not even in the CL yet and he has signed.

Like you said good start but we need to get rid of deadwood and add more quality.

[milla]

I would literally Cum buckets if we signed Belhanda

Belhanda is awesome, very Pires like :coffee:

[Marc Overmars]

Lets hope Belhanda would be better than his dad has been for us.

[Joker]

Good signing, if we continue to add players of this calibre in the summer then the future's looking brighter.

[Niall_Quinn]

Let's not rule out the possibility we have signed him early and got him on a contract so we can sell him in the summer for a profit.

The board :bow:

[Coney]

It's almost as if they want to prove to RvP that they are serious.

[Marc Overmars]

It's almost as if they want to prove to RvP that they are serious.

Serious about replacing him?

[Coney]

:rolleyes:

:lol:

[milla]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcHdHNbC3jM

[Master Splinter]

Mertesacker, Eisfeld and Podolski.



Gnabry :bow:.

Who is our Frimpong look-alike.

[Gubby Allen]

gubby allen i think (sorry gubby if not you)

Wasn't me. Tbh I know **** all about football east of Lowestoft or Dover so wouldn't ever even pass comment. Half the names mentioned in this thread I've never heard of.

I like signing foreigners I know nothing about. You go into it with a completely open mind.

[Flavs]

Lets hope Belhanda would be better than his dad has been for us.

rofl

[Flavs]

Lets hope Belhanda would be better than his dad has been for us.

http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/479/younesbelhanda3.jpg

They arent that alike...

[Jens' Face]

Am I right in saying Podolski plays as a striker for his current club but out wide for Germany? (he can't have got a 1 in 2 int. record playing out wide though surely?)

Don't get too excited. His record isn't as good as it seems. He started playing for Germany in 2004. If you take out the 4 goals he's scored against San Marino or the Faroe Islands or Saudi Arabia every time he's faced them, he's scored 2 in 89 games.

Flavs :wave:

[GP]

Don't get too excited. His record isn't as good as it seems. He started playing for Germany in 2004. If you take out the 4 goals he's scored against San Marino or the Faroe Islands or Saudi Arabia every time he's faced them, he's scored 2 in 89 games.

Flavs :wave:

Were those two scuffed?

[Flavs]

Don't get too excited. His record isn't as good as it seems. He started playing for Germany in 2004. If you take out the 4 goals he's scored against San Marino or the Faroe Islands or Saudi Arabia every time he's faced them, he's scored 2 in 89 games.

Flavs :wave:

Alright stranger, how are things?

[Master Splinter]

Alright stranger


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEAakGOwSqw

:bow:

[hobson's choice]

Booo, fukking has been

[Marc Overmars]

Booo, fukking has been

Oh yeah, you were the guy who panned the signing.

Explain yourself.

[Cripps_orig]

Isnt 26 a bit young to be a has been?

[Marc Overmars]

Dunno, Wilshere is a 20 year old has been.

[Cripps_orig]

Wilshere is a never was, not a has been

[Marc Overmars]

May he rest in peace. :rose:

[hobson's choice]

Oh yeah, you were the guy who panned the signing.

Explain yourself.

Nothing more than gut feeling, just another waste signing to me, a player who just in our price range, who in all reality no one else wants.

Decent player and all, but i'm not expecting much at all, he just reeks of the we can't get true top quality so we gotta settle for him type signing. I wish I could get excited about him, but I just don't see much in that excites me.

Just hope we do better with our other potential signings

[fakeyank]

Nothing more than gut feeling, just another waste signing to me, a player who just in our price range, who in all reality no one else wants.

Decent player and all, but i'm not expecting much at all, he just reeks of the we can't get true top quality so we gotta settle for him type signing. I wish I could get excited about him, but I just don't see much in that excites me.

Just hope we do better with our other potential signings

:console:

This is the top signing of our entire summer! The other signings I anticipate are going to be are the Africans playing in the french league. Who did you expect we'd sign? Someone like David Villa, Benzema? :lol:

[hobson's choice]

:console:

This is the top signing of our entire summer! The other signings I anticipate are going to be are the Africans playing in the french league. Who did you expect we'd sign? Someone like David Villa, Benzema? :lol:

I'm just disappointed that this club just seems to have low self esteem, it's like they don't even try anymore(unless he's under 20). I understand we can't pay the wages of some clubs, but damn whatever happen to recruiting.

Don't we have someone at the club who has the ability to sit and talk to potential signings and convince them that this club is the right for them.

[Kano]

http://i48.tinypic.com/2naqu88.jpg

[Coney]

Jesus. We have made our first signing and it is before 1st June but the doomsayers are already at it.

[KSE Comedy Club]

http://i48.tinypic.com/2naqu88.jpgIs that a geniune pic?

Wonder if he was wearing it around cologne's training ground :lol:

[GP]

Do we know what number he'll wear?

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Nothing more than gut feeling, just another waste signing to me, a player who just in our price range, who in all reality no one else wants.

Decent player and all, but i'm not expecting much at all, he just reeks of the we can't get true top quality so we gotta settle for him type signing. I wish I could get excited about him, but I just don't see much in that excites me.

Just hope we do better with our other potential signings

Like Odemwingie?

Anyway, if this is who Wenget wants then it's good news we haven't pissed about this time. I think he's perfect for the leftside personally (on the assumption RVP does not go).

[Syn]

88.

For the £k's a week he'll be on.

[GP]

88.

For the £k's a week he'll be on.

Bargain

[Kano]

Is that a geniune pic?

Wonder if he was wearing it around cologne's training ground :lol:

yeah from the pre season game, where carl jenks scored that wonder goal...

[Marc Overmars]

http://i48.tinypic.com/2naqu88.jpg

What a beautiful man.

[LDG]

:smooch:

Germans :bow:

[Letters]

Say what you like about Germans but they're good at football, especially pels.


And sausages.

World Wars, not so much.

[LDG]

My surname is German. And I do look a little like Podolski.




When I'm in a dark room.

[Letters]

Which is the best way to look at your face.

:notallowedtousehug.gif.thisisgettingquiteannoying tbh:

[Cripps_orig]

Which is the best way to look at your face.

:hug:Cheat

[Cripps_orig]

Nothing more than gut feeling, just another waste signing to me, a player who just in our price range, who in all reality no one else wants.

Decent player and all, but i'm not expecting much at all, he just reeks of the we can't get true top quality so we gotta settle for him type signing. I wish I could get excited about him, but I just don't see much in that excites me.

Just hope we do better with our other potential signingsMan Utd were after him

As well as the 2 Milan clubs

[Coney]

Say what you like about Germans but they're good at football, especially pels.


And sausages.

World Wars, not so much.

Oh, I don't know. Germany vs Rest of World XI and it still took 6 years and cheating a bit with Enigma.

(Italy on their side is probably equivalent to R0W having the ref on their side)

[Olivier's xmas twist]

[AUOTE=Ach;131999]Man Utd were after him

As well as the 2 MilaN clubs[/QUOTE]


Pretty much.

[Niall_Quinn]

Say what you like about Germans but they're good at football, especially pels.


And sausages.

World Wars, not so much.

They are superb`at world wars. They took on evepyone apcrt from the Italians and still managed |o take it to pens. That despite having the Italians as allies. Shame they couldn't pull it off,$we'd have a freer society now.

[fakeyank]

So we sign quality and you still moan. Yes we may not get a Benzema etc but this is a good start. we all know we won't chuck 50 mill on a player like city and chavs and rightly so.

some people will just be misreable whatever it seems.

Charlie :lol:

I said we are not getting anyone other than him in terms of proven quality. Are there better strikers yes, but we will not sign them. Am I happy? Go read my response to Letters 'False Dawn' and see what I think about this signing.

[Olivier's xmas twist]

Charlie :lol:

I said we are not getting anyone other than him in terms of proven quality. Are there better strikers yes, but we will not sign them. Am I happy? Go read my response to Letters 'False Dawn' and see what I think about this signing.

Alright ill give you this one :lol:

[hobson's choice]

So we sign quality and you still moan. Yes we may not get a Benzema etc but this is a good start. we all know we won't chuck 50 mill on a player like city and chavs and rightly so.

some people will just be misreable whatever it seems.

Quality, I would'nt go that far dude, guy has been a non factor since 2006 WC.

[hobson's choice]

Man Utd were after him

As well as the 2 Milan clubs

Good for them, this guy just doesn't convince me.

[Kano]

you said in reality no one else wanted him?

[V-Pig]

:lol:

Stewart Downsyndrome :bow:

Lol.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Quality, I would'nt go that far dude, guy has been a non factor since 2006 WC.

He hasn't been a non-factor for Germany but I won't deny it hasn't worked for him on club level outside of his club. He clearly has quality, it's mentally where the problem has been for him.

[Letters]

it hasn't worked for him on club level outside of his club.
Do what?

[Flavs]

Arseblog makes a good point this morning about when Wenger has gone for players who have failed at a big club we tend to do alright out of it. Bergkamp, Vieira and Henry for instance

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Do what?

Sorry, outside of his club. Köln.

[Letters]

Ah.

[Syn]

Nothing too interesting but the transcript from his press conference which was almost certainly at 7pm.


Podolski Press Conference - Transcript
Podolski PC - May 2nd 2012

Note* I left out questions purely on Köln or the German NT.

Introduction

„The decision has been made, and I want to stress it again, not against FC Köln but in favour of Arsenal FC. I always knew that I’d either continue my career at Köln for a further couple of years or I’d go to another top club. I had a couple of different offers but they did not really matter to me. As soon as the offer of Arsenal arrived I started to think about my career in football and eventually came to the conclusion that this would be the right path for me.”

Q1 – Lukas: Why is Arsenal such a good fit?

“They wear the same colours as Köln (laughs). No, jokes aside. As I've said before, I had other interesting offers but for me, it had to be a top club and when you look at Arsenal, with a fantastic manager, good environment and there has never been bad press surrounding the club; they are playing attractive football and have a great stadium with great fans. Although I’ve never been there and haven’t looked at anything I think the club is a very good fit for me. Otherwise I would not have made the decision.”

Q2 – Meeting with Arsene Wenger.

“We just spoke on the telephone once and I have not met him yet, that will certainly happen after the Euros. Also, I haven’t seen the stadium or the training facilities yet as the focus has been completely on Köln so far.”

Q3 – Mertesacker's video message

“I am happy to play with someone whom I’ve know for a long time, who speaks German and with whom I get along very well. Therefore I believe he’ll make it easy for me to settle down.”

Q4 – Has he spoken to Mertesacker

“Yes, I asked him a couple of question about the club, the environment etc.. But at the end of the day, you have to make the decision on your own. You might get some advice, for sure. But he hasn’t helped with the final decision.”

Q5 – About his time in Munich

“In Munich, I maybe was a tad too young. Now, I’m more experienced and have become even better and I’m confident about this move and certain that I will make it there.”

Q6 – Dealing with a new language

“Whenever you go to a new country, the language is a part of that – but I believe football is international. I think my English is good enough and will make it easier for me to fit in.”

Q7 – Contract / time after Arsenal

“I don’t want to discuss any details on my contract. Regarding my future after London, sure, I could imagine to come back and as I’ve said before, the FC (Köln) will always be my club no matter what. I believe it’s important that the club carries on and moves forward when I’m gone. It’s vital for me that they don’t say 'now that Podolski is gone everything is falling apart'. But it’s rather a chance to rebuild, with new chairmen, to move forward and be successful again, something that was promised to me when I arrived. That has to be the aim.”

Q8 – Hopes and dreams with Arsenal

“Undoubtedly, the Arsenal FC is a big name in football, you just have to look back and look at their success. Again, they have an awesome manager, and a great st\adium – I’m looking forward to that. The goal has to be to win titles over the next years. That’s a given when you go to a big club. The English league is very good and competitive and every year six or seven clubs are challenging. Hence it’s a chance and a great motivation to make another step forward."


http://arsenal-esque.blogspot.de/2012/05/podolski-press-conference-transcript.html


Interesting to know that Wenger has only spoken to him once and hasn't even met him yet, and that Podolski hasn't had to come to London at all.

I wonder what offers he had. Would be nice to know what clubs Arsenal beat out.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

What I get from that, much to Fat Sam's disgust, is perception remains very important. Regardless of how some might think our style of play actually has been this season, the idea of attractive football is something that will always stick to us.

[Cripps_orig]

Thank fuck for the invincibles then

They are all gone but their reputation remains

[Japan Shaking All Over]

Nothing too interesting but the transcript from his press conference which was almost certainly at 7pm.




Interesting to know that Wenger has only spoken to him once and hasn't even met him yet, and that Podolski hasn't had to come to London at all.

I wonder what offers he had. Would be nice to know what clubs Arsenal beat out.

It kind of shows that Wenger stays out of the dealings, of course identifies players of interest, and keeps a budget in mind, I imagine if needed he gets brought in.

Wonder if this is the same all over?

[Niall_Quinn]

"...always knew that I’d either continue my career at Köln for a further couple of years or I’d go to another top club."

Erm, so becoming a crown green bowling champion was right out! Good to know.

[Fist of Lehmann]

Interesting to know that Wenger has only spoken to him once and hasn't even met him yet, and that Podolski hasn't had to come to London at all.That runs contrary to the general perception that Wenger conducts all the negotiations.

Interestingly, from what I've read, the club removed this responsibility from the manager after George Graham, for obvious reasons, where it passed over to Ken Friar.

Whether that changed back again once Wenger proved trustworthy, or not, I couldn't say. Certainly a large percentage of our negotiations appear to happen in his absence.

[Marc Overmars]

So we make one of our best signings (on paper) in recent memory and Wenger's involvment is limited?

The board. :bow:

[Cripps_orig]

Dont blame the board for not sending Wenger.

Lets buy the player first before infecting him with Wengeritis

[Olivier's xmas twist]

It kind of shows that Wenger stays out of the dealings, of course identifies players of interest, and keeps a budget in mind, I imagine if needed he gets brought in.

Wonder if this is the same all over?

Its Ivan who does the deals for us, well he has been since he came in, he did the Cesc deal and got the buu back clause etc. Seems AW just tells em who he wants etc.

[Olivier's xmas twist]

That runs contrary to the general perception that Wenger conducts all the negotiations.

Interestingly, from what I've read, the club removed this responsibility from the manager after George Graham, for obvious reasons, where it passed over to Ken Friar.

Whether that changed back again once Wenger proved trustworthy, or not, I couldn't say. Certainly a large percentage of our negotiations appear to happen in his absence.

And rigtly so i don't think managers should be that much involed in transfer dealings. We should do like the spainsh lot do, leave it to the director for footie or in our case cheif exc.

[Kano]

That runs contrary to the general perception that Wenger conducts all the negotiations.

Interestingly, from what I've read, the club removed this responsibility from the manager after George Graham, for obvious reasons, where it passed over to Ken Friar.

Whether that changed back again once Wenger proved trustworthy, or not, I couldn't say. Certainly a large percentage of our negotiations appear to happen in his absence.

i read an article about this early on in the season - i can't remember the guys name but there is a 'chief' negotiator who is apparently not a fave with some agents, being a bit of a tough nut to crack.

edit: his name is dick law. make of the name what you will...

[Niall_Quinn]

And rigtly so i don't think managers should be that much involed in transfer dealings. We should do like the spainsh lot do, leave it to the director for footie or in our case cheif exc.

Except for Harry, his delightful ducking and diving, wheeler dealing would be sorely missed, and I'm sure he'd miss the back-handers too.

[Power n Glory]

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/arsenal-hire-dealmaker-to-fill-vacant-dein-role-1823046.html

More on Richard 'Dick' Law


The director of football role that has remained unoccupied at Arsenal since the abrupt departure of David Dein two years ago has now unofficially been filled in part by an American who once scouted for the club in South America.

Dick Law, who helped bring Gilberto Silva and Carlos Vela to Arsenal, has become the club's fixer on transfer deals and the re-negotiation of contracts for existing players. That was a key part of the job done by Dein before he was forced out by a boardroom putsch in April 2007 and Arsène Wenger has always been against bringing in a high-profile name to fill the role.

Under new chief executive Ivan Gazidis, Law, with Wenger's blessing, has become a more central figure at the club. He was previously Arsenal's scout in South America and, subsequently North America and helped to establish Wenger's network of scouts there. He is understood to be in London for two weeks per month and players seeking to open talks on new deals are being directed towards him.

The club are adamant that Law is not to be regarded as a director of football and that he is only a consultant to the club rather than a full-time employee. Law, a Fifa-licensed agent, has an office at the training ground and his main responsibilities are strategy, contract negotiations, administration and planning.

There is no question of Law influencing Wenger's transfer decisions or putting pressure on the Arsenal manager to buy certain players. The club are very eager that his role is not confused with the much more influential job Frank Arnesen did at Chelsea and Damien Comolli once performed at Tottenham.

Law is close to Wenger's chief scout Steve Rowley, who is a long-serving ally of the Arsenal manager and has played a key role in the transfer coups for players such as Theo Walcott and Aaron Ramsey. Another of Law's projects is understood to be the establishing of feeder clubs for Arsenal around the world that would allow them access to the best young players.

Law had connections with Dein before he became more involved in working with the club. Law's name came up when Arsenal were obliged to defend their conduct in the High Court in 2005 over Gilberto Silva's transfer from Atletico Mineiro three years previously. They were accused by the player's then-agent of bypassing him in the deal. Arsenal were cleared of any wrongdoing.

It is anticipated that Law will be given the job of taking care of contracts for all players from the academy to the senior team. The club hope that the addition of Law to oversee contracts will mean there is less chance of the young teams that Wenger has built over the last three years being picked off by other clubs. They announced that Eduardo da Silva had signed a new deal yesterday – understood to be four years, although for reasons known only to themselves Arsenal never disclose the lengths of player contracts.

The Croatian striker was still on the original contract that he signed in the summer of 2007 when he joined from Dynamo Zagreb. His long-term injury, sustained in February 2008, meant that he had not negotiated a new deal and both sides agreed to wait until his return. The latest contract should put him up with the £40,000-£50,000-a-week earners.

There had been suggestions in the last two weeks that Rafael Benitez was interested in making an offer for Eduardo in January although it would appear that the contract talks were well-advanced by then. Wenger said: "We have seen in his comeback from injury, Eduardo is a human being full of courage, bravery and commitment. His full recovery from this injury is a testament to his character."

There was some good news on the injury front for Wenger yesterday when it was discovered that Kieran Gibbs did not break his ankle playing for England Under-21s against Lithuania on Tuesday night. The 20-year-old was forced to come off in the 21st minute of the match and it was feared that he might be yet another casualty from international week after Robin van Persie ruptured his ankle ligaments playing for the Netherlands.

Gibbs will miss Saturday's game away at Sunderland. He will be fit to play against Standard Liège next week but given that Arsenal only need a single point from their two remaining Champions League games to qualify it is likely that he will be rested with a view to him being ready for the Chelsea match on 29 November. First-choice left-back Gaël Clichy is out until next month with a back problem.

He hasn't been in this role that long and we're probably staring to see more of his influence. He was a scout for us and not just a pen pusher so he knows what players are around and who we should sign. He doesn't have ultimate power, the article suggest more of a consultancy role and I doubt Wenger would allow a guy to have so much power over him. It wouldn't be right for that to happen either. But now that project youth is coming to the end of it's cycle, it's funny how we're suddenly able to identify and sign 'super quality' players.

Just like Mertsesaker, Poldolski was available for a relatively low fee before his move away from Munich and we didn't go for him. Maybe now that we're seeing so many young players we had hopes for fall off the radar, we can finally get back to business. After we the Man U mauling, it didn't take long for us to identify players who could step in. We have scouts all over the globe so I've never bought the story that nobody of any real quality has been available. Maybe it's sign that the clear out has finally started and we're done with this project youth nonsense.

[hobson's choice]

Arseblog makes a good point this morning about when Wenger has gone for players who have failed at a big club we tend to do alright out of it. Bergkamp, Vieira and Henry for instance

That was what 10/12 years ago, and two players(since he didn't buy Dennis) doesn't make a trend. And He knew Henry from his youth days

[hobson's choice]

you said in reality no one else wanted him?

Players rarely change, they are what they are, nothing expecting, waste of money.

[Cripps_orig]

And i hope Podolski doesnt change.

Hes been excellent for the most part.

I wont let a bad time at one club when he was a kid years ago make my mind up on how he is now seeing as hes scored plenty since then for club and country

An excellent buy

[Kano]

Players rarely change, they are what they are, nothing expecting, waste of money.

i don't know what you are talking about now.

[Young Guns 11]

And rigtly so i don't think managers should be that much involed in transfer dealings.

Really?

[GP]

Really?

Yeah that's pretty common.

Manager identifies the player, other people will do the negotiations.

[Young Guns 11]

Yeah that's pretty common.

Manager identifies the player, other people will do the negotiations.

Oh fair, guess I misread the convo, thought Charlie was saying that managers shouldn't really be involved at all :lol:

[Olivier's xmas twist]

Yeah that's pretty common.

Manager identifies the player, other people will do the negotiations.

Yep this is what i meant.

[Japan Shaking All Over]

That was what 10/12 years ago, and two players(since he didn't buy Dennis) doesn't make a trend. And He knew Henry from his youth days

Yeah DB10 was Brucie's signing but Bruce was Wengers stopgap!

Wenger had to see a year out with Grampus before he could come over to Arsenal, I am positive thst Bruce Rioch was a temp (how much he knew I am unsure) but I am equally convinced that Bergkamp was brought in on Wengers advise.

For some reason Bergkamp never felt like the Rioch type of player but it made a whole lot of sense when we started to realise what direction Wenger was taking us.


(That has always been my opinion, feel free to shoot it down!)

[dazthegooner]

Sound about right to me!

[GP]

Yeah DB10 was Brucie's signing but Bruce was Wengers stopgap!

Wenger had to see a year out with Grampus before he could come over to Arsenal, I am positive thst Bruce Rioch was a temp (how much he knew I am unsure) but I am equally convinced that Bergkamp was brought in on Wengers advise.

For some reason Bergkamp never felt like the Rioch type of player but it made a whole lot of sense when we started to realise what direction Wenger was taking us.


(That has always been my opinion, feel free to shoot it down!)

That's 100% right.

[Japan Shaking All Over]

That was what 10/12 years ago, and two players(since he didn't buy Dennis) doesn't make a trend. And He knew Henry from his youth days

And the part about Henry is bullshit unless you are trying to say that AW picking up Henry from a faltering career at Juve and helping him become one of the greatest goalscorers evet and an absolute Gooner legend doesnt count because they knew it other in the past.

[dazthegooner]

And didn't he also advise the board to sign Vieira before he offically took over.

[Cripps_orig]

:lol:

People will do anything to give Wenger credit, even for things when he wasnt here :lol:

In that case, i think Wenger should get credit for out 1989 title win as well. Apparently he was seen talking to Rioch who had a word with Thomas

[dazthegooner]

Not even worth a response oops that was a response ;)

[Cripps_orig]

The Vieira one is correct but that was when the world knew he was going to become our manager.

Bergkamp was a Rioch signing. Everyone bar "Wenger can go no wrong" fans know that seeing as Bergkamp himself has said it

[LDG]

:lol:

People will do anything to give Wenger credit, even for things when he wasnt here :lol:

In that case, i think Wenger should get credit for out 1989 title win as well. Apparently he was seen talking to Rioch who had a word with Thomas

:haha:

[Japan Shaking All Over]

Shocker from Ach - maybe he needs to get Wenger to help him out too

[Cripps_orig]

Shocker from Ach - maybe he needs to get Wenger to help him out tooNot my first and wont be my last

I meant Dein but had Rioch on the brain

[Japan Shaking All Over]

Graham even?

To be honest, my opinion about DB10 is not based on some rose tinted love for Wenger more thats how I see things went down.
I firmly believe that AW was lined up before Riochs appointment and that Bruce was there to keep the seat warm. It would not surprise me that Wenger requested we look at Bergkamp and sign him if need be before anyone else did so that he was on board by yhe time Wenger took over

[hobson's choice]

And the part about Henry is bullshit unless you are trying to say that AW picking up Henry from a faltering career at Juve and helping him become one of the greatest goalscorers evet and an absolute Gooner legend doesnt count because they knew it other in the past.

Of Course Wenger knowing Henry when he was Monaco had something to do with him buying him, why would it not. Course he obviously knew he had talent, and was being played in the wrong position.

Henry would've been a great player regardless. Like I said two signings in 14 years aint a trend. So Arseblog or whoever wrote that piece, got it wrong

[hobson's choice]

i don't know what you are talking about now.

Let me explain myself better, Podolski to me just strikes me as a player, who is soft, and doesn't have the will to fight. I was a fan of his, but his time at Bayern was bad. He didn't fight for spot on the team, he thought he was entitled to it because of what he did in 06, and sulked, instead of trying to earn his spot. I would've respected him more if would've went to a more successful club in Germany, and show his true worth. Except he didn't, he went back to a place where he was always going to be the only player that really mattered.

And to me those are characteristics of player of who is going to hide when things get tough, and cower under pressure. And people with those characteristics rarely change.

[Coney]

Graham even?

To be honest, my opinion about DB10 is not based on some rose tinted love for Wenger more thats how I see things went down.
I firmly believe that AW was lined up before Riochs appointment and that Bruce was there to keep the seat warm. It would not surprise me that Wenger requested we look at Bergkamp and sign him if need be before anyone else did so that he was on board by yhe time Wenger took over

Plus Wenger knew Dein before he was appointed and could well have given Bregkamp's name as a tip, even if he did not get the Arsenal job.

But, whatever. People can bang on about Graham's defence and who chose Bergkamp, but the fact remains that until Wenger appeared we only won the odd trophy, but when he took over, we had the most successful period of the club. Granted the last few years have been disappointing, but had we not moved out of Highbury, would we have been any more successful? The old invincibles were all getting on so we can't say that we would have continued for that reason, not to mention Chavs getting a shit load of money and changing the balance of power from a 2-horse race (OK - 3 with RvN) to 3 and now, with Citeh, it is 4+.

While we might be pissed off with us being 2% short of buying the couple of players that might have tipped the balance, there is no doubt that Wenger made the Arsenal more successful by a big margin. Maybe Graham did build the defence but he did not take us to the next level, and Wenger did.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Let me explain myself better, Podolski to me just strikes me as a player, who is soft, and doesn't have the will to fight. I was a fan of his, but his time at Bayern was bad. He didn't fight for spot on the team, he thought he was entitled to it because of what he did in 06, and sulked, instead of trying to earn his spot. I would've respected him more if would've went to a more successful club in Germany, and show his true worth. Except he didn't, he went back to a place where he was always going to be the only player that really mattered.

And to me those are characteristics of player of who is going to hide when things get tough, and cower under pressure. And people with those cha wouracteristics rarely change.

That seems a little bit unfair to me. When do Bayern Munich sell their players to the other top teams in Germany? Regardless of how he might have performed for Bayern Munich, he is still an international player that they would be foolish to sell to a direct rival. It's fair to say he would've wanted to go back to his comfort zone but there's nothing particularly wrong with that.

And clearly now he is ready to try again outside of his comfort zone. If the time does come where he needs to be sold, then he is an easy sell back to clubs in Germany.

[Master Splinter]

RVP on Podolski and Germans in general:


“As we have seen with Per, German players tend to be very professional in how they live, train and perform – it’s something I like about them and another reason why this is a great signing for us," he said.
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/van-persie-podolski-is-a-great-signing

Professional :bow:.

Efficient :bow:.

Typical :bow:.

Germans :bow:.

Must Gets of the highest order.

[Olivier's xmas twist]

New Arsenal striker Lukas Podolski was forced to conduct his farewell lap for Cologne with a riot police escort as his final game for the club was overshadowed by ugly scenes.
Full story: Metro (http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/oddballs/898343-relegation-and-riot-police-overshadow-lukas-podolskis-cologne-finale)

Oh dear

[Kano]

Let me explain myself better, Podolski to me just strikes me as a player, who is soft, and doesn't have the will to fight. I was a fan of his, but his time at Bayern was bad. He didn't fight for spot on the team, he thought he was entitled to it because of what he did in 06, and sulked, instead of trying to earn his spot. I would've respected him more if would've went to a more successful club in Germany, and show his true worth. Except he didn't, he went back to a place where he was always going to be the only player that really mattered.

And to me those are characteristics of player of who is going to hide when things get tough, and cower under pressure. And people with those characteristics rarely change.
perhaps but bayern are more of a man united size team and we are not so i can't see why the expectations here would be too much for him.

let's not forget he went there as a young man and not every young guy is ready to take on the big shit straight away - i think it would be foolish to dismiss a guy that has turned up at big tournaments and has a very solid scoring record.

[Japan Shaking All Over]

Not sure if iPod has got his own thread ....but I really do think we should be keeping him then including him in any package for Drax....I really want to see our squad grow in size for a change then our normal thread if offloading before bringing in new blood.....

[KSE Comedy Club]

Not sure if iPod has got his own thread ....but I really do think we should be keeping him then including him in any package for Drax....I really want to see our squad grow in size for a change then our normal thread if offloading before bringing in new blood.....

I really don't think we would use him as a makeweight.

The shit rags are just following on from their made up story about there being tension or whatever, between him and Wenger from that video where Ox got subbed instead of him, and talking more shit about us using him to buy draxler.

Its bullshit.

[selassie]

Can't see him being around next season, I get the impression Wenger doesn't truly rate him or maybe they have some personality clash?

He pretty much never gets minutes.

Podolski rarely starts and Gnabry is preferred to him ATM for some bizarre reason. Don't get me wrong I like Gnabry, the boy has big potential...but I think it's unnecessary to keep playing him, he's still very much a work in progress.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

I find this situation with Poldi really weird. Even if he is going to be let go in the summer, what's the point in barely using him? It's only lessening (our already becoming sparse options), unless we pull something out of the bag within a couple of days.

I think WUMger might be misjudging it too. The fans and players clearly really like him so something like this can have an adverse effect on everybody else.

[Özim]

He's a good finisher and should be playing more, just don't get why Wenger won't play him, we're not exactly full of goals up front and I personally don't think Giroud is enough of a goal threat up front.

[Marc Overmars]

I don't think he has the sort of movement Wenget likes in a striker, but he deserves better chances to prove himself than he's been given since he returned from injury.

[Niall_Quinn]

I find this situation with Poldi really weird. Even if he is going to be let go in the summer, what's the point in barely using him? It's only lessening (our already becoming sparse options), unless we pull something out of the bag within a couple of days.

I think WUMger might be misjudging it too. The fans and players clearly really like him so something like this can have an adverse effect on everybody else.

The Podolski situation seems entirely unremarkable when compared to Park. That's truly bizarre with the guy sometimes turning up on the bench but never, ever getting the call. Then there's Bendtner who fails to impress every time he plays and is now back after being excluded for two seasons. Wouldn't be surprised if some computer algorithm dictates this.

[GP]

The Park thing is truly bizarre. The only way it makes sense is if Wenger never wanted him.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

The Podolski situation seems entirely unremarkable when compared to Park. That's truly bizarre with the guy sometimes turning up on the bench but never, ever getting the call. Then there's Bendtner who fails to impress every time he plays and is now back after being excluded for two seasons. Wouldn't be surprised if some computer algorithm dictates this.

I don't know, at least we have seen that Park is quite crap; Poldi might have stinkers but he often scores or assists. Even the South Korean military didn't want Park.

[Niall_Quinn]

The Park thing is truly bizarre. The only way it makes sense is if Wenger never wanted him.

The fact we gazumped another club for his signature makes it even more twilight zone.

[Niall_Quinn]

I don't know, at least we have seen that Park is quite crap; Poldi might have stinkers but he often scores or assists. Even the South Korean military didn't want Park.

I'm not so sure Park is crap. Has he even played 90 mins total in his Arsenal career yet? But he did finish off his one goal with a good degree of skill. I suppose we'll never know. LOL, that's another hilarious aspect about the Park situation, we lobbied to get his national service deferred. With Podolski I guess you'd have to have some idea of Wenger's view on different types of formation, tactics and key indicators in terms of player performance. I doubt anyone knows the criteria besides Wenger himself. Evidently, for whatever reason, Podolski doesn't fit. It'd be tempting to say he's too positive a player to fit in with our new ultra-negative strategies. But then why play Rosicky?

Diaby is another case. Why on earth persist with him? And you get the impression he'll be straight back in the team if he ever recovers.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

I'm not so sure Park is crap. Has he even played 90 mins total in his Arsenal career yet? But he did finish off his one goal with a good degree of skill. I suppose we'll never know. LOL, that's another hilarious aspect about the Park situation, we lobbied to get his national service deferred. With Podolski I guess you'd have to have some idea of Wenger's view on different types of formation, tactics and key indicators in terms of player performance. I doubt anyone knows the criteria besides Wenger himself. Evidently, for whatever reason, Podolski doesn't fit. It'd be tempting to say he's too positive a player to fit in with our new ultra-negative strategies. But then why play Rosicky?

Diaby is another case. Why on earth persist with him? And you get the impression he'll be straight back in the team if he ever recovers.

I saw him play for Celta Vigo a few times and he was pretty woeful. Did score four though . Having said that negative slant about him, he was quite good for South Korea in the World Cup so perhaps letting him waste away with nothing to do actually doesn't really help players.

If Wenger is barely going to let Poldi play now then he really does have to buy otherwise it's just a waste of our time and his.

[Niall_Quinn]

We have Sanogo coming back soon. Never forget this.