Arsenal Corner : Should Lukas Podolski Be Played As A Striker?

As Arsenal broke their two game losing streak with a scrappy, unconvincing, yet vital 1-0 win against QPR at the Emirates it is time for Arsene Wenger to think about his team composition and effect a slight reshuffle which can bring the team’s attacking flair back to where it was in the first few games of the season. Of course, losses take away the confidence and injuries to key players haven’t helped either.

While Jack Wilshere’s return from injury and his solid performance against QPR has brought some long-awaited cheer for the Arsenal faithful, it would be foolhardy to look at him as the one to drive the side to new heights. After being out of action for 542 days, one cannot help but feel that we are not going to the see the best of him this season. So, the next season might be the time when fans of the London club can begin chanting “JACK IS BACK” with real conviction.

Talking of Wilshere brings us to the central midfield and Arsene’s choices there. But the more pressing issue, another key area where the team needs to find its mojo- and quickly- is in front of the goal. The games against Norwich and Schalke saw Arsenal at their “poorest best” as far as cutting edge in the final third was concerned. Both Giroud and Gervinho, and the team in general, looked distinctly lacklustre. While the jury is still out on the latter playing as the false No.9, the Frenchman, brought in to lead the line, presents a conundrum.

To be frank, Giroud is not your typical Arsene Wenger kind of centre forward. That’s not to say he will not fit into this Arsenal side. In fact, the Frenchman brings something new to this team. An unmistakable physical presence, which he has already shown by holding up the ball well and bringing others into play. He also gives his teammates the option of playing “long balls” and crosses into the penalty box, something Arsenal have lacked over the past few years.

His positioning and movement in the penalty box is good too, although his finishing hasn’t been of the highest quality. But given Arsenal’s style wouldn’t it be fair to have a more mobile striker leading the line? That brings up the proposition of playing Lukas Podolski upfront. The German international has had an interesting start to his Arsenal career. Though he has adapted quite well to the Premier League, he has been substituted in every game he has played. Whether this is due to fatigue or due to Arsene Wenger wanting to keep him fresh for the long season ahead remains to be seen.

More Mobility Needed Upfront

The case for playing Podolski in the strikerai??i??s role is quite strong. Last season in the Bundesliga, playing for FC Koln – who were ultimately relegated – the German notched up a sizable tally of 18 goals and 7 assists. Podolski was especially ruthless in front of goal, with Kolnai??i??s counter-attacking game primarily based on Podolskiai??i??s pace, his ability to get behind defences and his clinical finishing. This in some ways can be attributed to the fact that Koln were a struggling team and the opposition teams were not hesitant to take the game to them, playing directly into the hands of Prince Poldi.

At Arsenal, he faces the polar opposite of that scenario. Most Premier League teams choose to sit deep, defend, deny Arsenal space and time on the ball and hit them on the counter. It is said that Podolski – and the Arsenal team in general – struggles against such defences. But with Gervinho injured and Giroud not mobile enough, it might be time for Arsene Wenger to throw the experienced German upfront and see how things work out. Podolski has been subdued in the last couple of appearances playing on the left wing and playing in the centre forward role might pose a new challenge and freshen him up.

On the flip side, it can be argued that Kieran Gibbsai??i?? injury has rendered Podolski ineffective. The two had built up quite an effective partnership on the left wing, with Podolski cutting inside and the England left back advancing further up the field and stretching the play. Andre Santos, his defensive frailities and his ai???driving skillsai??? aside, also is quite prone to cut inside, thus creating a bit of sameness about our attacks from the left. Santosai??i?? defensive cock-ups also mean that the German has to be on his toes to perform his defensive duties- something he did not do well against Schalke.

Here is a statistical comparison of last seasonai??i??s (2011-12) statistics of Podolski and Giroud throw up some interesting and predictable stats.

Both the players have strikingly similar numbers when it comes to the number of goals and assists and the percentage of shots on target. But the German’s conversion rate is nearly 75% higher than that of the Frenchman, an impressive feat considering the fact that Podolski played for a team which was always stuck at the wrong end of the table. His performances are even more impressive when you consider the fact that Podolski was involved in 64% of Koln’s overall goal tally.

Giroud on the other hand, was part of a championship winning side which was scoring freely and he had the talents of Younes Belahanda, Remy Cabella, to mention a few, to provide him goal-scoring opportunities. The German never had players of such ability to complement him.

All said and done, with Arsene reluctant to field Theo Walcott in the centre forward role – and with some justification – itai??i??s time for him to weigh up the pros and cons of giving the pacy Podolski a chance to lead the line.

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Ai??Written by Guest Author Chaitanya Lakkapragada

Follow the author on Twitter: @chaitugooner

Tags: Arsenal FC Arsene Wenger Lukas Podolski

Arsenal Corner : Should Lukas Podolski Be Played As A Striker?

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