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FC Koln 0 – 4 Arsenal: Podolski off the mark as Arsenal show off strength in depth

216 comments August 13th, 2012

FC Koln 0 – 4 Arsenal (Vermaelen 5, Podolski 15 (pen), 43, Gervinho 62)
Match Report | Highlights

Arsenal’s first goal had all the hallmarks of Steve Bould…
That corner routine was classic Arsenal – near post flick on from one centre-back to the other.  Clearly the new assistant has been drilling them on the training ground.

Lukas Podolski looked good in that number nine shirt …
It had been widely assumed Podolski’s squad number was yet to be announced because he was waiting for Robin van Persie’s number 10 shirt to become available.  Perhaps we’re merely waiting to sanction the sale of Park Ju-Young before handing him the number nine shirt he wore in such style yesterday.  Podolski began the match on the left-flank, but showed a real willingness to tuck inside, and a goalscorer’s instinct to net twice against his former club.  The first was a typically German (ie. accurate) penalty, and the second a sweeping finish after a great one-two with Kieran Gibbs.

 Olivier Giroud wore 12…
…and yet is every inch a traditional number 9.  This guy is huge, and yesterday his hold-up play and interlinking was fantastic, whilst slightly sharper shooting would have seen him grab a goal or two.  I was hugely encouraged by the two new strikers, and Theo Walcott’s constant threat from the right gave us a consistent attacking threat.

Santi Cazorla is a class act…
…just as we knew he would be.  As expected, he played at the tip of the central midfield trio, spraying passes to either flank with consummate ease.   I don’t want to heap pressure on the lad, but something tells me we will look back on his signing as one of the steals of the summer.

The Ox’s evolution to central midfield is well and truly underway…
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has made almost all his pre-season appearances as a central midfielder.  Despite impressing as a winger last season and at the European Championships, it’s clear Arsene likes the idea of deploying him as a deep-lying midfielder, where his footballing intelligence and driving runs can be put to more frequent use.  It’ll be interesting to see where he is deployed when the season proper gets underway.

Gervinho has had a fantastic pre-season…
I’ve been one of the Ivorian’s sternest critics, but I take my hat off to him: he’s knuckled down and been one of the best performers of our pre-season period.  There was the trademark terrible miss yesterday, but there was also a fantastic goal and some very effective dribbling.  Signs of improvement and adaptation?  Let’s hope so.

Our squad looks to have a lot more depth…
Although the line-up changed almost entirely at half-time, there was little discernible difference in quality between the two teams.  We have options all over the pitch, and if we can keep our players fit then we certainly have a squad capable of coping with the rigours of a long season.  There are still issues to resolve, but there is an overwhelming sense of optimism around the club.  Roll on Saturday.

Countdown to the new season: Giroud’s fee; Podolski’s performances

157 comments June 30th, 2012

Hello all.  As Euro 2012 hurries to a close, a new reason rapidly approaches.  In little over a week, Arsenal’s players will be back in training.  A fortnight today we have our first pre-season fixture: two 45-minute games against Southampton and Anderlecht at St. Mary’s Stadium.  It’s all tantalisingly close now.

Germany’s elimination on Thursday night means Arsenal’s interest in the competition is officially over.  Lukas Podolski and Per Mertesacker will go on holiday now, and return in time to join Arsenal on their trip to the Far East at the end of the month.

Whilst Mertesacker did not play a minute of competitive action during the tournament, ousted by Hummels and Badstuber, Podolski was recalled for the semi-final, only to hauled off at half-time, prompting criticism in both Germany and England.  I don’t think Arsenal fans need worry: the Podolski we saw at this tournament was shackled by a very disciplined system.  He played more as a left-midfielder than winger.  At Arsenal, the wide forwards are given more freedom to come inside and roam, and I think that will suit him down to the ground.  International football is known to be a more compressed game, with less space for attackers, and I think that is reflected in the relatively disappointing showings from some of the continent’s leading strikers – including our own Robin van Persie.

I’m still looking forward to seeing him in action next season.  Arsenal are in the unfamiliar position of having completed their major incoming transfer business ahead of pre-season.  I’m sure I’ll get flak for saying this, but I don’t foresee many big names arriving – despite what you may read elsewhere about Yann M’vila.  When you look at the squad, I just can’t see many gaps that require filling.  There are two obvious exceptions: we probably need a goalkeeper, and would hypothetically need to further strengthen the attack if Robin van Persie departs.

If the Dutchman were to go, it’d be too great a burden  to rely solely on our other new boy, Olivier Giroud.  On the subject of the Frenchman, my understanding is that the release clause we met to snare him is €13m rather than €15m – quite the bargain.  The player himself has admitted he rejected the advances of Chelsea, and can’t wait to get going in red and white:

“It is incredible for me. To already be a champion in France [with Montpellier], then play for Les Bleus, and now Arsenal.

I repeat myself, but this is a beautiful story. When I was little boy, I wanted to play in the Premier League. My heart has always looked for Arsenal.”

Not long to wait now, Olivier.  And not long for us fans, either.

Giroud on his way in; The Crab scuttling behind

293 comments June 22nd, 2012

When even Arsene Wenger is prepared to talk publicly about a transfer, you can be pretty sure it’s a done deal.  Yesterday, in an interview with TF1, he confirmed that France striker Olivier Giroud is “90%” certain to be an Arsenal player next season.  Arsene continued to eulogise over his forthcoming signing, saying:

“I think he has exceptional potential and will integrate very well in our collective and our way of playing. He’s a real team player and knows how to combine with other players and I’m sure he will do well with us.”

He also had some positive words for Lukas Podolski, who is likely to start for Germany in their Quarter-Final with Greece tonight:

“Podolski did a great job for the German team, he has superb team work. He plays in a cautious way sometimes, but he’s still scored a very important goal against Denmark for his 100th cap.

I am very happy with what I’ve seen from him.”

He sounds like a kid on Christmas morn who can’t wait unwrap his new presents.  Arsene loves signing a striker, and next season he’ll have some proper ones to play with after a campaign making do with Chamakh and Park.  Hopefully he’s corrected his error there, and these strikers are ones actually capable of both playing matches and scoring the occasional goal.

Of course, I can’t help but notice that at a time when the future of Robin van Persie is in so much doubt, we’ve bought two left-footed strikers.  The other day Arsene bet a reporter an ice-cream that RVP wouldn’t sign for Juve – hardly ‘putting his house on it’.  It would be quick to put two and two together and infer the worst.  However, there’s no point worrying: if Robin signs a new deal, we’ve got a terrific set of strikers.  If he goes, at least we’ve begun the job of replacing him, avoiding the horror of a last-minute trolley dash.  And if he stays and sees out his deal, that will give the new boys plenty of time to settle in, and for Arsene to assess what further action might need to be taken.

By the way, that distant fanfare you can hear is not a premature welcome for Giroud, but one heralding the return of Denilson.  I can already see an orderly queue forming at the club shop as fans wait to get their new shirt printed with his name.  Not his squad number, though, as he doesn’t have one.  If Denilson does return I can only imagine it will be for a short while, with Spain a probably destination – although the Spanish club that showed most interest for him last summer have since been relegated.

We might just be stuck with him.

Thoughts on RVP’s future + This morning’s meeting: LIVE

452 comments May 16th, 2012

As you probably all know by now, Robin van Persie will meet with Arsene Wenger and Ivan Gazidis this morning to discuss his future.  The get together will take place in Arsene Wenger’s house, of all places, at 10.30am.  It’s been splashed all over the web and papers for the last two days as if its big news.  In reality, it’s not news at all.  For six months now Arsenal and Robin have made it clear talks would take place between the end of the season and Robin joining up with the Dutch squad for the Euros.  That time has now arrived.

It’s hard to see what can be accomplished in just one day.  Robin leaves for Holland tomorrow, and it’s unlikely anything concrete could be sorted and signed so swiftly.  Perhaps Van Persie already knows what we’re offering, has been mulling it over, and this is his opportunity to give us his answer.  Perhaps this is genuinely the first time they’ve talked any kind of terms.  Either way, I can’t see us having a definitive resolution until much later in the summer.

RVP was pretty cagey after the West Brom game, but that’s understandable.  It wouldn’t be much of a negotiation tactic for him to say “I’ll definitely be signing a new deal”.  Even if he does decide his future is with Arsenal, he’ll want to squeeze us for as much money as possible – this is, after all, his last major contract.  And after his performances this season, who could begrudge him a big payday?

If I had to make a prediction – and it remains a hard one to call – I’d say he’ll stay and sign a new deal making him Arsenal’s highest paid player.  The reason being is that I can only see him really being tempted by a move to Barcelona or Real Madrid, and he doesn’t seem to be on either club’s radar this summer.  If he was, they’d have made their move by now, and we’d be reading a lot more quotes about his “DNA”.  I think he’ll be impressed by the arrival of Podolski, by Arsene and Ivan’s plans, and by the money we offer him.  And you know what?  If things don’t work out, he can always hand in a transfer request at a later date and leave for a decent fee.  He’ll still have plenty of suitors in twelve months time.

The stories this morning say that even if he doesn’t want to sign a new deal we’ll hold him to his existing contract.  That’s all well and good, but it does present some conflicts: do you want a player who you know is leaving to be the captain of your club?  Seems to happen to us all the time, but it’s hardly ideal.

Anyway, for a bit of fun, I’m live-tweeting this morning’s meeting over at @Gunnerblog, covering the conversation, the croissants, and the contract.  Follow me, it might be a laugh.

In other news, Euro 2012 is just around the corner, and at 1pm today we’ll find out if Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain joins Theo Walcott in the England squad.  Personally, I hope he does: if he’s not at the Euros, he’ll be at the Olympics, which is far more disruptive.  A host of other players are already ‘on the plane’ with their respective nations, and if you do me a little favour I could be too. I’ve written this piece on 5 Rising Stars at Euro 2012 (which includes a profile of reported Arsenal target Yann M’Vila).  If you could give it a read and click the ‘Like‘ or ‘Tweet‘ button I might just win a competition which takes me all the way to Poland.  Would enjoy blogging to you from there.

Whilst we’re on the subject of doing me favours: if anyone out there has a company that would like to sponsor Gunnerblog for next season, do let me know. Traffic is particularly high during the transfer window so it’s a good time to get on board. Apologies for being so public about it but I’ve got to find a way to pay for my season ticket somehow!  I can be contacted here.

Right. By tomorrow, we might know a good deal more about the future of RVP, and quite how painful this summer might be.  Don’t forget you can follow all that and more @gunnerblog.

Podolski confirmed; Third place far from it

413 comments May 1st, 2012

So the worst kept secret in football is finally out: Lukas Podolski will join Arsenal this summer.  It is, you won’t be in the least bit surprised to hear, a ‘long term contract for an undisclosed fee’.  Media reports suggest we’ll end up paying about €11m for the Germany striker – a very reasonable fee, and a consequence of the fact that he has just a year remaining on his contract.

Back in September few Arsenal fans would have bet on Arsene Wenger being in charge for 2012/13.  Now, however, it seems planning for next season is well underway, and Podolski is an important part of that.  Arsene says:

“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 Championship 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.”

It’s interesting that in the week in which he’s admitted we have an over-reliance on Robin van Persie, Arsene makes a point of heralding Podolski’s ability in front of goal.

The player himself, meanwhile, seems excited about the second major move of his career:

“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.”

It’s quite the coup to have secured his signing this early.  A good European Championships would only have increased demand for Podolski, and probably his inflated his demands beyond our means.

Like his countryman Per Mertesacker, Podolski fits the new profile of Arsenal signings: mid-twenties, internationally decorated, and continentally-known.  His Bundesliga experience and muscular build mean that adaptation to the Premier League shouldn’t be too problematic, whilst his direct running and powerful shooting offers an immediate improvement upon the likes of Gervinho, Park, and Chamakh.  I expect him to be deployed on the left of a 4-3-3, although he also provides an option through the middle.

And therein lies the first concern with this signing: that it might be a replacement for rather than an augment to Robin van Persie.  I can’t pretend to know whether that will ultimately be the case, but I can say with a degree of conviction that it is not Arsenal’s intention.  Indeed, one hopes signings like this will help convince Robin to sign on and stay.  The second concern is Podolski’s failed stint at Bayern Munich, but as this article by Raphael Honigstein suggests, the player has matured significantly since then.  All in all it’s a good addition and something to be excited about ahead of next season.

As I write, Roy Hodgson is on the verge of being named as the new England manager.  I think it’s the right appointment, for various reasons, but it does mean our final game of the season will see us travelling to West Brom for Hodgson’s farewell.  He’ll want to end on a high, so that looks an increasingly tricky game.

The situation remains simple: win our two remaining games, and third is ours.  However, my dwindling confidence has inevitably got me hoping for slips elsewhere to make our lives easier.  Tomorrow night, Spurs travel to Bolton and Chelsea face Newcastle.  If Chelsea are held to a draw, and Spurs are beaten, a win for Arsenal against Norwich on Saturday would all but guarantee Champions League Football a week in advance.  Wishful thinking perhaps, but my nerves could use a bit of relief.