Daily Bits and Bobs

Finally, A Bit Of Height Back In Defence.. Podolski Told To Leave!

Posted on by rico

Morning all.

Big Ollie G is back in full training and he might even be ready to face Manchester United if things go well and no set-backs are suffered. Who’d have thought he’d recover as quickly as he has, certainly not me.

Good news or bad?

Well, when it comes to defending corners and set-pieces it’s good news as all 6′ 4″ of him will certainly help out the defence.

Going forward, well imo, when we are trying to keep a lead, he’s one of a few players who can get the ball and keep it and in his defence, he works hard to get the ball in the first place. His lack of pace has always been a concern but having been out for a few months, he’ll be desperate to play again and he’ll want to do well, maybe with an extra spring in his step after his rest. At least he might get his head on a few crosses and corners.

Whether he’ll walk straight back into the starting eleven or not remains to be seen but Danny Welbeck is in desperate need of a rest and he’s not alone.

Our players are being flogged to death and as one returns from injury, Arsene Wenger has to be careful that another doesn’t head off to the physio room because if anyone does, it’ll be his fault.

We have a squad for a reason and the manager needs to start using it.

One of those players who can’t get a game right now is Lukas Podolski and it’s no surprise to read that German manager Joachim Low has urged him to think long and hard about his future at Arsenal:

He needs to play competitive games. Sometimes he lacks the physical condition to play the full 90 minutes.

I’m aware he doesn’t play a lot right now for Arsenal. He has to think about his situation.

No doubt Lukas is doing that right now and has been for a while as no player enjoys sitting on the bench watching on, especially when his side are in desperate need of a goal and Yaya Sanogo get’s the nod instead of him.

Sanogo is yet to score a goal for the club in a competitive fixture, yet Lukas Podolski is the most lethal finisher in the league. He’s converted 27.9% of all the chances that have come his way – more than anyone else in the Premier League. In second place is Mikel Arteta! (Those stats are from 2009 to today)

Another player is Joel Campbell, no doubt he’s royally cheesed off. He’s like a young version of Alexis Sanchez, not so much in playing style but in his attitude towards the game. He works hard for the team, he’s willing to get stuck in and he’ll get back and help defend when needed.

I bet he wouldn’t have left Calum Chambers to get roasted time after time last Sunday..

Come on Arsene, stop sulking, stop picking your favourites and stop flogging our players to death.

You have a squad, use it!

That’s it for Friday, have a good day all…

 

rico

38 thoughts on “Finally, A Bit Of Height Back In Defence.. Podolski Told To Leave!”

  1. Jonathan Daniels says:

    I love the way you put it in concerning Mikel arteta. The captain’s so deceiving. pass accuracy n interceptions, he has it all, but I don’t see a thing he does in a game other than retain n spread possession sideways. As for Wenger, #Shouting Use the damn squad

  7. rico says:

    Welcome JD, my guess is Arteta’s figures are from penalties.. 😉

    Arteta is a better option than Flamini, but I’d rather we had neither and signed two really really good Cdm’s, proper ones.

  11. frednerk says:

    Afternoon All,
    The speculation about Ozil not wanting to sign for us,doing the rounds
    may be true.
    He never looks that happy…
    When I watched him,
    I always get the feeling..his keeping a bit back.

    Pro,
    Just before we bought Merts,I watched a few werder Bremen games,
    shipping goals seemed a matter of fact.
    I was surprised we signed him to.

  12. potter says:

    Mertesacker got his caps for Germany in a different system with players like khedira ,Schwienstiger ,ballack in front of him and Hummels , Badstuber , Lahm beside him. Spot the difference. With Kos he makes fewer mistakes and they play well together .On his own at the back he struggles..

  17. allezkev says:

    I remember watching Vermaelen and Koscielny playing at the back, as a pair and it was a car crash.

    Squillaci beforehand was always good for some entertainment…

    If you sort out the defensive midfield vacuum in front of our back-four and have enough defensive strength in depth, then BFG isn’t an issue, just as he wasn’t an issue last season…

    If you replace Mertesaker and fail to rectify the def/mid problem, then you solve nothing…

  20. allezkev says:

    Hi Rico, interesting to see, that despite all our angst over our defence, and yes, it is far for perfect. That we’ve conceded only two more goals than Boring Chelsea…

    The difference is in attack, where Arsenal have been criminally wasteful…

  29. frednerk says:

    If I had paddy and petit in front of me I could play against a lot these teams we seem to have trouble with.
    What always amazes me with our team,the players run around with they lips stuck together,
    ..If only these players new this little trick………………………Talk

  31. rico says:

    Fred, you trying to say Arteta and Flamini aren’t as good as Paddy and Petit?

    Surely not… 😉

    Players talking to each other, why didn’t Wenger think of that eh… If only eh….

  32. Wavy says:

    They didn’t talk to each other because they all had different languages! Not so much now but he’s forgotten how to instruct them after years and years and years of mutism!

  35. Joaquim Moreira says:

    The big problem is in the midfield like I’ve posted two days ago.
    We haven’t a strong defense but tell me one thing: those 4 you wrote above, it’s a defence worst then who? Chelsea ok and what more?
    Mets it’s good for the aerial balls… didn’t you remember a few years ago, we lost games (Leagues ?)because our defenders weren’t taller enought and corners,free kicks close the area and aerial game was terrible for us?

  36. rico says:

    Morning all..

    Jm, have to agree, although Merts is having a torrid season, it all starts long before the ball gets to him. Flamini and Arteta are just not the answer to our midfield problems…

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