Lukas Podolski has made a reasonably good begin to his Arsenal profession this season. We take a peek at his report card so far and explain the good and the maybe not so good part of his sport. Such may be the exalted position occupied by footballing media in todayas sporting landscape which they effortlessly get season-long stories for football clubs. For Arsenal this season, itas all been concerning the departure of Robin van Persie and how Wengeras hastily accumulated group of ragamuffins have did not cope with said departure. Every decent opportunity overlooked is supported by avan Persie would have obtained thata and other nuggets of wisdom-y wisdom; every Man United gain with van Persieas name on the score sheet elicits an aoh how Arsenal could do with this man in their ranks!a; and any specially impressive piece of skill by Arsenalas recent forwards effects in athat was a first toucha and similar encomiums. Yes, we obtain it. Not that the press are wrong, by itself. The Gunners positively miss having the silky-toed Dutchman cause the line for them; any team could have the touch when one of the most readily useful strikers in Europe leaves in his prime. Where in fact the media are wrong is in testing Arsenalas substitute strikers, namely Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud, by the same yardstick as they do van Persie. As players changing to a new team and a new place, it would be nigh-on unrealistic you may anticipate from them the footballing pyrotechnics that van Persie conducted in his final year at the Emirates. Seen in isolation, both of Arsenalas newly-unwrapped frontmen experienced decent starts to their jobs in red-and-white. We focus here on Lukas Podolski, who was simply bought from Cologne for approximately 10 million pounds and has performed both as a lone striker and large remaining forward for the Gunners to date. When term of Podolski signing for Arsenal reached their modern fan-base, there is practically an equal split between expectation and apprehension: expectation that FC Cologneas hero and one of many cornerstones of the German national team would rise to the next stage and persuade be profitable, and tension that Prince Poldi would turn out to be an damp squib as he'd at Bayern Munich. Eight months later on, there's been remarkable evidence to give credence to both of the aforementioned ideas, as Podolski has periodically pleased and disappointed. Podolskias skill-set is well publicized: a of a foot, bloody-minded directness, quick transitions on the counter-attack, and correct delivery from the wings. Thereas a wonderful conciseness in the way he represents when on music a' every pass is sharp, every give-and-go is no showier than it needs to be, every tackle put in is sans frills, tracking back is finished with a minimum of fussa a confident and happy Podolski is unbeeindruckt in the face area of risks. Such laconicism flourishes best when itas surrounded by expressiveness, and Arsenalas unperturbed German has expectedly had his best activities when the entire midfield and strike-force have fired on all cylinders. Podolski will never run rings around the whole resistance team and rating with a bodacious pelvic thrust; he'll be the one fizzing a simple but dangerous cross into the field, or kneeing the ball into the web after a corner-time struggle, or busting a gut to supply an encouraging run on the table. Podolskias most readily useful sport within an Arsenal top up to now came against West Ham at home, and his performance that day highlighted the logo terseness of expression properly. After the guests had taken a shock lead, the Gunners were brought by Podolski back to the fit with a tracer-bullet of a shot from thirty yards out. Then, in the second half, he played an understated but successful one-two with Giroud before moving in Cazorla for 3-1. Hardly a minute later, he'd the ball on the left side again, and sprayed an cross-field ball for Walcott to score. Again, the replays were hardly over when he charged down along side it just like a methodical rhino and hit a low cross for Giroud to push house. Net-buster of a goal in the initial half aside, there was no aOh snap!a time of genius from Podolski in that game, no transcendental bit of skill that made one apply eyes to oneas. It was simple things done simply, it was moving from position A to Z without taking a multitude prevents in unnecessary alphabets along the way. As Podolski is economical in his virtues, so is he indifferent in his deficiencies. Rarely are you going to see Podolski having an abjectly horrible sport, losing moves like billy-o, or tanking shots left, right, and center. Podolskias bad games are his hidden games: games where in actuality the sum of his contributions is to generally speaking shy away from any substantial contribution, place an erratic foot or two out for treating, and pass the ball back once again to his full-back. While Gervinho hilariously fails (but tries) and draws all manner of invective in his path, Podolski can lay on a hammock and sip pina colada on the left side. A new player periodically switching off for games is not unheard of, but this recent Arsenal staff doesnat have the required quality to properly carry people. On a poor time, Podolski has most of the end product of a rigor-mortis stricken cadaver. It was never more apparent than against Bradford. Podolski was very nearly a of Arsenal that rainy night: theoretically superior to the weight, but hemmed down and forced in to impotence by enthusiasm, travel, and effort. He unfailingly had two players snapping at his heels, haranguing him in to making errors, and he couldnat handle it. Itas said about great players that they can make a moment of brilliance also on a bad day, but Podolski seems more suited to moments of performance than moments of brilliance. Given that he's a well-honed poacheras impulse, anything thatas an issue at Ashburton Grove, but one only needs to look at how Podolski gets substituted across the 70 minute level usually to learn that heas certainly not your amoment of magica type of person. Maybe not in Arsene Wengeras eyes so far, anyway. To consider, Podolskias report card up to now might read something to the track of aGood start, but can do bettera. His playing design is rife with a common sense thatas not-so-common, and one can see him using charge as one of the leaders of this staff in the years to come. Nevertheless, there are a good few jagged arrows in his quiver that he needs to straighten out if he wants to make the leap up from Prince to King. Etc Abhishek Iyer is a freelance basketball author and spends the majority of his time wallowing in the wetlands of BigFourZa with a tear-stained Arsenal scarf. Apart from that, he's an contributor to 90 Minutes, Arsenal Vision and, obviously, The Hard Tackle. Follow him on twitter a' @Nickspinkboots
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