Wenger – Podolski will help Arsenal challenge for title
Arsene Wenger is being surprisingly open with his ongoing negotiations with Lukas Podolski, but he must be extremely certain that the German International will be at Arsenal next season.
He revealed that Podolski is needed at the Emirates to take the pressure off Robin Van Persie as the Gunners main goalscorer, which will help push Arsenal towards an elusive trophy next season.
Wenger said: “Yes we want Podolski, because we want to add some offensive strikers, because many times people say we rely too much on Van Persie, which is true, but if we can find world-class players, we will challenge for the title.”
I wonder if his next statement is implying that he may need extra defensive cover as well after losing so many games in January through lack of full-backs.
“I just felt we had two weak periods in the season and you can only afford one,” he said.
“I knew when we were 17th in August that we cannot afford any weak periods anymore, so when that happened in January it was very difficult.
“If you look at the circumstances of the second blip, it was down to the fact we had no full backs. Overall since October, since the team has gelled, we are not on too bad a run.
“Man City have had the opposite; they started in the way we are now. It is difficult for everyone to maintain that.”
But now City are on their (very long) blip, and if both teams carry on in this vein I could even see the Gunners nicking second place from the Ca$hri-rich Oli Sheikhs. Oh how happy would that make me!
Oh YES!!! Let’s do it. Arsenal in 2nd.
Our dear Wenger, just do this (strenghtening the squad) and win the EPL in 2013.
Gooner for Life!!!
Top Gooner!. Agree or not?:
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This feels like a statement directly to Podolski, in a bid to insure that he is not going to sit on the bench while RVP plays every game. From what I have read, a deal for Podolski has not been agreed, and perhaps he is questioning whether he will get enough playing time at Arsenal with RVP playing so well.
Even so, the fact that Wenger is making it publicly known that he wants Podolski is a statement which carries weight, as he has not done that with many players in the past.
I am confident that Podolski will sign, I have not heard of many other clubs who are interested in him….
I know we need full backs, but we have 2 in each position and hopefully, Wenger signs a player who is versatile and could play in a full back position as well as other positions. Vertonghen leaps to my mind!
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Light bulb moment for Wenger, YES we need more world class players, and YES we need to challenge for the title next season
Come on you Gunners!, next season is ours!
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Out of tune?. Like or Dislike:
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Podolski
Belhanda/Gotze
Vertonghen
That’ll be beautiful.
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Podolski yes, but much better if goes with selling all deadwoods we have.
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Just wanted to say a big HAHAHA to all the people I got stick off last month I told every1 that podolski was coming to arsenal as a good freind of mine is the dietician for FC KOLN and has become good friends with him over the last few years and told mr ages ago he’s going to be an arsenal player the fee and personal terms have all been agreed but it’s not arsenals style to expose new signings until the end of the season!!!!
Come on u GOONERS!!!!!!!!!!!
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Wenger stated on weekend that if he finds quality he will sign them. Let’s hope that the Podolski deal is done but can’t be announced as yet. Hopefully Per has had an influence, so can TV5 in getting Vertonghen, as well as Per & Lukas in getting Gotze. Don’t know much about Belhanda. M Villa would in my mind, be a better option.
WOW! Can’t wait to see them on Arsenal website holding the jersey!!!
Come on AW and all the Gunners, continue to make us proud supporters. 2013…. here we come.
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dont leave us van persie… Pleasee.. U can hav whatever u want
Opinions divided. What do you think?
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Wenger is finally building a squad capable of winning games
Podolski will be an amazing signing for us and will take us
a step closer to winning a major trophy but he needs to have a bit of a clear out as well.
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Spurs for the title hahahaha lmaooooooo loooooooooooool. What a load of cr*p more like spurs for europa leauge.
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podolski would be a great signing but he couldnt play with van persie as they are too similar, in my opinion. however goetze would be like having fabregas back, similar type of player, great vision, great touch,perfect signing for arsenal and m’vila from rennes would be great for those difficult away matches.
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podolski vertongen -in
dead wood -out
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Yes prof. Let’s do this bring podolski to emirate and 1 top quality defender. I remain a gunner till i die.
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what ??? Wenger talking abt another club’s player ?? Bizzare!!!
An indication dat wenger is going 2 get his man,imo.but i fear if united,barca or someone else will register an interest…
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Yeah, we can do it, 2nd position here we come……
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People keep mentioning all sort of names without considering the current players we’ve in our books as well as the positions they play.i think podolski and verthongen will be just fine for our course next season cos the team is now gelling and we wouldn’t need to bring in so many players to stifle the progress of our upcoming youngsters.Goetze is a great talent but if we signed him,whats going to happen to wilshere,ramsey and upcoming players like lansbury and eisfeld.i believe wilshere can play in goetze’s position better and as such wilshere is better player compared to him even though he’s not far off.
We don’t need suarez as well cos we’ve campbell coming who could be in the team next season as well as miyaichi.In short we don’t need many signing to win the league next season and i agree with wenger when he says we need quality and world class signing cos we need to address our immediate deficiencies and that should be our priority.
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our team is good, we need just 3 good players(Gotze,Poldi, Vertrogen) and sale Alumunia,Squillachi,Chamack. Come next season will fight for honours
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Oh !!.if it hapens,i wil dance and dance and dance like d biblical david danced.
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I dont think we need many signings to challenge for the title next year, one or two really good ones and we’ll be laughing. As the boss says the team have gelled nicely now, the team spirit looks fantastic. The guys have proved that they can beat anyone when they play at their best as a unit and they seem to be playing with a confidence that was desperately lacking earlier in the season. The vital thing is for us to keep our best players – RVP obviously being the most important – and clear out the deadwood. What we don’t need is to have the heart ripped out of our team like we suffered last year – Two of our best players who “Love the club” dumping us in the proverbial.
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thank GOD! AW himself talking about a player.Thats a great sign! Come On u Gunner!
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Arsenal have been accused of havin a weak squad,bt we hav come to realise that we are only in need of few players to b able to challenge 4 trophies.wen we had fabregas nd nasri nobdy complained 4 wenger to strengthen his squad,bt wit them in the team we didnt accomplish anytin better than wat this “weaker team” is accomplishing.we hav come to realise that arsene has been working so hard to create a dream team 4 us bt everytime he was at the brink of finding the last piece of the puzzle,his players betray him,players that he has spent years polishing to be what they are.i read an article recently abt the departures of nasri nd fabregas,saying that fabregas worked his socks of 4 arsenal before he left whereas nasri didnt.betrayal is betrayal,arsene spent six yrs bringing up fabregas bt he abandoned arsene and arsenal in the name of goin back home,he betrayed us wen we needed him most.the manner in wic he left makes me hate even more than nasri,he claims to luv the club,bt wil u leave som1 u luv at the time he needs u most?
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RVP Please don’t leave you have to finish the job here and I have a strong feeling we are going to get the silverware next season.
Yes Wenger we need to strenghten the team. I am sure Podloski is going to sign perhaps this is a hint from Wenger. We are defiantely going to have silverware.
COME ON GUNNERS DON’T LOOSE THE RYTHYM KEEP IT UP
GUNNERS FOR EVER TILL I DIE.
IN ARSENE WE TRUST
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All wi need now r players so dat we retain da big names in da team.coz wi hav lost many players da likes ov HLEB,CESCE,etc due 2 lack ov a reliable team players all we see r da likes ov gervinho,ramsey,djouruo,squiLlachi,etc who r just in da team as tourists
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Podolski
Giroud
Praet
In:
Out:
Chamack
Park
Almunia
Squillaci
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@robinhood
Gervinho and Ramsey are better players than what you are making them out to be, Gervinho is in a bad run of form but after the ACON its understandable and Ramsey is still young, give him time!
I just hope we can keep RVP, everytime we are near to winning something we lose our most important players…
Henry
Hleb
Flamini
Adebayor
Nasri
Cesc
And out of all of them Cesc is probably the only one to not regret moving, mainly because hes now playing for the best side in the world. Im praying to see an article saying RVP extends contract, it will be like guaranteeing a new signing
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Where’s the source of these quotes? I can’t seem to locate the article from which you got the quotes.
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Yes second would be nice, just to spite Nastysari.
I think the board told AW to be more open about Podloski, so they can sell max amount of season tickets.
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This is interesting, AW talking of a player everyone blivs he’s signed before any confirmation, curious. I think we need a thinking midfielder more than we do a defender, that player who will dictate the tempo of the game, slice defences with laser guided passes, bully the so-called small teams. For the case of the defender, we shall get but, we shall have the same issues, injuries to TV5 n then occassional moments of lose of concentration regardless of who’s at the back
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I wish he would sign a experience defender, but I do not think he will…..he will sell Sebastien Squillaci, but he will replace him with Ignasi Miquel or another Young player
He will say that………..”We have 3 Quality defenders in Vermaelen, Mertesacker and Djourou who just sign a new contract, and I will not bring in a top defender just to sit on the bench…no one would want that as a player and I would not fell right about doing it.”
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First we need to make sure RVP and Walcott renew their contracts, then adding Podolski will be our first step towards getting the team right for next season. Gotze would be my next choice but i dont think he will leave Dortmand just yet so we may have to wait, Junior Hoilett is definatly an instant choice and would be a snip at £5-£10 million. Hazerd (Nasri mark 2) looks a cert to join whoever has the most money so its finding a quick player in that mould. Olivier Giroud is mentioned as a striker, yet again at £10 million would be a no brainer?, Mvilla and Jan Vertonghen dont think we need these players with Song and the current defence doing so well i dont think they are likely.
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@Craig24
Hoilett would be free, his contract runs out in the summer, for that reason alone I think he would be a good signing
I think Vertonghen is needed but definately not Mvilla
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i know someone that knows someone who talks alot with one of podolski’s agent’s dietician’s friend. and ITS TRUE PODOLSKI IS GOING TO SIGN FOR ARSENAL! HAHAHAHAHA to all the people who laughed at me! =.=
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dafuq guys we dont need full backs… maybe a squad player right back should be nice but we have 2 decent full backs on both sides, gibbs and santos are a good combination, Sagna has become one of top 5 right backs in the world. we just need vertoghen who can cover 3 positions and Podolski ofc.
If jacky comes back strong we get 2+ silverwares next season
COYG
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Am happy Wenger realised all the fans agitations,at least a striker, a midfielder and a defender is all we are asking for……Podoski,,,,,,Gotze/M’vila and Ventoghen.Congrats to all gunner fans.
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@PAUL PLEASE MAKE A FRIEND IN AJAX TOO
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@ Hademe i’m not yet convinced by Podolski tbh prefer Huntelaar and I don’t see Gotze and M’Vila as an either or I want BOTH! M’vila is a perfect understudy to Alex Song and in some ways is a better DMC as he is disciplined in protecting the back four although he lacks Songs creativity. And Gotze is just amazing. The thought of Gotze, Ox, Wilshere and VP on the same team.. @_@ *drool*
I’d also love for Coquelin to be our 2nd right back ahead of Jenkinson, really liked him in there anyone agree?
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Ga€l Cli¢chy
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Yes Henryresky i agree with you Frances is by far better than Jenmkinspon as a RB
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I think Podolski, Vertonghen and Gotze would do the trick, no Suarez as we have Afobe and Campbell to come back. You may say why Gotze, but we can’t miss out on such class even if our midfield is already packed with quality
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LOL OK JUMPER WILL DO…..
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THIS POST MEANS PODOLSKI IS AN ARSENAL PLAYER….
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@bushaf,sensible indeed.having a player cover 3 positions is not bad esp since each position has gud backup.that means his playing time is optimised.the lad is 6ft 2-1/2inches making him aerially strong.all in all a perfect and useful player…
Wenger needs to get podolski,vertonghen.
In a midfield of rosicky,ramsey,and wilshere(even chamberlain aswell)-where does gotze fit in.what if eisfeld turns out to b gud??…
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sczesny/mannone
Sag/jenk kosc/mert verm/verto gibbs/santos
song/coq/frim arte/dia/coq
wilshere/ramsey/rosiky/ox
Theo/ox gerv/ryo/pod
Rvp/pod
Extra Backups:eisfeld,miquel,djourou,yennaris
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Could Podolski arrival as probable replacement for RVP??? RVP still haven’t sign new contract U know…
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Cologne Suporters will be more than sad when he leaves.
Lukas is more than a normal footballplayer to us, he is one of us and he will allways be! it looks as he will play next Season for the Gunners! Please make him welcome! he will give it back to you!
I think his only fear is, to sit on the Bench….that would be a Desaster to him….he loves the Game and want to Play.
Greetings from Cologne
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It would be nice, but i just think, that they are too strong.
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