Should Arsenal cash in on Podolski? No, I don’t think so. The grinning German has his critics, but there’s no real reason for selling him, or any advantage in doing so. If anything, selling him would be a negative move: Arsenal would gain nothing but a gap in the squad. Although, this could obviously allow some else to shine. But really, we’re not desperate for cash, and Podolski, even if only a squad player next season has enough about him to warrant a stay.
The glaring problem for Arsenal, is always, and seemingly forever, injuries. It’d be madness to get rid of any notable player from our squad. We’re looking to build on what we have, on the would-be season of 13/14. Selling anyone now would be like taking a brick from that fancy house we’re trying to build. There’s no point. We always struggle with injuries, and at some point next season, we will struggle again. It’s then that we need players like Podolski, experience and quality. It’s evident we need a bigger squad to rival the likes of City and Chelsea and to compete effectively across all competitions. The Champions League is notorious for draining resources, and you need the squad to be able to cope with that. Shortening our options could only hinder the team in the future.
Podolski is incredibly experienced at both club and international level. He’s played 100+ games for Germany, which is impressive, and he’s seemingly been in the game forever, well, he has really. These are the experienced players needed throughout a title-challenging squad, to coach the younger players and provide reliable back up when called upon. Even if he doesn’t put in a shift, or track back, or do anything else than score, I’d rather Podolski be waiting in the wings than a fresh-out-of-school 18 year old with no experience. Again, if you’re getting rid of Podolski, then you’re putting more, unnecessary, weight on Gnabry’s, or another promising youngster’s shoulders, who’d be better of loaned and nurtured, rather than thrust into the deep end.
Podolski is also (can be) a decent impact sub. Not all the time. But the times he has come on, in the last 20, and changed the game are an indication that he is still a useful asset. Swansea 2-2 immediately comes to mind, where he came on for a cameo, one goal, one assist, and he changed the game with a clinical edge desperately missing. And that’s what Podolski is all about. The man’s deadly, and is pure and simply clinical when it matters.
And it’s not just goals that Podolski brings: he brings smiles, too. He’s so positive off the pitch, and even grins when he’s on the bench. He really loves Arsenal, and he looks like a player who really wants to be here. He loves the whole family aspect of it, he loves twitter, and he loves taking pics with ‘German gunners’. Personally, I’d be sad if he left, or we were to get rid of him. There’s no reason for him to leave, he’s happy here, and you can’t under value the effect these players have the squad. He may not perform on the pitch consistently, but has he ever had a constant run of games? There’s not many that I can think of. He’s a 50/50 player. Sometimes he works, sometimes he doesn’t. But when he does work, you’ll be thankful that it’s him in the penalty area and not Sanogo. (Sorry Yaya.) I like Sanogo, but he and few others are not ready, whereas players of Podolsk’s stature are. He’s an asset to this growing squad and it’d be foolish to get rid of him—for now anyway.