Will Arsenal’s Inter Milan Loanee Lukas Podolski End Horror Run?

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Stagnating at Arsenal, German centre-forward/left attacking midfielder Lukas Podolski, 29, now finds himself in a ruinous situation on loan at Inter Milan.

You surmise Podolski‘s fleeting feeling of relief has since been replaced by hopelessness.

 

Wanting Out

Last October, there was speculation Podolski could do a William Gallas by moving to Tottenham Hotspur.

Categorically denying the rumour via twitter, #AlwaysAGunner was one of the six hashtags Podolski used to diffuse the gossip.

Leading into the 2015 January transfer window, always a Gunner was a thought which gradually shifted away from Podolski‘s mind.

“I am not happy with the situation at the moment. It would be wrong to suggest that I am,” Podolski said, per The Guardian. “In football you can’t sadly just go looking for a [new] club.”

Averaging 14.14 minutes in the Premier League, Podolski was never given a chance to prove his worth this season. 

When Podolski scored the clutch winner in a 2-1 win over Anderlecht last October in the UEFA Champions League, he received words of encouragement from Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.

“[Podolski] is frustrated and I understand that of course,” Wenger said, per Sky Sports. “[But] he will be important in the coming months.”

Wenger, do you know what would further irk an already unhappy Podolski?

In the proceeding five Premier League games after coming up big against Anderlecht, Podolski started and finished on the bench four times—so much for being important.

Starting on the left side against Galatasaray in the Champions League last December, Podolski produced the goods, scoring twice in a 4-1 win.

He was benched in the next Premier League game—a 4-1 win over Newcastle United, playing just 17 minutes.

The capricious way Wenger managed Podolski led to his departure. 

“I gave [Podolski] a chance to go,” Wenger said, per Rob Kelly at Arsenal.com. “At some stage too much competition is detrimental to [his] confidence.”

It was Bayern Munich all over again—no longer the big fish in a small pond at Koln, Podolski forced his way out. 

On that occasion, he went straight back to Koln. 

This time, it was Inter Milan. 

“The welcome I received [from Inter Milan fans] was something I’ve never seen anywhere else in the world,” Podolski said, per Inter.it. “I can’t wait to see what the future holds.”

 

Bad First Impression

Taking the ball from way outside the box, Podolski unleashes a cannon-like left-footed shot to score an amazing long-range goal—in training.

The Inter Milan media department released a clip from one of their training sessions, which doubled as a Podolski highlights video. 

It felt like a public relations ploy: “Yeah, we know he has been useless so far, but he trains hard!”

You could not help but wonder if this was meant to quell the backlash towards Podolski‘s lack of intensity, which was exacerbated by Inter Milan manager Roberto Mancini.

“Lukas needs to do more,” Mancini said, per Sky (h/t Football Italia). “We know he can give a lot more and we hope he will.”

To Podolski‘s credit, he accepted the criticism, even though Mancini once again proved he was not an advocate of what happens in the dressing room stays in the dressing room.

“[Mancini] was asked [about me] and it was an honest answer,” Podolski said, per Bild (h/t Stephan Uersfeld at ESPN FC). “I work hard every day with the squad and the coaching staff to find my rhythm again.”

Podolski has been Parma-bad in Serie A and was voted by La Gazzetta dello Sport readers in a snap-shot poll as the second-worst January transfer signing/loan.

  • 604 minutes over nine games without a goal or assist; inefficient.
  • 17.65 percent shooting accuracy—47.05 percent of his shots have been from outside the box; terrible shot selection.

In a 1-1 draw against Cesena, Podolski went 0-5 in goals scored-shots taken, momentarily dropping the words pass and assist from his vocabulary. 

He had a 20 percent shooting accuracy and failed to record a single pass which led to a scoring chance for his teammates. 

When he attempted to be a provider during a 1-0 defeat against Fiorentina, he inadvertently kicked the corner flag while crossing the ball.

Nothing has gone right for Podolski.

“[Getting back into form] is not something you can do by just flicking a switch,” Podolski said, per SPORT1 (h/t Joe Short at the Daily Express). “I have no problems when the media and other people criticise me.”

Podolski‘s teammate Rodrigo Palacio, who has struggled throughout the season, would agree. 

Since the arrival of Podolski, which was an indictment on Palacio‘s productivity (one goal and two assists heading into the January transfer window), he has scored six goals in his last seven combined Serie A/UEFA Europa League games. 

Meanwhile, it seems Podolski can only score in training.

 

Coming Home

Why is Podolski substandard at clubs not named Koln?

Just ask former Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness, who attempted to explain how Podolski, one of Germany’s brightest talents in recent memory, flopped for the Bavarians.

“For [Podolski] there is only Koln, Koln and Koln,” Hoeness said, per Deutsche Welle. “He dreams of Koln day and night.”

Unwanted at Arsenal and a burden at Inter Milan, Podolski is probably already thinking about a move back to Koln.

“I can imagine a transfer to Koln in the next few years because I’m always attached to the club,” Podolski said, per Sky Sport (h/t Ross Dunbar at Deutsche Welle). “That’s what I dream about and I hope it comes true again.”

Should that happen, cue the song Skylar Grey – Coming Home, as it would be Podolski‘s third stint at his boyhood club—2003-06, 2009-12 and maybe 2015-whenever he retires.

 

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When not specified, statistics via WhoScored.com. 

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