German striker Lukas Podolski is said to have his Arsenal move all tied up already. Does it make the arrival of Yann M’Vila more likely?
Every single source of information available seems to suggest Lukas Podolski is almost an Arsenal player.
Well-advised supporters will of course not get too ahead yet, anything can happen in football, and when it comes to transfers, ‘only believe it when you see him paraded by the club in the shirt.’
Even so, his prospective arrival is an intriguing one.
An out and out centre forward, Podolski is a proven goalscorer at the very highest level, having scored 43 international goals for Germany.
The biggest question posed by his arrival is whether or not he will play with star player Robin van Persie or whether he will replace him.
Robin van Persie’s future is though a different issue entirely, and for now, we have to assume he is staying at Arsenal next season.
Van Persie would clearly appreciate the support of such a talented goalscorer as Podolski, together the pair could become the most feared strike pairing in the Premier League.
But that leads us to our main question- Will Podolski play up front with Van Persie in a 4-4-2?
If so, Wenger and Arsenal would be forced to abandon their fluid 4-5-1/4-3-3 which has become a mainstay of their play over the past few seasons.
It could be argued that Wenger’s past great teams were successful via a 4-4-2, with the ‘immortals’ of 2003/04 using Bergkamp up front with or tucked in behind Thierry Henry, with Patrick Vieira and Gilberto Silva anchoring in midfield while Robert Pires and Freddie Ljungberg attacked from the wings.
The modern game has developed since then, and the 4-4-2 formation is less fashionable among successful teams. Does that mean Arsenal should not try to use it if it plays to their strengths? To do so it depends if their central midfielders are good enough.
Are Arsenal’s good enough? If Wenger wants Podolski to play up front with Van Persie as a front two, he may decide to accelerate his pursuit of French midfielder Yann M’Vila, an expert in anchoring the midfield and tough tackler. He could partner Alex Song or Jack Wilshere, but importantly, Arsenal would have a variety of options in the centre of the park.
The counter to this argument, is that Podolski can play out wide, so could fit in with a 4-5-1 with Van Persie playing through the middle.
He did this at the 2010 World Cup, playing out wide to accommodate the less adaptable Miroslav Klose in the centre. It is though, a different scenario playing out wide for a tournament with a maximum of seven games, to playing there for a whole season which take in more than 50 matches.
Would Podolski really be happy there for a lengthy period of time? If so, fine, problem solved, but it may waste his goalscoring talents to a degree.
This season for Cologne, 13 of his league goals have come when he has played as a centre forward, in 13 games. He has netted a further four in the nine games played as an ‘attacking midfielder’ just behind the front man, a further option to Arsene Wenger, but he has not featured as a winger for his German club this season.
Could Arsenal play him as an attacking midfielder in a 4-5-1 behind Van Persie? Possibly, but if so, with two strikers playing through the centre it would effectively be a 4-4-2, albeit with a more defensive edge. This may though, be the more prudent option.
A 4-4-2 is as we have mentioned a less favoured formation nowadays. Tottenham and Manchester United who like to use it on occasion do so only with Wayne Rooney or Rafael van der Vaart withdrawn, and dropping into the midfield when the team loses possession. This could be the role asked of Podolski.
Another negative to playing Podolski out wide, is what it would mean for Arsenal’s pacy wingers, Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Both will be hoping to kick on next season, and playing Podolski out wide in a 4-5-1 would complicate matters for them, and then there is Gervinho and Miyaichi to fit in too.
With this array of talented wingers available to Arsenal, and two superb goalscoring strikers – if Podolski signs of course- then surely it will make more sense to switch to 4-4-2 if they can just get the central midfield combination right?
What would such a switch mean for Walcott and Oxlade-Chamberlain’s games? How would they perform in a 4-4-2, being asked to do more defensive duties and work helping out the two central midfielders?
Arsene Wenger is sure to have a plan. Whether it involves sticking with 4-5-1 or adapting to 4-4-2, he would not initiate signing Podolski without one. We can only second guess.
How will Podolski’s arrival influence Arsenal’s formation and starting line-up next season?
image: © sdhansay
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