Former Gunner Podolski admits Arsenal have not been good enough
Former Arsenal forward Lukas Podolski has admitted that the Gunners have been disappointing to watch in recent years, despite having enough resources to compete with fellow elite clubs in Europe.
Podolski moved to the Emirates stadium in the summer of 2012, spending three fairly successful years at the club before he was sold to Galatasaray in 2015.
The former Germany international was a member of an Arsenal squad which managed to win the FA Cup in back-to-back seasons, a feat which now appears to be the highlight of the club’s success over the last decade.
Two years after Podolski’s exit, the Gunners surrendered their place in the Champions League as a frustrating 2016/17 campaign saw them miss out on a spot in the top four of the Premier League.
With Arsenal failing to qualify for the Champions League for the last two seasons at least, the club’s status as one of Europe’s elite clubs is under threat.
As a result, former Gunner Lukas Podolski has admitted that what Arsenal has done in recent years “has not been good enough” as the club looks to regain its competitive edge under the guidance of new boss Mikel Arteta.
“The potential of what the club has, it has not been good enough. I think they know it themselves. They have the potential, the history, the facilities and I think they have the money as well.” he said, as quoted by Sky Sports
“A club like Arsenal has to play every year for the Champions League. Of course, the Premier League is hard and even against the smaller teams. It’s not like other leagues with two or three teams fighting for the title.”
THE BOTTOM LINE
It is becoming more difficult to argue with the point that Lukas Podolski is making here.
When he left the club almost five years ago, the Arsenal squad actually contained a number of quality players like Alexis Sanchez, Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott who all played a key part in the Gunners’ failed challenge for the Premier League title, won by Leicester City in the 2015/16 campaign.
Arsenal’s inability to win the league used to be the primary concern for fans but these days, a mere spot in the Champions League is the dream.
Knocked out of the Europa League and sitting in ninth place in the Premier League, there is no doubt that Arsenal have gone from a club which was once looking to dominate to a side which now aims to be also-rans at best.
