In The Poldi Position For 4th Place

#Arsenal 3 - 1 #WestHam
Match Stats

I must commend Podolski's professional attitude and self-confidence, because when Lukas #Podolski was subbed off late in the FA Cup semi-final game, I thought we'd lost him.  He didn't look too happy and even kicked a water bottle as he approached the bench.  I thought the move to substitute Podolski instead on Sanogo was a massive mistake by Wenger, and a mistake that would be the straw that broke the German's back.  Imagine the anger and frustration that must have been brewing inside Podolski.  He's a #German International with a good scoring record for club and country, he makes the move to Arsenal, and finds consistent playing time hard to come by.  If you ask most Arsenal supporters, who's the best finisher on the team, most will tell you Podolski, yet in some of the biggest matches this year, Podolski found himself playing second fiddle to a 20 year old kid with no first team goals.  If you ask most Arsenal supporters, which striker is most likely to score a late tying or go ahead goal, most will say Podolski, yet this poor guy NEVER finishes 90 minutes.  Today Podolski played the entire game, and scored two professional quality goals.  No hesitation, no trying to be cute, just pure German class and efficiency on both goals, thats the difference between the other strikers on the squad and Podolski.  Podolski is not out there trying to be dramatic or look pretty, or complaining, and crying, he's out there to do a professional job for the team, and hopefully Arsenal can ride his goal scoring all the way to fourth place and a FA Cup title.

The Good - Mr. Aaron #Ramsey.  When he came in the game, we all got to see what this team has been missing. You could see that Ramsey is still a little rusty, but Ramsey aint gonna let a little rust get in the way of him doing his job and putting in work for the team.  The endeavor, determination, and awareness were all on display when Ramsey came on the pitch.  It always awesome when you watch certain players and you can see and feel the determination and drive through your TV.  In the 18 minutes he played he was everywhere, pressing, chasing, shooting and assisting on Podolski's second goal, with an intelligently placed headed pass.  It's great to have him back, and just in time for the run in.

Giroud's first touch and finish with his weaker right was sublime, and it just shows when this guy just reacts and doesn't have to think about fancy flicks, his hair or getting side pussy, the type of quality he possesses.  Lets all hope this wonder strike gets him consistently scoring again.


The Bad & Ugly - Big Sam eating chicken gizzards all game, imagine how that guys jaw must feel the next morning.

Peace Out,
Blanco