#11 Lukas Podolski ~ Set for exit? - Page 3 - TalkSoccer

**Trim** · 13-02-2007, 05:33 PM

Lukas Podolski starred for Germany at last summer's World Cup and was named the best young player at the tournament, but his professional life has hardly been a bed of roses since then. Felix Magath handed the striker just three Bundesliga starting appearances, the most recent in a 3-1 defeat on 21 October 2006 away to Bremen.

It thus came as something of a surprise when Poldi appeared on the team sheet for Sunday evening's clash with Arminia Bielefeld. "He's earned a start by performing well in training," coach Ottmar Hitzfeld explained, revealing he had taken the youngster to one side, offering tips and advice on how to clamber out of his current rut. The player promptly went out and repaid Hitzfeld's faith.

Still looking for a goal

Podolski delivered four shots at goal and created four further openings for his team-mates. "I had a chance or two, and I'd perhaps have scored with a little more luck," the international commented, declaring himself satisfied with his display. Another promising sign was a burgeoning partnership with first-choice goal-getter Roy Makaay. "I think we did OK together," the Dutch ace remarked.

"It was the first time they've played together. You can't expect miracles," Hitzfeld commented, promising Podolski further opportunities to stake his claim. "It's clear he's not in peak form yet. He'll need a few more games for that."

Just the start

Tuesday evening's Bulls Cup in Salzburg could be the next opportunity for the former Cologne youth to show off his improving form. "I can't sit back and relax after just a single decent game," he acknowledged. And perhaps this Saturday's trip to Aachen will provide the setting for his first competitive goal of the calendar year. "I'll continue doing my best and battling for the breakthrough. That was just a start," he declared.

**Trim** · 13-02-2007, 05:36 PM

Thank you Hitzfeld. Forza Poldi!

**Oliver_Kahn** · 19-02-2007, 11:18 AM

Podolski will show his class from now on.

Forza Lukas!

**Trim** · 26-02-2007, 08:23 PM

You expect players to celebrate after scoring an important goal, but the reaction of two Bayern stars to Lukas Podolski's opener in the meeting with VfL Wolfsburg on Saturday was out of the ordinary to say the least. As the men in red trotted back to their own half, Podolski surprised team-mate Mark van Bommel with a hefty shove. The pair looked each other in the eyes and broke out into wide grins. What lay behind the incident?

During the Champions League clash in Madrid some four days earlier, the tables had been turned when Van Bommel treated the 21-year-old striker to a meaty push. "The game was passing me by," Poldi himself accepted, and the Dutchman's shove was intended as a physical wake-up call. "The papers made a lot of it in a negative light," Podolski complained, but the brief altercation was "totally forgotten afterwards. That's what happens during a match, you just get on with it."

Motivation expert Hitzfeld

Podolski returned the compliment against Wolfsburg simply to show he had understood what lay behind the incident in Madrid. "The media got bothered about it but we didn't," explained Van Bommel, the first to congratulate Lukas on his goal. The Dutch battler, "our aggressive leader" as Hitzfeld put it, accepted he may have gone too far. "I could have handled it a little differently in Madrid. But Lukas took my point, and he showed his quality today. He deserved the goal."

Hitzfeld agreed with that statement. "I'm delighted for him. He's bounced back impressively," the head coach declared. The striker took a broadside from the media following the midweek match, but that just made the coach even more determined to field his number 11 against Wolfsburg. "I wasn't going to leave him in the lurch. He was made a bit of a scapegoat after Madrid."

Courage from penalty spot

"It was a superb decision psychologically," Oliver Kahn opined. "If I'd have left him out, it would have stopped him in his tracks, and I didn't want that," Hitzfeld continued. The former Cologne prodigy made a first start of term two weeks earlier against Bielefeld. "Lukas is a junior player, so you have to show some faith," the coach remarked.

The Germany hitman repaid the boss's commitment with an energetic display on Saturday, crowned by his 26th minute penalty conversion. "It was very courageous of him to take the kick. You don't get many 21-year-olds with that kind of confidence. It spoke volumes for his belief and determination. I was very pleased with that," Hitzfeld remarked.

On the up

"I just grabbed the ball, and no-one took it off me. So I put it on the spot and buried it," the man himself explained. It was his second goal in 15 Bundesliga appearances for Bayern, but was undoubtedly not the last. "He's a young player, who simply needs to find his feet, and he's getting more assured all the time," Kahn observed.

Poldi has now started three of Hitzfeld's five games in charge, "and I'm pleased with that," he declared. "I have to keep working on my game and keep on battling," he concluded. That could lead to a little more good-natured argy-bargy with Mark van Bommel in the future.

**Trim** · 26-02-2007, 08:24 PM

It's just the beginning.
I'm glad that Hitzfeld trusts him, and that's important.

**Oliver_Kahn** · 26-02-2007, 08:43 PM

Yep, we need Poldi

**Trim** · 08-03-2007, 08:08 AM

There's a poll on Bundesliga, in the right side. Make sure you vote for Poldi

**Trim** · 08-03-2007, 09:28 AM

Lukas Podolski insisted "anything is possible" for FC Bayern München after an away-goals victory against Real Madrid CF gave them a place in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals for the first time in three seasons.

Dream start
Trailing 3-2 after the first leg in Spain, the German side edged an entertaining match 2-1 at the Fußball Arena München, the victory set up by a dream start which saw Roy Makaay score after just eleven seconds - eclipsing the record as the quickest ever goal in the competition. "It was always our intention to give it our all from the kick-off and it worked out absolutely brilliantly," Podolski said. The 21-year-old himself spurned a gilt-edged chance to double the advantage midway through the half as Bayern took the game to the visitors, with Makaay and Mark van Bommel drawing excellent saves from Iker Casillas.

'Under pressure'
The home side eventually added a second midway through the second half as Lucio headed in to leave Bayern within touching distance of a last-eight place. They had to endure some late pressure first, however, after Ruud van Nistelrooy had levelled the aggregate scores from the penalty spot during a final ten-minute period that saw players from each team dismissed and a Sergio Ramos effort scrubbed out for handball. "It was obvious we'd be under pressure in the last ten minutes as they went all out in attack," said Podolski. "It was always going to be difficult, but we held out, and if we fight and run like we did today then we can beat the big teams and anything is possible for our future in this competition."

'Best ever game'
Whether that means Bayern being crowned European champions for a fifth time it remains to be seen but whatever happens the club's general manager, Uli Hoeness, believes this match will long live in the memory. "It was the best ever game in this stadium," he said of Bayern's home for the past two seasons. "This was football at the highest level - the crowd will have gone home happy."

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**Oliver_Kahn** · 08-03-2007, 01:49 PM

Podolski did well last night, I'm glad that we have him and I'm sure that he'll be a star.

Prince Poldi is back 8)

Tom Andre · 11-03-2007, 08:02 PM

He's already a star in my eyes.He had a great world cup and I'm pretty sure he will be at Bayern Munich for a long time.

**Oliver_Kahn** · 12-03-2007, 02:11 PM

He just needed to play and build up confidence. Hitzfeld gave him a chance and he is proving he is worth the 10m € we paid for him.

I'm sure Podolski will be among the best in a few years

**Trim** · 22-03-2007, 01:39 PM

Young Bayern Munich striker Lukas Podolski would welcome Italian international Luca Toni, should the Fiorentina star move to the German side next summer.

The current German champions are long-term admirers of the 2006 World Cup winner and new coach Ottmar Hitzfeld is believed to want the 29-year-old to replace Roque Santa Cruz, who looks set to leave the club.

Podolski struggled to impress upon his arrival at Bayern last summer, however has improved significantly since the arrival of Hitzfeld.

And the 21-year-old insists that he does not feel threatened by the murmurs over Toni.

"I am not afraid of him as I am able to compete with anyone," Podolski told Bild.

He added: "In contrast I would welcome any good player as it's always nice to line-up alongside quality players."

Bayern currently sit fourth in the Bundesliga, having scored less goals than each of the three teams above them, therefore Hitzfeld will be keen to bolster his attacking line-up.

Toni is one of the hottest transfer targets in Europe and Bayern would need to beat tough competition from the likes of Inter, Juventus and Real Madrid in order to land their man.

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**Trim** · 22-03-2007, 01:41 PM

It's being talked about Toni too much, I guess he'll sign for us.

Yeah, Poldi shouldn't worry.
Hitzfeld would either play 4-3-3 with Poldi - Makaay - Toni or 4-4-2 with Poldi - Toni.
I can't see Hitzfeld playing 2 oldies Toni - Makaay.

**Oliver_Kahn** · 22-03-2007, 03:24 PM

Poldi - Makaay - Toni ?

Not going to happen, that is impossible mate, who would help the defence or run down the wings ?

If Toni comes, Makaay will definately be benched, while Poldi will show why he is the next German star