Giroud would likely rotate with RVP and perhaps occasionally play with him. Don't really get why we're so eager to force all 3 of Podolski, Giroud, and RVP into the same team, because that jsut leaves us without any bench options again. Don't see why we shoudl move RVP to SS also. I mean, he's played there before and did fairly well, but why move him out of the position where he's played the best football of his career just to accomodate some newcomer?
Also don't want to see both Walcott and Podolski playing out wide at the same time. 2 speedy strikers with little creativity playing together is just asking to get bussed. Might work if we had world class creativity from midfield, but we don't have anybody close. Not even Wilshere. tbh if you ask me Podolski has no business playing as a winger in a possession based setup like ours. He's a threat on the counter when out wide, nothing else.
Think our defense is fine, we've got 3 pretty good CBs and the best right back in the league, and I trust Jenkinson more than most do (had a pretty decent run early on apart from 8-2). The main problem wasn't their quality, it's that there's too much of a gap between midfield and defense. Song's too eager to get forward these days thanks to his newfound penchant for Hollywood balls, and it leaves our defenders exposed into playing 1v1 against the opposition too much. Do it repeatedly, and individual errors are almost inevitable. The M'Vila interest is probably Wenger trying to fix that without sacrificing Song's offense, although tbh I think Song is at his best as a purely defensive midfielder that sits deep, instead of this box to box role he has right now. Oh and of course, whoever taught Gibbs and Santos basic defensive positioning should be fired right away. Can't count the number of times Vermaelen has to cover for them because they're 20 yards too far up.
But for now, assuming Podolski and Giroud are done, if we bring in M'Vila and a creative force (I'd like Belhanda) then we're cool I think.
