Tomas Rosicky has been at Arsenal longer than I can remember. Arsenal was smart enough to sign him just before the 2006 FIFA World Cup and the Gunners licked their lips as they watched Little Mozart decimate defenses in the soccer fiesta with his sleek style of play, wonderful passing range and one hell of a thunderbolt from his right foot.
It didn’t take him long to announce himself to the Emirates faithful with a surface to goal missile against Hamburg SV. Rosicky rose to prominence in the 2007/08 season when he was part of that midfield quartet that almost won the Premier League. A nasty knee injury robbed Arsenal off his services for the best part of 18 months and on his return to full fitness, he suffered a couple of niggling injuries here and there.
With his advancing years, Rosicky had a renaissance in the tail ends of the 2011/12 season where he replaced an Aaron Ramsey struggling for form, fitness and confidence. Rosicky played a similar role in the 2012/13 season and he has endeared himself to the fans in more ways than one.
I and many other Arsenal fans out there were happy when Rosicky signed a contract extension and it was heartwarming to know that he’d will continue to grace the Emirates for a couple of more years. Some may say he’s 33, I know he’s ageless. In nine years at Arsenal, Tomas Rosicky has amassed 221 games and he has spent a large chunk of his Arsenal career on the sidelines with niggling injuries ranging from his groin to his knees and ankles.
He scored his three goals last season (a brace against West Brom and a screamer at White Hart Lane) and he featured consistently for the Gunners, predominantly in the attacking midfield position. The rise to glory of the Welsh Jesus, Aaron Ramsey, the irreplaceable Mesut Ozil and Jack Wilshere has limited the Czech’s chances of playing week in week out but from time to time, injuries and suspensions pave the way for Little Mozart to get run-outs.
As an elder statesman in the team, Rosicky’s influence has been a major positive off the pitch but on it, he hasn’t been afforded a chance to make his mark this season. Shortly before Czech Republic’s win over Holland, Rosicky took some time out to talk to the Press and he shared his current predicament at the club,
“I am sorry that I did not get a chance, it’s a shame. While the team isn’t playing very well, I thought that I could help but if you’re not on the pitch there’s nothing you can do.”
They pressed him on whether or not he’d spoken to Arsene Wenger about it, and he replied, “I don’t want to talk about it. We had a little conversation! He does not want me leaving Arsenal, butof course for me it’s not easy.
“It is is too soon [to talk about a transfer]. We played five games, the season is still getting going.The Champions League starts, the schedule will be great. “We’ll see how it looks in the coming weeks, months. I am disappointed that I did not get a chance, but that’s the only thing I can be.
“I have to be poised for the moment, and to take my chance when it comes. That’s the only thing I can do.”
A simple case study would be Arsenal’s last Premier League encounter against Leicester City. The Gunners were playing in circles and a lot of the playing personnel struggled on the pitch. Laurent Koscielny suffered a gashed head and had to be replaced by Calum Chambers. Mesut Ozil had a torrid outing on the left hand side and Santi Cazorla was off the pace. Even the mecurial Aaron Ramsey didn’t turn up.
This was the sort of game that needed a Tomas Rosicky but the manager opted to bring on Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for the ineffectual Cazorla and Lukas Podolski for the putrid Yaya Sanogo. Ox came on, had a couple of attempted dribble on the byline but he struggled as he suffered a knock. Podolski, on the other hand,waste of a space and he didn’t have any influence on the game whatsoever. Rosicky’s determination, drive, energy, work rate, sleek movement, technique and delightful passing might have come in handy for the Gunners.
He’s reaching the twilight of his career but Rosicky is a player that would give you 110% when he’s on the pitch.
With the Gunners challenging for multiple trophies this season, there’s a lot of football to be played and I’m sure that he’d get his chance. Rosicky is one player I admire and I hope that his first-team chances would come sooner than they later.
Sayonara.
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