Tomas Rosicky says he gave serious consideration to leaving Arsenal in the January transfer window after growing increasingly frustrated at his lack of game time in the first half of the season.
The Czech midfielder had to wait until Boxing Day for his first Premier League start – scoring the winner in a 2-1 win against QPR – but has since featured in 12 of the last 15 matches, notching two more goals.
It’s a turnaround that has the 34-year-old open to another year at the Emirates, as he explained to local press while on international duty.
“Since the start of the year things have improved, the team has started to play better football and what’s more I’m playing! Compared to the first six months, it’s much better. We’ll see how it goes from here.
“I don’t really know [why I didn’t play]. It’s a good question, I’d also like to know. Perhaps you can go to one of Wenger’s press conferences and ask him directly.
“The coach gave me a chance towards the end the year against Queens Park Rangers and I scored, which of course helps, and then the manager began to give me more playing time. I don’t know, maybe it was a watershed moment.
“We’d talked about [me leaving in January] in previous meetings back in September and October, but then the market closed and I couldn’t do anything.
“When you don’t play a single game in December and the market opens, [the prospect of leaving] is obviously on the agenda. Then you start to have second thoughts. It was an exception for me though, I really thought about it. Then Arsenal said stay and that was that.
“The rest of the season will go quickly, then we’ll look for a solution. Arsenal is still an option for me next season, the ball is in their court. When I get back from international duty we’ll start to talk about it.
“There are two options open to me [stay at Arsenal or go elsewhere]. At the moment I’m in a situation where I make the decision.”
It’s not just for sentimental reasons that the majority of Arsenal fans would like to see Tomas stay on at the club for as long as possible. He may be in the swansong years of his career but his recent showings have proved he’s still capable of making an impact. Nothing makes us happier than watching his little legs nip the ball around a defender and start charging forwards…
Of course, at 34-years-old he’s now reached the point when he’s twice the age of the lads coming through the Academy and with Wenger’s youth policy he, for obvious reasons, is the most likely candidate to be benched. It’s a big decision for both parties to make…no doubt we’ll be hearing more in the coming months.
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Cheers to @RYO_Cleverfish for the heads up & Daily Cannon for their translation efforts.
Fuck. Cant see him in another colour. But i will always love him. In a heterosexual way.
I love that man in a completely homosexual way. Lol
I wish i could too. But if i can’t get a stiffy homosexual way, it has to be a heterosexual stiffy.
love his commitment. take note theo
He is giving back to the club and manager that stood by him during his injuries – unlike a certain ungrateful cunt we know
I expect he’d either go back to a mid table team in the Czech Rep or Germany as I can’t see him wanting to play at the bottom of the PL.
If he went to the Czech rep, league it wouldnt be a midtable side.
Yes, you’re probably right but he wouldn’t get much playing time at teams in the top of the PL or other ‘Big’ leagues.
I could see him in MLS.
I would love to see him on NYFC or NY Red Bulls. Then I can finally watch him live 😀
MLS in Orlando City FC would be awesome! 😀
One year contracts from now ala Dennis.
Great example for those below him, I’d keep him if fit.
Thomas,
Oh wont you stay, just a little bit longer? Please please stay, just say you will…..
Why not… he adds experience and still has the legs to contribute.
Letting good experienced players go too soon is something we don’t have to do anymore.
Sign little mozart up!
Really he should’ve played more for us this season, and we should definetely keep him.
“I don’t really know [why I didn’t play]. It’s a good question, I’d also like to know. Perhaps you can go to one of Wenger’s press conferences and ask him directly.”
He sounds pissed, and rightly so. Always useful, if not as starter as a sub. Both when trying to hol on to a lead and when chasing one. Top lad, I hope he retires at Arsenal, even if that means Alexis will have to wait a few more years for his number 7 shirt.
He wasn’t annoyed, he was laughing at the time apparently.
“You can turn painful situations around through laughter. If you can find humor in anything, even poverty, you can survive it.”
Bill Cosby
“Then again, you can always drug young ladies and have your way with them without consent.”
Also Bill Cosby
boom!
Is the thumbs up/down an indication of how many people actually believe he did it or just acknowledging a funny joke?
This isn’t the place for non-Arsenal football related debate, I know, just curious what people think about it.
If so, great! But I worried a bit, as it’s one of those comments the media will take and have a Arsenal in crisis. losing control of the locker room etc-type field day with. If Tomas is happy, I’m happy!
he loves Arsenal and has a ton of respect for Wenger. If only the other players were like Tommy we’d have won the league 10 years on the bounce instead of being trophyless those years. What a player he is. He’s my favourite from this group. Bit of an an old dog. Sniffing around the younger ones, knows his time is coming to an end but is so good that it demands attention. Who needs a dog when you have Tomas Rosicky playing for Arsenal.
Well, as a czech guy who read the original interview, he exactly said (laughing): “maybe next time you can as our coach at next press conference.”
And I think the difference between “our coach” and “wenger” is significant.
Thank you for that, mate.
The question to this one was “Why do you play more in the spring than in the autumn?“
“Then Arsenal said stay and that was that.“ What he actually said there is “Then the Arsenal said they will not sold me and that was end of it.“
Also there’s the one where the question is “Was staying in England on the cards, or going somewhere else?“ With the answer “Both possibilities were possible. But currently, I’m not in a situation where it would be my decision.“
glad he stayed
I think we should keep him for another year at least. He’s the perfect squad player, and he isn’t really in the way of any youngsters at the moment. After next season it might be time to go, especially if Wenger really wants to develop Ox in a more central role. But if after what happened in the first part of this season Rosicky wishes to leave rather than having to wait for more than one out of Ramsey, Wilshere, Ox, Cazorla and Ozil to be out injured at a time, I wish him the best. I just hope he… Read more »
I thought this post was eaten by a connection failure, which is why I posted pretty much the same thing again a few comments down a few minutes later. Sorry for the spam.
Don’t want him to go but if he does, he wont go to another bpl team because he’s a loyal gooner. Even if he ends up at a rival (which I doubt)no one can say he hasn’t served us well. If I was a footballer and on the bench at his age I’d be looking to leave
You can leave!! 🙂 but not Tommy!
Top class player, so sad that he suffered so many injuries in his prime years, but he’s came back strong and been a great player… 1-0 Spurs comes to mind… So does the goal he scored against the USA in wc2006 before he joined us.. Love his attitude and work rate, only regret I have is he got injured so often because he fits the bill for a midfield player who can play a killer pass, score a cracking goal, and the most important part is how hard he works to close down the opposition and harass/intercept… He got robbed… Read more »
I don’t think he’s in the way of any youngsters right now, so we really should try to convince him to stay, and keep using him as we do now. After next season it might be time to go, with Zelalem hopefully coming through, and especially if Wenger is still planning to move Ox to a more central position (with Gnabry coming through on the wing).
Also, he’s probably the best player to bring on when defending a lead, and I want to see us defending lots of leads next season. That also might be why he didn’t play much in the first few months of this season, as we didn’t have much to defend…
I will be absolutely gutted if he is not in our squad next season. I don´t care if he is as old as Jesus himself, as long as he is able to perform like he has been doing for the last couple of seasons with his legs moving like drumsticks all over the pitch, he should get an extension, end of it!
Next year we’re going to win the league, and I want him to be a part of that, he deserves to be. Then he can have a testimonial and go to MLS for a couple of years and earn absolute fortunes. He’ll always be one of my favourites.
Hope to smeg when he does leave for MLS he comes to Vancouver. But he won’t because of our stupid artificial pitch. With any luck, the new pitch being installed for the Womens World Cup will feel and play closer to real grass than the current monstrosity (half inch of carpet over cement).
I want Rosicky to retire at Arsenal.You are a loyal gunner,a legend indeed!
And retire with a testimonial.
Losing Rosicky,Arteta, Flamini and possibly Mertesacker, Walcott in the same summer would be a lot of experience to lose.
signing Cech, Schneiderlin and Hummels would be a good way of countering that.
What does Cech have to do with any of the other players you mentioned?
We’re not losing Rosicky.
We’re not losing Arteta.
We’re not losing Metesacker.
We’re probably not losing Walcott.
Flamini, okay, we’re probably losing him.
Cech is irrelevant to all of those players, unless one becomes a goalkeeper between now and the end of May.
Hummels and Schneiderlin play the same position so buying both would be stupid.
Apart from that, decent post.
out of topic but I found this answer by Wenger absolutely illurious: When asked if he watches MOTM:
‘Sometimes I watch Match of the Day to see how we’ve been perceived,’ he said.
‘It’s better to watch it with the sound turned down.’
Who listens to that gibberish?
‘It’s better to watch it with the sound turned down.’
Isn’t that the truth!!!!!!
The only good thing about MOTD is the absence of Michael Owen.
One of the games greats! An underrated superstar!
“Then Arsenal said stay and that was that”
That’s the words of a loyal gunner!
I don’t want to question his Arsenal loyalty, but that is actually rather misleading translation. In fact he says something like: “Arsenal said we wouldn’t sell you and so it finished.” He also doesn’t talk about two options he has, but rather that Arsenal has an option on him for the next season and therefore they are the ones who will make a decision. He states: “At the moment, I’m not in the situation, where I would be the one who decides.” Which is of course something else than the translation suggests.
Proper Gooner, footballer and person (also guitarist).
Please give him one last year so we can give him a testimonial!
I think we should try to keep him. He always gives 100% when selected. if he does go to get more playtime somewhere else the I wouldn’t begrudge him.
He is not the one I would see going or leaving Arsenal soon…nice to see him in red and white shirt once again.
Wengerball maestro
he doesn’t even play like he has just one year left in him….. more like 3yrs left. one of the fastest runners in d squad @ 34, unquestionable technique, and the way he changes the pace of the game,…let’s not even forget his outside of the foot pass he does ever so deliciously…….. give him atleast 2yr contract, that guy’s a legend!
I’d like to see him given another year so he earns his testimonial at least. He warrants that much.
I still think he has a lot to offer the team. I’d say that the speed, and efficiency, of our play is much better when he’s involved and his cameo against Everton hightlighted his committment to the cause.
dont think TR is a 90 minute player now but is a great impact player from the bench trains really hard and as he has stated because of his injuries he may be 34 but feels like a 30 year old it depnds now what wengers intentions are in the summer would be nice for him to come clean and let TR seek more play time if he cant guarantee him more than this season, i hope he stays he is a big influence on the team and no one has a bad word for him, gives his all for… Read more »
He’s not 34. His footballing age is 25. Please stay Rozza. We love you.
Love this guy. Proper Legend. Injuries never helped him. Always been one of my favourite players. Really hope he stays
I love TR7 and really think he is rare breed of midfielder and a I rate his talent and perception of the game up there with the other midfield greats. Given his career though, with how much playing time he has missed out on, it isn’t fair to have him miss out on more of that for no good reason. I selfishly want him to stay but respect his decision either way.
One of my all-time favorite Arsenal players. Love the tenacity as well as technical skill he plays with. Such a smart player too. Some of the best facial expressions of any player as well. As much as I don’t want to see him leave Arsenal from my own selfish standpoint I just hope wherever he plays out his career he will get the opportunities to play and contribute to a successful side that he deserves.
By far one of my favorites players in the squad, excellent technique, really fast for his age and who doesnt love to see his bursts of speed and change of pace? This is the player i think Wilshere should try to emulate. Legend in my eyes and would love for him to retire with us and get a proper testimonial.
I don’t think Jack quite has the pace to match Tomas. Plus Jack’s technique is quite stabby and incites challenges, whereas Rosicky’s is silky smooth with the ball always under control even at speed. Honestly I would have Jack curb his attacking instincts and focus on his passing from deep, a la Pirlo or Scholes, because he has a “wand” of a left foot. He’d be better suited to controlling games from deep than breaking through the lines to try and win them.
Everything he does is adorable. His celebrations are the best of the lot.
” Rosicky in ” as a sub always provides some kind of relieving feeling. I like him and Ox’s spearhead runs through the opposition defence. He isn’t called Mozart for nothing. He orchestrates our play with such flair, every time.
I will cry the day he leaves Arsenal. Please stay and stay and stay till you retire. Ozil called him the best in PL last season and belive it or not Rosicky and Ozil are best of friends off the field as well.
I dont know why AW doesnt play him much often, that FA cup performance alone warrants a start.
He only gets to start if Jack,Ramsey and Ox are simultaneously injured..aka..usually thats when we begun a run of victories. Than back to square one…laboured victories and losses.
I would to see his contract extended by a year. The brother is good on the ball. Wouldn’t want him in an EPL colours at all.
I love Rosicky. He’s a legend in my eyes. He works his arse off every game. Always gives us some drive when he comes on and is the most committed player you could ask for. Hugely underrated.
I always love watching his pirouettes on the ball.
Tomas Rosicky is a gentleman of the game
As Wenger said – If you love football, you love Tomas Rosicky.
Please don’t leave
My favorite player on the team. Hope he stays.
I expect he will wind his career up with us or leave this summer.
Great to have his experience and capability off the bench but no longer a regular starter not bc he isn’t good but due to durability issues and frankly the younger players need the time on the pitch to step up.
Still extremely important to have in mentoring, simply love the vision he provides and the positive push going forward.
Sadly the last of he great Czechs. Used to love the Czech team in the mid 2000s.
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20150324/international-watch-gunners-on-duty
Including Rosicky, that’s 10+ first squad members on international duty! Let’s hope they come back in good health.
If I could I would clone little Mozart just to see him play for a mid table club where he’s the hub of the team, I honestly think he’s still got it in him to be relatively talismanic. Hopefully he retires here absolutely love what he’s brought to the team for the past 10 years
Shame he didn’t leave. He brings nothing to the team. All you’ll ever need to know about Arsenal fans is that to many Podolski and Rosicky are fans favourites.
Hopefully Gibbs, Podolski and Rosicky will be binned in the Summer.
Shame that you posted that so late. It probably now will not get the necessary eyeballs and associated thumbs down to aquire the “Hidden for being shit” tag it richly deserves.
He has the legs of a thirty year old, rock on Tommy!