Sparta Prague have again gone public on their eagerness to sign Tomas Rosicky even though the midfielder has had his Arsenal contract extended by a year.
A lack of game time saw the Czech cut a detached figure at the tail end of last season and it was something of a surprise that Arsene Wenger decided to keep him on the books. All the more so given he turns 35 in October.
Despite the new deal his boyhood club remain undeterred in their pursuit of a reunion.
Speaking to local press at the unveiling of a new club sponsor Daniel Křetínský, Sparta’s majority shareholder, revealed there’s still room in the squad for their ‘Little Mozart’.
“I’d love him to come and for it to happen soon, but I don’t want to put uncomfortable pressure on Tomas. It’s up to him, I understand that leaving Arsenal isn’t easy.”
Adding uncomfortable pressure on Tomas, he added: “I’m not sure Tomas would forgive himself if he went somewhere other than Sparta.”
Last season Rosicky made eight starts and 16 appearances off the bench; most of them in a two month period after Christmas.
While his experience is undoubtedly important (not to mention the role he played in selling life at the Emirates to compatriot Petr Cech) you can’t help but feel slightly awkward at us retaining the services of a loyal guy who wants to play regularly but probably won’t be more than a benchwarmer.
Perhaps the contract extension is just our way of ensuring we get a transfer fee this summer. After all, we’ve grown a lot more hard-nosed on the transfer front. At the same time, as a free agent Tomas could have sealed lucrative personal terms elsewhere; something you’d think Wenger – a man who allowed a contracted Sol Campbell to walk free – wouldn’t deny him.
Let’s go with a fence-sitting 5 poos.
As an added bonus, here’s a teenage Tomas scoring for his old club against us in the 2000/01 Champions League. We won 4-2 that night and this happened in injury time. What’s Dixon doing?
Arsenal legend, whatever he wants is what we should do, especially if there is a fee involved.
Arsenal legend. Therefore what he wants is to play games and win them for us. Give him that chance I say. TR7>CR7.
TR7 > CR7 indeed.
In the following categories:
Class
Hair
Scamperyness
Hair
Lovableness (which is actually a real word according to spell-check)
No-look passes
Scoring crucial goals against those cunts Spu*s
Style
Bone structure
Not being a cunt
FA cup wins
Playing Guitar
Hair
Class
And penis size (none of your business how)
Statue please. Not outside, inside on the centre circle.
The problem is that what he wants is to play for Arsenal, but not to sit on the bench (or even in the stands) for Arsenal. And I guess he is also be pretty unhappy about the fact that no matter how well he does, it never brings him into the reckoning for a starting spot in the next game. Last year he gave some great performances as cover or as substitute, but he was always the first to be dropped when other players became available to play again.
This article implies there are people who don’t pine for Rosicky.
He could stay for this last year, get a testimonial and go to Prague on a free. I mean, he has Čech now, I imagine the training ground will be that little bit brighter.
I actually think Wenger’s strategy was to retain him to make sure to get that testimonial going. We haven’t had one in quite a while and it will motivate the younger lads to want to compete harder the rest of the year and win it all for Tommy!
Plus Cech needs Tommy to play guitar in his band.
I say fuck em.
I get it: He’s a great player, and I think he has the potential to coach at some point
(however he seems like such (too?) a nice guy, so he’d probably end up as Gianfranco Zola).
Why? don’t they have Tommas Repka?
Build him a statue already Arsene! Watching that goal it’s easy to see Wenger imagining him as a natural successor to Bobby Pires.
Those reports should not be measured in poo images. It should be measured in Tottenhams.
Gross
Same thing. Why repeat the horrible ‘T’ word!
Too harsh on the poo
It would be very sad if Tomas turns into Zola. What would happen to Zola?
He turns into Jimmy Bullard. It’s like Pokémon evolution.
mann..Bullard..had so much potential..but just vanished. Just Matt Jarvis or maybe Jose Anto Reyes!
The best thing for the club is debatable. Tomas brings experience and ability to the club, and he is, for many, the archetypal Arsenal player. However, it’s still important to take care of the financial side, and a summer transfer would help with the cost of Čech.
Personally, Super Tom is a footballing hero of mine. I don’t want him to ever leave the Emirates, but he deserves to be playing more and that won’t happen in North London.
Riiiight, because the fee we would get for a 34, nearly 35, year old player in the last year of his contract would really help us balance the books, given how hard we scrimp and save elsewhere…Makes perfect sense, your argument.
It’s the wages. The more players we have who aren’t earning their keep either by, er, actually playing regularly in matches or, in the case of kids, learning their trade and increasing in value, the less there is available for upgrading the squad. How many minutes did Rosicky play last season? How many did Arteta, Flam, Diaby, Debuchy? It’s horrible that players are treated as commodities when they’ve been hardworking and loyal and done nothing wrong but get old, or be injured a lot, or find themselves deemed less talented than somebody else, but that’s how it works. Ospina doesn’t… Read more »
TR is showing the same loyalty to the club that the club showed to him during his injury marathon. There’s no doubt he’d get 30+ games for any team that wasn’t a PL club fighting to get into the top 4, but he’s been here when we’ve realistically been going for 3rd/4th spot and he can stay one more season and enjoy us going for the No 1 spot. Then he can choose whether he wants to play for a season or two at a leading club in another league or he can go back to his home town club.… Read more »
For every Diaby there’s a Tommy. You do wonder however, if their futures at the club were not somehow linked. Both exceptional professionals, credit to the club and by any accounts all around good enough eggs for a scramble, both unfortunately never really realising their full potential with us, and in the end, the could only be one. 🙁
With all due respect, I think Rosicky can still play at a higher level than that.
Give this guy a role in the rotation of the squad. He has so much to bring, so many qualities. He strives for success, he has the hunger, a wonderful technical ability, and still runs like he’s 19 ! The likes of Cazorla, Sanchez, Özil or Ramsey simply can’t play every single game in the season. I really can’t understand how players like Chamberlain or Walcott, with the very restricted possibilities they offer, can be in front of him in the pecking order…
Is Wilshere better than this guy? Honestly, I think Rosicky brings a pace to the team, that no other player in this team can. Not like Theo who is pure pace, but Rosicky pushes the team on with his one touch passing and movement. I’m not convinced that Jack should start more than Tomas and the start of last season might be proof of that. I love Jack, but I really feel he just walks into the team now and doesn’t earn it. I know Wenger sticks by players through thick and thin, but in his case, I feel he’s… Read more »
Honestly the game time of Tomas is by far the biggest mystery to me. In every game he plays, he tries hard and a lot more often than not it comes off (what a game against Brighton i.e).
I wondered why Arsene didn’t use him more in the run-up to the cup final – it was clear that Tommy wouldn’t be starting (Alexis, Mesut and Santi were in blistering form), but as a 60th impact sub, he would’ve been able to contribute a lot (especially against Swansea or Sunderland).
I love him and would absolutely be gutted if he left.
I can’t imagine what the club are thinking. Does anyone actually believe he’ll get more time this season? Rosicky is clearly frustrated with not playing. If the club imagines some other role for him, why haven’t they made it clear to him?The idea that it’s just to get a fee is laughable, we aren’t misers any more, it’s not like a few millions Euros will help avoiding liquidation. Either explain to him why his contract was extended, give him more playing time, or let him go.
The argument shouldn’t be that he should leave, but that he should play a lot more. Tommy should be 2nd choice AM, and Wenger should rotate Ozil more and let him rest, rather than running him to the ground come Christmas. What I really love about Tommy is his frenetic high tempo game. I acknowledge Ozil is our most creative player and when on point arguably the best no.10 in the world, and I enjoy his measured effortless game. But personally I just like Tommy’s frenetic play. Not because he runs around a lot, but because he’s always trying to… Read more »
Great post!
Couldn’t have described Tommy’s style better.
All i know is that it will be very sad day for me when i have to say goodbye to tomas at the arsenal. I love this guy. The first time i ever saved up enough coin to fly to london from australia and watch the arsenal, this guy blew away my first emirates experience. Was true to the nickname little mozart, he was composing a masterpiece out there that day and something ill never forget.
Funny. Same thing for me. My first trip to the Emirates from the U.S. and Tomas scores the game winner against QPR on Boxing Day. Love the guy too and would hate to see him go.
Give this guy a role in the rotation of the squad. At least. He has so much to bring, so many qualities. He strives for success, he has the hunger, a wonderful technical ability, and still runs like he’s 19 ! The likes of Cazorla, Sanchez, Özil or Ramsey simply can’t play every single game in the season. I really can’t understand how players like Chamberlain or Walcott, with the very restricted possibilities they offer, can be in front of him in the pecking order…
Maybe we are keeping him around, till january or summer to ease cech in. Either way the man is quality on and off the pitch. As for dixon, a push is as good as a pull.
As Alfie Boe said…
Love you Tomas…
Rosicky could still prove very useful in Italy where they are rebuilding.
I so love Rozza that rumours / news linking him away saddens me. I wish for him to retire at Arsenal or at least mark 10yrs for the gunners.
Wasting too much money on players whose legs are gone
Arteta, Tomas and Flamini all by a man with Msc in Economics and who cares about spending.
Does rosicky age? He looks and plays the same lol
He’s a champion
He absolutely undresses Dixon in that clip.
Comment:best we let this loyal servant go & keep great memories of his stewardship!
Gimme some Rosicky