The only news at St. James’ Park this week is that of the imminent departure of chairman Chris Mort who shall be returning to his previous job. Mort has worked hard to rebuild the foundations of the club, and it shall ultimately take years for the fans to fully determine the success of his short but productive reign. This week’s edition of SHSoSHG? will look at a player considered already gone. Is there a way back for David Rozehnal?

The Lowdown

£2.9 million signing David Rozehnal ultimately turned out to be one of the last players signed under the regime of former chairman Freddy Shepherd. The signing was treated with optimism by the Toon Army, who were pleased that new manager Sam Allardyce had succeeded in signing an international centre half so early in the summer.

Rozehnal enjoyed a good run in the first team in his favoured defensive position until Allardyce was sacked in January. In the aftermath of Fat Sam’s dismissal, caretaker Nigel Pearson was forced to play the Czech in midfield due to injuries, and when Keegan took charge, it was assumed that the centre half would get another chance to show what he could do.

However, an astonishing outburst in the foreign media in which Rozehnal complained about many things, including being played out of position led to him being shipped out to Lazio on loan. Having played just seven games for Lazio, it is unlikely that he will secure a permanent deal. Rozehnal will now play at Euro 2008 with his future very much uncertain.

He Should Stay

When playing in his preferred position, Rozehnal has shown that he likes to get the ball onto the deck and play it out of defence. Assuming that Keegan would like Newcastle United to play an aesthetically pleasing type of football, Rozehnal has the attributes to play a part in this system. At times, the Czech international has also demonstrated a composed and intelligent style of defending especially when sweeping. He rarely gets caught for pace, while his tackling ability is adequate.

In his secondary position as a defensive midfielder, Rozehnal is fitter and faster than Butt and Geremi and could offer reasonable cover as a substitute for when one of those two is starting to tire at around about sixty minutes.

He Should Go

Although he knows how to play the ball, he should be expected to know that on occasions when under pressure, it is better to just clear the ball from danger. Rozehnal just never seems aware of the danger when he tries to bring the ball down, and has subsequently lost out on many occasions. At 27 years old, he should have the experience to avoid such errors.

Furthermore, Rozehnal is a very weak player and got bullied a lot in the Premier League especially against lower level teams we’d expect to beat. This makes the Czech one of the worst Toon defenders for some time in terms of his aerial ability. On the deck, opposition players have been able to use their strength to hold Rozehnal away from the ball.

Like Boumsong, David is highly rated in France, but it would seem that he doesn’t have the mentality or physical ability to succeed in the Premier League.

Conclusion

Rozehnal is simply not good enough to command a starting place in a Premier League defence. It is possible that he could have his uses as a squad role, but if he is going to complain to the media at the first sign of things not working out, what is the point. Ultimately he has not been missed as a player since he scampered off to Lazio, so it can be fully expected that Rozehnal should go.

Should Rozehnal be given another chance, or is it Czech Mate? Have Your Say!

Coming Soon: Should He Stay or Should He Go?: Emre

Previously:

Stay
Jose Enrique

Last Chance
Shay Given

Go
Stephen Carr
David Rozehnal

Gone
Stephen Carr
Peter Ramage
James Troisi
Lamine Diatta
Chris Mort