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25/05/2006 10:00:00.
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Few players have as much talent as Tomas Rosicky, which is why the confirmation that Arsenal have signed the creative Czech playmaker has been greeted with almost as much delight as the news that Henry has decided to extend his contract.

But Arsenal fans have to query why Borussia Dortmund were so eager to get rid of Rosicky or indeed why they’ve been trying to offload him for the better part of three seasons.

The reason is partly down to the fact that Rosicky financially crippled the club. When Borussia Dortmund bought him for £18 million – a Bundesliga record - in 2001, they were banking on permanently taking over from Bayern Munich as Germany’s super club. By spending heavily they had already won the Champions League as well as a number of domestic honours.

Rosicky, however, pushed them over the edge. Overburdened by expectations and unable to cope with the departure of manager Ottmar Hitzfeld, Dortmund started to falter and without the backing of regular Champions’ League football, financial meltdown was inevitable.

Through no fault of his own, Rosicky was caught in the middle of their crisis but, with a lucrative contract freshly signed, he had little incentive to move and Dortmund were unable to take one of the greater burdens off their budget.

Inevitably, this made him rather unpopular and with his performances being too unpredictable he was soon tagged as another football mercenary in it only for the money.

Yet Arsene Wenger must be confident of succeeding where others have failed. And there are few better suited than him to turn potential into results. Not only is the list of players he has pushed through at Arsenal alone almost endless but he has shown an ability to mould even the more problematic players like Nicholas Anelka and Robin Van Persie.

Rosicky won’t come with the same characterial baggage as those two but Wenger will still have to work hard with him, focusing particularly on three areas: strength, consistency and tactical placing.

The first challenge is a given for any player coming into English football. The pace at which the game is played is unmatched elsewhere in Europe so Rosicky will not only need time to find his feet but also step up his physical sharpness or otherwise he will be crowded out of games too easily.

Consistency, or lack of it, has been the most frustrating feature of Rosicky’s career in Germany. As one fan described him, he is the “best most unproductive player” capable of alternating spells of grandiose football ingeniousness with long periods where he simply doesn’t look interested.

Wenger will also have to try and figure out where best to play Rosicky. Nominally described as a striker, he clearly isn’t that - as 20 goals in over 150 games in the Bundesliga - but rather an advanced midfielder with the freedom to move behind the main striker. That is the role that he’s often taken up with the Czech Republic to great effect, especially with fellow Dortmund player Jan Koller up-front.

Arsenal, however, don’t play with a target man, which means that Rosicky will have to play on either of the wings, especially as he doesn’t seem to have the strength to take up one of the central midfield roles habitually filled by Gilberto and Cesc Fabregas. This too will need some adapting from his part but Wenger must be confident that ultimately he will have a player capable of taking over the creative mantle of Robert Pires.

Then again, Rosicky’s best season for Dortmund (2001/02 when they won the German league and were beaten in the UEFA Cup final by a Van Persie inspired Feyenoord) came when he was playing behind a strike partnership of Jan Koller and Marcio Amoroso. It could be that Wenger is planning to use him in that role just behind Henry and Adebayor.

Rosicky certainly has the talent to do that, or even take up the role of Henry’s partner in a similar manner as that adopted by Denis Bergkamp in the past. But with the move to Arsenal coming late in the day – he was poised to go to Atletico Madrid before the Spaniards failed to honour the first instalment of the transfer fee – it will be his attitude that will eventually determine whether he succeeds.