Opinion: In defence of Edin Dzeko

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, today’s case revolves around the acquisition and reputation of the defendant, Edin Dzeko, a 30-year-old Bosnian striker acquired by AS Roma on 12 August 2016.

Despite an admittedly difficult transition year in calcio, Dzeko’s record compared to fellow strikers in the league and the impact he has made on the side’s style of play demonstrates that the defendant has indeed contributed positively to Roma’s season thus far and, most promisingly, should only get better in the future.

The defendant’s new environment certainly warrants consideration. Dzeko finds himself in Italy following five years in Manchester - scoring at least 14 league goals for three consecutive years for Man City - and four vastly successful seasons in the Bundesliga, where his 26 league goals led Wolfsburg to their only German title in history; he remains the latter’s side all-time top goalscorer.

Each debut season after transfers has proven to be the least fruitful for the Bosnian during his career; his first year in Germany, he scored eight goals – his lowest seasonal tally during his Bundesliga campaign - and his first season at Manchester City led to just two goals in 15 appearances.

Subsequent seasons proved to be far more fruitful, demonstrating a strong ability to adapt to a new league and a new style of play - considerations that are often difficult for any player.

In the defendant’s first months at Roma, he has had to adjust not only to the Italian way of football, but to two coaches’ style of play - and all without a preseason to adjust. Despite all of this, his record stands respectfully compared to other major strikers in Italy, bar the sensational season of Gonzalo Higuain: his eight league goals are more than Juventus’ Mario Mandzukic, Sassuolo’s Domenico Berardi, the Napoli pair of Marek Hamsik and Jose Callejon, Milan’s Luiz Adriano, and Lazio’s Alessandro Matri.

If we value quality over quantity, then those eight strikes have been incredibly vital to Roma’s season. Who could forget his towering header that led Roma to victory over Juventus? Or his opportunistic finish against Lazio just last matchday to ensure that no comeback would be completed – along with his penalty in the first derby of the season?

What about his opening strike against Udinese, his brace against Palermo to begin and end a five-goal slugfest, or his strikes against Barcelona and Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions’ League?

When the defendant is confident and roaring, he brings a new dimension to Roma, allowing Spalletti to employ an entirely different, more direct system than Diego Perrotti’s deep positioning as a false nine.

That is not to deny that there is still some room to improve. The defendant has indeed missed chances that he himself would surely expect to score, especially after starting so well in his first appearances for the club.

However, jury, I emplore you to decide for yourself which Edin Dzeko is the true Edin Dzeko.

Would you condemn and judge a striker based on a transitional campaign in a new league - adjusting to two new coaches all while scoring more than some of the biggest names in the league?

Or has what Dzeko has done already - in a system that is proving it can generate goals nearly at will - enabled you to see that, with a full pre-season behind him next term, he is capable of becoming once again what he has invariably been thus far in his career: a goalscoring machine able to help his team to trophies?