Manchester City: Turnaround In The Form of Edin Dzeko

A charity bet was placed on Twitter during pre-season between a Manchester City fan and a Manchester United fan. The bet concerned City’s Bosnian striker Edin Dezeko, signed for £27m in January 2011. The City fan was convinced that Dzeko would get 20 goals in all competitions in the upcoming season, with ease. The United fan scoffed at the thought, and a bet resulted.

It should be of little surprise that three games into the season (four if you count the competitive friendly that is the Charity Shield), Dzeko is flourishing. Six goals in three games tells the story, with goals in his last 5 games. That 20-goal target seems much closer already.

Edin Dzeko has set the league on fire already this season!

Fans are quick to write off players that do not perform immediately. The fact is that players, especially when they move across countries, take time to settle – their wage packet and transfer fee is irrelevant. And what’s more, Dzeko has been here before.

Edin Dzeko was born in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia, on 17 March 1986, and he and his family had to cope with the Bosnian war rampaging through the country when he was only six. He recalled: “It was a hard time for everyone in the country. There wasn’t much to eat, not really enough for three meals a day. I was very afraid every day. We were always having to hide when shots rang out or bombs fell. You could get shot at any time. I cried a lot in those days. Thank God the war is in the past.“

He was raised in at a time when the Bosnian capital was under a four-year siege from Serbian troops during the break up of Yugoslavia. When Bosnia-Herzegovina declared independence from Yugoslavia, 18,000 Serbs encircled the city in a bid to take control of part of the state. An estimated 10,000 people were killed or went missing during those four years, around 1,500 of them being children. Dzeko’s family home was destroyed in the battle, which made Sarajevo too dangerous for youngsters wanting to practise their football skills. However, Dzeko is quoted as saying that the war made him much stronger mentally. And this strength has served him well ever since. It came as little surprise that in November 2009, Dzeko became Bosnia’s first UNICEF ambassador.

When Dzeko arrived at Zeljeznicar as a lanky 13-year-old in 1999, he was given the dismissive nickname ‘Kloc’, derived from the Bosnian slang term for a lamp post. It was the start of a career of upsetting the odds, of making people eat their words. This season has been no different.

Dzeko joined Bosnia and Herzegovina Premier League side FK Zeljeznicar and made his debut in 2003, starting out as a midfielder and scoring five goals in 40 games in two years at the club. He moved to Czech club FK Teplice in 2005, and was later loaned out. When Teplice offered €25,000 for him, a Zeljeznicar director admitted he and the rest of the board broke out the champagne. “We thought we’d won the lottery,” he said. But his time in the Czech Republic saw him being converted to a striker – an effective switch, as he went on to be named the best foreign striker and finish second in the golden boot race in the 2006-07 season. Dzeko’s goals caught the eye of VFL Wolfsburg manager Felix Magath, who took the striker to the Bundesliga for 4 million euros. He started brightly, with five goals in the first twelve matches, but was less successful in the second half, ending his first season in Germany with eight goals in 28 games.

But yet again, Dzeko’s determination shone through, and as he settled properly – the goals followed. The season before last, Dzeko became half of the most successful strike-force in Bundesliga history alongside Brazilian frontman Grafite, beating Gerd Mueller and Uli Hoeness’s record from 1972-73. Dzeko notched 26 of the pair’s 54 goals which helped propel Wolfsburg to the Bundesliga title. He finished the season with a flourish as well, scoring two hat tricks – the first one coming in just 13 minutes.

Such form saw him named Bosnian Footballer of the Year for 2009 and 2010. And like any top striker, a nickname is essential –he is known in his homeland as the “Bosnian Diamond”.

And so at City the same pattern emerges – a slow start, followed by an explosion of goals. And whilst he might have not have scored a hatful of goals in the 2010/11 season, he certainly scored important ones. His goal against Notts County in the FA Cup saved City from elimination, and they went on to win their first trophy in 35 years. His goal against Blackburn helped secure a slender 1-0 victory and all but secured a Champions League place, whilst a last-day goal against Bolton helped secure 3^rd place, thus avoiding a Champions League qualifying game.

Lack of goals told only half the story however. Dzeko appeared at first to have been bought without a consideration of how he would fit into the team. His style didn’t seem to fit into Mancini’s preferred formation of one up front with Silva in the hole, and he struggled to form an understanding with Tevez, a player who dropped back and roamed a lot, and was undoubtedly selfish with the ball (like many top strikers).

This season, it’s doubtful that there has been some amazing transformation behind the scenes that has caused this turn in form. Having settled and with a full pre-season behind him, playing in a system that suits him better, goals were always going to follow. After all, he is a prolific striker for his country too, scoring nine goals in the 2010 World Cup qualifying group, thereby finishing as the second best scorer, tied with Wayne Rooney. The signs are there that he seems more relaxed on the pitch. His touch, close control and movement have all improved, compared to last season. He is playing with a smile, and like any striker, scoring a couple of goals can lead to a purple patch on the pitch – confidence is everything.

The addition of Sergio Aguero seems to have helped also, the two forming an instant partnership on the pitch, and the addition of Samir Nasri gave him something in the last match against Tottenham that he thrives on – crosses. As long as Roberto Mancini continues to play to his strengths, there is no reason why he cannot become a huge success at Manchester City football club. The reason for his success is fairly simple – he was given time to succeed in the first place.