Tomasson over the hill? No at all!

Tuesday 05 May 2009

Feyenoord will have to secure a place in the playoffs in their last league game against Roda JC without the services of Jon Dahl Tomasson.

The Dane is again out with an injury.

This time sprained ankle is keeping him sided, but the medical staff of Feyenoord assume that Tomasson will be ready for the playoffs.

That is good news for the Rotterdammers, as with Dane in the lineup Feyenoord are almost unbeatable this season.

Three months ago a Danish journalist came to Rotterdam to write an article about Jon Dahl Tomasson.

Most of all he wanted to show how the forward was 'over the hill’.

But after almost everyone he spoke to told him of the contrary he went back home to Denmark totally amazed and bewildered.

Statistics prove the Danish reporter is as right as he is wrong.

The question is whether the Dane's return to Rotterdam must be seen as a success or as a failure is hard to answer.

Something can be argued for both statements.

Tomasson only played 13 of the 33 league games Feyenoord have played, but if he played Feyenoord could hardly be beat.

With Tomasson in the starting lineup the Rotterdammers only lost once: on the first day of the season they went down 3-1 to in form Groningen after Feyenoord were reduced to ten early in the game.

Had Feyenoord been playing with 11 as well Tomasson might have been the only Feyenoord player to not have lost a game this season.

It's not the only remarkable statistic about the man who played his 100th game for his country this season and scored his 100th goal in the Eredivisie (currently at 101).

With nine goals in 13 games he averages 0.69 goals per game, only outdone by Mounir el Hamdaoui (0.73) and Luis Suarez (0.71).

A fine average, he agrees.

"And I'm happy with that," Tomasson said after the game against Utrecht on Sunday.

"But it's not just about scoring goals. I try to give my best in every game, I try to coach. That is important as we have a lot of young players."

Tomasson has never been a player who depended on productivity alone.

He's a man - much like Dirk Kuyt - who works hard, lets team mates play better and pulls the wagon with his winners mentality.

After he got injured on Sunday he tried to stand the pain for a while.

"I twisted my ankle after heading a ball, but shortly after the interval I felt I couldn't continue."

He couldn't accelerate any more and was replaced.

In Italy, Germany and Spain Tomasson learned that winning is more important than anything else and that is why he was well pleased with a draw in Utrecht.

"With a bit of bad luck we could have lost the game. When things aren't going as planned you should be happy with a point and finish it next week against Roda JC."