Dzeko: I don't want to be super-sub

Edin Dzeko insists that
he does not want to be
known as Manchester
City's super-sub but is
aiming to become first-
choice for Roberto
Mancini.
- Blog: When 10 look
like 11
Dzeko was introduced
with 11 minutes
remaining against West
Brom and netted a brace
to ensure that ten-man
City came away with an
unlikely 2-1 win.
The Bosnia international
is City's leading scorer
with six goals this
season but four of
those goals have come
from the bench and he
revealed that, while he
is happy to do his job
for the team, he does
not want to be a
substitute.
"The manager (Roberto
Mancini) is there to pick
the team and I'm there
when the team needs
me," he said. "But I was
never a super-sub
even before I came to
Manchester City.
"I always used to play
from the beginning (for
Wolfsburg) and I scored
a lot of goals - not as a
sub. In the last few
games the situation has
been like this and I'm
just happy to be scoring
goals. But I will never be
a super-sub, I want to
play.''
First- team coach David
Platt confirmed Dzeko's
match-changing
contribution had put him
in contention to start
Wednesday's Champions
League encounter with
Ajax.
"Edin won't have that
tag (super-sub) either
because he will get his
starts like every other
player will get their
starts," Platt said.
"We've got 24 players,
four of them are on the
treatment table, so we
had a squad of 20 to
pick from.
"Edin came on and got
his two goals and has
put himself firmly in the
manager's thoughts for
Wednesday night
(against Ajax). But we
will pick a team on what
we think is right for
Ajax and the one after
that.''
Platt added that he was
pleased with the
reaction of Dzeko to not
starting the game.
He said: "Edin has been
in superb form, not just
goalscoring wise, and
towards the end of last
season he was coming
off the bench and doing
well. But when he has
started he has done
very well, as well. He is
a top, top player.
"People should be
disappointed when they
are not in the team but
the reaction you want
when they come on is
that they fight for their
team and they have all
done well.''
Information from the
Press Association was
used in this report
source : soccernet