Cesc Fàbregas

[Styles 9,790]

He had ONE very good season with Arsenal and I don't think he is as dedicated to football in his life as he needs to be. But that's just a feeling I have while watching him and it doesn't surprise me that Barca fans don't care for him.

Hard to know what he would do back in England. Maybe he will find a better role at Chelsea and impress us all.

I'm quite taken aback by just how many don't rate him and the flaws they cite.

This post in particular is worrying:

A normal feature of Cesc's game however is this:

I've seen him do this about a gazillion times. He has no awareness about his surroundings and attempts passes into people's feet when they are getting closed down. "Easy" passes. The most infuriating thing about this is that it's not even a matter of lack of talent. If he wanted to and used his brain he could learn and improve his decision making.

That sounds like Ramires!

[bababoom 4,478]

Ramires? come on don't you remember him for Arsenal? technically he's superb and his passing is top notch... It's hard to judge him at Barca because they play so different to every team, i personally think he's far too direct for them...

[quickpassnmove 924]

I will admit that he can prove me wrong. He seems capable and also, it may have been the case of bad squad politics at Barcelona--as in: 'we prefer to play with proven Barca players in centre midfield. this is our established starting center midfield."

My problem with this transfer is that a player like Koke is younger, about as equally skilled (dunno on the goalscoring as much), and Koke is a STRONGER, MORE ATHLETIC physical presence than Fabregas in centre midfield. I would prefer the stronger player with more youth and about the same amount of skill. Football demands the strength and speed of Koke more nowadays.

I hope Cesc just blows my perception away if he comes to SB.

[Mustafa 885]

There's a very interesting Fabregas thread on a Barcelona forum I just found. It seems like an awful lot of them don't rate him and can't wait until he leaves.

http://www.barcaforum.com/showthread.php/10067-4-Cesc-Fabregas

That's the whole thread since he signed for them so you obviously don't need to read the whole thing!

Yeahh his form, especially in this past season has not been good. In his first season he did very well. But the next season he was worse and ever worse last season.

If he does come, then we'll have to hope he can find some form again and doesnt lose interest in his football like a certain Spaniard that we splashed out for (who was also in poor form at the time we signed him). But what Cesc has (or had at Arsenal) is a hunger for the game. He seems to have lost that at Barca. You used to see him geeing up the fans and the players at Arsenal but I can't remember him doing that at Barca. As if it was too easy it something. That's a bit of a worry.

Hope the English environment puts that fire back in his belly.

.... If we sign him of course

[The only place to be 11,313]

Honestly I've never really rated the guy. Always thought he lacked a bit of drive and urgency in possession, the type of player that our midfielders (Lamps, Essien, Ballack, Ramires, Matic) would simply out-hustle and push off the ball.

To me he's the archetypal Arsenal bottle-job. Not at all surprised Van Gaal doesn't want him, and still surprised that we do.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

I will not judge him on his time at Barcelona where he was playing a completely different system and often playing out of position. Despite his "Barcelona DNA" he never fit their philosophy or the entire La Liga for that matter. He's much more suited for tempo and physicality of the EPL which is why one of the reasons I want us to sign him is that none of our rivals do.

If he can produce even 70% or 80% of what he did at Arsenal, he'd be a HUGE addition to the team.

[robsblubot 3,222]

Honestly I've never really rated the guy. Always thought he lacked a bit of drive and urgency in possession, the type of player that our midfielders (Lamps, Essien, Ballack, Ramires, Matic) would simply out-hustle and push off the ball.

To me he's the archetypal Arsenal bottle-job. Not at all surprised Van Gaal doesn't want him, and still surprised that we do.

agreed.

I thought the same of Modric though, but he's done well after moving deeper. Thing is, if the player has enough technique, he can make the football move quickly, like Modric does, then avoiding physical confrontations - well most of the time.

Out of the CMs we are being linked with, Fabregas would have to be the least exciting.

[The Skipper 20,593]

I don't understand why anyone needs the opinion of a Barcelona fan to validate or challenge their own opinion on Fabregas, he's played in the PL for 7/8 years so we witnessed first hand what sort of player he is.

Barcelona fans will tell you that players like Ibrahimovic, Eto'o in his prime, and even current players like Sanchez or Neymar even aren't good enough for them or their system and I'd welcome almost every single one of them here.

This guy is coming off an average season but still managed to grab 13 goals and 17 assists for them. Spoilt bunch.

Fabregas has never fitted the Barcelona system anyway, he's way too direct for their setup.

[edetarod 2,155]

Honestly I've never really rated the guy. Always thought he lacked a bit of drive and urgency in possession, the type of player that our midfielders (Lamps, Essien, Ballack, Ramires, Matic) would simply out-hustle and push off the ball.

To me he's the archetypal Arsenal bottle-job. Not at all surprised Van Gaal doesn't want him, and still surprised that we do.

agree, can't see what he offers that Mata couldn't

if we sign him for 36 million we've basically replaced Mata (a fan's favorite) with a prick

[Styles 9,790]

I will admit that he can prove me wrong. He seems capable and also, it may have been the case of bad squad politics at Barcelona--as in: 'we prefer to play with proven Barca players in centre midfield. this is our established starting center midfield."

My problem with this transfer is that a player like Koke is younger, about as equally skilled (dunno on the goalscoring as much), and Koke is a STRONGER, MORE ATHLETIC physical presence than Fabregas in centre midfield. I would prefer the stronger player with more youth and about the same amount of skill. Football demands the strength and speed of Koke more nowadays.

I hope Cesc just blows my perception away if he comes to SB.

I just don't like the idea of signing a player at that age who isn't performing at his best and then hoping he turns it around at our place. Torres is the perfect example. And before people throw stats at me suggesting Fabregas is performing, Shevchenko came here off the back of scoring nearly 30 goals and was a disaster.

Spend big money on the Hazard's of this world. Proven young talent with potential to get even better.

[MrExcalibur100 7,124]

He had ONE very good season with Arsenal and I don't think he is as dedicated to football in his life as he needs to be. But that's just a feeling I have while watching him and it doesn't surprise me that Barca fans don't care for him.

Hard to know what he would do back in England. Maybe he will find a better role at Chelsea and impress us all.

Fabregas had many very good seasons with Arsenal and was one of the best midfielders in the PL for majority of his time at Arsenal.

I will not judge him on his time at Barcelona where he was playing a completely different system and often playing out of position. Despite his "Barcelona DNA" he never fit their philosophy or the entire La Liga for that matter. He's much more suited for tempo and physicality of the EPL which is why one of the reasons I want us to sign him is that none of our rivals do.

If he can produce even 70% or 80% of what he did at Arsenal, he'd be a HUGE addition to the team.

Nail on head. It wasn't a quality problem but a not fitting into philosophy, not being liked by the fans and not being played in right position problem.

[Spike 12,049]

He is a very good scorer of goals.

[MrExcalibur100 7,124]

agree, can't see what he offers that Mata couldn't

if we sign him for 36 million we've basically replaced Mata (a fan's favorite) with a prick

Mata is a number 10. Fabregas has predominantly been a number 8. If you can't see what he offers, at least know his position on the pitch.

[Styles 9,790]

agreed.

I thought the same of Modric though, but he's done well after moving deeper. Thing is, if the player has enough technique, he can make the football move quickly, like Modric does, then avoiding physical confrontations - well most of the time.

Out of the CMs we are being linked with, Fabregas would have to be the least exciting.

Modric is a different player to Fabregas. He's more robust and quicker, and is able to link play much better.

[The only place to be 11,313]

agreed.

I thought the same of Modric though, but he's done well after moving deeper. Thing is, if the player has enough technique, he can make the football move quickly, like Modric does, then avoiding physical confrontations - well most of the time.

Out of the CMs we are being linked with, Fabregas would have to be the least exciting.

Modric has always had that snappiness. He was more like Oscar who can show some pace and hit some balls with some power.

Half the time when I watch Fabregas he seems to be jogging and he also looks like he underhits a lot of passes. Maybe it's just his style, but I always think that when we play against Fabregas that he's easily unsettled by someone like Matic or Essien.

I've said it before that he's the archetypal Wenger player....and we've always been able to smash those types of cunts.

[Sheva. 5,373]

I'm quite taken aback by just how many don't rate him and the flaws they cite.

This post in particular is worrying:

That sounds like Ramires!

Ramires Fabregas with space and time can pick out anyone he wants, which is what he didn't have in that .gif, in fact he really couldn't have done anything else in that situation.

His technique, passing etc is not a problem, his motivation/drive might be though.

[The only place to be 11,313]

Ramires Fabregas with space and time can pick out anyone he wants, which is what he didn't have in that .gif, in fact he really couldn't have done anything else in that situation.

His technique, passing etc is not a problem, his motivation/drive might be though.

And that's the problem - the reason Jose always beats Wenger is because he doesn't give his team time and space. He hustles them, he starves them of space and they collapse.

Look at the 6-0 win. Now which team does Fabregas fit perfectly into?

[milka 3,308]

Cesc Fabregas has agreed personal terms with Chelsea according to Mundo Deportivo!