Cesc Fàbregas

[Belgiannutt 3,201]

What? No. Absolutely no. We need to win, this is the kind of game you risk players for. This is a potential championship decider.

Disagree with that. After this game there are still 15 PL games or 45 points to win. Is it an important game ? Definitely. Championship decider ? No for me.

It's not worth the risk for me. Fabregas is a very important player for us but in this game, due to the way we're going to play, Ramires can replace Fabregas.( in his own way ofcourse)

Like i said before i'd rather miss Fabregas for 1 game then have him do his hamstring and miss multiple games.

[OneMoSalah 8,883]

It's often easy to shoot your mouth off from the sidelines when you have not the slightest level of responsibility for what is actually going to happen, so here goes...

If Cesc can't play I'd replace him with Charlie Colkett!! Charlie is the second best passer we have in the club, after Cesc. In time perhaps he'll be the best and he's already better defensively than the ex-barca man. Now, if I were really picking the side, I don't suppose I'd be any more likely to Pick Charlie than Jose is but, sitting at the keyboard, it sounds like an idea worth considering. :)

If it was an FA cup game against Wrexham or someone yes maybe use him but when you consider its Man City and also consider Mikel, Ramires, Loftus-Cheek and Ake are definitely ahead of Colkett in the pecking order and in experience, ability and other things it would be crazy.

[OhForAGreavsie 6,057]

If it was an FA cup game against Wrexham or someone yes maybe use him but when you consider its Man City and also consider Mikel, Ramires, Loftus-Cheek and Ake are definitely ahead of Colkett in the pecking order and in experience, ability and other things it would be crazy.

You're right to say it would be crazy of course. You are also right to say that the players you've named are ahead of Charlie in terms of experience and perhaps also in the unspecified things you have in mind. Where I'd offer a different opinion to yours is that, when it comes to ability in the 'Fabregas' role, I put Charlie ahead of all of those.

If push came to shove I wouldn't throw Charlie into this game any more than you would. My post above was really just a long winded way of saying that I think he's a terrific player. I'm certain he'll prove it somewhere. I hope very much that it will be here.

[Parky 739]

I know i'll get flamed for this but I feel like Cesc is not giving enough during games. His stats look good but when you watch him in a game he seems slow and lethargic for a box to box midfielder. I want the old Cesc from the Arsenal days, one with endless energy, grit and determination. Otherwise best to play him in the #10 role and let Oscar be the B2B Midfielder next to Matic.

[kellzfresh 7,229]

He has a history of getting injured during the 2nd half of seasons.

Rather he missed this game than risk missing him against the smaller sides we need points against.

[Bir_CFC 3,455]

I know i'll get flamed for this but I feel like Cesc is not giving enough during games. His stats look good but when you watch him in a game he seems slow and lethargic for a box to box midfielder. I want the old Cesc from the Arsenal days, one with endless energy, grit and determination. Otherwise best to play him in the #10 role and let Oscar be the B2B Midfielder next to Matic.

He's been a way better CM for us (offence plus defence) than he ever was for Arsenal.

[The Skipper 20,609]

I know i'll get flamed for this but I feel like Cesc is not giving enough during games. His stats look good but when you watch him in a game he seems slow and lethargic for a box to box midfielder. I want the old Cesc from the Arsenal days, one with endless energy, grit and determination. Otherwise best to play him in the #10 role and let Oscar be the B2B Midfielder next to Matic.

That's weird because he consistently clocks up one of the most kilometres per game in the team.

[DYC. 7,542]

That's weird because he consistently clocks up one of the most kilometres per game in the team.

Is there a site that keeps up the total distance covered?

[pHaRaOn 2,131]

That's weird because he consistently clocks up one of the most kilometres per game in the team.

Not only in our team, but he has covered the most ground in the Premier League this term.

[The Skipper 20,609]

Is there a site that keeps up the total distance covered?

I read it in an article recently, it's from Opta:

Yet Chelseas midfield is a well-oiled machine and it is revealing that Fàbregas has responded well to the work rate Mourinho demands from his players. When it comes to the distance covered by each player, only Stoke Citys Steven NZonzi has covered more ground than Fàbregas (214.8km to 213.2km), while Matic is again third with 210.2km and it will please Mauricio Pochettino to discover that Tottenham Hotspurs Christian Eriksen is fourth with a lung-busting 210.1km.

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/dec/31/chelsea-cesc-fabregas-premier-league-statistics-manchester-united

[Belgiannutt 3,201]

Is there a site that keeps up the total distance covered?

http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/season=2015/statistics/round=2000548/players/index.html#order=3desc

This is only for CL games though.

[DYC. 7,542]

I read it in an article recently, it's from Opta:

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/dec/31/chelsea-cesc-fabregas-premier-league-statistics-manchester-united

I have no idea why it's so hard to find the stats on distance covered per game.

http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/season=2015/statistics/round=2000548/players/index.html#order=3desc

This is only for CL games though.

Thank you, nut.

[Barbara 15,149]

I miss you!!!!

As I don't buy the big bottler thing, I think he was very much missed today. If he was playing as #10 instead of Oscar I think maybe we could have pulled a result.

Hopefully he'll be back for Villa. Villa Park is already a place we don't flare well, we won't have Diego, so I hope we'll have at least Cesc.

Oscar can't play another match (not because he sucks and all that, you all know I like the kid)... he's completely battered, knacked, exhausted, next weekend will be soon for him after 300 minutes of football... so either we play Cesc at #10 or we already give Cuadrado a start, supposing he does come. I'm not confident about Cuadrado in general, but even less after only a few days training with his new team, so I hope we'll have Cesc.

[supporter 3,088]

With Fabregas our approach would have been different.

Fabregas is now our compass.

WE dance to the rhythm of Fabregas

Fabregas is The Answer

[manpe 10,861]

I know i'll get flamed for this but I feel like Cesc is not giving enough during games. His stats look good but when you watch him in a game he seems slow and lethargic for a box to box midfielder. I want the old Cesc from the Arsenal days, one with endless energy, grit and determination. Otherwise best to play him in the #10 role and let Oscar be the B2B Midfielder next to Matic.

Come on man, he's not a B2B player. If we draw analogies with FM then he's definitely a roaming/deep-lying playmaker. He is where the ball is, a box-to-box midfielder doesn't care about that.