Cesc Fàbregas

[ZanSnake 1,211]

Should have been replaced instead of Oscar. Missing in action. Hope he picks himself up and gets to last season's form.

[termninja 5,290]

I agree with all 3 posts above, was invisible, slugish and should've been taken off rather then Oscar. It's a big call to bench him against Man City, but if Jose was to do that I would have nothing against it, especially considering it's an away game.

[xPetrCechx 13,563]

I agree with all 3 posts above, was invisible, slugish and should've been taken off rather then Oscar. It's a big call to bench him against Man City, but if Jose was to do that I would have nothing against it, especially considering it's an away game.

Jose can't drop cesc, like he can't drop iva...

[termninja 5,290]

Jose can't drop cesc, like he can't drop iva...

If he dropped Ivanovic who would replace him? And if he dropped Fabregas, guys to replace him are Mikel and Ramires, and they aren't helpful unless we're winning.

Yes I know that you mean Jose was reluctant to drop Bane last season, but season is past and I would avoid talking about it.

[WNDS 502]

If he dropped Ivanovic who would replace him? And if he dropped Fabregas, guys to replace him are Mikel and Ramires, and they aren't helpful unless we're winning.

Yes I know that you mean Jose was reluctant to drop Bane last season, but season is past and I would avoid talking about it.

It needn't be a question of replacing an out-of-form Fabregas with either Ramires or Mikel; as I mentioned above, Mourinho could perhaps consider switching us to a 4-3-3 formation with Oscar and Willian occupying the two CM positions whilst Moses (a natural right-sided wide player, unlike Willian) plays on the right. This would allow for Oscar AND Willian AND Moses to feature in their favoured positions/roles on the pitch whilst having a less detrimental effect upon our possession and attacking play than that which occurs when we play either Ramires (concedes possession far too cheaply and lacks technique) or Mikel (unambitious passing coupled with a lack of mobility).

I don't believe that Oscar could be any worse than Fabregas (in current 'form') when defending, and he possesses similar levels of ability to Fabregas when it comes to linking play in the middle-third. Willian has the pace and stamina of Ramires, but supplements this with genuine technique. True, neither Oscar nor Willian possesses Fabregas' ability to play killer passes in the final third, but they would make up for this (in part) by offering the team a significantly greater level of dynamism and tactical flexibility than Fabregas and Mikel are able to, and all while still enabling us to maintain possession relatively well (unlike when Ramires features).

[Fulham Broadway 16,783]

Probably his worst performance in a blue shirt today., way off the pace.

Would have Rambo and Matic to start against Citeh

[termninja 5,290]

It needn't be a question of replacing an out-of-form Fabregas with either Ramires or Mikel; as I mentioned above, Mourinho could perhaps consider switching us to a 4-3-3 formation with Oscar and Willian occupying the two CM positions whilst Moses (a natural right-sided wide player, unlike Willian) plays on the right. This would allow for Oscar AND Willian AND Moses to feature in their favoured positions/roles on the pitch whilst having a less detrimental effect upon our possession and attacking play than that which occurs when we play either Ramires (concedes possession far too cheaply and lacks technique) or Mikel (unambitious passing coupled with a lack of mobility).

I don't believe that Oscar could be any worse than Fabregas (in current 'form') when defending, and he possesses similar levels of ability to Fabregas when it comes to linking play in the middle-third. Willian has the pace and stamina of Ramires, but supplements this with genuine technique. True, neither Oscar nor Willian possesses Fabregas' ability to play killer passes in the final third, but they would make up for this (in part) by offering the team a significantly greater level of dynamism and tactical flexibility than Fabregas and Mikel are able to, and all while still enabling us to maintain possession relatively well (unlike when Ramires features).

I agree mostly with your post, but at this moment it's still to early to really bench Fabregas, especially considering that we have begun PL season 1 week eariler then usually and most of our players are yet to be fully prepared for the season ahead. Cesc isn't known for his fitness, and obviously it shows so early into season.

And I really doubt it Mourinho even thought of playing Willian and Oscar as CMs because it's not their natural position and sadly our defense has been shaky for some time now. But yeah, I am not a big fan of having Fabregas and Matic as two deep midfielders when we defend. It makes Matic over work, and it makes Cesc burn out and lose the cutting edge and precision needed for his passing.

[supporter 3,088]

To win the Champions League we need the best version of Fabregas. Right now he's the best player we have to generate football / to move the team.

I hope he can recovers his motivation and the confidence in himself because we really need him. With Fabregas we are a different team...

ONE OF US

[xPetrCechx 13,563]

If he dropped Ivanovic who would replace him? And if he dropped Fabregas, guys to replace him are Mikel and Ramires, and they aren't helpful unless we're winning.

Yes I know that you mean Jose was reluctant to drop Bane last season, but season is past and I would avoid talking about it.

It's another problem that we have only mikel and ramires...

And no another Lb if azpi goes to play as a Rb....

[nadavTKL 1,787]

But yeah, I am not a big fan of having Fabregas and Matic as two deep midfielders when we defend. It makes Matic over work, and it makes Cesc burn out and lose the cutting edge and precision needed for his passing.

Question is, how are we supposed to play? what are we supposed to do? playing Cesc in #10 means no Deep Lying Playmaker, no creativeness in center midfield, against the best teams when you need to move the ball quick it wouldnt work too well.

If you want more steel and power in midfield the best solution for us is a box-to-box CM, someone who can defend well, link up well, attack well, obviously very dynamic, someone who would let Cesc stay as the DLP.

Koke, Vidal, Pogba - they would make it work probably. I think Willian and Oscar (when in form) could play in a similar role, but to this point Willian isnt playing centrally, and when we're facing a strong team Oscar is benched for Ramires.

I love Cesc as a player, think he is the 2nd most important player when we're attacking, but him as the DLP is proven to be a big problem for Jose and our development as a team.

Jose is yet to find REAL solutions to this problem. His best solution is Ramires and he seems to think he cant get a better solution in this transfer window. I would take Witsel, but its mainly because im tired of Ramires and his nonsense, not because i think having Witsel (who is a DM who sits deep, similar to Matic) is the way to go or the missing piece we need to be complete. If Witsel would play here, after some time we'll all say the same - we're slow in the build up, we're attacking with four players max, we're predictable. "Its not ideal and we need better than that". We'll control games better than with Ramires, pass better, but Ramires on the other hand is box-to-box, he lets Cesc stay deep when the manager wants it, and he's joining the attacks around the box.

Another problem which is the reason we cant regret buying Cesc or drop him or move him further up the pitch - there arent any world class DLPs in the market, never. It took us years to find Cesc available, and we were very lucky.

As long as Koke and Pogba wont come to play for us, and there isnt a quality DLP in the market, the best solution IMO for this "Balance Problem" or "Big Games Problem" is in our own squad - Oscar (or Willian). Jose should work on getting Oscar-Matic-Cesc to be a reliable trio when defending.

[CurlyHairLikeLuiz 1,625]

^^^Matic-Oscar-Willian.

Think of it as the poor man's Maka-Lamps-Essien.

[zolayes 14,489]

^^^Matic-Oscar-Willian.

Think of it as the poor man's Maka-Lamps-Essien.

or BALLACK BALLACK BALLACK

[iseah100 5,612]

He needs a workhorse next to him. Should give willian a shot

[Barbara 15,149]

He'll be fine, just like the rest of the team. Mourinho won't move from 4-2-3-1, but a 4-3-3 with Oscar supporting him is still the system I like the most.

[Styles 9,790]

If Fabregas produces a stinker today it will only strengthen my growing belief that he needs to be dropped in the big games / latter stages of Champions League.

[Fernando 6,439]

Pretty wasteful.

But then again he also sucks in big games.

Barcelona fans was right about this guy going missing in the big games.

[iseah100 5,612]

As bad as anyone. Awful set pieces, bullied off the ball, no creativity.

[DYC. 7,542]

He deserves to be benched for the next couple of big games. But the other options aren't good enough, to put it politely. Quite the dilemma.