Cesc Fàbregas

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

If we must sign a former Arsenal midfielder from Barcelona, wouldn't Alex Song be cheaper, homegrown and probably a better fit for our midfield? 11 assists in 2011-2012 too.

Song is dog shit though. We can all agree cesc is world class on his day

[kellzfresh 7,229]

One thing Fabregas would give Mourinho is options. We don't have a player like him in midfield, so this signing would make us a lot more versatile and unpredictable, and will give Jose even more ammunition and tactical flexibility to change things up.

One thing fabregas will add is through passes behind the defence. We lost it when mata left.

Nobody in our team right now does that, so defences expect sideways passes from all our AM's and CM's. Accurate, over the top direct passes from fabregas to costa would add a new dimension to our game against opposition.

[kellzfresh 7,229]

One thing Fabregas would give Mourinho is options. We don't have a player like him in midfield, so this signing would make us a lot more versatile and unpredictable, and will give Jose even more ammunition and tactical flexibility to change things up.

One thing fabregas will add is through passes behind the defence. We lost it when mata left.

Nobody in our team right now does that, so defences expect sideways passes from all our AM's and CM's. Accurate, over the top direct passes from fabregas to costa would add a new dimension to our game against opposition.

[didierforever 7,349]

I think a lot of work would be needed between Oscar and Fabregas in terms of pressing the ball and helping out Matic. Have them alternate when we lose the ball but use them both when in possession.

I just think there's a vulnerability with him. I hope it works if we get him and maybe Jose sees this as an unexpected challenge/opportunity. I trust him.

what people are neglecting to see is that we are not as good in defence as we are being made out to. its our style of play that has provided immense protection to the defence. even with costa in, we will not be a team that will be banging in 3 goals per game. our gameplan would stilll be a 1-0/2-0 proper jose win. and for that, fabregas simply does not fit the profile.

as u said, their is a sense of vulnerability around him!!!

[Pizy 18,368]

what people are neglecting to see is that we are not as good in defence as we are being made out to. its our style of play that has provided immense protection to the defence. even with costa in, we will not be a team that will be banging in 3 goals per game. our gameplan would stilll be a 1-0/2-0 proper jose win. and for that, fabregas simply does not fit the profile.

as u said, their is a sense of vulnerability around him!!!

I kind of disagree with this. I fully expect Oscar to step up big time next season in his statistical output and Hazard will go to the next level with a natural, top class LB on his side of the pitch. I think we're going to be scoring loads next season and not grinding out narrow 1-0 or 2-0 results.

A new CM is imperative though.

[The Skipper 20,593]

what people are neglecting to see is that we are not as good in defence as we are being made out to. its our style of play that has provided immense protection to the defence. even with costa in, we will not be a team that will be banging in 3 goals per game. our gameplan would stilll be a 1-0/2-0 proper jose win. and for that, fabregas simply does not fit the profile.

as u said, their is a sense of vulnerability around him!!!

See, you don't know that. One could say that you're neglecting the fact that Jose might be willing to change. You don't know and can't say for sure whether Jose is going to remain conservative or whether he'll change the style of play again to the one he initially promised when he first came back.

Sure, Fabregas doesn't fit the profile for the teams we put out in the 13/14 season but who's to say that Jose wants to keep it that way? Who's to say Jose doesn't want to go out and get goals just like he did in his 2nd season at Madrid?

[The only place to be 11,313]

what people are neglecting to see is that we are not as good in defence as we are being made out to. its our style of play that has provided immense protection to the defence. even with costa in, we will not be a team that will be banging in 3 goals per game. our gameplan would stilll be a 1-0/2-0 proper jose win. and for that, fabregas simply does not fit the profile.

as u said, their is a sense of vulnerability around him!!!

I agree that our defence is reliant on the system to a certain extent, but I think we'll probably be a lot more adventurous next season. I fancy Hazard to light it up big style and Costa will hopefully help immensely.

In the games against the big teams though, I don't know if Fabregas starts.

[bababoom 4,478]

Song at Arsenal was very inconsistent, he was a defensive midfielder but had problems with his positioning. In his last season he was more of a box to box midfielder, look at how many assist he had, but honestly Cesc is miles ahead of him.

[Pizy 18,368]

I agree that our defence is reliant on the system to a certain extent, but I think we'll probably be a lot more adventurous next season. I fancy Hazard to light it up big style and Costa will hopefully help immensely.

In the games against the big teams though, I don't know if Fabregas starts.

I think he does but as the furthest advanced player in a 3 instead of in a 2.

Pack the midfield in big games with Cesc, Matic, and Ramires. Against smaller or weaker sides who sit deep and defend we can play Cesc with Matic or still play a midfield 3 with Oscar, Cesc, and Matic.

I'm just setting myself up for a huge letdown here if we don't sign him.

[didierforever 7,349]

See, you don't know that. One could say that you're neglecting the fact that Jose might be willing to change. You don't know and can't say for sure whether Jose is going to remain conservative or whether he'll change the style of play again to the one he initially promised when he first came back.

Sure, Fabregas doesn't fit the profile for the teams we put out in the 13/14 season but who's to say that Jose wants to keep it that way? Who's to say Jose doesn't want to go out and get goals just like he did in his 2nd season at Madrid?

jose is STILL building a team. building our IDENTITY... we dont have one like barca, RM or saf's united. jose WILL NOT change the way he so clearly wants us to play cos we are buying fabregas.

jose dint simply just go and get goals. that is a very wrong way of putting how awesome RM were that season. they let in a total of 32 goals while scoring 121. its not like they let in 50 goals. jose's teams are based on solid defences and a solid base, RM had that, for that season.

plus this is PL. jose is not naive as wenger or rodgers to try and outscore teams. it simply is not his way.

[didierforever 7,349]

I kind of disagree with this. I fully expect Oscar to step up big time next season in his statistical output and Hazard will go to the next level with a natural, top class LB on his side of the pitch. I think we're going to be scoring loads next season and not grinding out narrow 1-0 or 2-0 results.

A new CM is imperative though.

we are 1-0 up at HT away to swansea, u expect us to go and attack the pool way? the "gameplan" will still be to get a goal, defend the lead and hit on the counter. this season, we failed to kill off games and sometimes it cost us, next season we might score plenty cos of greatly better strikers, but the strat will still be the same!!!

[The Skipper 20,593]

jose is STILL building a team. building our IDENTITY... we dont have one like barca, RM or saf's united. jose WILL NOT change the way he so clearly wants us to play cos we are buying fabregas.

jose dint simply just go and get goals. that is a very wrong way of putting how awesome RM were that season. they let in a total of 32 goals while scoring 121. its not like they let in 50 goals. jose's teams are based on solid defences and a solid base, RM had that, for that season.

plus this is PL. jose is not naive as wenger or rodgers to try and outscore teams. it simply is not his way.

You don't have to be as naive as Wenger or Rodgers to create a team that scores goals though... His time at Real proves that. Real we're still predominantly a counter attacking team but because they still had great finesse, were very versatile and effective going forward and in possession, and they were regularly putting 4, 5, 6 past teams.

Mourinho's underlying system will still be there but we'll simply be more adventurous, and a player like Fabregas would essentially help towards that. I wonder... Would you be as against this if we were signing Rakitic (who I know you rate highly) instead?

[didierforever 7,349]

You don't have to be as naive as Wenger or Rodgers to create a team that scores goals though... His time at Real proves that. Real we're still predominantly a counter attacking team but because they still had great finesse, were very versatile and effective going forward and in possession, and they were regularly putting 4, 5, 6 past teams.

Mourinho's underlying system will still be there but we'll simply be more adventurous, and a player like Fabregas would essentially help towards that. I wonder... Would you be as against this if we were signing Rakitic (who I know you rate highly) instead?

precisely. they were predominantly counter attacking. they killed games, something which we were not able to do. with a striker we might end up scoring 3/4 but it wont be due to not being solid defensively.

http://forum.talkchelsea.net/topic/15926-tiago/?p=913518

yes, i rate rakitic very highly but like for fabregas, i dont think he is a JOSE player. believe me its not ONLY cos i hate him personally. i still think that getting fabregas cos he will make us more attacking and adventorous is a slightly wrong opinion. for eg - when etoo was playing well, we dint have to look at rambo's performances and say, he is not creating enough. we had a major striker problem last season, something which i expect to change this season. AMs to get more space to run into, better finishing, taking off half chances, infact the striker himself being a major part of the play which torres and ba simply never were. i am not saying that we dont need a better CM than rambo, we definitely do, but a pogba/vidal/koke is a better option even though they might not be as good as cesc as an attacking player.

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

I think Pogba is slightly overrated around here. He's yet to prove himself as a leader in midfield, he plays with Vidal and Pirlo and needs to do much less than we'll need him, i just think people want him so much because of his profile (a tall technical CM, like Yaya Toure), kind a similar to the love for Axel Witsel in this forum.

If we cant get some other CMs i would like Pogba, but i cant see why he's topping everyone's wishlist.

About Vidal, he would fit really good next to Matic, but Cesc has qualities he doesnt. Vidal isnt a playmaker, he's technical but he isnt a passer. He wouldnt sit back and find the right passes like Cesc. He will make late runs into the box and score goals, he'll make runs with the ball from midfield, but so does Cesc. I feel Cesc can contribute more than him in attack while he'll contirbute more in defense.

Believe Alex Song would be better for us than Cesc is absolutely unbelievable. "11 assists in 2011-2012", wow! Arsenal fans thought he was awful even in that season. And he looks so limited in Barcelona, almost like he never played football.

Perhaps slightly but it is ever so slight because he is a fucking brilliant footballer. As of right now, forget potential he'e one of the best box to box midfielders in the world, that's no easy feat.

Pogba is the type that if he reaches full potential could play any role in the midfield, he's 21 and showing glimpses of that now... Its easier to say he's overrated than it is to appreciate what a special talent he actually is.

[The Skipper 20,593]

precisely. they were predominantly counter attacking. they killed games, something which we were not able to do. with a striker we might end up scoring 3/4 but it wont be due to not being solid defensively.

http://forum.talkchelsea.net/topic/15926-tiago/?p=913518

yes, i rate rakitic very highly but like for fabregas, i dont think he is a JOSE player. believe me its not ONLY cos i hate him personally. i still think that getting fabregas cos he will make us more attacking and adventorous is a slightly wrong opinion. for eg - when etoo was playing well, we dint have to look at rambo's performances and say, he is not creating enough. we had a major striker problem last season, something which i expect to change this season. AMs to get more space to run into, better finishing, taking off half chances, infact the striker himself being a major part of the play which torres and ba simply never were. i am not saying that we dont need a better CM than rambo, we definitely do, but a pogba/vidal/koke is a better option even though they might not be as good as cesc as an attacking player.

Fair enough. I can understand the concerns on the defensive end, because Fab obviously isn't exceptional defensively, but if we do get him; trust Jose. I'm pretty sure he'll get the best out of him and if he didn't fit at all with what he was trying to do we wouldn't sign him.

[Vybz Kartel 1,613]

Forget Fabregas sign Ross Barkley

[cadenza666 221]

@ChelsTransfer · 2m

Pique was caught with open mic telling Del Bosque at the press conference that Fabregas has signed his departure from #FCB for €33m. (Mundo)

[VlaD20 3]

Pique was caught with open mic telling Del Bosque at the press conference that Fabregas has signed his departure from #FCB for €33m. (Mundo)