Cesc Fàbregas

[yuvala 2,167]

Pretty wasteful.

But then again he also sucks in big games.

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

Is any of our players NOT missing in big games?

[MrExcalibur100 7,124]

Diabolical. Can't fully blame him though. A player like him is bound to look like a deer in the headlights playing for this Mourinho side.

[Oscar 441]

You cannot bench Cesc when Jose parks the bus.

Cesc is the designated set piece taker and hazard is the one man counter attack...

[CurlyHairLikeLuiz 1,625]

Sadly, it looks like his talent has been coached out of him and replaced with some basic slide tackling ability

[Magic Lamps 11,649]

You cannot bench Cesc when Jose parks the bus.

Cesc is the designated set piece taker and hazard is the one man counter attack...

yeah has worked brilliantly so far.

If this is the only reason to play Fabregas in a big game, I propse hazard also starts practising set pieces.

[Styles 9,790]

One of our so-called best players but plays bad to average every time we play a top team.

So bad sometimes he has to be hidden in different positions ( #10 role).

[yuvala 2,167]

Almost every player in our starting XI plays bad to average every time we play a top team..

[123-blue 19]

I had made my peace with this guy NEVER standing up in a big game but the dire and atrocious set piece taking was just inexcusable especially since it looked like our only way of getting on the score board.

[iseah100 5,612]

Absent in a big game. Man, it was true.

[Magic Lamps 11,649]

The thing is, we already knew he was shite in big games. he proved that about 100 times at Arsenal and Barcelona. He was bought as a flat track bully, so he should fucking be played as such. On the other hand leaving him out in a big game would mean playing ramires and/or mikel. so yeah we definitely need a midfielder.

[The Skipper 20,593]

Absolutely trash. I'm not even going to defend Fabregas on this one at all.

But tbh. It goes further than Fabregas. It's the way we set up as a team.

[didierforever 7,349]

do people still want to convince me that cesc is not a big game bottler?

[Jase 43,479]

The situation with Fabregas really is an ironic one. Mourinho didn't like Mata because he was a liability defensively and he sold him to United (despite making an effort of improving that aspect of his game). But with Fabregas, he is a defensive liability and Mourinho is willing to look past that and let it affect the team especially in the big games.

[Pizy 18,360]

His problems are more physical than mental. He's so slow and extremely unathletic. I saw Silva turn him quite a few times that game because he can't keep up.

He's at his best when he's deep in midfield and has time to use his brain to read the game. When he's forced higher up the pitch and is in more crowded areas where he has little time on the ball he's basically useless.

[Jase 43,479]

His problems are more physical than mental. He's so slow and extremely unathletic. I saw Silva turn him quite a few times that game because he can't keep up.

He's at his best when he's deep in midfield and has time to use his brain to read the game. When he's forced higher up the pitch and is in more crowded areas where he has little time on the ball he's basically useless.

Yes, just like when Silva created that chance to put Aguero through 1 v 1 early on. It was pathetic. Tried to close him down, unsuccessful and got turned and after that, he was just jogging back.

[Pizy 18,360]

Yes, just like when Silva created that chance to put Aguero through 1 v 1 early on. It was pathetic. Tried to close him down, unsuccessful and got turned and after that, he was just jogging back.

Yep.

This is why we 100% need a new CM. To play in these big games and free Fabregas from the need to defend as much and to make sure we aren't porous in midfield.

[MrBlueGuy 1,552]

You don't get kicked out of Barcelona for no reason if you are good...especially after the effort they went through to sign him again. He probably had a point to prove last season to them so he did extremely well for us in the 1st half of the season, but now with his place all but untouchable he is relaxing again and as a result his concentration also dips.

Honestly we need a Vidal type midfielder to replace this guy in big games, he can create all the chances in the world against Watford but he cannot do it in a high intensity game against a big team. Thinking about it why on Earth we didn't go for Vidal at £28m ffs.

[Billy. 2,742]

seems like he has got his EPL medal and now he dont give a shit