Cesc Fàbregas

[Hybrid47]

Bring him home!

[yadunoe]

id take him instead of elneny but he doesnt have the stamina for emery style i feel.

[Angelito]

Why Cesc Fabregas cannot be listed among the all-time greats

As Cesc Fàbregas almost certainly departed English football for the last time this weekend, the first instinct was to place him just below the select list of truly great midfielders to have ever graced the Premier League.

And then you took a look through his palmarès and wondered if that would be an injustice. Two Premier League titles, two FA Cups, the Club World Cup, La Liga and Copa del Rey, as well as 110 caps for one of the best international teams in history and a part in a World Cup win and two European Championship victories. By any standards, it is a genuinely extraordinary haul. And Fàbregas was invariably also a pleasure to watch.

As technically accomplished as you would expect from a product of Barcelona’s academy, he was versatile in being able to operate across the midfield and, as he sometimes did for Spain, could also operate in that false nine striker’s position. A rare ability to unlock a defence is evidenced in his 111 Premier League assists, a tally behind only Ryan Giggs and beyond players like Frank Lampard, Dennis Bergkamp, Steven Gerrard and David Beckham.

Fàbregas also had another vital attribute. He was brave, competitive and hugely spirited. This can never have been more evident than when he equalised for Arsenal in a Champions League classic against Barcelona in 2010 after his leg had been fractured. Arsène Wenger’s psychologist friend Jacques Crevoisier regarded it as one of the more amazing – and instructive – things he had ever seen on a football pitch.

The hesitation, though, when assessing Fàbregas’s overall impact and still placing him marginally beneath the all-time Premier League greats is a nagging feeling that he was also unusually blessed in the quality of those around him. Most of Fàbregas’s medals were won at Barcelona, Spain and Chelsea where, for all his undoubted contribution, he was often surrounded by legends and often not the main driving force.


He did have the chance very early in his career to fulfill this sort of influence at Arsenal, but proved to be a flawed choice as captain. Fàbregas left at the age of 24 and, as the symbol of the new Arsenal that Wenger created from the ashes of the ‘Invincibles’, his lengthy dalliance with Barcelona was hugely damaging to the audacious dream that Wenger was trying to realise. It was also still entirely understandable from his own perspective.

Two decisions ultimately framed Fàbregas’s career and it is fascinating to wonder what might have been had he approached either of these two sliding doors moments differently.

The first was of course the decision to leave a Barcelona academy that would soon see Lionel Messi and Gerard Piqué join the likes Xavi and Andrés Iniesta in the best club side in the world. Could Fàbregas have become as iconic in the club’s history had he stayed, or was the opportunity to play regular first-team football under Wenger at such a young age more valuable?

Similarly, had Fàbregas stayed at Arsenal in 2010 and committed the best years of his career to the club, could his decision have ensured that the likes of Robin van Persie, Gaël Clichy and Samir Nasri also remained? And might Arsenal have won the trophies, at least domestically, that Wenger was so convinced this crop would deliver? It is a long shot but they were closer than many people think and, in the context of the spending then of Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City, to be the on-field talisman of such an achievement would have been quite something.

The departure of Fàbregas is one of those moments that makes us all feel just a little bit older, especially in the way that he spoke so well after Saturday’s 2-0 FA Cup win against Nottingham Forest. “It feels like it was last week I started playing professionally and now it is over 15 years," said the now 31-year-old Fàbregas.

"It is a long time but for the young players when they start playing, my little advice is to enjoy it every single second because it goes so fast. In football you have to be ready every three days, you have to live with criticism, you have to live with everyone saying how good you are – up and downs – and you just think, ‘I am young, I have time but time really does fly, so enjoy every single second of it’.”

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/20 ... ot-listed/


What do you guys reckon?

In comparison, say against someone like Gerrard, who didn't win anything in the Prem, where would you place Cesc?

Cesc was on fire in 14/15 but barely featured in Conte's title winning side. But he's won it all as a player. Not the UCL but that doesn't matter. He's won the World Cup.

[EliteKiller]

The Telegraph article makes a couple of telling comments, in his career Cesc took two big wrong turns: he should never have left Barca where he would have become part of arguable the best team in history, he should never have left Arsenal where he could have led us to far better than we did.

Easy in hindsight and no idea what was behind those decisions ... just a shame that at club level he never quite achieved the maximum from his undoubted ability.

[Va-Va-Voom]

The Curious Case of Cesc Fabregas.

The only trophy he won with us was before he was instrumental to the team at 17.

Great career with Spain but was never the main orchestrator because of Xavi, Xabi and Iniesta

Same situation when he returned to Barca, second fiddle to Xavi and Iniesta

Returned to Chelsea past his physical prime but was key to their PL win

During his peak he never managed to win anything with us and was not one of Spain's top 5 most important players during their era of dominance.

In terms of ability though he's arguably better than Scholes, Gerrard and Lampard - he's right in that tier below Keane and Vieira.

Where you place him is down to preference, but he was technically superior with better vision than them all.

He played Zidane and co. off the park as a teenager. No need to say anything more.

[Power n Glory]

Cesc wasn't the main man with Spain, but I love the fact that he still found ways to influence the outcome even without being a regular starter.

He came off the bench for the 2010 World Cup final to set up the winning goal in extra time to beat Netherlands 1-0.

Euro 2012 he sets the opening goal in the final where Spain whooped Italy 4-0.

Never a passenger and that's what I loved about Cesc. Top 5 for favourite Arsenal player.

[CynicalGooner]

He was the best midfielder in the world for about 4 years and arguably the best CM and CAM of his generation. At his prime he shits all over players like Lampard, Ozil and Modric from a very great height and is proof that it's not always just about what you win, because he won nothing at club level when in the form of his life but won trophies when past his prime. His career path was unorthadox and as an Arsenal fan, really gutting after he left us - the fact we didn't want to bring him back still pisses me off.

If you need any statistical evidence that Cesc is the greatest, just look at this chart https://i.redd.it/xum3vm8nh0921.jpg

In a league of his own, being the only player who could control games from deep as well as contribute hugely to goals.

[Marsbar100]

He wasn't Spain's main player but he played an important role crucial assists, crucial penalties as listed above he was not a passenger, always tried to get on the ball no matter how bad he was playing.

He is a premier League great without question, his career speaks for itself.

[Ach]

He's what, 31?

Career more or less over. Hardly played for a couple of years.

Never as good many thought. Disappearing acts after Xmas in many seasons. Pining for other clubs.

When he was good, he was very good but it's telling at this young age he's finished

[Marsbar100]

Loads of players have been finished around 30, it's a competitive contact sport not badminton ffs

[Power n Glory]

He's what, 31?

Career more or less over. Hardly played for a couple of years.

Never as good many thought. Disappearing acts after Xmas in many seasons. Pining for other clubs.

When he was good, he was very good but it's telling at this young age he's finished

Hey Cripps! Lol

But you rate Ozil and there seems to be a blindspot when he goes missing.

[Ach]

He's what, 31?

Career more or less over. Hardly played for a couple of years.

Never as good many thought. Disappearing acts after Xmas in many seasons. Pining for other clubs.

When he was good, he was very good but it's telling at this young age he's finished

Hey Cripps! Lol

But you rate Ozil and there seems to be a blindspot when he goes missing.

So you are power and glory of that other place? I did wonder.

Ozil is a better player for us than cesc ever was so some leeway is understandable

[Power n Glory]

He's what, 31?

Career more or less over. Hardly played for a couple of years.

Never as good many thought. Disappearing acts after Xmas in many seasons. Pining for other clubs.

When he was good, he was very good but it's telling at this young age he's finished

Hey Cripps! Lol

But you rate Ozil and there seems to be a blindspot when he goes missing.

So you are power and glory of that other place? I did wonder.

Ozil is a better player for us than cesc ever was so some leeway is understandable

Yep, it's me from that other place. Lol.

Agree to disagree on Ozil. Will try to stay out of the Ozil debates for 2019 and pray we find a way to utilise him to stop all the debates.

[BS221B]

Sell Ozil and get Cesc back to the team. While you are at it, sell Xhaka as well because Cesc is capable of doing Xhaka's job like ten times better.

Ramsey, Torreira and Cesc midfield would have been sick...

[Rockape]

Despite what anyone says, I'll remember him fondly for his years with us. Maybe not the greatest of my favourites, but he sure knew how to play the game. I remember when he was just breaking into the team and he went with the kids to play a cup game at three points lane. He was so good that night, they couldn't get near him and we won comfortably.