Chelsea reach agreement to sign Cesc Fábregas

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Raees said:
Strong statement to make. It could be that if he was slotted back into a centre-mid position, with the experience he's had at Barca.. he could be a revelation as his dribbling ability and play in tight areas has improved. He is just very unsuited to their style of play - not saying he's definitely better or regressed, but if he is anywhere near his Arsenal level - he'd be what we need.
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Umm, I agree he's unsuited to their style of play, but his dribbling ability and play in tight areas haven't improved. They're two key reasons why he isn't suited there, he can't take the ball past players like Iniesta can and he isn't great when he's pressed.
 
Bob Loblaw said:
Umm, I agree he's unsuited to their style of play, but his dribbling ability and play in tight areas haven't improved. They're two key reasons why he isn't suited there, he can't take the ball past players like Iniesta can and he isn't great when he's pressed.
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Compared to Iniesta/Xavi.. anyone would struggle. Compared to your average centre-mid, he'd be fine.
 
Raees said:
Compared to Iniesta/Xavi.. anyone would struggle. Compared to your average centre-mid, he'd be fine.
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Obviously, that's why I think he'd be a great midfielder in any team other than Barcelona. His dribbling and ability in tight space hasn't improved at all since he moved to Barcelona though, and I'm not sure what relevance comparisons with Iniesta/Xavi have there...
 
Bob Loblaw said:
Obviously, that's why I think he'd be a great midfielder in any team other than Barcelona. His dribbling and ability in tight space hasn't improved at all since he moved to Barcelona though, and I'm not sure what relevance comparisons with Iniesta/Xavi have there...
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It has improved, it just looks like by Barcelona standards he hasn't improved. Just by training alongside these players, playing in La Liga... I'd be surprised if he hasn't improved technically.
 
Do we believe the rumours, that we're back in for Fabregas? Personally, I do not want yet another 'playmaker'. I'd take Barkley over him to be honest.
 
Nozzy said:
Do we believe the rumours, that we're back in for Fabregas? Personally, I do not want yet another 'playmaker'. I'd take Barkley over him to be honest.
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Wont surprise me. We need more than 1 CM anyways.
 
Varun said:
Wont surprise me. We need more than 1 CM anyways.
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There's just none of the warrior about him. He didn't play like Barcelona was the centre of his existence & that's what I'm looking for.
 
I think Fabregas would be the perfect signing. I like Kroos, but I would prefer Fabregas.
Putting him along side a defensive minded midfielder would be excellent. I think Barca used him as a more advanced player, but in his time at Arsenal, he excelled in a central midfield role.

The thing is, Fabregas won't revolutionize the team on his own. He needs capable players around him aswell

We need some quality and pace on out wide, and somebody with could defensive positioning behind him
 
Nozzy said:
There's just none of the warrior about him. He didn't play like Barcelona was the centre of his existence & that's what I'm looking for.
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You mean he's not committed enough? Sorry, I didnt get what you really mean with the warrior bit.
 
Varun said:
You mean he's not committed enough? Sorry, I didnt get what you really mean with the warrior bit.
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Yep, commitment. For me Fabs performances have been similar to many at United this season. He's not the type to take the game by the scruff of the neck, to take responsibility as the younger, fitter player, for lifting the older legs around him - he's not for me.
 
Nozzy said:
Yep, commitment. For me Fabs performances have been similar to many at United this season. He's not the type to take the game by the scruff of the neck, to take responsibility as the younger, fitter player, for lifting the older legs around him - he's not for me.
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The proverbial grab the game by the scruff of the neck mids are rare. How many of them do you think are there and who among them are realistically gettable?

As far as am concerned, he's a top CM, isnt the kind of CM I want but given we need more than 1 anyways, he'l be a great addition. We should setup properly and play as a unit rather than hope for someone to grab the game individually and lead us to wins.
 
Barca might want to sell him this Summer but it won't be to us, he will have plenty of CL teams after him and I think he still has a soft spot for Arsenal and would pick them ahead of us if it came to this choice.
 
Sarni said:
Barca might want to sell him this Summer but it won't be to us, he will have plenty of CL teams after him and I think he still has a soft spot for Arsenal and would pick them ahead of us if it came to this choice.
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Cant see it. If Wenger's staying and continues to set the up the way they do, they simply cannot keep Wilshere, Ramsey and Fabregas happy in the same squad
 
Why would he go back to Arsenal?
He didn't win things there, and he's just learnt that going back (to Barcelona) wasn't the picnic he thought.
 
Cavani
Muller
Kroos
Fabregas
Reus
Robben

with

Rooney
Mata
Januzaj
Van Persie
Kagawa

I think thats enough attacking talent for one team to have

Throw in

Carvalho
Strootman
Shaw
Garay
Mangala

and we would have the biggest wankfest summer ever.

Unfortunately we will get a fraction of said targets at best
 
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Nozzy said:
Do we believe the rumours, that we're back in for Fabregas? Personally, I do not want yet another 'playmaker'. I'd take Barkley over him to be honest.
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Why, what kind of player is Barkley?
 
Nozzy said:
Do we believe the rumours, that we're back in for Fabregas? Personally, I do not want yet another 'playmaker'. I'd take Barkley over him to be honest.
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He's not really a play-a-maker like kagawa or Mata; he's got a completely different sort of game in fact.
 
No chance we're getting Fabregas. Last year, we had a small minute chance that he'd be willing to come here, but with no CL football and other suitors like Arsenal who he already has a affiliation to, I don't see us getting him unless we chuck obscene amounts of cash at him but I don't see that being the case.
 
saivet said:
A no.10, not like your Silva's, more of strong runner, extremely talented though. Some think long term he'll be a CM, not convinced myself.
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Which makes it weird why somebody would want him if they don't want playmakers. Especially if you ignore the massive difference in the two as players.
 
I want Fabregas at United more than ever, how can anyone not after witnessing our centre midfield yesterday? Carrick and Fletcher passing it to each other on loop, every so often playing it wide for some variation.

We need a centre midfielder with an eye for the through ball, a centre midfielder who doesn't mind dribbling to put people under pressure, a centre midfielder who will actually take responsibility for shooting if the situation warrants it. Just check out his assists record at Arsenal, especially in those years he was playing as a number 8 before Wilshere arrived on the scene: http://www.espnfc.com/player?id=38886&cc=5739

If Fabregas is available and we don't try and buy him we're stupid.

 
Igor Drefljak said:
I think Fabregas would be the perfect signing. I like Kroos, but I would prefer Fabregas.
Putting him along side a defensive minded midfielder would be excellent. I think Barca used him as a more advanced player, but in his time at Arsenal, he excelled in a central midfield role.

The thing is, Fabregas won't revolutionize the team on his own. He needs capable players around him aswell

We need some quality and pace on out wide, and somebody with could defensive positioning behind him
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I always thought Fabregas' best games for Arsenal was when he was advanced, almost behind RVP with 2 midfielders behind him. And the reason he's not really settled at Barca is because they don't see him as able to take over from Xavi, opinion that deeper position?
 
Varun said:
The proverbial grab the game by the scruff of the neck mids are rare. How many of them do you think are there and who among them are realistically gettable?

As far as am concerned, he's a top CM, isnt the kind of CM I want but given we need more than 1 anyways, he'l be a great addition. We should setup properly and play as a unit rather than hope for someone to grab the game individually and lead us to wins.
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I want 11 fighters, no shrinking violets & we seem to going the other way. More knowledgeable people than me will know where these are to be found. Are they gettable? Well Fab wasn't gettable last summer but he appears to be now. McCarthy was & he's a fighter - different players of course but as you say, we're rebuilding a squad & I want fighters - the kind that made us so successful in the past.

Too many ballerinas will not get us back to the top & Fabregas, Januzaj, Mata & Kagawa, seems to mirror more Barcelona, than Madrid.
 
Nozzy said:
I want 11 fighters, no shrinking violets & we seem to going the other way. More knowledgeable people than me will know where these are to be found. Are they gettable? Well Fab wasn't gettable last summer but he appears to be now. McCarthy was & he's a fighter - different players of course but as you say, we're rebuilding a squad & I want fighters - the kind that made us so successful in the past.

Too many ballerinas will not get us back to the top & Fabregas, Januzaj, Mata & Kagawa, seems to mirror more Barcelona, than Madrid.
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Tony Adams famously said once that to win the league you need to have one player getting in a fight and then six to back him up if it got a bit hairy. Effectively you needed 7 "fighters" in the team.

He's gotten two teams relegated and now manages in Azerbaijan mind
 
I can't imagine Arsenal would let it happen, they'd surely pay whatever was required in terms of fees/wages to prevent it, and they can obviously offer Champions League football, and the adoration he was accustomed to before he left for Barca. You'd obviously take him at United, but we shouldn't assume, even if it was somehow to happen, that we'd be getting the same Cesc that we saw at Arsenal.
 
Infra-red said:
I can't imagine Arsenal would let it happen, they'd surely pay whatever was required in terms of fees/wages to prevent it, and they can obviously offer Champions League football, and the adoration he was accustomed to before he left for Barca. You'd obviously take him at United, but we shouldn't assume, even if it was somehow to happen, that we'd be getting the same Cesc that we saw at Arsenal.
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Why would Arsenal be bothered to prevent it?

It'd be an incredibly fecking stupid move for a club to pay £40m odd for a player they had no intention of bidding for until they found out we wanted him.
 
Twigginater said:
Tony Adams famously said once that to win the league you need to have one player getting in a fight and then six to back him up if it got a bit hairy. Effectively you needed 7 "fighters" in the team.

He's gotten two teams relegated and now manages in Azerbaijan mind
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The fact that Adams can't Manage does not equate to disproving my belief that a winning team is made up of fighters.
How many shrinking violets in the Liverpool side this season or at City or Chelsea? Sure the game has changed & there are few if any Roy Kean's out there but look at Sunderlands survival fight, led by Cattermole who, is a head case for sure but he's fighting every minute he's out there. Yes we need craft as well but there has to be large doses of both.
 
Arsenal have Ozil, Ramsey, Wilshere, Arteta, Rosicky, Flamini, Diaby, Gnabry, and Cazorla for three midfield positions. I think their priority is the lone striker position where their options are Sanogo and Giroud. Unless Wenger wants to move to a false nine set-up or sell a midfielder or two, buying Fabregas makes no sense. They should be spending the big money on a striker. The missed out on Higuain, they probably can't afford Cavani, so the most likely target is either Benzema (Real might let him leave if they go for Suarez/Cavani) or Diego Costa.
 
Nozzy said:
The fact that Adams can't Manage does not equate to disproving my belief that a winning team is made up of fighters.
How many shrinking violets in the Liverpool side this season or at City or Chelsea? Sure the game has changed & there are few if any Roy Kean's out there but look at Sunderlands survival fight, led by Cattermole who, is a head case for sure but he's fighting every minute he's out there. Yes we need craft as well but there has to be large doses of both.
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You literally don't need either. Football is simple. You need 11 men who compliment each other well who go out there and do better than the others.

Sunderland's survival fight was led by Cattermole but so was their gradual descent to the bottom of the league. They're 16th.

You don't need a "fighter" you don't need a team of tiki taka experts. You need 11 great players set up well.
 
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