Cesc Fàbregas

[lostchild]

Cesc is bad and the only reason we're keeping him is because of the romantic coming-gome saga.

OK, enough internet for today.

Thiago is way more useful, and even WAS back then. and guess what, he didnt cost us 29 million euros. and he was 21
and if you cant see that
oh well..

 

[Semi-Neutral]

Ursegor, I like how you failed to mention Cesc's two assists against Valencia, or his assist against Milan, or his goal against Sevilla, even though Milan and Sevilla both made it onto Iniesta's list. Regardless, the reason he doesn't really score or assist in big games is because he plays a different role there. Tata likes to have a 4 man midfield, and so he has Iniesta taking over the main attacking responsibilities, while Cesc helps stabilize the midfield, make sure there are no gaps, be a post for our more creative players, and put in an occasional tackle or foul if we need it. And if he does get an opportunity, he will play a dangerous pass, off the top of my head I can think of his (heavily deflected) pass to Messi against City at the Camp Nou for our first goal, and his ball to Alba to set up our "offside" goal at the Camp Nou. He's not going to get tons of goals and assists against big teams, but that doesn't make him useless.

 

[Poor_Sunyol]

People also often forget that he was our second top scorer after Messi last year...

 

[Djab]

4 - Cesc Fabregas

Cesc is a brilliant player and is needed, END.

Some of Cules, including me, and catalan press really don't appereciate what he offers to the team. And that's bad.

This was the exact reason for Valdes being want-away.

 

[Superstar85]

Ursegor, I like how you failed to mention Cesc's two assists against Valencia, or his assist against Milan, or his goal against Sevilla, even though Milan and Sevilla both made it onto Iniesta's list. Regardless, the reason he doesn't really score or assist in big games is because he plays a different role there. Tata likes to have a 4 man midfield, and so he has Iniesta taking over the main attacking responsibilities, while Cesc helps stabilize the midfield, make sure there are no gaps, be a post for our more creative players, and put in an occasional tackle or foul if we need it. And if he does get an opportunity, he will play a dangerous pass, off the top of my head I can think of his (heavily deflected) pass to Messi against City at the Camp Nou for our first goal, and his ball to Alba to set up our "offside" goal at the Camp Nou. He's not going to get tons of goals and assists against big teams, but that doesn't make him useless.

Exactly, I couldn't have said all this better.

 

[Superstar85]

People also often forget that he was our second top scorer after Messi last year...

His 1st year at Barca too if i'm not wrong.

 

[Flavia]

The point is not if Cesc is a brilliant player or not... He most certainly is. But he still hasn't found his place here. He wasn't needed. Maybe Pep really wanted to change to 3-4-3, but since that didn't work out, Cesc doesn't really have a place in the team. I don't think his goal is just to do the dirty work in midfield.

 

[FiReFTW]

Cesc is a brilliant player and is needed, END.

Some of Cules, including me, and catalan press really don't appereciate what he offers to the team. And that's bad.

This was the exact reason for Valdes being want-away.

SO what does he offer exactly? Its not that he isn't a good player, its that he is a different player, a player we don't really need or well can't really fit properly. Unless we play 4 in the midfield that is.

 

[Ursegor]

Ursegor, I like how you failed to mention Cesc's two assists against Valencia, or his assist against Milan, or his goal against Sevilla, even though Milan and Sevilla both made it onto Iniesta's list.

I failed to mention Milan and Sevilla because in both games Fabregas came on once the games were burried. He had no impact whatsoever. He scored the 4th goal against Sevilla in the 88th minute after all Sevilla players heads were dropped. Well done, another stat padded. Not even remotely compareable to Iniesta dominating the entire game when Sevilla made it very hard for Barca.

I'm not a stats man anyway. I don't care when he plays 1 nice throughball and looks loost the other 89 minutes like a lost lamb in his actual role as a midfielder. This was just a response to the guy who said Fabregas scores and assists more than Iniesta. Which he clearly doesn't when it matters. Let's talk about actual performances. Which meaningful games did Fabregas dominate this season? Or actually in his entire Barca career?

Regardless, the reason he doesn't really score or assist in big games is because he plays a different role there. Tata likes to have a 4 man midfield, and so he has Iniesta taking over the main attacking responsibilities, while Cesc helps stabilize the midfield, make sure there are no gaps, be a post for our more creative players, and put in an occasional tackle or foul if we need it. And if he does get an opportunity, he will play a dangerous pass, off the top of my head I can think of his (heavily deflected) pass to Messi against City at the Camp Nou for our first goal, and his ball to Alba to set up our "offside" goal at the Camp Nou. He's not going to get tons of goals and assists against big teams, but that doesn't make him useless.

That's some nice theory talk there. "Different role", "make sure there are no gaps", "occasional tackle". Catalan Khedira I guess. Too bad none of that really applies. He puts in some stupid tackles because the game is too fast for his brain (and body).

 

[Flavia]

I failed to mention Milan and Sevilla because in both games Fabregas came on once the games were burried. He had no impact whatsoever. He scored the 4th goal against Sevilla in the 88th minute after all Sevilla players heads were dropped. Well done, another stat padded. Not even remotely compareable to Iniesta dominating the entire game when Sevilla made it very hard for Barca.

I'm not a stats man anyway. I don't care when he plays 1 nice throughball and looks loost the other 89 minutes like a lost lamb in his actual role as a midfielder. This was just a response to the guy who said Fabregas scores and assists more than Iniesta. Which he clearly doesn't when it matters. Let's talk about actual performances. Which meaningful games did Fabregas dominate this season? Or actually in his entire Barca career?



That's some nice theory talk there. "Different role", "make sure there are no gaps", "occasional tackle". Catalan Khedira I guess. Too bad none of that really applies. He puts in some stupid tackles because the game is too fast for his brain (and body).

I agree. I like Cesc, but he's far from really shining for Barça.

btw, welcome back, Ursegor. Hope you don't leave again

 

[Ursegor]

I agree. I like Cesc, but he's far from really shining for Barça.

btw, welcome back, Ursegor. Hope you don't leave again

The treble is clearly on as predicted so I'm back.

 

[jamrock]

the cesc debate has been done to death. it as I and a few others said from before he was signed. he does not fit.

he cannot replace xavi, which was the original rational behind his signing, and he isn't on iniesta's level, despite the stats

i was thinking he would fit next season if tata stays and starts to play more direct, but he is so slow, i doubt he will do well in that system either. he will start well and fade

he needs to go back to the prem, where its a much easier game for midfielders, not happening though

 

[Superstar85]

I failed to mention Milan and Sevilla because in both games Fabregas came on once the games were burried. He had no impact whatsoever. He scored the 4th goal against Sevilla in the 88th minute after all Sevilla players heads were dropped. Well done, another stat padded. Not even remotely compareable to Iniesta dominating the entire game when Sevilla made it very hard for Barca.

I'm not a stats man anyway. I don't care when he plays 1 nice throughball and looks loost the other 89 minutes like a lost lamb in his actual role as a midfielder. This was just a response to the guy who said Fabregas scores and assists more than Iniesta. Which he clearly doesn't when it matters. Let's talk about actual performances. Which meaningful games did Fabregas dominate this season? Or actually in his entire Barca career?



That's some nice theory talk there. "Different role", "make sure there are no gaps", "occasional tackle". Catalan Khedira I guess. Too bad none of that really applies. He puts in some stupid tackles because the game is too fast for his brain (and body).

the WC10 finals was important and he assisted Iniesta's goal there but i understand we're talking about Barca here though so that's useless.
Fabregas, before Tata started playing this 4 man midfield in big games this season, rarely started the big games. It was most often the trio of Busquets/Xavi/Iniesta that played. And in the 4 man midfield, no need to explain the role of the midfielders again since it's been done already. lool @ "the catalan Khedira", Khedira can only dream of being as good as Fabregas. And Iniesta also played in most of those games Cesc scored or assisted in by the way.
I mentionned the things he does better than Iniesta and that are very useful to the team on my first post you quoted, and you couldn't disprove them because you know they're true.
Iniesta's an excellent possession player with great ball control and dribbling skills, and who despite his lack of "eye for goals",often pops up and scores in big games. But he's not often decisive in the final 3rd, and now (the past 2 seasons) that Xavi barely passes the ball foward, well someone else from the midfield has to do it and stats show that Cesc is doing that well.

 

[Superstar85]

It's also true that stats don't tell the whole story in football, especially for defensive minded players. But they tell a big part of the story for offensive players, but some try to ignore that.

 

[Alarcón]

How can anyone say Iniesta is not as decisive as Fàbregas? Stats don't tell everything and until there are stats for how much space players create, how well they operate in tight spaces and how many attacks they set up that eventually lead to goals, you will never be able to measure Iniesta's true genius.