Cesc Fàbregas

[Ursegor]

Cesc + € 15M would indeed be a great plan for Koke. A better fit for the team who is 5 years younger with all the potential in the world. What's not to like?

 

[Tomchin]

Cesc + € 15M would indeed be a great plan for Koke. A better fit for the team who is 5 years younger with all the potential in the world. What's not to like?

I also agree that Koke is worth more than Cesc at the moment (due to his age), but how can you be sure that Koke will be a better fit for the team? Who knows, maybe he'll struggle in a possession-based team?

 

[Sumlit]

Of course he can be replaced, anyone can be replaced, in theory, and if you have enough money.

But realistically, who? Who is good enough and attainable? Koke, if both the player and Atletico allow us to splash 50 m to get him?

So we sell Cesc for 35m and buy Koke for 50m? Wonderful, world-class business plan.

World class business plan indeed. That'd be a good deal.

Cesc is a better player than Koke is.

For this team, he isn't. Koke would bring far more to this team than Cesc. Far younger too.

 

[DB10]

Cesc to Chelsea.......

Was hoping it was just press BS but seems Cesc's agent is briefing the press since they all have the same story.

 

[linetty]

The family of Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas (27) assume that the player will leave the club this summer. [cope]

I wonder who will replace him?! Rafinha?

 

[Devils]

Of course he can be replaced, anyone can be replaced, in theory, and if you have enough money.

But realistically, who? Who is good enough and attainable? Koke, if both the player and Atletico allow us to splash 50 m to get him?

So we sell Cesc for 35m and buy Koke for 50m? Wonderful, world-class business plan.

umm there is nothing wrong with that deal if we do go after Koke. Infact that is a realistic deal.

 

[Egert]

The family of Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas (27) assume that the player will leave the club this summer. [cope]

I wonder who will replace him?! Rafinha?

Don't worry it'll be worse... Rakitic or Herrera.

 

[linetty]

Don't worry it'll be worse... Rakitic or Herrera.

Rakitic wouldn't be so bad, to be honest...People make it out like he would be a disaster. He'd not be an improvement but also not a downfall.

 

[Haruko The Goon]

Cesc to Chelsea.......

Was hoping it was just press BS but seems Cesc's agent is briefing the press since they all have the same story.

huh His agent is Darren Dein. What's he been saying?

 

[DB10]

huh His agent is Darren Dein. What's he been saying?

Rarely do agents speak directly, since similar Cesc's stories have all been blowing up from respected sources (Guardian,Telegraph) surely it's Cesc's camp that's briefing. Either to get a commitment from Barca or Hey guys I'm available.

 

[DonAndres]

You just forgot to mention how Cesc never started any big game for Barca in the midfield in 3 years (except for the last game against Athleti) even was he was more in form than Xavi, the coaches always preferred the tried & tested Xaviesta combo come big games. For the NT, he's played well in almost every match he participated in agains the oppositions that could be considered as one of the best there are out there.

For the NT there are games where he scores or assists. Again, I don't remember him impacting a game overall the way a more complete midfielder would. Sure he may be more decisive than Koke with that output (often against cannon fodder and extremely inconsistently) but by that logic Ronaldo is better than Messi just cause of a goal output that's more decisive (try not to start a huge discussion about this, it's merely an example).

Also, bringing up the 4 man midfield games doesn't point in Cesc's favor. It's just a clear example of how Cesc is a complete passenger in buildup while our other midfielders (Xavi and Iniesta) dominate our passing play. For Spain and Barca, he's never taken on any role other than providing a decisive pass or finish, showing that he's limited to useful actions only in the final third. And it's not just cause he's an attacking midfielder, cause so are Silva/Iniesta and those two still manage to provide a lot more to Spain's overall game cause they aren't limited players.

Sure his stats are impressive but when have you seen Cesc really influence overall buildup and support the team? You can't really do that if your only claim to fame is some goals and assists that are often padded stats. Koke on the other hand is a midfield engine helping out an enormous amount in all areas (defense, buildup, and attack). His influence extends beyond goal/assist numbers the way the best midfielders (Xavi, Iniesta, Busi, etc.) have.

The funny thing too is when people talk out about the defensive part of his game, when he actually participates more than both Xavi & Iniesta in that aspect who both barely try to defend. He also covers more ground on the pitch.

The point was about Koke doing more than Cesc. You couldn't possibly make a claim for Cesc>Koke defensively if you tried as that's nonsense.

Anyway I'm not sure about selling him as our squad is thin enough as it is, but his stats don't fool me. He's a decisive player but I'd NEVER want to build a team around him long term in midfield. He's simply too incomplete and our entire game would suffer because of it.

 

[serghei]

Also, bringing up the 4 man midfield games doesn't point in Cesc's favor. It's just a clear example of how Cesc is a complete passenger in buildup while our other midfielders (Xavi and Iniesta) dominate our passing play. For Spain and Barca, he's never taken on any role other than providing a decisive pass or finish, showing that he's limited to useful actions only in the final third. And it's not just cause he's an attacking midfielder, cause so are Silva/Iniesta and those two still manage to provide a lot more to Spain's overall game cause they aren't limited players.

I agree to some extent. But not all players have to participate in all areas of the game. Some are well known for doing one thing better than the rest, and I believe Cesc is one of the best 3 assist-makers in the game. You just don't sell players like that. Cesc Fabregas and Iniesta is all we have at CAM (Messi doesn't have enough workrate to play there) right now.

You don't sell players like Fabregas, Alexis, even Alves & others, who are easily top 5 on their positions in the world. Not with this market. You keep all your best players and add another 4-5 transfers WITHOUT SELLING. Alexis, Cesc, Alves, Mascherano, Song I freaking love all of them. Yea, even Song, he can surprise a lot of people if he's treated more fairly by the club.

 

[jamrock]

if he leaves lucho is only seeing what pep saw after his mistake of getting him in the first place, which is what i have been saying for years even in his arsenal days when people would tell me he is better than iniesta and will go down as this and that, he doesn't have the skill set to make it as a midfielder, in any team that values midfield play.
pep saw it, Del Bosque knows it, and it seems lucho saw it while doing those mix training sessions with pep.

a keita would be better for us that cesc, so i don't know why his fans are like you don't sell a world class player and replace him with xyz, he had NEVER BEEN WORLD CLASS for us.

He Will be a stud for a jose team though, play through passes after though passes, and not really caring about the world of a midfielder, he is the spanish lampard. but better.

but i still don't believe he is going

 

[DonAndres]

I agree to some extent. But not all players have to participate in all areas of the game. Some are well known for doing one thing better than the rest, and I believe Cesc is one of the best 3 assist-makers in the game. You just don't sell players like that. Cesc Fabregas and Iniesta is all we have at CAM (Messi doesn't have enough workrate to play there) right now.

You don't sell players like Fabregas, Alexis, even Alves & others, who are easily top 5 on their positions in the world. Not with this market. You keep all your best players and add another 4-5 transfers WITHOUT SELLING. Alexis, Cesc, Alves, Mascherano, Song I freaking love all of them. Yea, even Song, he can surprise a lot of people if he's treated more fairly by the club.

That's why I don't want to sell either. Cesc may not be what we want him to be but he's still a useful squad player who provides a directness that we could use for rotation/tactical variation/supersub purposes. I said that we shouldn't build the team around him, but that doesn't mean we can't use his abilities. Same with any of the other players you mentioned (iffy on Song ).

Our squad back in 08/09 was absolutely stacked and the players were versatile (which is what we need now). That's why having guys like Rafinha and maybe Mathieu will be crucial this season even if they aren't world class because they provide quality depth in multiple positions. I don't understand what we could gain by selling anyone besides the true dead wood (Dos Santos, Afellay, etc.).

It's rash and impulsive to think of our reconstruction as a chance to sell every other player in the squad. The time to sell is when we're at a high point, not a low one (an econ principle that can be applied to this situation). If we sell now, we're leaving ourselves with an unpolished Rafinha as our main backup and without a better 'replacement transfer'. Fast forward a year when (hopefully) we're in a more successful period and Rafinha has shown that he's mature enough to be relied upon in a creative role. Then, if we needed to, we could keep Cesc out in the market to fund a move for a midfielder we need more (maybe a fully recovered and performing Gundogan). That's when we don't have much pressure to buy/sell and we can do so without endangering our squad. Of course that scenario is all speculation, but you get the point. Our transfer policy shouldn't be to let players go at this point when there are far better times to do so.

 

[Flavia]

Cesc + € 15M would indeed be a great plan for Koke. A better fit for the team who is 5 years younger with all the potential in the world. What's not to like?

Problem is I doubt zubi will manage to sign Koke. So much, I'll #daretoDonAK and use a rm avatar for a month, if Koke is signed.