By Paul Sorene
In the build up to Arsenal’s Premier League match with Chelsea, the tabloids are focusing on the Blues’ Cesc Fabregas. The match will be the first time the Chelsea player has faced his old club on their home pitch.
The Daily Star leads with news that Fabregas “snubbed” Arsenal by not joining them last summer. The paper says Arsene Wenger, the Arsenal manager, has “muddied the water” by saying his former captain had no intention of returning to the Gunners when he left Barcelona in the summer of 2014:
“I believe his decision was already made. I personally believe that deal was done a long time ago, in early 2014… I was intrigued that he might go to Chelsea, but when I was informed I thought the deal was already done.”
But what about the weird contract deal stipulating Arsenal’s first refusal should Barcelona sell Cesc? Did Barcelona break that contract? Or did Arsenal reject the chance to buy Fabregas? Wenger says:
“It’s not as clean-cut as that, I cannot speak to you about that now because it will not help us win on Saturday.”
It’s debatable whether a press conference helps a team to win anything. Why not just spill the beans? Is Wenger bound by a confidentiality contract not to speak? Or is he saving it for a book?
The Sun leads with more of Wenger’s words:
“I’d be uncomfortable to have to justify why he’s not here. I’d rather it was the other way around. The regret I have is that Cesc wanted to leave here four years ago. I don’t know if he regrets going. You will have to ask him.”
Why bother asking? Fabregas left Arsenal to win things. He won them. He went to Chelsea for more money than Arsenal could offer, and he won more things.
The Sun says Wenger “has never forgotten how his captain pulled out of the club’s pre-season tour of to the Far East in 2011, citing injury, to accelerate his transfer back to Spain.”
But the Mirror says Wenger is not angry or bitter at Fabregas’ acrimonious departure. The Mirror’s story is that Wenger is “reluctant to stoke up any bad feeling before a London derby”.
Wenger is quoted:
“I want every player to be respected, and for Cesc Fabregas, when he comes to the Emirates, to be respected like he deserves.”
Arsenal fans will see Fabregas as their crown-prince captain who kissed the badge then left to kiss another club’s badge.
Having vowed never to play for an English club other than Arsenal, Fabregas now plays for Chelsea, whose shirt he has also kissed. Boo him loud and long. Or, better yet, ignore him.
Chelsea fans won’t care about fickle Fabregas; they know they have a very good, resilient player in their side. And if his presence irritates Arsenal fans, then so much to the good.
But Arsenal fans should take a moment to review what they think has gone? Was Fabregas really such a great Arsenal skipper? Former Arsenal midfielder Denilson told a Brazilian TV station: “Fabregas is the captain, but he is not a leader to me.”
It was only Wenger, who described Fabregas as an “outstanding leader”. He became Arsenal’s best player when the Invincibles were gone and the Gunners were in a new stadium and balancing the books. But Fabregas was never a great captain. Wenger was wrong. Tony Adams or Patrick Vieira were fantastic leaders.
And that’s the heart of the matter: it wasn’t Fabregas who failed Arsenal – it was Wenger who built him up but was unable to make his star creation stay and buy into his vision for success.
Fabregas hurts Arsenal because he symbolises Wenger’s failures…