Well it appears that Arsene has passed on the opportunity to re-sign the prodigal son. His most likely destination being the bus depot (That’s Chelsea where they park buses-oh forget it then)
Here is what I had to say last week
“The great Cesc Fàbregas debate rages on, fueled by idiots like me who tweet about it and write blogs about it.
Will he leave Barcelona ?
Do we want him ?
Do we need him ?
Is there a buyout clause-how much is it ?
Does Arsene want him ?
Would he disrupt the team spirit ?
Should we go for him just to stop someone else getting him ?
Would he “kill” Jack , Aaron, AOC or anyone else ?
Is he injury prone ?
Is he slow ?
And on and on and on go the questions.
Just like the Arense in/out debate, there is a full spectum of opinions. The fan base is divided .
Least we forget , this is a player that forced his way out of the club.
Arsene did not want to sell him and he had a long contract. The team had been built around him.
Arsene had trusted him to lead us forward in a very difficult time. He was key to the future of the team and the club. We were forced to sell him at less than the perceived market value. It was him who did the forcing.
At the time it was a crushing blow to everyone at the club.
He knew his importance . He knew the love the fans and staff felt for him, yet he forced his way out.
I don’t care a jot that he wanted to go home, win things and play with his mates. He let everyone who loves the club down. He chose to do that. Him, and him alone.
I care even less that he is savvy enough to bang on about his love for Arsenal, for me its just rhetoric. Its like a man who leaves his loyal and loving wife and goes back to his first love. Its poor form and he let us down.
He let me down, ! I was gutted .
Did he go on strike? I don’t know ! No one outside the club does. But I do know that Nasri played and he didn’t. Yet two days after he left he was playing with his first love, running around like a spring lamb.
Am I bitter? You bet your life I am !
However.
He is a fabulous player. He would be a huge asset to us now.
He could cover for Ozil and Ramsey(or alternate ,if you would rather) .
He would make us more dangerous going forward, score and assist as a given.
I believe that before he left he was the best player in the league, he was that good. He would be up there again I have no doubt.
Still, until the questions asked at the top are answered , its a redundant debate.
For the record though, if buying him did not adversely effect the purchase of players in positions that we have a greater need , I would be happy to see him back at the club.
My hypocrisy knows no bounds.”
It looks like Arsene has answered some of those questions and the conclusions he has drawn dont suit a huge swath of the fan base.
Many want the little Catalan cherub back , and cant see any excuse for the club not returning their sweetheart to their loving embrace.
For eight years almost all of us ,man, woman and child adored him. And why not ? He played his heart out with every different set of players that passed through the club.
Sometimes he had players around him that could help him mount a decent challenge on cups and titles. sometimes he had do drag lesser players behind him. But he always gave his best.
He loved us and we loved him.
Then he decided he wanted to go home. Let me repeat that , he wanted to go home
When he wasn’t simply bid farewell and good luck he made it happen. He forced his way out.
Under normal circumstances that would have been enough for most of us to feel sufficiently betrayed to lose our love for him. But three summers ago were anything but normal circumstances.
Three summers ago we were in full divided camp mode.
People wanted to blame Arsene , Ivan, Stan and the board for anything they could.
Who could blame our little Spanish darling for wanting out of a club like ours ? They said !
In other words he reaped the benefit of the prevailing mood.
Instead of blaming him for leaving us in the lurch, he became justification to attack Arsene and the club.
In my view, he made his escape relatively unscathed.
Finally (well for today at least) If he ships up at a hated rival, I wont blame him for that. I don’t care what he has said about loving Arsenal and hating others. I don’t think he can be accuse of hypocrisy. If we have had the chance to sign him, and we have passed, he is free to peruse his career anywhere that is best for him. I hope it doesn’t come to that, but hey-ho.
Good luck too him (bar twice a year).
Positively Arsenal 
I have got absolutely no recollection of writing that ……
But I must have !
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Sav, I have forwarded my Email address to the address you use here.
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All what you say is fair, however for me I think we should have done everything to sign him again.
Arsene alluded to wanting him last summer. One more year he said. I think the media are often wrong. Usually a player is linked with us and then they sign elsewhere, so who knows what is really going on.
I think Barca (and Real) often buy players at the whim of presidential elections rather than team strengthening. They pursued Cesc for political reasons rather than footballing. So Cesc came into the team packed with world class midfielders. I have no doubt that negotiations, including the no.4 shirt, also included a promise of his favoured position, however Guardiola never played him there, nor did Tito. Barca havent seen the best of him because of that. Howver, with Xavi possibly off I’m shocked they actually are willing to sell the perfect heir.
Lastly, anywhere but Chelsea. If we don’t want him I can’t begrudge him earning his keep, but not West London. Not Jose Mourinho.
a) they don’t play football the Barcelona/Arsenal way.
b) Jose Mourinho would gloat about pulling one over Arsene Wenger
c) Jose’s a dick
Personally I would suggest for him to go to Juventus if they are selling Vidal.
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I like him but we don’t need him. Sentiments doesn’t bring Arsenal forward but common sense and practicality.I could not care less whether Mourinho wants to gloat or not. For all I know, he will not even be at Chelsea in 2 years’ time. For once, I salute Wenger for consistency in thinking and decision-making. 30 million euros is a better investment on a Balotelli, Griezmann, or even Drexler. Come next season Fabregas is my enemy, the same way Cole, Adebayor, Clichy, Nasri, have been in the past. Oh, don’t forget Sagna too.
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I agree with Dom
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Anicoll, according to wiki in fabregas first year with Barcelona he notched 15 goals and 20 assists in 48 appearances and won four best midfielder awards. After that there where changes in managers and presidents. I agree with dom, Barcelona is not a normal football club, it’s a political circus.
Thanks shotta. Just curious since he does seem to fit the bill for being a Wenger player in so many ways.
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We just have to trust that the club have a better reason to not spend the £33m plus wages on Cesc, and have players lined up for more urgent parts of the squad re-inforcent.
Still, I bet Darren Dein is behind all this going to Chelsea shennanigans.
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DC, and you probably just gave the best reason not to sign fabregas so far. Really don’t want to see that mr 20% inside the club doors again.
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I hope he digs his heels in and stays at Barca.
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Thanks George, I responded to your email.
Regarding the ongoing Fabregas media/agent induced saga – I am at a loss. Man Utd is linked – Chelsea, Liverpool, Man City, Arsenal! Goodness. I think I will just wait for August. Anyways, with or without Fabregas, this Arsenal team will continue to move forward and grow – so I suppose I will be happy either way.
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Very sensible point DC – after we have signed a striker, and a right back I think almost certainly other areas of the side that might require strengthening are sure to be on the manager’s agenda, as they are every window
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If we allow Cesc back, it would set a bad precedent. Next thing Ramsey will want to look and see whether the grass is greener in Bavaria. Good on Arsene for nipping what could be detrimental, in the bud.
On point again George… as usual. Thumbs up!!!
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http://www.givemesport.com/472852-arsene-wenger-may-be-right-to-snub-cesc-fabregas?autoplay=on
Extraordinary. An article that is pro-Arsene.
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The signing of Chamberlain, the fee etc. signalled to all the Arsenal gazing experts that the club were committed to a serious rebuild at that time. You have to question those football experts who were incapable of articulating this at the time. It was, strange behaviour.
Fortunately the injury gods are happy to agree with Anicoll, Chamberlain’s knock from last night will probably rule him out for the World Cup but hopefully he’ll be just about ready for pre-season, could still be short for the qualifiers but it’s better then another strain or worse!
Given the performances on the night that knock probably ends any hope of decent progress for England in the WC. Poor calls from Hodgson, he should’ve taken both (Arsenal) players who hadn’t played for a month out by that stage of what was a competitive game. Dumb and dumber. I trust the self-declared Redzone experts have not been groaning at the Englishman ;), quelle surprise, eh?
As for the F Word. Well, he F’d off didn’t he? Bunga Bunga Barcelona totally screwed up, and got screwed by the Neymar deal. Sold Thiago and now are selling the F Word, so it seems, just as Xavi and Iniesta are running out of juice. Which you don’t me to tell you is idiocy if true. Ha! ha! ha!
I guess this is what happened the last time BBB got screwed over. It’s not the first time they’ve been in the shitter, pardon my French, and it won’t be the last.
For Arsenal fans surely Chamberlain and the others are far more relevant.
Who cares about someone who F’d off? Not Arsenal’s problem. If a player who says they idolise Young Pep and Arsene Wenger, ends up playing under The Happy One, a manager hated by fans of the two clubs he says he loves, well, that would be quite funny.
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Gains,
Thanks for the live match report. It did look like nerves in that opening period for Shaw, which then begs the question: why not take the English LB who has consistently impressed in the CL for a few years now.
A.Cole essentially came out of his non-training W.London retirement* that season for Gazprom’s CL run, not really playing into the league games.
* in case you’ve ever wondered why he only ever matched his AFC form in that CL run, that would, at a guess, be the obvious reason.
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& also, as seen with the Madrid players, Ancelotti seemed to get more of his players Cole included, then the Happy One.
Hard luck F Word if it’s all true! *wipes a tear*
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For me it’s not about getting Cesc back at any cost. Now I am the first to admit that I am thinking with my heart instead of my head when it comes to Cesc. He’s just barely older than I am, so I kinda grew up with him, and he, even more than Bergkamp or Henry, is the player I associate most with our club (mind, I hadn’t started following Arsenal until the turn of the millenium, so the golden Graham years and the first Wenger double passed me right by). I was gutted like everyone else when he left us and I was most unhappy about the way he did it. Nevertheless I believe a young man should be allowed a mistake or two and if he came back to us, I wouldn’t have the slighest issue with forgiving him. But if our manager thinks we can use our ressources better or that Cesc doesn’t fit in the current squad, then that’s the manager’s decision and I trust him 100%.
So if Cesc has to leave Barca (karma, eh? Forcing his way out of our club, where everyone loved him to bits, just to be forced out of his hometown club for the second time) then so be it. If he moves to Bayern, Juventus, PSG or whatever other club is out there outside of England then I am fine with that. Good luck, Cesc, unless you play us! Heck, if he goes to City or Liverpool, I’ll be able to somehow fathom that. We said no, other clubs wanted him, what’s he supposed to do?
But him … playing for Chelsea … no, that would be just plain wrong. This would be the worst betrayal imaginable, far worse than Cashley or the little Dutch boy. I mean we are talking about Mourinho, a man so despicable, even his own players hate him and brand him a “fool”. I think you have to be John Terry to be actually able to like Mourinho and well … you don’t want to be John Terry. We are talking about Chelsea, a club that is the anti-thesis to everything Arsenal is. If he really felt a connection with our club and us fans, if he really “loved” the club and especially Arsene, how could he even think about going to Chelsea?
Nothing is decided yet, and I have a feeling that this will be another one of those summer long transfer sagas, but whatever happens at the end, please, please,please don’t let Cesc sign for Chelsea.
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10-21 days out for the Ox – What an odd timescale !
Talking about Stones to replace him unless Woy goes BOLD – surely there is one English midfielder available rather than a young centre back ffs ??? They cant all be on holiday
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I cannot believe that Cesc has not had a natter with the Madrid players among the Spanish squad, Casillas, Alonso, Sergio Ramos who regard Jose as an absolute tool
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Evil
June 5, 2014 at 3:38 pm
very nice post…. show strength my friend….the trophyless years taunt has gone up in smokes and the professional trolls of the fooball media industry are finding new ways to troll arsenal fans…
anyone read durhams ‘ramsey shoudl leave arsenal cause his stage is the ch.l final like bale and arsenal will never get there therefore arsenal should sell”? …epic trolling….got to hand it to him…king-troll.
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Vidic suffered a similar freak injury and was out for like seven months. If Ox’s injury puts him at 10-21 days, he will have been very lucky. Hopefully, his injury turns out to be a bad sprain which doesn’t require surgery. The knee he injured is his good knee.
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Talk about running through the gamut of emotions!
@ Dom
Last summer, we needed him. We don’t need him this summer. If it’s either Cesc or the striker/DM which are Arsene’s priorities, then AW is making the right decision. This is an interesting read: http://www.arsenal.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=543627
“I think Barca (and Real) often buy players at the whim of presidential elections rather than team strengthening. They pursued Cesc for political reasons rather than footballing. So Cesc came into the team packed with world class midfielders. I have no doubt that negotiations, including the no.4 shirt, also included a promise of his favoured position, however Guardiola never played him there, nor did Tito. Barca havent seen the best of him because of that. Howver, with Xavi possibly off I’m shocked they actually are willing to sell the perfect heir.”
I’m sure most of that is true, but from what I read, Barca don’t see him as the heir to Xavi because he doesn’t have enough tactical discipline – I stress, this is what I read.
He’s probably going to Chelsea because it’s in London, where his girlfriend lives, and offers champions league football. On the other hand…Mourinho.
It all feels like a case of what might have been, but let’s not forget that our first trophy in nine years was won without him. He was the one who chose to go, and he would leave us or anyone else again in a heartbeat if the Barca hierarchy changed its mind. We have moved on, Wenger has put his faith in his current squad, so let’s draw a line under it now.
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Over the years I’ve found it best not to go back to places or people I’ve left or who’ve left me. It’s never quite the same again somehow, either because they or I have changed. The past is a different country as they say and is probably best left as a golden memory. I understand the temptation, especially when judgement is clouded for lack of reason, but just as drunken calls to ex-partners both disappoint and embarrass, so too would bringing back Cesc. I suspect that people’s recollection of him is no more now than a carefully-edited Youube version, goals and assists lovingly preserved, misses and petulancies obliterated just as surely as childhood rainy days. He was a great player for The Arsenal, but, as Nancy Mitford would say, click goes the camera and on goes life. There is much to look forward to, and little to be gained by wallowing in self-indulgent nostalgia.
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foreverheady @5;04pm
I couldn’t have put it better………. a good philosophy my man!
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Xavi possibly “off” !!
And not linked to Arsenal ?
I am appalled – what is the matter with the #ITK mob
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Ox suffered ligament strains and will be out for 14 days.
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If we take away all sentiment we have about fabregas or our current players, he would strengthen our midfield. No nostalgia there.
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Apropos, yes, but it would require injuries to get him into it.
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I’m not certain but that’s not the point. There are several good reasons for not taking him back and some been mentioned here and I buy it. But discarding his qualities as the player he is today just to fit the narrative is somewhat unnescesary.
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I also suspect Rooney, mata and kagawa is a very different prospect in the hands of Wenger compared to moyes.
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At twenty seven, I don’t see Cesc getting in the way of the development of Ramsey, Özil, Jack or Ox. If he comes, he would make us one of the deepest squads in the league and he’d teach the younger guys how to be pros. I’m pretty sure these four would relish competing for a place on the team with such an accomplished player. I only see positives in this move.
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Gains, “this move” will not happen.
Apropos, what narrative is that then?
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It has become part of a set of reasons for not having him back. If ppl don’t want him back because the way he left us I’m perfectly fine with it, fans have feelings about this kind of things. I wasn’t happy about it. But for footballing reasons there are better reasons for not taking him back.
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Oh the fickleness of football fans!!!!!
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You don’t want to go there northbank
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And why not? Lets have some fun!
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PG, a more thorough explanation,
Narrative = a particular representation of a situation or process in such a way as to reflect or conform to an overarching set of aims or values.
The aim or value is not wanting or needing him back. The representation of the situation or process is how he left us, how we need to strengthen elsewhere, team dynamic, holding back young players progress, injury prone, slower and not good as before. I’m not suggesting someone at PA baked this cake but if you discern the argument throughout the net this is the overall storyline of those who don’t want to see fabregas back. And certain parts of this storyline are unnecessary to make a good point.
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Apropos, I dont follow this.
All the points you mention are worthy of consideration. As are all the reasons we should sign him.
Its a judgement call. One that Arsene will make.
All we can do is give an opinion on what we in our ignorance would do, Then accept what he does.
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Yes I agree Arsene will make the call and I trust him to get it right. But numbers show fabregas isn’t injury prone, at least not the numbers I saw of last season. And stats and awards show he went on to do quite well as a player after leaving us.
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George, i have a very simple philosophy to life which has developed over the years: Fill a glass when it’s empty, empty a glass when it’s full, and scratch your arse when it itches, It really does cover every eventuality.
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I have an even simpler one “fuck e’m all”
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Can I put a smiley in there now?
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Northbank I was going to write something demeaning and bring up some old posts I’ve read and can point to after double check a few days ago. But I just want to move on from this, especially as I saw that in your own fickleness you did sometimes try be a positive influence on the other site. So let’s just say that I tried to handle my unhappiness as an adult and managed to hold myself back from saying or doing anything that goes against me welcoming him back today. Thus not making me a hypocrite, at least not in this case. Also should add I have respect for those that are standing by their view on this matter. As much as those who expresses regret and admit a change of mind after some over hasty words.
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Apropos
Can will call it a 0-0 draw then…. and move on to the next game?
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Better still, you can claim the win as I withdraw. A win would be a lose.
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Looks like the son will not return, on first impressions, that is a shame, but if that is the case, we should move on, safe in the knowledge that if we have passed on him, it is for very good reasons, which may become clearer with time.
Reportedly, Barca, Utd, city, Bayern as well as us have passed on Cesc, does that tell something we do not know? Chelsea….looks like it will happen but makes no sense,a manager who clearly does not rate very similar players….unless Jose has been told to entertain….or else…..
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Fair enough Apropos…….. now all I have to do is get Passenal on my side and then the more difficult task of Finsbury. That may however, take some time.
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Certainly the full Jonny Nash there, so much so it is difficult to understand the deal at all. Does this mean we have overtaken chelski as they are taking our rejects or has the bus driver pulled out plum. Like I say Jonny Nash ARSENAL stadium mystery Ruth Rendell all mixed in to one!
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I’m surprised, but I guess I can see why we would want to focus our limited resources on more pressing areas of need. Unlike chelski we do not have a bottomless pit to buy any player that takes our fancy, neither have we recently mugged PSG by getting £50m for sideshow bob. I suspect Mourinho would rather not have CF, having sold a similar player in Juan Mata, but he’s probably under instruction from Roman to replace one of his many DM’s for a bit of creativity. Trying to actually play football will probably kill him! It would also be interesting to see how a player who has spent his whole career with 2 of the best football playing teams in the world copes with the specialist in bus parking.
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cesc is not going to chelsea.
arsene loves cesc more than anyone of us here. he is like a son to him.
cesc respects wenger. he says he’s like a father to him. noone here have such a close relationship or affection for wenger.
fabregas has supported barca from birth. he has been going to watch them since he was four. barca is to him as arsenal is to jenkinson.
arsene undestands this and know that love can make you blind to some realities at times. so wenger told him there will be chance for him to come back if barca dont want him anymore.
a buy back clause was inserted to make this official.
wenger continued to make contact with cesc. he knows his plans. and cesc was always in contact with his ‘father’ about his future.
last season wenger wanted to strenghting the team with either di maria or ozil but we got ozil.
wenger is a loyal and honourable man. he made some promises to ozil that we all know he will keeps as he always keep his words.
now reports say barca no longer want cesc ( he is better than anyone in their midfield ). cesc called his ‘father’ to ask if he can come back. his father (who on record has said cesc will always be in his first eleven even if the team is spain or barca) has promised ozil not to treat him like he was treated by madrid, told him he has ozil already.
cesc feel betrayed by his father who has promised him to come back whenever he wanted. to force his father to change his mind, he threatens to go play for a rival club managed by his sworn enemy.
it clear cesc will never be happy at chelsea, moreso under that devil mouthrinhole.
will wenger allow his beloved son to comit career suicide by playing for chelsea under his sworn enemy? will cesc break his father’s heart and follow through with the threat? will wenger break his word and make ozil uncomfortable? can wenger persuade cesc to give it a year more at barca or join otherclub outside england? will wenger allow mouthrinhole to muck him with the purchase of a player whose career is credited to him?
my answer is cesc is not going to chelsea.
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