When the going gets tough… Fabregas gets going (to Barcelona). I am not torn as I sit and write this article. My love for Arsenal is a thousand times thicker than it is for any individual player. Ultimately, we judge people on the whole picture. Not just fragments of it. Yes, Fabregas was once a great Gunner. He had the qualities to be an Arsenal legend, but his recent actions have put him right next to Adebayor and Ashley. I am not fooled because he is trying to do it politely. The end result is the same. Please spare me the “He wants to win trophies” argument, and that Arsenal and Arsene have failed him. Arsenal does not have a contract with the player that states the Club will win trophies. However, the player does have a contract with the club for a specific amount of money and time.

I’m sure you all are familiar with the term “Jump Ship”. It is an old expression used by sailors on the high seas. When one’s ship is being attacked, bombarded, and battered, would you stay aboard and fight or would you jump ship? Maybe it would be understandable if a deck hand jumped ship, but a CAPTAIN? Oh no, a captain is expected to stay and fight until the bloody end.

What we have here is a boy, not a man. A boy gets homesick. A man honors his commitments and contracts. A boy wants to play with his friends. A man plays the hand he is dealt. A boy hides and lets his Daddy speak for him. A man steps up and takes responsibilities for his actions. A boy seeks the easier path. A man understands things rarely come easy in this world, and it’s actually the failures that make the successes even sweeter when they finally do come.

I swear I am not in the “Arsene Knows” brigade. I am often highly critical of Le Prof, but in this case Arsene Knows. Wenger knows that once a player does not want to be here they must be sold. There is no sense in asking Fabregas to stay put, not even for just one more year. The sooner Cesc is sold the better. Let’s make sure we get the right price for him (£35 million and a class player or £50 million), but let’s get the deal done. ASAP.

I am done bashing Cesc. I just want him gone. I do not want to waste my breath on a guy that not too long ago kissed the badge and now spits on it. I would rather spend my time talking about players that want to wear the Arsenal shirt, and players that like a challenge and a fight. That’s why it was so refreshing to hear Vermaelen say, “It means that every game was a hard one for me. It's better the English way. They're all really physical and hard to play against here – the intensity can be unbelievable but it's nice to play every game at a level like that." So farewell Francesc Fabregas, give me ten more Tommy Vermaelens!!

Victoria Concordia Crescit.