Asser Ghozlan
Twenty-four hours have now passed since the news filtered through that our one-time boy-hero, Catalonian Londoner made good and former captain and prodigal son destined for an inescapable return home has instead joined Chelsea following a most callous dumping from his “family club” that is Barcelona.
Not to mention quotes attributed to our ex-skipper from way back in 2010 requesting that Gooners consider shooting him at dawn if ever he pulls on Chelsea’s colours. Tempting indeed, though I personally wouldn’t encourage anyone to act on it…
Well it has happened, for talk is cheap, and money talks.
Unthinkable? Yes. Sickening? Most definitely.
A disaster? Most definitely not.
Allowing for the initial nausea at seeing Cesc Fabregas donning the infamous blue all over the internet, and allowing for the raw emotion from Arsenal supporters all over social media during this last twenty four hours, let us think this through in a rational, pragmatic manner.
Firstly, on Fabregas himself. Unquestionably, the man gave us his all during seven years of stellar service, 303 appearances with over fifty goals, and even an FA Cup win under his belt. But, and it is a big but, here is a man so desperate to leave the Club when the going got tough back in 2011 that he had allegedly refused to train until his wishes were granted, and, as has been practically confirmed, even paid off a chunk of Barcelona’s transfer fee to acquire him from his very own pocket. All to return to his boyhood club.
Now forgive me if I’m wrong, but am I not much mistaken that, had that boyhood club of his been a Zaragoza or a Celta Vigo, he would not perhaps have been so keen?
And he was a considerable playing success at any rate, even if the management and hierarchy at the Camp Nou never really took to him. Despite the couple of major honours under his belt and a reasonable return in terms of appearances, goals, and assists, it was obvious that he would not hang around for much longer.
Onto Arsenal. I must admit, as one of the first to scream for the Club to take up the first option of bidding for the departing Fabregas, I was wrenched, although not at all surprised, to hear we have instead passed up the opportunity with the coolest of nonchalance.
Putting two and two together, with Arsenal’s refusal to re-sign, and Fabregas surplus to requirements at Barca, he can hardly be absolved of blame in this instance for choosing the club that he thinks will suit him best, although he had made it clear that we were his first choice.
This was clearly a calculated move. Many are angry, understandably, and many are already up in arms at our “lack of transfer activity”, whilst Chelsea have significantly beefed up their armoury with Diego Costa as well as the aforementioned midfield schemer. In fact, one can argue that the Brazil-born Spanish striker was a more necessary target. Nevertheless, it has been TWELVE, yes twelve days since the start of the transfer window. There are seventy-eight days remaining. Pipe down.
For once, we seem to have significant amounts of cash to spend, and for the first time in many years, significant optimism and momentum heading into a season on the back of a relatively successful 2013-14. But significant cash to spend does not mean significant cash to burn: such a luxury can still only be afforded to the Blues of southwest London and Manchester.
It would be easy to attack the board and Arsène Wenger (and I have done so many times) for seemingly allowing Fabregas’ “betrayal”, for “letting him go” so easily.
But it is also easy to forget that it was Fabregas who let go first, and a time we most needed him, a time that is now synonymous with many near misses and ultimate failure to get over the finishing line. He was captain of that side, and he walked.
Now was a time when he seemingly needed us most, and in today’s world, there is no room for emotion. With an up-and-coming creative midfield that is the envy of most club sides in the world, and with pressing priorities elsewhere, namely at full back, striker, and, crucially, in defensive midfield, Fabregas would have been a mere expensive commodity.
We have just won our first trophy in nearly a decade, have a generally very good team that is two or three signings away from being a great one, and from being a strong squad looking to fight for all honours, and we have the money to do it.
Our chances of success next season were never going to be related to what our rivals do or who they sign, but on what we do as a Club in both, the transfer market and medical department, and on what we do as a team on the pitch in rectifying the big game mistakes that cost us the title last time out.
Let us cut out the raw, irrational emotion and not allow the past dictate how we work for the present and future, and instead wait and see how the summer intriguingly unfolds.
Cesc Fabrgeas is the past, the complete opposite of what our Club and its motto stand for.
