WE don’t believe Arsenal are resigned to their fate. While standing behind Arsene Wenger a few weeks ago – observing the way he dished out instructions in French and English – we certainly detected a sense of impatience within the squad (least of all from Nasri, surprisingly). Arshavin has a reputation for being lazy and indeed, looked out of it and completely zoned out during training. He barely listened to Wenger’s orders (or at least, pretended not to hear). The only ones who seemed to take it seriously were Theo Walcott, Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere. But there is a fighting spirit within the team – and it’s clear that the club is prepared to move on without Nasri and Fabregas. Let the glory hunters from other teams continue to tease them for their lack of trophies- it’s clear a lot more work is needed in that department but branching into that argument now is irrelevant.
As many fans (not many we know, tbh) mourn over the loss of Fabregas to Barcelona, it’s important to know that football is first and foremost, a business. Many of Arsenal’s players who were asked about Fabregas simply shrugged or shook their heads, implying that they acknowledged it. Everyone seemed at ease, nodding and talking, answering our questions (on and off camera) jokingly. Yes, everyone from the club personnel to the assistant coaches knew Cesc was leaving but it’s clear that they were expecting this for a while. And players are expected to be professional – teammates and friends come and go, contracts expire and push you out of the club, but you move on. In fact, the vibe we got from everyone was “Cesc is leaving… So?“
There’s nothing wrong with kissing the crest, really. Catalans will always be proud of their identity and where they came from. Barcelona is the symbol of Catalonian history and pride. There’s no use holding it against Fabregas, especially since Barcelona did essentially mould his youth and style of playing. Every cantera player in Spain eventually harbours that dream of going back to the club that made them and Cesc is no different. It’s important for Arsenal fans to understand that he was going home – not to some ‘other’ club willing to buy him and promise trophies in return. The issue about warming the bench is honestly one for Pep to decide, but we are sure Fabregas will play enough games – the games that will help him to find his place in football again.
When we asked Nani some years ago how he felt about the departure of his good friend Ronaldo to Real Madrid, he reacted in similar fashion. “Well, what’s there to be sad about? It’s life – we will miss him, but we will manage,” he said to us. Remember, no player is bigger than a club – and ironically, Barcelona (and perhaps Eric Abidal) are living examples of this.
