From Stephen Latner : Fabregas
Myles
I feel your analysis is disingenuous.
Once you name a price in this situation, the world knows you are prepared to sell, the player is gone regardless and you end up getting a much lower price. The ONLY way to negotiate is not to sit down until a sensible price is on the table-in this case £45 million if you wish to receive £50 million. If this does not happen, you stonewall.
Eventually, Ronaldo was sold to Real Madrid after several years of pining. United did not waver and Ronaldo performed very well up to his departure. Expect the same in the Fabregas situation except it is far from certain that Barcelona will be able to afford him given their financial position.
From Steve Son : Arsenal after Cesc/ Some thoughts on Wenger
On the assumption that Ramsey comes back from injury without any mental problems, do you not think that we can replace Cesc with Wilshere and Ramsey?
When Dennis retired, you pointed out, correctly in my opinion, that we replaced The Ice Man with two players – a combination of Cesc and Robin BANG Persie.
We could feasibly do the same – replace Cesc with two players – Wilshere and Ramsey. Neither will agitate for a move to Madrid or Milan and we could keep them as our heartbeat for the next decade. I know future talk is boring but I fail to see how anyone CANNOT be excited at this prospect. Yes, Arsene will presumably still employ the likes of Diaby and Eboue for the next 5 years but hopefully as nothing more than squad fodder. And what good squad players they would be if they played 20 rather than 40 games.
Yes, I’m concerned at our lack of trophy success but competing with the likes of Chelsea, Man U, Inter, Barca and Real is difficult when you have a 260m mortgage to think about. I know David Dein is missed at Arsenal, but had his plan of moving to Wembley and investing in the team been followed…well, we wouldn’t have moved until 2008/9 earliest, the pitch would be catastrophic for our passing game and we would not have a stadium to call our own.
I don’t need to praise Wenger, you know better than most his Herculean achievements.But with every passing year I do wonder whether we will win another trophy with him at the helm. However, I’d rather have Arsene run our club than have someone like Mourinho who comes in for 2 seasons, wins 3 trophies and leaves us weak for the future.
Can you seriously see Inter replicating their success? Chelsea didn’t win the league until Ancelotti arrived and Porto were decimated. Arsene said in his job interview that he would like to leave the club in a better state than he arrived. He has been more successful than anyone could have possibly imagined. His holistic approach to football (or should it be club?) management has seen us poised to become a giant of the World football. Whether it’s Arsene or his successor that takes the next step forward is debatable, but it is Arsene’s vision that has given us the platform to grow. Constantly criticising him and trying to sully his name is ugly and unnecessary.
From Andrew Rymer : Fabregas s
Fair point regarding the sale of Fabregas. As you said, badly made.
The problem is that I believe that Arsenal probably did tell Barca pay us £50million and he is yours back in April. I’m sure that Fabregas was aware of this.
But Barca do not have the money. They didn’t have it then and they don’t have it now. Why sell an asset for 50% less than it’s real value. Had he been sold for £29million at 23 with several years left on his contract we would be outraged and accusing the club of mismanagement.
Myles, I always take your critique as an insightful point of view based on significant research and experience but this is mad.
I think it’s a flippant comment you will feel differently about at the end of the season.
Let’s see but if you did business like this, you would be living on the streets within 12 months.
Keep up the great articles and let’s see what happens at the end of the season.
From Richard : Cesc as a deeper playmaker
I share your opinion of Fabregas the footballer and understand his desire to move on.
Now that it’s out in the open, however, it’s ridiculous and neglectful to continue to base the team around him. We’re not going to win anything this year, so may as well get to tinkering with the foundations because the whole world and their dogs know he won’t be around the next.
And that means (finally) building the team around Arshavin and letting him be the No. 10 that you and I want to see. Give him a free role in the center in a 4-2-3-1, with the spine being NewGK – TV – Song – Arshavin – Chamakh.
RvP is far too injury prone to be a spinal player, as talented as he is, so play him on the left side of the 3 when fit, with Theo likewise on the right. Theo up on the last defender’s shoulder would allow Arshavin to play him into space. For this season Cesc would have to adapt himself to a deep-lying playmaker role a la Xabi Alonso or (in a perfect world) Pirlo. He’s clever enough to adapt to such a role imo.
As much as Cesc has done for the club, as well as he’s played, Arsenal Football Club owes him nothing. He must be made to understand that any decision about his future must be made in the best interests of AFC and its supporters. Simple as. For him to have come out and declared that Barcelona are the only club he will consider was ill-advised and has created a difficult business position for AFC, ironically making Cesc’s wishes that much more difficult to accommodate.
Myles replies :
Eight EPL games on a Saturday? Football seems to be back.
Have a nice autumn weekend.
And maybe check out our Review section.