The Problem with Cesc Fabregas

Fabregas has become an enigma, the reason is no-one quite knows what he is

For the past five years there has been one thing you can almost guarantee at this time of year...the rumours of a Cesc Fabregas transfer. While at Arsenal it was always about his inevitable move to Barcelona, yet surprisingly it appeared that not even a year after he finally got his dream move to his boyhood club, the rumours surfaced of a supposed unhappiness, from both him and the club and talks of an exit. In fact he his return appeared to coincide with the decline of Barca and Cesc has been targeted by the fans for this. Perhaps unfairly, yet with the new coach at Barca confirmed as Luis Enrique it appears he has been quick to wield the axe on those he feels are no longer part of his plans, and Cesc is one of them. So what has happened to the player who was once regarded as one of the best of his generation?

When Cesc Fabregas broke onto the scene as a 16 year old for Arsenal English football as a whole was amazed at this precocious talent. His technical ability was excellent yet so too was his psychology, for a young player he possessed a strong self-confidence and determination in himself. As he grew we witnessed his growth as one of the best young talents in the league and saw him become Arsenal’s leader and captain. At just 23 years old Fabregas was the most important and experienced player in the Arsenal team. And this is where the problems started.

Leadership and freedom

The problem was that although Fabregas was a very good player he was given too much responsibility for such a young man under Arsene Wenger. In a matter of years he had gone from an up and coming talent to the leader of the team. This added the pressure on him from fans and media who expected him to produce. And when Arsenal stuttered and struggled people looked at Fabregas, as the leader, for answers why. 

It was simply too much too soon for a player who was still developing, still understanding the game. He wasn't ready to lead, he needed guidance. Yes Arsenal and Wenger certainly helped Fabregas in terms of providing opportunity yet the concern that I have always had for Cesc is that he wasn’t developed in the ‘right’ way at Arsenal. Simply put, too much was put on his shoulders at a young age which stunted him. 

As we know the model of Wenger was to develop a young side who would grow together and this had many admirers at first. Yet it was ultimately a flawed idea. Football requires a balance, whether between attacking and defending, or between young and experienced. Get the balance right and you often have a recipe for success. Ferguson got that right for most of his time at United. Wenger achieved it in the late 90’s-early 2000’s.

Yet during the years of austerity Wenger’s model negated the influence of experienced players and put too much on the shoulders of his young players. Fabregas took that hardest. What Arsenal needed was some old heads to help and advise the young talents, to help them through periods of difficulty and to help guide and educate them. Instead these youngsters were left to fend for themselves and which is why ultimately Arsenal, under Fabregas, didn’t have any success.

Unfortunately Fabregas’ development would be seriously affected by this experience. The most disruptive (to his development) came because as the leader of the team he was given too much freedom based on his responsibility. It was a case of “give the ball to Cesc, he will do something”. This expectation on him to produce moments to win games was too much, a case of which was shown with his recurring injury problems the year before he left. It was a combination of too many games since a 16 year old in a tough league and the burden of responsibility and leadership adding weight on his shoulders. At times he produced, yet what he needed was not the captain’s armband but someone to learn from.

Barca's strict tactics

As Arsenal continued to fail to succeed and win trophies Fabregas grew disillusioned and he sought to move away from Arsenal, with Barcelona his desired destination. It made sense for him, yes it was his old boyhood club but it was also the best side in the world with the most progressive coach in the game. If there was anywhere to go to develop it was here. And of course Barca were desperate for him, desperate to bring back one of their own and create their home grown project. 

They had missed out the year before yet were adamant this was the time to get him. His return was supposed to be a joyous occasion and it started very brightly with him and Messi linking together well. Yet by the second half of his first season at Barca it seemed to be going wrong. 

And this is where the lack of education and freedom afforded to him under Wenger cost Fabregas. Wenger is not a tactical coach in terms of micro-managing the team, he affords players freedom to play and make their own decisions. He believes in players over coaching. Seeing his role as a guide. This is where him and Guardilola differ (for more on their dichotomy read this article).

Although he started well Guardiola was not happy with Cesc. Barcelona were arguably the strictest tactical side in Europe, every movement, position and decision was calculated, planned and rehearsed. Each player knew their role in their team and importantly why. Cesc on the other-hand had just experienced six years of tactical freedom, where he could play and move anywhere he wanted. 

To go from that to this kind of discipline was not easy and it put a strain on his time at Barca.  Guardiola started losing faith in him, Iniesta clearly was affected by Fabregas’ movement and ultimately Barca lost what had made them such a truly excellent side the year before. This new addition had ruined their balance.

Tito Vilanova appeared to favour Fabregas more so than Guardiola had and used him as false nine as Messi’s injury problems surfaced. However with a new coach coming in Tata Martino rumours surfaced about a move back to England for Fabregas. Man United were willing to pay £40m for him yet Barca and Cesc refused. However he did want clarification on what his role was at the club. Was he valued or had his dream become a nightmare?

Perhaps it was not that extreme, yet it clearly had not been the experience he thought it would be. It just didn’t seem right. The things is that the ex-La Masia boy had moved away and changed, he was not a Barca player but an English one. His game was built on the demands of the Premier League; he was tactically naïve, striving to attack and score goals yet playing with a childlike freedom. He was not intelligent enough for Barca. Yes he had returned a man yet was more of a child than when he left.

Under Tata Martino Fabregas would play a larger role because Martino, although South American, appreciated the verticality of the game seen in the England more so than the horizontal possession based valued by Spain and particularly Barca. He even wanted a classic number 9 with Messi in the 10. He sought to change what Barca were. He simply didn’t ‘get’ it and ultimately alienated many of the side. Yet the fact he saw in Fabregas a player who suited his style pointed to the issue Fabregas had. 

Cesc was not built or developed for ‘tiki-taka’, he was more direct and vertical in his approach. He lacked the subtleties of Barca's style. And when it was announced Martino was to go and Luis Enrique was to arrive it was evident that  Fabregas’ time at Barca was now over, and it so proved.

Any realistic suitors?

And so this brings us to the Fabregas dilemma. He is available, probably for around £30m. He is regarded as one of the Europe’s best players who has still reached double figures in goals and assists each season he has been at Barca, despite his supposed unsuitability. Yet who wants him, or should I say, who needs him?

Let’s look at the contenders. He will want Champions League football and rightly so, he is a Champions League calibre player.  However will Manchester United renew their pursuit for him? The answer must be no. 

There is a misconception with Fabregas that he is a central midfielder, that he can play deeper, perhaps in a double pivot. It appeared Moyes was seeking him for this role last season, what with Kagawa and Rooney already occupying the 10 position. However with the signing of Mata it appeared Moyes actually was searching for a 10 after all, a sign that he really didn’t know what United really needed. 

Yet the Fabregas talk was interesting, because for me he is not a midfielder but a forward. He can score goals in a variety of ways yet as a midfielder he lacks the discipline to play in the centre of the pitch, a recurrence of his positional freedom at Arsenal. He simply hasn’t learnt to be disciplined and at 27 years old one wonders if he ever will? United don’t need to spend £30m and this type of player when they have genuine midfielders available to go for. 

He would only make sense if they were looking to sell Rooney and play Cesc as a support for Van Persie in a 4-3-3. Van Gaal does have a huge job on his hands as this squad has been left in quite a shambles. 

And of course whenever there are rumours of Fabregas Arsenal are linked. It appears the fans are decided that Fabregas must return ‘home’. Yet Wenger has spent the past three years since his exit filling his void. Cazorla, Ozil, Rosicky and the most Fabregas type player in Aaron Ramsey all prove that there is strength in depth in this position. Of all the roles to spend money on this is not it. There is no need to bring Fabregas back except for sentimental reasons and that is not a very economical approach. Arsenal need to bolster their defensive midfield area and add two new centre forwards to the side, blowing £30m on Cesc is unnecessary.

Man City have also been linked yet it does seem puzzling to think where he would go with Silva and Nasri improving as a duo in their roaming playmaker roles. It may be added competition yet Cesc is not a playmaker like these two are, he is mentioned more a forward. And to be honest the only position which you could see Fabregas replacing at City is Yaya Toure’s. And this is interesting and perhaps why the rumours have some truth.

There are rumours Toure wants out at City, perhaps seeing Barca or PSG as his final move. Of course City will not want to lose their star man yet at 31 years old would a big money offer sway them? Replacing Toure with Fabregas seems like a step down, especially in dominance yet it is important to look at Toure’s contribution with City, particularly last season. His role has been of  attacking midfielder, not a midfielder. 

Of course many talk of Toure’s midfield dominance as a player, comparing him to a Vieira type player, yet his role at City has always been one of supporting the attack more than being a midfield general. Guardiola saw his lack of quality as a holding midfielder, replacing him with Busquets he understood the pivot and its needs much more. Toure is really an attacking midfielder and has excelled at City because of the freedom afforded to him.

In fact the key players for City’s midfield these past few years have actually been De Jong, Barry and last season their standout player Fernandinho. These players have given Toure the licence and support to move forward and score his goals. And now with the signing of Fernando from Porto confirmed City now have a genuine double pivot in the side meaning Toure has more even more licence to push forward. Which means that City if they did sell Toure don’t need a midfielder but an attacking forward. Now there is no doubting Toure’s ability yet if it is a case of wanting an attacking midfielder then Cesc at 27 does offer a few more years of goals and assists than Toure. So City may actually be a possibility.

Second place Liverpool are perhaps the most likely of destinations for the player because they not only need to bolster their squad but they need to make Champions League calibre signings this summer. I am a big fan of Coutinho yet he has evident fatigue issues which means he cannot be the sole attacking midfielder in the squad with European football now on the agenda.

His progression at Liverpool points also to Rodgers ability to bring out the best in this type of player. And one feels Fabregas will thrive under Rodgers. Although he struggled to adapt to Guardiola’s intricate and strict system, Rodgers has moved away from the Barca model and embraced a more fluid attacking system which has brought much more success, a style suited to the English league. 

Fabregas would excel in this type of system, particularly in the league. Of course in the Champions League Rodgers will need to have a stricter tactical setup yet I am sure he will develop this being the intelligent coach he is. If the choice is between Adam Lallana and Fabregas I think it is clear where £30m is better spent. Cesc will be a mark of intent as well as being a key part of his burgeoning project.

And finally we have Chelsea. With the news that Frank Lampard is leaving the club it makes sense to link Fabregas to Chelsea. In fact he is a near perfect replacement for Lampard. However the Frank Lampard of a decade ago. If Mourinho was still playing, or sought to play the 4-3-3 which brought out the best from Lampard in terms of goals and contribution then Fabregas could step in there and thrive. 

Yet Mourinho prefers a 4-2-3-1 now and has been using Lampard in the double pivot. Understandably he had to adapt his game to his age and he did it well. Yet Fabregas would not be a direct replacement for Lampard of recent years. In fact he would be competing for the position of Oscar.

Players like Salah, Willian and Hazard could all play in the 10 role yet Mourinho prefers them as wide forwards. He is seeking to add more goals to the team and is looking for a mix of forwards, clearly not happy with what he has now. If he had a trio of Lukaku, Costa and Fabregas it would offer variety and goals. So perhaps Cesc is required. 

And as we all saw, Oscar’s level of performance dropped off markedly last season and Chelsea cannot just rely on him in that role. However although Fabregas is a better attacking player than Oscar, the Brasilian is much better defensively. A concern with Fabregas is that he will struggle with the defensive demands imposed on him from Mourinho, in a similar way to Mata. Yet Cesc has more to his game than Mata did and will learn and develop under Mourinho, it could be a good deal for both.

Chelsea are clearly looking to bolster the squad this season with at least one new forward, a left back and a central midfielder being added. One could say that Fabregas isn't required yet it is more a case of stealing a talented player from the hands of their rivals. Their advantage is that London is where he supposedly would prefer to return to and £30m is not a bad piece of business.

Ultimately Cesc has failed to grasp the tactical elements of what Barcelona required. He joined the club however in a transitional stage, a time when Guardiola was on the way out and which since has been in transitional turmoil, with the direction and philosophical conflict being a big issue between board and players. He was not afforded the harmony which Barca were before he arrived yet he has clearly affected the balance and equilibrium of the team. 

He has become the Yoko Ono of the club, a man who is blamed for the demise yet was really only part of an inevitable decline. Yet it is clear he is no longer wanted. A move it inevitable.

And as we have seen Fabregas’ career has been shaped by the English league, quite simply put he is more suited to the Premier League than La Liga. And therefore it is not surprising that England’s five top sides have been linked with Fabregas, yet not all of them really need him. In a strange way the player who promised so much as a young teenager has become an enigma. 

His career could not have been different, going from Arsenal to Barcelona may look as though a continuation of totalfootball but it was two ends of the spectrum in terms of tactical demands. Although it seems he looks a poor fit for many clubs there is no doubt that he will contribute goals and assists and £30m will turn out to be great business. And who knows...perhaps in the coming years he may even learn how to be a disciplined midfielder after all?! 

The Whitehouse Address @The_W_Address