Cesc Fabregas is a most excellent young man. We know that already. He’s not your run of the mill footballer. He’s intelligent, considerate and genuinely loves Arsenal football club. You can see it when he scores a goal in a big match or in how upset he is when we lose.
Speaking to Radio Catalunya Cesc came to the ‘defence’ of Arsenal in light of what has been fairly non-stop campaign to unsettle Arsenal players in the Catalan press and media. He said:
A club like Barcelona must respect a little more the intimacy of a club that never makes ‘noise’ and that tries to do things well like Arsenal. In the last few weeks it’s come out that Barcelona want at least 7 players from Arsenal and this is not necessary. These things cast doubts on our players and upsets them. Arsenal do things in a different way. Always in secret. This is much more normal.
I fucking love that lad, I really do. Let’s not forget this is his home club, he’s a Catalan boy whose family grew up supporting Barcelona. To come out and criticise the club for the way they have always handled their transfer business takes some balls but he can do it because a) he did it in an intelligent, constructive way and b) he’s absolutely right.
The sustained media assault in order to try and sign Adebayor and Hleb has been pretty shameful, I have to say. Along with Real Madrid and Ronaldo the two biggest Spanish clubs have made themselves look like complete cunts this summer. Not an ounce of respect has been shown towards Arsenal or Manchester United and while football is dog eat dog and all that I’d be thoroughly ashamed if Arsenal behaved in that way.
There’s no doubt they use the newspapers as a tool to unsettle players, to alter fans opinions of players they want to sign and the daily barrage of information and misinformation is incredible. I can remember when I lived in Barcelona and I used to buy the paper on the way to work on the train. Every day Barcelona were close to signing someone. And it wasn’t just speculation. Deals were agreed with players and agents and clubs and you couldn’t go too long without reading the phrase ‘X will be a Barcelona player in the coming hours, all going well’.
You just need to read today’s Sport to get an idea of what it’s like. They talk about the Adebayor deal being practically done, that Ade is away on his holidays sitting by the telephone waiting for the call which will allow him to return to Europe and start his Barcelona career blah blah blah. And the final line? ‘Meanwhile Barcelona still maintain their interest in Gomes and Berbatov’. Classic. Just in case this ‘done deal’ isn’t done, like. Wankers.
And while the papers have their part to play let’s not forget that it’s all coming from inside the Camp Nou. That information is being leaked to journalists in order to suit to the club. Of course some of it is fictional but Barcelona use the Catalan papers the same way we know Madrid use Marca and AS. That’s just the way it is and as Arsenal fans we’ve grown used to it, having had to put up with it for years. Bergkamp, Vieira, Henry, Pires, Cesc and others have all been linked to Spanish moves via those newspapers, all the time with the full knowledge of the club.
Then you have the likes of Madrid saying ‘What? Us? We didn’t do anything? Seriously. What are you on about?’ when United have the temerity to call them out for their underhand tactics. That’s what makes Cesc’s words so powerful. He knows how it works. Everyone in Spain does. Everyone all over the world does and for a young man of just 21 to come out and say that Barcelona need to show Arsenal more respect is just wonderful.
He’s someone who won’t sit by and watch and listen to his club being abused. It doesn’t matter if its his home town team, the club his entire family worships, he’s an Arsenal man. Make him the captain, right now. Seriously. If he’ll stand up the might of the Spanish press, to the Spanish press, then he’s the kind of man we need to lead our club on the pitch. Gallas might be older and more experienced but he has no real feeling for Arsenal. I’m not trying to slag off Gallas here at all but that’s a fact.
Your captain has to have the club in his heart and its obvious that Cesc does. He says he’s become a man at Arsenal, that he’s come of age, now for the next step. Do it, Arsene. Let Gallas concentrate on his football, his captaincy was a decent experiment but ultimately a failed one, and let someone who genuinely cares about our club lead us out.
And did I mention I love Cesc? I don’t think you can say that enough.
In other news Arsene talks about Andrei Arshavin, saying:
I wish I’d seem him at 21 or 22. I predict he will come to the Premier League, or go to a big club in Italy. The way he plays is something very special.
It’s unusual for Arsene to be so publicly enthusiastic about a player, particularly if any of the speculation regarding our interest in him is true. To me he looks like the kind of player we all wished Reyes could have been. It does look as if he’s got his pick of clubs across Europe though so if we are genuinely interested in him it’s going to be one hell of a battle to get him on board.
Gael Clichy talks about his new deal and how a move to a big club in Italy held no interest for him. Some other players might take a lesson from him when he says:
I told my agents that I did not want to talk about anything because my goal was to stay at Arsenal. In my head it was always clear: I wanted to stay at Arsenal so I did not have to look any further or to wonder who wanted me.
Vice-captain. Immediately. You’ve gotta love that attitude.
Valencia, Juventus and Panathanaikos are all after Gilberto Silva apparently. I know he struggled last season but I’d much prefer to keep him than sell him. His experience is important and the professionalism he showed last season is a good example for young footballers who just want everything their own way at once and who show no desire for fight or to work hard. I’m looking at you, Diarra, you dolphin-headed cuntbutler.
£12m for Dani Guiza? Doubt it.
Arsenal yesterday confirmed the two training camp friendlies that Arseblog told you about exclusively.
And that’s about that. Have a good Wednesday. The first semi-final of Euro 2008 takes place tonight. Germany v Turkey should be a cracker, even if the Turks only have about 5 fit players. Don’t forget you can follow it in the OleOle match centre for live blogging, comms and chat.
Till tomorrow.
