Be it Patrick or Thierry or any other player before or after them, the best way to squelch rumours about where you want to play is to categorically state so. “I want to play for Hayes” or “I want to play for Baranquilla” or “I want to play for Arsenal”. I haven’t heard that from Cesc Fabregas stating that he is leaning toward Arsenal or Barcelona. Have I missed the actual quotes that make it as clear as clear can be?
I’ve read what many (perhaps too many) other people feel about where he should or will play. The times I’ve seen direct quotes from the player himself have been few. Yes, I admit to reading far fewer stories about Arsenal than most people do but that makes it worse since I sift through the rubble first and try to read only the credible sources. Cesc hasn’t been clear when he has spoken.
All summer long, others have posted, printed, assumed, speculated, and guessed that he will go back to Spain. The player has said that a pre-World Cup conversation with Arsene Wenger was a moving, perhaps life-altering experience. He has said that his future is not in his hands.
What does all that mean?
He will go home at some point but frankly, I don’t know if he’s coming or going. Meanwhile our first pre-season match is less than a week away. I refuse to read, much less believe, every story written (especially those without quotes) so my sources are not endless. Actually, most people’s sources are limited, even if they would have you believe otherwise. Therein lies the basic problem with transfer rumours. They are seldom credible yet they grow feet on a logarithmic scale.
Nearly every summer, Arsenal were to lose Patrick Vieira. He was reported years later to have stalled on going to La Liga because of the way Real Madrid treated Claude Makelele. Ok! So he did at least consider the move. What irks me to no end is the non-stop media manipulation of situations, making Arsenal look impotent and unable to keep its best players. We kept him for nearly a decade. And like Henry, we got his peak years. Spread that across your banners. Lead with those stories. Obviously, I’d be naïve to expect that. Especially as long Arsene Wenger is still at Arsenal. There are many parties just waiting to heap more crap on him as our trophyless spell continues. Many of them wear the Arsenal top. The other major annoyance is that in situations like this, the player himself can (and should, IMO) state what he wants, clearly. I’d be naïve to expect that too. Agents would surely advise against it. It doesn’t make good business sense.
So where are we with this Cesc thing? Arsenal fans (not excluding myself from that group though I am not in full agreement with the notion that we’ve been wronged, necessarily) are upset that Pique and Puyol draped Cesc with a Barcelona top during the World Cup winners’ celebration. Let’s be clear. That action was not wise but nor was it the worst thing they could do. The pressure is clearly on Cesc now (if not Wenger/AFC) more than ever to stop the madness. I wouldn’t be upset with Cesc and the poodle walker if they put an Arsenal top on Casillas in public. I wouldn’t be upset with them if they put one on Xavi Alonso in public. I wouldn’t mind if Sagna and Diaby put one on Franck Ribery. Perspective must be considered in these cases.
I’m more bothered by Cesc not being forthright than I am by fellow Catalunyans trying to sway him to leave London. Why should we expect them to care about our feelings as Arsenal fans? How many Arsenal fans sent letters of apology to Barcelona fans when we moved Cesc to London? We can complain all we want about other peoples’ behavior – even if legitimately so in some cases - but again, perspective, perspective, perspective. And moreover, why doesn’t Cesc allay Arsenal fans with more directness? Are negotiations ongoing?
Throughout all this, we are seemingly en route to starting a new campaign with Clown no.1 and his ‘exceedingly impressive in training’ understudy as our goalkeepers. It bothers me to no end that we haven’t sent those two cokscuers on their way yet. I have extreme patience for Arsene Wenger. What I don’t have is time for those two poor excuses for bad amateurs. The only bright spot is that they cannot possibly get worse. Right? I am right about that part at least, right?
Concerned! Very concerned!!!
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