Far too many blue tinted spectacles being wore by certain posters as usual, he's better than anyone we have at CM, would take him in a heartbeat.

  

Haha that's fair enough mate! We wouldn't want you to have to do that

£27m? I'd say yes, the guys quality.. Prem proven, unlike both those players you mentioned. He was quality at Arsenal, the fact he played for them and Barcelona certainly shouldn't be coming in to it the way it is for some people on here mate.

Just having a look back at the time after Zeta's post, and I got my wish! Even got the price spot on as well!

Interesting to read some of the opinions near the start of the thread as well haha!

Fab has tweeted a pic of himself this time last year holding a Chelsea shirt on the day he signed

https://mobile.twitter.com/cesc4official/status/609279554520227840

 

Twitter really is full of idiots. Some of those replies are so pathetic.

Good lad.

 

This made me laugh when I first saw it and I've just come across it again.  

Cesc welcomes new addition to his family!

This time last season I was excited as everyone with the signing of cesc, but a season on, and especially since February, I'm starting to wonder what he offers, a few good Hollywood balls, is not enough to surely keep him in the team. There is an argument to say he should play further up the field, but if jose isn't keen on that, then his lack of pace, giving the ball away and continued getting out of position and leaving matic isolated is a recipe for disaster.

Who prefers him next to Matic and who prefers him behind Costa?. Even though he isn't the greatest defensively i still prefer him next to Matic.

He really has gone backwards.

He really has gone backwards.

Like almost all our first team players

Like almost all our first team players

 

Well then the question has to be asked - why?

 

I imagine it has a fair bit to do with the fact that there was very little rotation last year, throughout all competitions it was basically the same 13 or 14 players in every game. Jose had the money to spend to recruit players to help out, but signed duds like Cuadrado and gave up on them after about 3 games. Jose has to take the blame here. He played such defensive football for about 5 months that it seems we've practically forgotten how to play normal football. More times than not towards the end of last season and now the start of this one we seem to have to wait until about 60 minutes before we even register a shot on target. It's awful to watch.

Edited August 17, 201510 yr by Zeta Orionis

He leaves matic isolated when playing deep and when at no10 Costa looks isolated. I think Oscar helps so much more at pressing when playing

Who prefers him next to Matic and who prefers him behind Costa?. Even though he isn't the greatest defensively i still prefer him next to Matic.

Next to matic 100% we play our best football with him and oscar interchanging.

Well then the question has to be asked - why?

 

I imagine it has a fair bit to do with the fact that there was very little rotation last year, throughout all competitions it was basically the same 13 or 14 players in every game. Jose had the money to spend to recruit players to help out, but signed duds like Cuadrado and gave up on them after about 3 games. Jose has to take the blame here. He played such defensive football for about 5 months that it seems we've practically forgotten how to play normal football. More times than not towards the end of last season and now the start of this one we seem to have to wait until about 60 minutes before we even register a shot on target. It's awful to watch.

 

Lack of rotation can breed complacency eventually, maybe not on the pitch so much as off the pitch. Costa was in Ibiza midweek last week, that tells me he's not concerned about his lack of form/fitness.

 

But also hunger is another consideration for our pathetic form, have they got the belly to go again @100% commitment ? I could name a few that could do with rotating because they are not hungry enough to fight both on and off the pitch.

I agree Coco. There is no competition for places whatsoever. Complacency becomes inevitable.

And not being fully fit and having no match sharpness allied with complacency is not a good mix, as we are finding out.

Edited August 17, 201510 yr by bjd

Yes there are a few issues, but I think the biggest is almost no squad rotation for the last year.  That plus winning the league which has resulted in less hunger from most of the players has led to our poor start.  We can get it back, but it starts with Jose rotating the squad and dropping non performers.  

 

For all you wanting Cesc dropped even from the bench, our best football in the last 3 years has definitely been with Cesc beside Matic and Oscar in the 10 spot. Yes, he has played poorly (but I don't think as poorly as some are saying), and I wouldn't mind him being dropped for a few matches but if so Jose can't just bring in Ramires or Mikel.  We need more rotation than that.  Freshen up the squad and maybe bring hunger (and freshness!) back to the stars from last fall.  

Edited August 17, 201510 yr by chaboinateg

There's no doubting his class. He is massively out of form though. Will be interesting to see if we take a risk and give him a bit of a break or persist with him. It looks like he needs time off.

Edited August 18, 201510 yr by gussy122

There's no doubting his class. He is massively out of form though. Will be interesting to see if we take a risk and give him a bit of a break or persist with him. It looks like he needs time off.

 

f**k me, just had his summer holidays then two games in and he needs time off? Oh for the life of a footballer.

f**k me, just had his summer holidays then two games in and he needs time off? Oh for the life of a footballer.

 

He's just had his 2nd kid a couple of weeks ago, not blaming that because his form has been poor for months now, but maybe a month off with his family may do the trick ?

Can we afford to let him swan off for a month? One week, maybe

Can we afford to let him swan off for a month? One week, maybe

 

I was thinking we could give RLC a proper go in the first XI, in fact that's the whole reason of doing it imo.

He's just had his 2nd kid a couple of weeks ago, not blaming that because his form has been poor for months now, but maybe a month off with his family may do the trick ?

 

Didn't know that - that could be part of the reason. That said, I have no doubt that he lives in a 10 bedroom mansion in Cobham and without wanting to be sexist, it will be the wifes role to get up in the night to attend to Fab junior and they will no doubt have a nanny to assist so can't see why that should effect things too much as long as the baby was born healthy of course.

He's just had his 2nd kid a couple of weeks ago, not blaming that because his form has been poor for months now, but maybe a month off with his family may do the trick ?

 

A month off, are you serious? He's a professional footballer that makes tons of money, he just had a long vacation and after the game against Swansea he had another 2 day holiday.

Didn't know that - that could be part of the reason. That said, I have no doubt that he lives in a 10 bedroom mansion in Cobham and without wanting to be sexist, it will be the wifes role to get up in the night to attend to Fab junior and they will no doubt have a nanny to assist so can't see why that should effect things too much as long as the baby was born healthy of course.

 

I think he likes to get involved a bit...

Edited August 18, 201510 yr by coco

Apparently he put in a real Olympian performance to get his wife pregnant, and he's still recovering.

A month off, are you serious? He's a professional footballer that makes tons of money, he just had a long vacation and after the game against Swansea he had another 2 day holiday.

 

Of course I'm serious, he's playing sh*te, smell the coffee.