Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas

[JMaher94]

I know we have already got a thread on them both but my word they have both phenomenal since Hiddink's arrival, they along with Willian have really pulled us out of trouble. Still means for improvement but much better from our spaniards Aside from JT, these two are the leaders of the squad and it shows with their performances and the constant geeing up of the team. Costa has now scored 9 in 12 games including the last four at home and Fabregas is turning the screw in every single match.

Not going to turn this into a Mourinho thread so I won't mention him even though I do miss him but for all the moans and groans about who he sold, I sure am happy that he signed us these two.

[Michael440]

Costa is best striker we had since Drogba. Fabregas is excellent too. Two solid signings from JM.

I wish Matic start playing like he did 2 years ago. I'm puzzled about him as much as I'm puzzled about Hazard.

[JMaher94]

Costa is best striker we had since Drogba. Fabregas is excellent too. Two solid signings from JM.

I wish Matic start playing like he did 2 years ago. I'm puzzled about him as much as I'm puzzled about Hazard.

I think people blamed Costa and Fabregas for Mourinho's downfall far too much where in my opinion players like Hazard, Matic and Oscar were more to blame.

[Jezz]

I think people blamed Costa and Fabregas for Mourinho's downfall far too much where in my opinion players like Hazard, Matic and Oscar were more to blame.

Costa's lack of professionalism is why fans were angry at him.

 

He returns to pre-season training overweight and admits this later on in the season. Throws his warmup bib in Jose's direction against Tottenham, when he opted to not bring him on in the latter stages of that match and he reportedly had a fight with the manager in a Champions League match in Tel Aviv.

 

Costa's lack of professionalism was bordering on unforgivable and I certainly don't see him in the same light as I once did despite his good recent form.

 

I always thought Fabregas received very harsh treatment from the supporters for the downfall of the manager even if his performances were very poor during the season. He wasn't the only one who wasn't performing to expectations at the time.

[Scott Harris]

I think people blamed Costa and Fabregas for Mourinho's downfall far too much where in my opinion players like Hazard, Matic and Oscar were more to blame.

 

I think Costa deserved the criticism he got to be honest. He was so out of shape when the season began, he put on so much weight. I'm shocked he managed to put on so much weight in such a short amount of time. It took him a few months to get rid of the weight and it was like the team was playing with another finished striker.

[Jezz]

I think Costa deserved the criticism he got to be honest. He was so out of shape when the season began, he put on so much weight. I'm shocked he managed to put on so much weight in such a short amount of time. It took him a few months to get rid of the weight and it was like the team was playing with another finished striker.

 

Need I say more.

[timetowaste]

I think there are a lot of players that contributed to jose's sacking, costa's unprofessionalism was pretty shocking.

[ForeverCarefree]

Like beauty and the beast.

But if anyone else calls Cesc a beast I'll rip their lungs out.

[romfordblue]

I think there are a lot of players that contributed to jose's sacking, costa's unprofessionalism was pretty shocking.

 

Bad enough certain players acted unprofessional/spoilt brats to get the manager the sack but.... sorry in my eyes certain players will never be forgiven. I struggle to recall ever hating a Chelsea player. It is clear Costa, Fabregas, Pedro are now playing well. I think Hazard must have not realised JM had gone till someone told him yesterday. I thought we built the club on team spirit not individuals.

[ShedEnder91]

Like beauty and the beast.

But if anyone else calls Cesc a beast I'll rip their lungs out.

 

Nice. Not many Tim Burton-era Batman quotes used nowadays.

[bola]

I still think costa is not ideal for us.. he got big attitude and ego problem but the main point is he's a player who very much depending on how good his surrounding is which I think for a club like chelsea deserves better than that.. 

 

We got a highlight earlier about how washed up he can be and despite his 'real' age, doesn't he look just plain old? Look how easily he got all chubby.. so if we can get a refund next summer from atletico madrid then we should go for it.. you don't wanna wait until he throws his dummy out again.. 

[TheChelsRVA]

Costa was rightfully reprimanded by fans for his early season form.  I knew it was over for JM when Costa flicked the bib.  Just lack of respect for the man that calls the shots in full display, right in front of abramovich.  Something had to be done.  

 

With that said he has been great down the stretch and has really turned a corner.  I do not mind his approach on the pitch.  He's a villain of sorts but plays with such passion which can be rare.  Fabregas has likewise been sublime down the stretch, but is limited in his role.  When given space and opportunities to make plays, he is world class.  But it's difficult for him to create when pressed.  

 

If Conte comes I can see Cesc filling the Pirlo role which others have said elsewhere.  We could really see him blossom in that event.  

 

What is shocking is Hazard.  I have never seen a dip in form so severe and so lengthy.  he hardly runs at defenders anymore.  He's always receiving the ball deep and dribbling backwards it seems.  Perhaps I was just so spoiled last year with his amazing play.  I really hope he can turn it around.  

[The Brit]

I rate both players, but as characters not so much...really downed tools when the season was going tits up and as much as I enjoy watching them now, as I did last season, it also offends me how much harder they're trying etc...just feels a bit of an insult

[Michael440]

Need I say more.

Yes he was overweight at the beginning of the season but so do Willian and Hazard. But media went after Costa because he was an easy target.

[ForeverCarefree]

I still think costa is not ideal for us.. he got big attitude and ego problem but the main point is he's a player who very much depending on how good his surrounding is which I think for a club like chelsea deserves better than that..

Another poster pointed out on the forum that Diego has contributed directly to 14 goals in his last 12 games.

For a club sitting 13th in the league what more could you ask for?

With no Champions League football to offer next season who, realistically, do you think we could sign that could contribute a similar or better threat?

Even if we did have European football who could you get, it's taken a decade almost to find a player as prolific as Diego.

[Lloyd Jr.]

I think they'll both stay, surely there cannot be any greater motivation for players of their levels to want to prove they deserve to play ucl. Rather than leave for a club that has it, they'll lead us to it next season. If the manager be it Conte or whoever can get the best out of them like José last season and Guus currently then we should be fine.

Edited February 23, 2016 by Lloyd Jr.

[coco]

The quicker Costa is gone the better, that's all I have to say about him.

 

Cesc is the only player we have who can do what he does, the trouble is he doesn't do it all of the time, or rather he isn't allowed to do it all of the time, especially against the top teams when we have very little possession.

 

I wouldn't be upset if both were to leave if we are going to rebuild the team with a new manager at the helm.

[ShedEnder91]

The quicker Costa is gone the better, that's all I have to say about him.

 

Cesc is the only player we have who can do what he does, the trouble is he doesn't do it all of the time, or rather he isn't allowed to do it all of the time, especially against the top teams when we have very little possession.

 

I wouldn't be upset if both were to leave if we are going to rebuild the team with a new manager at the helm.

 

I'm as pissed off as anyone at Costa for turning up fat and out-of-shape at the start of the season, and Cesc has never been my favourite either but both have actually responded well to the criticism they were getting.

 

The issue though is that who can we get who is better than them and who can we get who fits the new coach's ideas? If it's Simeone then Costa is the perfect fit for what he wants isn't he? He knows what's required of him and I don't think we'd be in a position to buy anyone else. If it's Conte, he fits that too but so does Fabregas if we move to a 352.

 

Honestly there are about 10 players I'd sell before either of those guys, and I actually think one of them is Eden Hazard. 

[lesblues]

Honestly there are about 10 players I'd sell before either of those guys, and I actually think one of them is Eden Hazard.

Haha, Nice baiting.

[ShedEnder91]

Haha, Nice baiting.

 

It's not baiting. I think that if we get Conte or Simeone then he might not fit either system as they exist at the moment. I'm probably wrong and I'm sure people have various views on this but in Simeone's 442/4411 I think the only place he could fit is the role Griezman occupies and I'm not sure if he has the workrate. In Conte's 352 maybe he plays the Tevez-role but again, workrate.

 

I don't know if he wants to keep on doing that after his experience with Jose and we need to rebuild in other areas. Of course those coaches might adjust their system to fit him and he's certainly worth doing that at his best. I'd just question his commitment at the moment because no amount of talent can cover a lack of that.

[Scott Harris]

The quicker Costa is gone the better, that's all I have to say about him.

 

Cesc is the only player we have who can do what he does, the trouble is he doesn't do it all of the time, or rather he isn't allowed to do it all of the time, especially against the top teams when we have very little possession.

 

I wouldn't be upset if both were to leave if we are going to rebuild the team with a new manager at the helm.

 

I don't agree. I'm annoyed at both their starts to the season and Costa's attitude for the first half of it, but we need these players if we are going to get back into the Champions League next year. Replacing Costa's goals and Fabregas passing won't be an easy thing to do.

[icecoolguy22]

Replacing players are always easier say than done. I think we should keep both of them at all cost, if they keep the current form up. I'm not sure what happened to both of them in the first half of the season, I could only speculate from my limited observations. Costa was just angry, and rather fight with defenders than scoring goals for the first 3-4 months of this season. Maybe he took the siege mentality a bit too far. That day at WHL where he had that bust up with Jose, maybe he was right, he wasn't contend with sitting on the bench and get a 0:0. The lack of challenge to his spot in the team also didn't help. Fabregas can not defend, for long periods time of the game. The Matic/Cesc combo was a disaster because Matic could not cover his ground, and Cesc was left to chase shadows. The more he put into running around, the more misplaced pass and tackles come in. He's suited to a possession dominated team with a solid DM to cover for him. Not saying Mikel is the best kind of DM, but  lately his presence enabled Cesc to play more freely and find more time and energy to focus on the attacking side of the game. It turned out it's not Cesc that's the main problem, it's Matic let us down game after game.

[JoseBlues]

I agree. I would not be opposed to sell Matic.

[EdinburghBlue]

Well it's nice to see this being recognised!

I agree that they've really turned it on, Costas professionalism as many have said was rightfully called in to question, you can't turn up to training in that shape & throw bibs at your manager when you don't get on, especially when you're not in that greasy form at the time either. That is not on whatsoever, BUT to be fair to him, since Guus has came in he's reacted well, I'll still never feel quite the same towards him because on his wages he shouldn't have been downing tools like he did.

Fabregas, well I've backed him all season despite a lot of the abuse he's got from our fans both on here & social media, I fully believe Fabregas was down to poor form. I don't think for a second he downed tools and wasn't trying, he said all the right things in the press & to fans when we were on the ropes (I know they should do their talking on the pitch). The point is, when the media vultures were circling, it was always Cesc that came out and backed the manager, I like to see that from players.

I'm glad he's back to form, especially after some calling for him to be sold earlier in the season, we will not find a player that can do what Fabregas does, yes he's not brilliant going backwards, but that to me isn't a big deal considering what he can do going the other way.

It won't be a popular view but the skills Hazard has are easier to replace than the passing range that Fabregas has IMO.

Overall it's great to see them both getting back to form & as others have said there's a few more that I'd rather see out the door before these two.

[bola]

Another poster pointed out on the forum that Diego has contributed directly to 14 goals in his last 12 games.

For a club sitting 13th in the league what more could you ask for?

With no Champions League football to offer next season who, realistically, do you think we could sign that could contribute a similar or better threat?

Even if we did have European football who could you get, it's taken a decade almost to find a player as prolific as Diego.

 

There is still this money that I'm taking into consideration before actually flogging him out back to atletico.. 

 

Costa, as good as he is, he's not that good and personally I don't think he'd have a long career at top level with his attribute.. That and the risk of him imploding with his ego plus the kind of money we'd gain, it's a pretty sensible suggestion to cash in and that is of course my opinion.. 

 

And when you say find a player as prolific , as I recall, the only one that we actually tried was torres and nobody else.. we didn't really give chance to the likes of sturridge, lukaku etc, did we? we're stuck to big name and dare I say, if we actually get rid of that mindset, it's not as difficult as it looks to find someone as prolific..