Cesc Fabregas - Arsenal legend or not?

It's finally happened, and although it's something of a relief to be done with the whole saga, this is a sad day for Arsenal.

I'll address the practical matters of Cesc's sale in a later article, perhaps when we see how or if Wenger chooses to replace the two vacant roles of captain and playmaker.

In the immediate aftermath of his departure, however, it is time to get sentimental and wonder what could have been, as I honestly feel one of our best ever players has left us today, even though I perhaps wouldn't describe him as an Arsenal legend.

Quite simply, the Spaniard was never truly given the opportunity to be the legend he could have been. He would've had to have been other-worldly to be able to truly guide us to trophies on his own, and though he tried, he never had good enough players around him to help bring us silverware and truly write his name in the Arsenal folklore.

Let's be honest, even Bergkamp and Henry would struggle if they were regularly playing with clowns like Almunia, Eboue, Denilson, Squillaci, Diaby and others who have come and gone who simply haven't been good enough to wear the red and white shirt over the last few years.

Although Cesc's behaviour this summer has been far from commendable, I really can't blame him for wanting to go. If goings-on at the club are as demoralising as they are for the fans right now, imagine what it's like having them as your employers. Cesc is absolutely world class and is only human in questioning what he's doing at a club that continiously adopts methods that simply do not work, and then reward the players and the manager for this failure.

Having said that, I do question where exactly he thinks he's going to fit in at Barcelona. I'd be very surprised if he were just content to go to the Nou Camp and watch Xavi, Iniesta and Messi work their magic from the bench, but he's going to have a hell of a task getting into a midfield that has torn apart all before them for the last three years.

And arguably it is that, his character, that has hurt him most of all in his time at Arsenal. Sure, he was the wrong choice for the captaincy and that's not his fault, and even though he could not do it all on his own, there were times when we needed him the most and his head dropped. It'll take better character and consistency than that to dislodge Xavi and Iniesta, as well as compete with rising star Thiago Alcantara.

So how best to remember Cesc? For me, simply as a world class player who was unfortunate to be playing for us in one of our most turmoilous periods in recent history. He has provided some great moments, but nothing in the league of Tony Adams' volley against Everton, or Vieira sliding in at White Hart Lane, or rounding the keeper and ensuring immortality against Leicester, or Henry's solo runs against Spurs and Liverpool.

Still: he is our youngest ever goal-scorer; as an 18-year-old he ran the show in an historic win at the Bernebeau and later repeated the trick with a cracking goal at the San Siro; he scored a couple of crackers against Tottenham; he gave man-of-the-match displays in both games as we did a thrilling double over United in 06/07; he scored against Barcelona with a broken leg.

And, until last season at least, he always celebrated his goals like a maniac. At least we know he did love us once.

And although he's not up there with some of the other Arsenal greats, we love him too, and offer our thanks as we wish him the best of luck for the future.

For although he could not guide us to glory, these last few years certainly would've been a hell of a lot worse without him. Adios, amigo.

User Comments

User Comments

• Got something to say?
• Read comments

Vs chelsea