Is Cesc Fabregas the man to lead Arsenal to the Premiership title?
In recent years, the future of Cesc Fabragras has been a major concern for Arsenal fans. Each summer, it seems that the Spaniard will return to childhood club Barcelona but each time it has come to nothing.
Fabregas has been at the North London club since he arrived as a sixteen year old in September 2003. Now at 23 years old, the Spaniard has only one major trophy to his name, that being the FA Cup back in 2005. For a player of Fabregas’ calibre to remain at a club, it normally requires them to be winning trophies on a regular basis. Therefore it is quite remarkable that he still remains an Arsenal player, but the fans must think it’s a matter of time before he becomes fed up if the club’s barren run continues.
Therefore, the question must be asked if he is the man to lead Arsenal to the Premiership title. For Arsenal to win the league, they need players of Fabregas’ quality to remain at the club. However, with the team failing to win a trophy in the last five years, it takes a lot of loyalty to remain at the club, and in an era where players are more than happy to break contracts, such a trait is rare. With the opportunity to work under his proclaimed idol Pep Guardiola at his childhood club, it must be near impossible for the Spaniard not to hand in a transfer request.
With this in mind, can a club afford to have a captain who may want to play elsewhere? In the recent weeks, there have been a number of altercations that Fabregas has been involved in which has led people to suggest that he is showing his frustration over the failed move to Barcelona in the summer. While his performances have remained brilliant, some of his actions have led to widespread criticism. Last week Everton Manger David Moyes was furious with the Spaniard after alleged verbals directed at the officials in the tunnel at half time. In addition, just days before, Fabregas was heavily criticised for his behaviour in Arsenal’s fiery encounter with Huddersfield in the FA Cup fourth round tie. Huddersfield were incensed when he tried to get Jamie McCombe sent off by waving an imaginary card and he was then accused of refusing to swap shirts at the final whistle. This is not the kind of example that a captain should be setting.
At the moment, Arsenal are the only club in the Premier League who can still win all four trophies this season, something which will undoubtedly delight Fabregas. The club has a great chance of winning a trophy when they play against Birmingham in the Carling Cup final at the end of month but it seems unlikely that a win at Wembley will persuade the Spaniard to stay. If Arsenal win the Premiership or Champions League though, his decision may quickly change.
