Goodbye Cesc - now, how are we going to move on Arsene?

The longest transfer saga in premier League history has finally come to a conclusion, with Cesc Fabregas being unveiled as a Barcelona player today. He will go back to his boyhood club, after learning and developing all his talent at Arsenal FC to becoming one of the best players in World Football. This is no exaggeration and the stats do not lie either. When people said he had a poor year last year, they are wrong. Fabregas suffered from a lot of injuries last term, but still managed to lead Arsenal's assist table. He still managed to create the second most chances out of every premier League player and the biggest stat of all is that for the past 5 years, Fabregas has created the most chances out of the top 5 European leagues. He is that good!

As an Arsenal fan, I want players playing for my club who want to be there, who want to drive the team forward and who want success for the team. That classic saying, "nobody is bigger than the club". This also applies with the Nasri situation, who clearly is intent on leaving the club considering he does not want to sign a new deal. Arsenal need to now accept the situation and move on. But the fan's want to know, what's next?



Arsene Wenger has come under a great deal of criticism this past couple of years by football fans, pundits and from his own fan's. Never from me though. I will never criticise a man who has transformed the game in England, transformed the club of Arsenal and transformed the way Arsenal play the game of football. "In Arsene we trust" and I am a firm believer of this. However, if I ever have had any questions that need to be answered for the future of Arsenal Football Club then this is the time.

Many people target Arsene Wenger for the current situation, but people need to start focusing their anger and questions to those higher up at the club and to an ageing out of date board. In my view this is what needs revolutionised at the club. The board need to step into the 21st century and focus the club on the changes that are fast apparent in football. Yes we have a fantastically run football team financially and have a great amount of stability at the club, which is not very apparent at so many clubs across the country, but something is not right, otherwise we wouldn't be letting go of our best players. Plus it is very unfortunate that the time has come in football where you have spend millions and millions of £'s to be successful, but if that's what brings in success, then let's do it!

Where do Arsenal go from here in the transfer market?



Arsenal have already improved their defensive line with having Thomas Vermaelen fit again, which will definitely offer some strength and more importantly, leadership in the back line. But it is a defensive partner we need for him, a no nonsense type, and preferably some British steel in the side. For me, Gary Cahill will be the perfect addition to the squad, as he ticks all those boxes. Unfortunately for Arsenal, when players like Koscielny and Djourou have come in, they have made crucial mistakes and haven't been consistent enough with their performances. The consistency is the difference between winning the premier league and not, it's simple.

However, one area that people are forgetting that we need to improve is at the other end of the field. We need another forward to support the key role that Robin Van Persie does for the club and we now need replacements for Fabregas and potentially Nasri too. The money received needs to be immediately spent on new players, and fast. Juan Mata is a start, but this deal is struggling to really get going. So, the question lies, who can we get?

I do not have these answers and I am sure head coach Steve Rowley will be working day and night in search for an answer. The one thing Arsenal need is to finally start putting up the cash and paying what is necessary to secure the services of top players. So many have failed to make the trip to the Emirates, due to Arsenal not wanting to pay the money. Xabi Alonso is one of a list that Arsenal let slip through their fingers. Change is needed and the next 16 days are going to be crucial for Arsenal FC.

Cesc Fabregas - When will this saga end!

This story has been going on for now a couple of years and seriously needs to end either way now. Enough is enough for the long suffering Arsenal fan's to deal with and this whole situation needs closure

A month a go I wrote about Arsenal's prospects this year and in this section I talked about the Fabregas saga. I cannot believe that a month later and the situation still hasn't changed. Arsenal not willing to sell him for anything lower than £40 million. Barcelona not willing to pay that. Fabregas wanting to go to Barcelona. And Arsenal fan's not knowing what is going on with their "club captain".

With Arsene Wenger coming out and saying that Fabregas is "not focused on the club", this for me is a total lack of respect from Fabregas and he has gone back on his word about always focusing on his club despite any speculation linking him to other clubs. For me, as an Arsenal fan, I believe he needs to go now and we as a club need to move on from him, just like we had to do with Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry. Players like Jack Wilshire and Aaron Ramsey are the future and a fit Robin Van Persie can seriously lead Arsenal to some success. It's time for a new re-building stage as we all know the last 6 years have resulted in no trophies and the crop of players unfortunately haven't been good enough to win the title.

Arsenal need a focused team to be able to challenge this year, and players like Fabregas staying at the club could be detrimental to the future teams efforts.

But let's see in another month if this saga ever ends.

Comments please

The summer so far - Arsenal

Oh Arsenal Arsenal Arsenal. As you will very quickly begin to realise this is the team I support. Now, I will try and be as down the middle as possible throughout my posts and will try extremely hard to show no bit of bias what-so-ever.

The summer for Arsenal is the same every single time, with our biggest stars being linked with moves away from the club. First it was Patrick Vieira, then Thierry Henry, and now the on going Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona saga. But this summer it doesn't end there! Samir Nasri has joined the on going transfer saga that the fan's absolutely loathe season after season. Now the best, most honest report that I have read so far has been by Ian Wright in the Sun this past week. He stated the worry of every single Arsenal fan that we are becoming a feeder club to Man City! Toure, Adebayor and now Gael Clichy, and they have been heavily linked to Nasri and also Fabregas. The club are showing a lack of much needed ambition and investment.

My views on Gael Clichy - he is a good Premier League left back and a few seasons ago really shone through. He was a great Arsene Wenger acquisition who quickly replaced Ashley Cole with some very consistent performances which led to him being named in the 2007/2008 Premier League team of the year. But since then he has been a shadow of his former self, putting in very inadequate performances, at fault for key goals last season including Champions league games which meant we were runners up in our group. He has created very little in the last few seasons and the stats back that up. So, I believe he won't be missed at Arsenal and its time Kieron Gibbs steps up to the plate. Will he succeed at Man City though? Only time will tell.



The Fabregas saga is something that gets every Arsenal fan's blood boiling. A talented player, but where is his heart? Its at his former club Barcelona, where his friends play and with a team that consistently Win's trophies. Fitness wise he has been struggling, form wise he has been struggling, and like Clichy, was at fault in the big games in the Champions League. HOWEVER, he is still an extremely creative player and whatever any Arsenal fan's say, he is a huge player for the club and to drive the club forward. Arsenal cannot keep letting promising players leave the club, whatever the situation and Fabregas is no different. But do you want a player there who's heart is not 100% in it? No, is what I can imagine most people's responses would be. It is one subject with much debate, what are your views?



Finally we have Samir Nasri. What a fantastic half season he had! True consistency! (apologies for the sarcasm - and he did have a brilliant half season). His wage demands are insane, coming to an end of his contract and turning down £100,000 a week! But with talk of Man Utd offering £20 million for a player with just a year left on his contract what do you do? Well as an Arsenal fan, you should never sell your good players to rival clubs, whatever the situation. We need to keep Nasri at the club, he is young, creative and will be a top top player.



Many many questions for Arsenal fan's and football fan's alike to discuss. Do you think Fabregas and Nasri will stay? Will just one go? Let me know your views.

The summer so far - Manchester City

Manchester City are the team that people in football haven't stopped discussing in the last couple of years. Whether you love the fact they have added another dimension to the Premier League, or are a believer that they are buying their way to the top and you don't like it, they are a team that are being discussed in every public house across the country and across the world.

My view is that I completely dislike a team that has been created into something else from a ridiculous amount of money that has never been seen in football. Their spending is eclipsing that of Chelsea's previously and competing with the money thrown on players by that of Real Madrid. It certainly is unfair on those clubs that work hard year on year to survive and keep their heads above water, when a new owner comes in and provides what feels like "monopoly" money for a club and their manager.

Back to the summer and as with every transfer window, Man City will be linked to every single player that's wanted by all the top clubs. This is no different. They have been trying their luck with everyone, including an audacious bid for Cristiano Ronaldo and trying to outbid Barcelona for Alexis Sanchez too! But the focus of their attention seems to be that of one other Premier League club, Arsenal. They have snapped up Gael Clichy for £7 million already and are tracking Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri too.

I'm sure there will be plenty more names thrown into the Man City hat throughout the transfer window and absolutely none of them will surprise me! But it takes time for a team to gel properly as they proved last year. But they are improving and I believe they will be challenging even closer to Manchester United this year. One player that could be crucial is that of Carlos Tevez. He has stated (not for the first time in his career) that he misses his family and wants to leave the club. We have heard it all before though, and with a long contract still tied to him, I believe City will hold their ground and the player will be staying. Plus, I do not believe any teams back in Argentina, or South America will be able to afford the transfer fee first off, and also his ginormous wage demands.



Man City fans what are your views on your teams chances this year? Is the manager the right man? What players do you need in? And what about the Carlos Tevez affair?