"and can slot in at right-back if required" - close season transfer banter 2014

like Gary doherty

Dreary career move but Fabregas plays a bit deeper than either Oscar or Hazard and is capable of knitting a midfield together in a way that neither of those players really are. Chelsea have lacked a player for years who can join up their defensive midfielders with their attacking players, which explains why they've been relying on Lampard for so long, and why they've not been great at retaining the ball.

Fabregas plays as a striker, Matt

he has done for the past few years but he has the skillset to go back to a deeper role

not at Chelsea he won't xp

Yeah I'd be very surprised if Chelsea played him that far forward given the balance of their current squad.

I was just joking!

He can play anywhere really. Except at Barcelona apparently, the indisciplined goon

NN otm. he would have been a fantastic upgrade on Arteta, who last season was quite poor very often. Even from the other more attacking options - Rosicky is a decent backup but old, Wilshere is injury prone and has regressed, Cazorla is 30, Ozil is talented but can be quiet and was run into the ground last season. The decision to tell Cesc/Barcelona that we're not interested seems to stem from arrogance and hurt pride from Wenger.

That's what a premier league education does for a lad

Sad that Barca can't make it work with him after all that nonsense, its not like Xavi is young anymore. If he has to go there hopefully Mourinho will crush his soul like so many others, but Fabregas and Costa seems like a pretty scary combo on it's own without even taking in to account Hazard, Oscar etc

imagine if cesc came back and actually killed diaby, what a double boost

Didn't Fabregas always want to play the same role as Pep? This why he had the number 4 iirc etc. It's his dream role! What do Arsenal have there? Arteta? Flamini? Wilshere at a push?

I will never understand Arsene seemingly turning his nose up at quality players, then running all his best players in to the ground and bemoaning injuries and depth

I saw Diaby make it through the warm up last season, it was a sight to behold

Like necromancy

i presume he's p pissed over cesc's final year and the stink that whole thing bought about, made the whole club look bad etc.

Milner at RB for England is the clearest sign yet of the thread title's zeitgeisty appeal.

― Matt DC, Thursday, 5 June 2014 13:00 Bookmark

“Milly slotted in fine at right-back,” said Jones. “He looked a natural. He’s a terrific player with great energy up and down that wing. He’s an important player for England. People think you can just go and slot in there, but it’s not as easy as that. But he did a great job.

“I’m happy to play there if necessary. I’ll play anywhere and do my best for the team.”

Looking forward to Milner montage after England bravely exit, soundtracked by 'A Milli'

^ slot-shaming

I know nothing will really happen until after he leaves the dutch team but does anyone else get a similar vibe from transfer rumours that utd had last summer? "we want x, oh actually we dont" "we have xxx million to spend, but hes a bit too much" "we need six superstar players, but we arent in for cesc, kroos etc."

Sure he could come in and kick shit up but this seems like it has potential for more lols.

Bit of nervousness talking there. I suspect there isn't as much money available as is being claimed, but equally I very much doubt that Van Gaal has used the phrase "superstar players". There's always one or two names bandied about every summer who do see their values preposterously inflated because they're linked with every big side in Europe and they usually end up going to PSG/Chelsea/City, who of course their agents have been tarting them to all along.

United can't compete with that lot (neither can Arsenal frankly). But they can trade on Van Gaal's name, his knowledge of young players, and a bit of vestigial Man United cache. Better for Van Gaal to buy sensibly, probably players who are on the cusp of becoming superstars, rather than this summer's universally-reported big transfer targets.

http://i.imgur.com/HhsFAJh.gif newcastle sign colback http://i.imgur.com/HhsFAJh.gif

Better for Van Gaal to buy sensibly, probably players who are on the cusp of becoming superstars, rather than this summer's universally-reported big transfer targets.

― Matt DC, Monday, June 9, 2014 9:44 AM (4 hours ago) Bookmark

OTM

I don't give any credence to the big names being bandied about, and I have every confidence Van Gaal knows who he wants and will get them. Still wouldn't mind one superstar though

isn't that the ideal for everyone bar Madrid tho.

slot shaming a+

well it might be the ideal for most teams but it's what I think Van Gaal will actually do. Moyesy's been running his mouth about how he basically had a deal in place for Kroos, was working on Fabregas, Pogba etc. Which is all well and good but I certainly wouldn't have trusted him to get the best out of those players

or indeed to have signed them

Charlie Adam ‏@Charlie26Adam
Another good signing today for @stokecity with @sjsidwell.

allegedly we're getting another Spurs loanee here in Chicago, Cameron Lancaster -- looks like he hasn't done anything, whoopee

interestingly un-Jackett-like signing

http://www.expressandstar.com/sport/wolverhampton-wanderers-fc/2014/06/10/wolves-sign-heerenveen-winger-rajiv-van-la-parra/

Have Charlie Adam and Steve Sidwell ever played together? It feels like they must have.

I have seen Van La Parra once our twice for Herrenveen and he looked decent. He's also my second favourite player named after an unlikely political leader (Yeltsin Tejeda is still first).

we have a bunch of nominal wide players, altho Henry and Sako both move inside a lot. this does make me wonder if we're anticipating the possibility of Sako being on his way tho. also i think he's the first first team signing from outside the UK under Jackett

lol gonna be so into van la parra, he has the same name as me (though mine is a middle name tbf)

cautiously psyched

from Fabregas's facebook

Firstly I would like to thank everyone at FC Barcelona where I enjoyed 3 wonderful years. It was my childhood club and I will always be proud and honoured that I had a chance to play for such a great team.

I do feel that I have unfinished business in the Premier League and now is the right time for me to return. Yes, everyone knows that Arsenal had the first option to sign me. They decided not to take this option and therefore it wasn't meant to be. I wish them well in the future.

I considered all the other offers very carefully and I firmly believe that Chelsea is the best choice. They match my footballing ambitions with their hunger and desire to win trophies. They have an amazing squad of players and an incredible manager. I am fully committed to this team and I can't wait to start playing.

It was extremely important to me that this transfer was completed before the World Cup so that my mind will only be focused on hopefully helping my country try to retain the trophy.

wau

also Joe clole

cesc cast out of both parents homes, ends up having to live alone in a one hyde park bedsit he found on gumtree

p sad rly

has there really been anything to suggest his powers have truly diminished rather than just having been misused

congrats to arsenal once again on winning the 2014 fa poisoned chalice

is cesc referring to spain as his country a jab in barcelonan ribs? seems tenuous but i'm going to assume so.

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/75485000/jpg/_75485678_cesc_fabregas_chelsea.jpg

Barca's fond farewell to Cesc

http://www.fcbarcelona.com/football/first-team/detail/article/cesc-fabregas-three-years-in-numbers

originally included this line

From being someone who joined in with the attack, supplying and scoring goals, the magic tended to fade later on in each season. He only scored one, six and one goals in the last 24 games of each season.

this is simply terrible :(

also, fuck Barca.

#WengerOut tbqh

Arsenal fans hating Barca is some real daddy issues shit

this is simply terrible :(

also, fuck Barca.

― ey, Thursday, June 12, 2014 11:19 PM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

#WengerOut tbqh

― ey, Thursday, June 12, 2014 11:19 PM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

'Sadly,' doesn't cover this

travesty ffs

to think we might have covered his fee by selling Chelsea paulinho too

i personally dont really mind this. the only issue i have is how a team of exciting players like hazard, oscar, cesc etc. is managed by such a fucking curmudgeon as jose who'll have them playing boring shit again next season

that's otm

paulinho would a suited him, like

cesc wanted out of arsenal for like 2 years and then has been a barca player for 3. former players move on.

no man I totally get it. you and Tomas are happy now, and that's ..... that's fine, yknow, he's a he's a good guy, yknow, in his own way

ha, rosicky was like my fav player of last season, so yea

nah he's VG but the injuries innit