In the light of Cesc Fabregas' latest hamstring setback, methinks it’s opportune to examine a new, strange dimension slowly creeping into the game of our captain.
The more you watch Cesc Fabregas, the more you have the conviction that anything can happen with the ball at his feet.
Since he burst on the scene six, seven years back, he has always been singled out as a special one. His range of passing, his eye for an opening, his movement, his ability to keep the ball and keen sense of scoring goals we all know. What we haven’t yet attributed to him is the tendency to dish out a tackle and hurt opponents.
That part of his vast array of talents seems to be coming to the fore and with ominous consequences.
Two weeks ago, there was uproar (depending on which team you support) when he scythed Wolves’ Stephen Ward, which left the player with a gash and being substituted with Fabregas collecting a ‘mere’ yellow card. All manner of vitriol were direct at him for the rest of the game as the Molineux crowd saw in him as an outlet to vent their frustrations, not only about the tackle but the defeat being dished out to their team by the Gunners.
Wolves’ coach, Mick McCarthy later revealed how Fabregas went into the Wolves’ dressing room to apologise for the tackle and in McCarthy’s words\:
"Fabregas has been in to apologise and Wardy has accepted it like a man. I said to Arsene I've no problem with the tackle and I really appreciate the apology from you. Arsene apologised for the tackle. I've no problem with it at all. It happens.... Fabregas has been in and Wardy has accepted it and isn't it lovely?".
Nice choice of words there and the ‘lovely’ bit at the end very much showed how much McCarthy has put it all behind him.
We all could as well put it behind us without sweat if not for the fact that four days later, Fabregas picked up another caution when he lunged into Sylvain Distin as they both went for a ball in the 2-1 win over Everton. For a big man like Distin, it must take a lot to bring him down and Fabregas did that with stunning ease. Luckily for everyone, Distin returned to the action after some treatment by the sidelines.
Still on Fabregas, he picked up a straight yellow card in three games last week Wednesday as Spain capitulated 4-0 to Portugal. Once again, it was for a tackle on a defender. This time, it was Pepe.
All these events may be mere conicidences. They might mean much more. But I dare say that there seems to be a new, mean streak sipping into the little Spaniard’s game which if it’s true, is worrying.
He has been on the receiving end himself so many times in his career and he knows all about the rough treatment that gets dished out especially to someone who hangs onto the ball as much as he does.
But does he really need to get nasty?
Built slighty and lacking the muscles that ought to protect him from violent play, Fabregas has moulded his game around running into space and utilizing his ball control skills to get out of trouble. Now he seems to believe he needs to start putting the boot in.
Methinks it’s quite unnecessary. Unlike some other player such as Manchester United’s Wayne Rooneey who has confessed that he needs the adrenalin brought about by anger to be at the top of his game, Fabregas ought not to descend to such darker tactics.
He is gifted and talented enough to put on a show and still keep a cool head.
Rooney’s reputation has naturally preceeded him and attracts cautions and dismissals at regular intervals. England and Manchester United cannot begin to count the cost of defeats brought about after Rooney’s often-senseless red cards. England in particular. This is because referees naturally are influenced by players’ reputations when dishing out punishment.
In the light of Cesc Fabregas' latest hamstring setback, methinks it’s opportune to examine a new, strange dimension slowly creeping into the game of our captain.
The more you watch Cesc Fabregas, the more you have the conviction that anything can happen with the ball at his feet.
Since he burst on the scene six, seven years back, he has always been singled out as a special one. His range of passing, his eye for an opening, his movement, his ability to keep the ball and keen sense of scoring goals we all know. What we haven’t yet attributed to him is the tendency to dish out a tackle and hurt opponents.
That part of his vast array of talents seems to be coming to the fore and with ominous consequences.
Two weeks ago, there was uproar (depending on which team you support) when he scythed Wolves’ Stephen Ward, which left the player with a gash and being substituted with Fabregas collecting a ‘mere’ yellow card. All manner of vitriol were direct at him for the rest of the game as the Molineux crowd saw in him as an outlet to vent their frustrations, not only about the tackle but the defeat being dished out to their team by the Gunners.
Wolves’ coach, Mick McCarthy later revealed how Fabregas went into the Wolves’ dressing room to apologise for the tackle and in McCarthy’s words\:
"Fabregas has been in to apologise and Wardy has accepted it like a man. I said to Arsene I've no problem with the tackle and I really appreciate the apology from you. Arsene apologised for the tackle. I've no problem with it at all. It happens.... Fabregas has been in and Wardy has accepted it and isn't it lovely?".
Nice choice of words there and the ‘lovely’ bit at the end very much showed how much McCarthy has put it all behind him.
We all could as well put it behind us without sweat if not for the fact that four days later, Fabregas picked up another caution when he lunged into Sylvain Distin as they both went for a ball in the 2-1 win over Everton. For a big man like Distin, it must take a lot to bring him down and Fabregas did that with stunning ease. Luckily for everyone, Distin returned to the action after some treatment by the sidelines.
Still on Fabregas, he picked up a straight yellow card in three games last week Wednesday as Spain capitulated 4-0 to Portugal. Once again, it was for a tackle on a defender. This time, it was Pepe.
All these events may be mere conicidences. They might mean much more. But I dare say that there seems to be a new, mean streak sipping into the little Spaniard’s game which if it’s true, is worrying.
He has been on the receiving end himself so many times in his career and he knows all about the rough treatment that gets dished out especially to someone who hangs onto the ball as much as he does.
But does he really need to get nasty?
Built slighty and lacking the muscles that ought to protect him from violent play, Fabregas has moulded his game around running into space and utilizing his ball control skills to get out of trouble. Now he seems to believe he needs to start putting the boot in.
Methinks it’s quite unnecessary. Unlike some other player such as Manchester United’s Wayne Rooneey who has confessed that he needs the adrenalin brought about by anger to be at the top of his game, Fabregas ought not to descend to such darker tactics.
He is gifted and talented enough to put on a show and still keep a cool head.
Rooney’s reputation has naturally preceeded him and attracts cautions and dismissals at regular intervals. England and Manchester United cannot begin to count the cost of defeats brought about after Rooney’s often-senseless red cards. England in particular. This is because referees naturally are influenced by players’ reputations when dishing out punishment.
David Moyes had this in mind when he substituted John Heitinga that Sunday, after the Dutchman was yellow-carded in the first half of the Everton-Arsenal game. The same Heitinga was sent off in the 2010 World Cup finals by the referee of last Sunday’s game, Howard Webb.
Fabregas is too fine a player to bracketted in the same boat as the likes of Heitinga, or his Dutchmates Nigel De Jong or the master of all bruisers, Mark Van Bommel. He is simply too good for that mob.
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