Cesc Says: We Need A Winning Mentality. I Say: No S***

Hey did you hear – Cesc Fabregas is in the news again. Did you also hear the press is reporting (or at least some outlets are reporting) that he still harbors a desire to go to Barcelona. Really guys give it a break, it is not what he said. But that is not the point of this piece. The point is the following quote:

‘But here (at Arsenal) I have everything. I’m still happy. I’m very comfortable here, I like the club, lead the team, play football. We just need to start winning titles because we have a wealth of quality. A winning mentality is missing.’

Cesc says we need a winning mentality. To which I say – NO SHIT. But pardon me Cesc, if we need a winning mentality on the field it has to start with the Captain. Now before I get too far along, I think we can all safely say that I was one of the few ardent non-female supporters of Cesc in the whole summer transfer saga. I said from the outset he won’t go and that he will focus on being here at Arsenal. That being said – Cesc dude you want a winning mentality – start with yourself.

A winning mentality emanates from the man with the armband. If you lead they will follow. When Cesc is at his best and is leading on the pitch, I believe that regardless of any other issues this team is as good as any of the teams in the top of the league. Yes, I said and believe you may not agree with it – so what. Cesc is without a doubt the best midfielder in England and probably Europe – when he is on. The problem is there are times when he isn’t and when he isn’t Arsenal struggle. They’ll win alot because even half a Cesc is better than no Cesc but still we look disjointed without Cesc.

Basically what I am saying is this, if Cesc takes the challenge of getting the silverware on his shoulders and tries to be the Captain on a regular basis, this team will achieve things. However, if we are dealing with long term injuries, questions about his mindset and loyalties than the club will sit listless finishing anywhere from 2nd to 4th, constantly drifting back and forth without achieving its goal. Our last winning season was when we had without a doubt one of the best Captain’s the club has seen, Patrick Viera. He was our spine and a definitive leader on the pitch.

I am not sittig here saying Cesc has to score every game. No not that, what I am saying is his work rate and focus need to be the standard by which the other players emulate. When he plays efforts like against Barca or Spurs last year are pillars by which all of Arsenal’s current and future crop should play. When he doesn’t score he must be pulling the strings, giving every effort to unsettle and undo the challenge the teams are presenting to him and the club. And when things don’t go right – no tantrums, work harder. With an effort like that there will not be obstacles the team can’t overcome. Heck even Andrei Arshavin may learn he can’t be only interested in the big games.

Additionally, whatever it takes the diminutive Spaniard needs to find some way to stay healthy. We are a markedly different team with him on the pitch. He needs to discover the hyperbarric chambers that keep Terrell Owens healthy or talk to Brett Favre about what he does at 41 to be able to play American football for 260+ games without missing 1. I am not asking for 260+ games hell I’ll take 40 games (league and cups included). Do whatever it takes to get and stay healthy. Sure the league needs to do something about bad crunches but you need to do something about the shape your body is in.

Finally, to develop a winning mentality and lead this team – Cesc must honour completely the terms of his current contract. By waffling on will he or won’t he saga’s each summer it only unsettles the team and frankly is less than the club and manager who made him deserves. Cesc is the player he is not because he was at Barca until 16. He is the player he is and the recognized star he is because of the developmental process and tutelage of the Arsenal system. He owes it the club and the players who brought him along to at least offer that through the extent of his contract.

Look Cesc, we all agree – the club need a winning mentality. It has to start somehwere, why not with you? Winning is contagious afterall

Finally a word about the firestorm the press is making about Cesc’s comments. They are all pretty much quoting the same interview where Cesc does not deny his summer desire to go to Barcelona and cited it as a “good opportunity’. But it is quite funny, that the way they arrange the article quotes to stress their headline. For instance according to the Sun the sub headline reads “CESC FABREGAS has blasted his Arsenal team-mates for lacking a “winning mentality” — but insists he is still happy at the club.”

Well I quote directly from his full interview and nowhere in the piece do I see him blasting anyone. Its only one example but most of the press is this way. Now, I am not a big conspiracy theorist and I understand that papers need to sell papers. But I am beginning to think that this journalistic focus on Fabregas week in week out smells of an agenda. I don’t see constant articles on the same frequency you see them of Fabregas. And I don’t think that agenda has anything to do with Cesc per se – but I do believe that for whatever reason there is an anti-Arsenal bias in some corners of the press.

Look I don’t mind critical articles of the team. When they do poorly they should be called on it by the press. When Wenger makes an assinine statement, ditto. But the incessant attempts at targetting one of our players non-stop doesn’t pass the smell test to me.