I don't care that he wanted to join his boyhood club, put yourself in his shoes and it was a no brainer, win nowt here with a club happy to just be playing CL football, or join a team regarded as the best ever, winning everything in sight.
His interviews about us have grown more candid as the season has gone on. The impression I get is that he was very disheartened by the amount of change that went on around him, so it was very hard to gain some continuity and grow as a team. Something which also many of us fans have voiced concerns about in the past.
I'm not particuarly bitter about Cesc but nor do I really consider him a legend or anything of the sort. I don't doubt the affection he has for the club but I do think he eventually lost motivation and the team suffered for it, if there's any issue to be had then it's here because he was the captain and should have led by example, but he didn't.
Last edited by Marc Overmars; 25-04-2012 at 06:31 PM.
You really think that if we were winning titles like Utd or he had top players like Vieira, Henry, Pires around him, he wouldnt have thought twice about leaving? He was carrying a bunch of freeloaders like Denilson, Diaby, Chamakh, Squillaci, Vela, Bendtner etc etc.
His boyhood club is the best team in the world or has been the best team in the world for the last 4-5 years and we have been consistently average (at best). Why wouldnt he want to leave? Only a player who is not ambitious would chose us... Reason why players like Chamakh still want to be with us. I said it before.. we are a middle class club. We will always do the bare minimum to do the necessity but wont push that limit. Comes from the board and unfortunately our manager. We need some winners at our club.. not a bunch of journeymen.
Last edited by fakeyank; 25-04-2012 at 06:40 PM.
Yes he always said he wanted to go back their, lets not make out that that he would have stayed with us for life if we did or that stuff.
Nasri is someone who you could say who left to win trophies cause he was not pinning over a move to his boyhood club for 2 years.
If Cesc had gone to Madrid or a Inter then id say he had enough of this lot etc. But going to Barca was about going home for him and winning things with the club he loves like he always wantd to do.
It was only we stupidly sold him for less then we should.
he gave us a good service and for that i am greatful but he will never ever be an Arsenal great to me not because he left, cause he just was not a gooner great.
If RVP left this season, I gather most people will talk ill of him when he leaves even though they can completely understand why. When you watch your coach the same silly mistakes time after time and the Board fail to invest in top quality players, it takes it's toll. The reaction was mixed when Henry left but has completely simmered as the years have gone by. When Henry left, I was pretty bitter about it, but you eventually get over it. Cesc isn't in the same league as Henry but he's in no way near Flamini, Reyes and Hleb. Not in my opinion and you could tell by the emotion showed with each victory and his reaction to the fans. He loved playing here.
Cesc was a great player and if he wanted to go to Barca, I have no problem with that. It is sad that he just looks like just another diving writhing Barca cheating scumbag now.