The World as I see It

It was boiling since that dark day at St. Andrews in February 2008. Eventually it had to happen. Its still not too late. Its Taxi for William Gallas. And its Cesc, the new captain of Arsenal FC. I was just 2-3 years old when Tony Adams was given the Armband in almost exactly the same age as Cesc’s . And when I mention Tony Adams, then its no need to type the words like the “Arsenal Legend” or “Mr. Arsenal”. I hope Cesc follows his path. Apart from his exceptional playing talent that would make him one of the greatest of the game, I believe he has the right mental and personal attitude to be one of the greatest Arsenal captains of all time.

This is from RedAction:

Francesc Fàbregas Soler joined Arsenal as a youth player on 11th September 2003 after being monitored by Francis Cagigao and Steve Rowley. In five years, we’ve seen him change from the mulleted, PlayStation-obsessed house mate of Philippe Senderos to our most important midfielder and the European championship-winning captain of Arsenal Football Club. An accolade most befitting the young man after five years of unwavering commitment to the club we all love.

It’s an armband worn in recent years by an ex-England captain and subsequently by three French medal-ridden stars. He’s in fantastic company and has achieved more than his predecessors did at the same age. But is he the right man for the job? We’d say emphatically YES and here’s a few reasons why.

From his first interviews with the notoriously ruthless English press, it was clear this was a young man with a shrewd head on his shoulders. His remarkable candour, though always composed and diplomatic, meant he always gave journalists and fans good copy. His charisma was endearing and, like his other attributes, belied his age. Is it that much of a surprise Arséne Wenger has selected him to be a leader of men?

We’ve all seen the questions asked by the media every June regarding players’ futures. Arsenal fans have had to endure endless summers of seeing their players dish out ambiguous answers and subsequently head for the nearest ice-cream/five grand extra/two year contract before their tans have started to fade! Cesc, however, has always been unequivocal when fielding such sheparding questions leaving the red tops to resort to Plan B for sensationalism. And we love him for that!

His footballing talent has been heralded globally for four years now and with good reason. By his own high standards, he hasn’t had the best start to a season but then he’s had absolutely no football break since summer 2007. Add to this, the need for a defensive midfielder to allow him free reign to pull strings and play to his strengths and we all know it’s just a matter of time before he’s back to 100%.

It’s an exciting change for the fans and the players at a time when we’ve all been hurting. A time when we need someone to step to the plate and lead this team. Demand 100% for 95 minutes. Be that shoulder to lean on for all the players at the club and to show everybody what you can make of yourself at Arsenal Football Club!

We’re looking forward to his first programme notes ahead of today’s game. In the meantime, we’ll leave you with some quotes.

I don’t like it when people say, ‘You are the new Patrick’. No I’m not. I’m Cesc Fabregas

Arsenal came for me, but at Barcelona I was just one of many

I played four games at the beginning of the season and said to myself, ‘Okay, that’s great’. To get any more seemed too much to hope for. But then the manager kept me in the team and I said, ‘This is not possible!’ I’ve never seen this before. It’s like, in England, you’re dreaming as a young player. In Barcelona, even if you’re playing well, they sign someone older

I’m never scared. If you are, you can’t play this game

My debut was a dream come true, it was wonderful. I felt really comfortable surrounded by all these great players

If you have everything you’ll be the best and I want to be the best. So I’ll have to win everything. I’d also like to pass my driving test

When I scored my first goal, I went home and celebrated by drinking a Coca-Cola and eating a Kinder Egg

Victoria Concordia Crescit.