Uganda: It Is Foolish for Conte to Keep Benching Fabregas

By John Vianney Nsimbe

For Antonio Conte to field Cesc Fabregas against Leicester City on Tuesday night in the English Football League (EFL) does not bring much fulfillment.

To have a player of Fabregas' ilk being restricted to cups that were left to emerging players until Jose Mourinho arrived in England leaves a bad taste. Yet Fabregas took the opportunity in his stride. He inspired Chelsea from being 2-0 down until the stroke of half-time to winning 4-2, following his brace in extra-time. Fabregas showed Conte that he has class, and it is silly to bench him anymore.

No disrespect to N'golo Kante and Nemanja Matic, but their graft can easily be found across different league divisions. In fact, Glasgow Rangers' Joe Barton would equally do that job, but not the craft of Fabregas. The Spaniard's passing is clever and incisive, and Chelsea needs it badly.

Of course it has been said that the reason Conte overlooks Fabregas is the high-intensity ball-pressing game he requires from his team. And that Fabregas is seen to be short in that aspect, meaning that Chelsea would be exposed when under attack.

But I debunk that. We have seen time and again managers devise tactical approaches that would help cover up the shortcomings of some of their star players. And Conte is one such manager that ought not to forget so quickly and easily.

In the 2011/2012 season, when he took over at Juventus, he signed Andrea Pirlo, who had been an AC Milan legend. This was after Massimiliano Allegri felt Pirlo was surplus to requirement in Milan for more or less similar reasons - his legs had gone.

But Conte used Pirlo to great effect, winning three successive Scudetto titles. What Conte did throughout that time was to exploit the fantastic passing range of the veteran midfielder by playing him deep, closer to the defence, with less responsibility of running up and down the field.

Instead, the more athletic and energetic Claudio Marchisio, Paul Pogba and Arturo Vidal provided the industry like pistons in a car engine. These played box-to-box, covering up the ball-pressing deficiencies that Pirlo had.

And equally so, Pirlo gave the team shape and direction because of his imagination. At Milan, Carlo Ancelotti used Clarence Seedorf and Gennaro Gattuso in front of Pirlo for the same purpose pointed out earlier. And Milan were successful.

That should compare with Fabregas' situation at Chelsea that has appeared to create a real quagmire. Kante and Matic can be the pseudo Marchisio and Vidal, protecting Fabregas' supposed high-intensity (pressing) shortcomings that appear to be keeping him out of the first team.

Clearly, Chelsea need Fabregas more than Oscar, because with Eden Hazard and Willian Borges, they can subtly fill Oscar's role who, up to now, has not proved indispensable. But Fabregas is. Beyond imagination and creativity, Fabregas has goals in him too, something that Oscar is still short on.

Yet, as a number 10, Oscar is supposed to have all that aforesaid: he must be a quick thinker that releases the centre-forwards easily. Besides, Conte does not need to be reminded of the camaraderie that Fabregas has with Diego Costa. To rekindle that can only give Chelsea more purpose.

Fabregas brings a calming effect to the team. With his range of passing, one thing you can be sure of is that the bolts will give way. When he was introduced against Swansea last week, at a time Chelsea were 2-1 down, there were numerous chances created off his boot.

It was then that the gaps could be seen in Swansea's defence. In fact, had it not been for the wastefulness of Chelsea's forwards, there was no reason Swansea should have got a point in that game. It flattered them, the same way it is for Conte to act as though he does not need Fabregas as a starter because he has Matic, Kante and Oscar.