Fabregas - We must see where we can improve
Cesc Fabregas admits that Arsenal need to find something extra if they are to turn their undoubted potential into tangible reward.
Four weeks ago the captain was in with a shout of lifting the Champions League trophy and the FA Cup but those hopes were dashed by Manchester United and Chelsea. Now Fabregas will have to settle for a watching brief when Arsenal's big rivals head to Rome and Wembley later this month.
The 22-year-old believes that his team have proved their worth with that 21-match unbeaten run in the Premier League. But Fabregas wants more next season - for himself, and for the Club's loyal fans.
"We have to look at where we can improve, and make sure we do that for next season," he told the Official Matchday Programme.
"We haven’t been in any Finals and perhaps that’s because of something. We’ve gone 21 games without losing in the league, so we know we are good, but when we’ve played in the Semi-Finals of the FA Cup and Champions League we haven’t been at the level everyone expected us to reach.
"Maybe that means something, and sometimes you need to be honest with yourself – our opponents were stronger than us in both of those ties and you just have to go from there, try to see where you made mistakes and try to put them right.
"While we’re always positive, we know it’s difficult to keep everyone happy at this moment because it’s the fourth consecutive season in which we haven’t won anything. It’s frustrating for the fans, who are used to winning things, to see other teams going into Finals when we haven’t really managed that.
"We are disappointed because we know how much effort they put in – the way that, even in the financial crisis, they’re still coming to the stadium, buying tickets and season tickets, and we appreciate that a lot. It’s a shame, and we feel very responsible for not making them happy, for not taking them back to Wembley or to Rome."
