Last time you made it out of the group stage in the CL.
Alex Song
- Thread starter Mersault
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) and Imran (@Annihilate Now!) are here to discuss Amad saving our blushes in a win against Southampton as well as our now annual loss at home to Brighton. They discuss Amorim's post-match comments, revisit how mid-table we may or may not be, and discuss some transfer news.
I must have missed all the good performances against us while under lock and key. I think Song had a game to rival your 'Fletcher 7, 8 or 9 fouls without a red' favoured line, at the Emirates last season. He was chasing and hacking away at Rooney's shadow all game.Ok about a third then. Oddly i saw more of him in the second half of the season when he played centrally and quite deep.
I'd imagine he'll play wide more often if we get Sahin, but i have my doubts about that happening.
You dont think Song, Arteta and Ramsey is good enough centrally, with Cazorla helping keep the ball from wide ala Nasri and Pires?
I'm not the biggest Ramsey fan but he seems in decent form for GB. Song played the most accurate throughballs in the league last season and Arteta the highest pass output. Is it really important to get another central player in given Wilshire will be back at some point?
Would have thought central players (plus RVP) are your strength and therefore least important to add to. I know I'd be a lot more wary of Arsenal if they improved the backline and their best wideplayer wasnt Theo Walcott.
I'm not the biggest Ramsey fan but he seems in decent form for GB. Song played the most accurate throughballs in the league last season and Arteta the highest pass output. Is it really important to get another central player in given Wilshire will be back at some point?
Would have thought central players (plus RVP) are your strength and therefore least important to add to. I know I'd be a lot more wary of Arsenal if they improved the backline and their best wideplayer wasnt Theo Walcott.
We lacked creativity through the middle last season with Ramsey struggling at times for form and fitness which resulted in Rosicky taking his place at the head of the midfield 3. Even then Song often tried to force it and was pinging quite a lot over the end line looking for Van Persie.
I wouldn't be surprised to see the setup you've described at times next season but i'd like to see how we'd get on with Cazorla centrally, especially as i think Wilshere will be treated very carefully when he does return.
This time round we will have enough cover for each player, that if he lacks form, he can take some rest.
Ramsey was initially tired before he lost confidence. Too many pressure was laid on him, in those disastrous 2 months.
He can improve.
Ramsey was initially tired before he lost confidence. Too many pressure was laid on him, in those disastrous 2 months.
He can improve.
Good player. There's no way Wenger would sell to us though but he'd be great alongside Carrick.
Hope the rumours to Barcelona are untrue...Rather the club considered JDS or Roberto as Keita cover...I like Song but not sure where he'd be used...As a CB?...I think he'd be poor there since his best attributes are going forward and ability to pick out the pass - but there is plenty of cover in that regard from within the squad as well as the cantera
Dont think he'd be a good CB at all.
Song would be wasted at barcelona.
His qualities are basically aggressive - his passing, his running with the ball and his chasing of opponents.
Restricting his passing to the kind of facilitating Busquets does would be a waste of his own passing, nevermind that he doesn't have the game intelligence to do what Busquets does. And he doesn't have the positional discipline for that role either. And it would mean curtailing his license to drive forward with the ball as well.
We've all seen how much better Toure looks after he's left and been put in a role with more freedom. Song would be a much worse version of him for barca. He's a box-to-box midfielder who plays as 'defensive' midfielder for Arsenal because Wenger can make it work to have one of those in that role. Asking him to actually play like one is a waste of his assets. And the player you're left with isn't actually that good as a defensive midfielder.
His qualities are basically aggressive - his passing, his running with the ball and his chasing of opponents.
Restricting his passing to the kind of facilitating Busquets does would be a waste of his own passing, nevermind that he doesn't have the game intelligence to do what Busquets does. And he doesn't have the positional discipline for that role either. And it would mean curtailing his license to drive forward with the ball as well.
We've all seen how much better Toure looks after he's left and been put in a role with more freedom. Song would be a much worse version of him for barca. He's a box-to-box midfielder who plays as 'defensive' midfielder for Arsenal because Wenger can make it work to have one of those in that role. Asking him to actually play like one is a waste of his assets. And the player you're left with isn't actually that good as a defensive midfielder.
Yeah, I don't understand the Song to Barcelona talk. Won't happen, or at least there'd be very little point in it.
He's more creative and more skilled than Keita and a similar type of player, so it would make sense. As an experienced 70 minute all-around substitute squad player who can occupy various positions he'd be perfect for Barca and for the rumoured € 15 million + € 5 million I'd take him. Not going to happen though since I don't think he wants to become a bit-part player with 24.
Agreed. I remember the Arsenal Milan game, when Arsenal had one last attack to get through, they were 4 on 2, and 2 simple passes would create a clear chance, but this idiot Song went for glory with a stupid through ball, which was of course intercepted.
That being said, he is a good player, just not top top class.
Van Persie fecked up the chance from two yards out, that's where that game was lost.
Where would he play for you though? Him in the Busquets role is a tactical disaster waiting to happen.
He could play the Busquets role standing on his head.
Not nearly as disciplined or tactically astute however which was the real strength of Seydou in the lineup
Nobody is replacing Busquets.
I don't agree with that. He bursts forward far too often and just doesn't have the discipline to play there.
I swear to God if Barcelona sign Song as a Keita replacement i.e. a fringe player for 20 games a year, football is going to end. How good can a squad be?
From Sport.
Also you've got the generic Barcelona player talking about other teams player. Iniesta about Song
"Alex Song wants to leave Arsenal to become Barca player and coach, Arsene Wenger, you know. "
What?
What?
It's a english translation from Spanish article. It's obvious that you'd find somethings which are lost in translation.
Anyways, it seems contract negotiation is going on and his agent is spreading rumours.
Personally while he did contribute a lot to our attacking play last season I thought defensively he fell short and I do think a simple pass takes him out of the game far too easily. When Arteta got injured towards the end of the season I do think that he got shown up quite badly, well not just him to be fair a lot of other players did. That has been my only issue with him and I think with 2 years to run on his contract and Darren Dein has his agent he has to sign an extension or be moved on. We still haven't resolves the RvP and Theo situation and can't be dealing with this shit every summer.
That right there sums up Song's main faults. If he could improve in that respect he would be an absolute monster of a player. At Barca he might be drilled more and given less freedom that he has with us
That right there sums up Song's main faults. If he could improve in that respect he would be an absolute monster of a player. At Barca he might be drilled more and given less freedom that he has with us
It seems his agent has also contacted Iniesta and Busquets to comment on Song in order to get a better deal. Crafty agent.
it doesn't take a lot to have a barca muffin speak to matters not concerning them.
So when they offer 10-12m, we step in with 20m - makes a lot more sense than either Lucas or RVP
My thinking as well...It won't drag on, either way...If nothing happens in the next 2 days, I suspect that will be it for the the club's transfer activity for the summer
He's a chaser. They have their merit, but not as holding midfielders.
Play him with a top notch holding midfielder who can playmake himself and you'd have an outstanding midfield Petit/Vieira style.
Earning the right to play with midfielders who can play and defend has been too devalued in modern times. Closest we've seen to Petit/Vieira in that regard has been Alonso/Mascherano. I miss the comfort of knowing the midfield battle was won before the first whistle was blown.
He is very versatile though which is what might attract Barca because I know your lot like players who can play more than one position effectively. He is a very good CB as well which is where you were a bit short last season.
Yeah I'd agree with that he also isn't very quick so when he gets caught up field he isn't able to get back quick enough either. He does always give it his all and I don't think his commitment to the cause could ever be doubted but you need to be more disciplined because our team does get forward a lot.
Song is perfectly capable of sitting back and playing like Mikel, it's just not what we do.
Exactly. He moves up under clear instructions.
No he's not. He gets shown up defensively against the better teams.
That he doesn't play like Mikel is no proof that he can play like Mikel.
He does strike me as having plenty of attacking license. In games where he needs to be disciplined, his positional sense gets shown up. It's not a strong feature of his game at all. Wenger can make it work without it, but that doesn't mean Song has that in his locker just because he isn't asked to very often.
That's just bollox, he played deeper than Arteta last the beginning of last season and moved forward as it progressed to spend more time in the final third. Why do you think he's being linked with Bayern and Barca, not exactly teams short of midfield options?
So he rather sits on Barca's bench than staying at Arsenal. Must hurt.
Really? Are you privy to the briefings he gets from Wenger?