It's hard to imagine really but these days Alexandre Song has become one of the first names on the Arsenal team sheet.
Go back to your thoughts this time last year (Would be so much easier with one of those Star Trek or Doctor Who things) on Song. Would you be bothered that he would be going to the African Cup of Nations in 2010? Not really.
What are your thoughts nowadays? Be brutally honest. I'll hold my hands up and admit that Arsenal are gonna miss Song and could miss him bad.
To say that he has been the most improved Arsenal player in the last twelve months is an understatement. He has been one of Arsenal's best players this season and I would never have thought I would be saying that.
Song is by far from the finished article. In fact he still has a lot of improving to do. That is the exciting part. He has come on leaps and bounds and will only get better.
If he continues to progress at this rate then I guarantee you now, in the summer of 2011, that Real Madrid and Barcelona will be sniffing around with £15m+ bids. Mark my words.
In the Premiership there are only been one player better than Song in the defensive midfield role this campaign. Micheal Essien. But he is a monster. Song has been better than the rest.
So Alexandre Song, I salute you. Although there will still be doubters you have won round many a Gooner. You have won me around.
Not the complete player yet but one who will only improve in the future and one that deserves a massive, massive gee-up!
Keep it Goonerish............
32 comments:
spot on! he's been excellent
I beg to differ with your opinion that this season Essien has been better than Song as a holding midfield player.
Essien - when fit and selected - has played okay for chelsea in that role this season, but hasn't hit the heights that he may have done in seasons gone by.
To some degree, he's being judged by his form of previous campaigns, rather than by what he's actually done on the pitch this season.
Whereas Song has been consistently very good in that role this season for Arsenal, putting in several man of the match performances for the team in my view.
Moreover, Song is still 22 and is only going to get better, whereas Essien - he of the shockingly agricultural tackle - despite having room for improvement, shows no sign of doing so.
Aye aye right you are!
"We've only got one SONG"
Good luck to him in africa, hopefully he comes back a happy and fit midfield monster :)
Perhaps any of Senderos/Silvestre/Coquelin/Traore/JET/Gilbert could try to fill his boots for a lil while? Otherwise the obvious thoughts are Denilson/Diaby
Hi Wrighty mate.
Song is the Monster man. Songs technique is unbelievable even in the tightest of situations, he tackles very well and his passing is more adventurous than Denilson and second maybe only to Cesc. The reason a lot of his passes go astray is because they are the defence splitters that he looks for. I love the way he bosses midfield, his heading is better than average with his only weakness being raw pace. Song will be the next Arsenal player to be linked with the likes of RM and Barca, Milan etc. 1 Song we've only got 1 Song.
El Tel.
AW has obciously always seen the potential in the boy. A lot of gooners think song was only drafted into DM last season in jan after seeing denislon tiring off. I beg to differ. Song was meant to be the man from that july/Aug but for the olympic games which he decioded to participate in much to the disappintment of wenger. And when he came back, typically wenger could not just draft him in. exactly the same way he treated carlos vela, did in the past with gilberto and meant to do early this season with walcott who h'd opted to play in two world cup qualifiers(U21 and senior).
Hi El Tel,
How are you doing mate?
Its true that Song lacks pace. I think his passing can also go astray at times but that will only improve.
We've only got one SONG
We've only got one SONG =)
Alex went to the African Cup last time around as an 18 year old and made team of the tournament. If you were watching you'd have noted just how good he was. He also made an impact at the Olympics.
Some Arsenal idiots hated him just for not being Michael Essien.
We don't realise we have such supremely talented players. But they're young. And they won't all catch fire immediately.
I'm almost scared to think about how good song will be when he improves his offensive passing
this isn't aimed specifically at you wrighty but more at the entire world of arsenal blogging:
it makes me laugh when you see all these arsene wenger doubters. the "i've got a blog and i know better than arsene" brigade. so called "arsenal supporters". look who's finally getting the last laugh. the man half of you wanted sacked last year.
notice how he persisted with denilson, diaby and song even when EVERYONE was telling him to go and buy some experience. he was saying this would kill them and look who turned out to be right. both song and diaby are now looking dominant....and all of a sudden we have some of the best central midfielders in the premiership. you know why? no injuries + run of games = confidence, especially in diaby's case. i bet this is the longest spell he's had without a major injury since he joined arsenal. denilson still needs time but his stats for last season proved there is definitely something there with the little man.
we are so used to having young players we think it's ok to judge them before they hit 22/23. darren gibson is only JUST making the united team at the age of 22. what does that tell you? ramsey and wilshere are still very much in development and shouldn't be judged for at least another 2-3 seasons. walcott still needs another season or so too. same goes for vela and bendtner. i think fran merida will leave in the summer.
when you add these players to the players who are already established in not only our first team but internationally too (cesc, arshavin, nasri, rosicky, van persie, gallas, vermaelen, sagna, eboue, eduardo) i think it's clear that we are going in only one direction if we keep this group of players together: upwards. if some of you bloggers had your way in the summer, we'd be half the team we are right now.
i'm not one of these "arsene knows" people. i know he makes mistakes and i get infuriated with him at times, but the man is still a genius. i'm more of a "arsene knows better than random internet bloggers" man.
musher said.. Song has already won my vote for player of the year.
Actually Song had shown what AW saw in him when he was in the ANC a season ago,solid,forceful and determined. But only now he is finally stepping up to anounce himself. As previously there were other senior members chosen ahead of him on the team sheet,but now the sudden realization of immediate resposibility falls on him,he steps up and starting to believe in himself. Just listen to his comments before departing to the ANC,...his thoughts will still be with team even he is in the national side. A reflection on his inner thoughts,HIS team and advancement mean so much to him,a sure hint of maturity and resaposibility. Long we hope he will stay and improve. He has shown real grit and trickery to move the ball forward when not defending,not sideways and backways like some,and even participate in shooting for goal.
i really like alex song now i didnt before. but i think he is more of a centre back which wenger may see long term if gallas leaves next summer or in two summers. i cant help but say i think miguel veloso of sporting lisbon would be one of our best buys ever. he is strong can pick a pass 40 yards away (like alonso) and has an absolute cannon of a shot just thought but what about this formation for next year.
Lloris
sagna song vermaelan clichy
fabregas veloso diaby
walcott/ arshavin/
nasri van persie hazard
I'm also surprised many don't realise that Song, Denilson and Diaby were low on confidence last season.
Why?
Hard to be when the entire world and all your fans say you're crap!
What's restored their confidence is fighting back and taking us to 4th place last season.
That way they realised the boo boys are buffoons
ionce got attacked on a blog for sayin mr songwas a future galactico
I've blogging for over 2 years and I cannot remember slaughtering an Arsenal player that bad.
Maybe the odd word but mainly when that player leaves or acts like Ade.
Wrighty.. dude everytime read your blog It feels as if I myself has written this blog such is ur work..straight from a gooners heart..ur a true Arsenal fan mate....keep up the good work
We have only one Song...
Cheers mate.
hi there....song has been amazing all season and end of last as well. Our best and definatley most reliable player. All the blogs slagged him off but think your all missing one thing it was wenger who seen something no one else did and stuck with him so he needs massive credit for this.
i think alex song should play centre back and i think we should buy miguel veloso as a defensive midfielder. gallas looks likely to leave and therefor spending 12-15 million on veloso in the summer would be a safe bet for me. song is strong as we have seen and is tall enough to play at centre back alongside vermaelen
wrighty i think you should write a letter to alex song ,a private one, post to emirates stadium ashburton grove,london....try N5
why are some people never happy? song has excelled this year in the dm role and now i hear he shud be a a cb. likewise verm has excelled and i hear people say he should be a dm! song is so mature and a natural leader. for me, our next captain!
people used to say toure would be the best dm in theleague but iv never seen a player in such a rushing panic whenever he gets posession, i guess those are the guys votin for song for centre back
Full credit to both of them him and Wenger, song looks to be one of finest players that has come thru the youth system, and one of the best up n coming CDM's around. Every game I see he impresses me, An does things all game that makes me think this guy is fuckin amazing
So good luck Alex for the ACN
As ever, Great blog Wrighty, sayin what we all think, an tellin it straight.
Up the Arsenal!!
'one of the best up n coming CDM's around'
Totally agree with that Top-Gunner and thanks for the comment. *blushes* ;)
Song's technique is brilliant he can tackle in less space than a pot would require..like Bergkamp to Herny, he will always come second to Cesc..
Nice one Wrighty7, its about time received praise for his contributions to our team. Personally I see Song rewriting the DM job description, and in time to come it will be referred to as the 'Song role', just give the young man another season or two, you'll see.
Opps *It about time Song*
Why do people want to move Song to CB. Thats just saying Song hasnt done a good enough job, WHAT DOES THE MAN HAVE TO DO? Play the the position blindfolded. Song has now proven himself at the highest level, whereas Veloso has yet to test the English Premiership waters, where many foreign players have tried and failed. If he stays at Arsenal, he will be a Legend before he's 25yrs old.
i agree, Song has been great in that DM position and his tackle also been improved, well better than Lampard or Scholes.
Sorry to Cameroonians out there.
I am willing Cameroon to lose all their group games and come out of ACN ASAP.
In the market, there are a lot of good attackers but less good defensive players in the recent five years.
Luckily, we hav had one of the best dm who is going to improve for 5 more years.
My hero, alex song
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