Alex Song

[trunks206]

As Jones and Dokaka said, I too would take him back on loan considering the options we have at present, the time left in the window, the list of needs in other areas we need to fill aswell, and that he knows the system so he could slot right in.

He is strong on the ball/not easily dispossessed and he can actually play it forward from deep (unlike both Arteta on both accounts). He would sit if Arsène instructed him to do so so spare me the he ventures forward whenever he wants BS.

Also all the BS on his poor attitude is nonsesne. The only thing to ever come out about Song was a supposedly involved Bould being upset with him during a training session. One time and he is all the sudden a bad apple throughout his career with us? Sorry I don't buy it.


Sign Song on loan and work on getting a CF and CB. Then next summer get a top DM or promote Chambers to it.

 

[The_Roadrunner]

As Jones and Dokaka said, I too would take him back on loan considering the options we have at present, the time left in the window, the list of needs in other areas we need to fill aswell, and that he knows the system so he could slot right in.

He is strong on the ball/not easily dispossessed and he can actually play it forward from deep (unlike both Arteta on both accounts). He would sit if Arsène instructed him to do so so spare me the he ventures forward whenever he wants BS.

Also all the BS on his poor attitude is nonsesne. The only thing to ever come out about Song was a supposedly involved Bould being upset with him during a training session. One time and he is all the sudden a bad apple throughout his career with us? Sorry I don't buy it.


Sign Song on loan and work on getting a CF and CB. Then next summer get a top DM or promote Chambers to it.

Meh

can't say I trust Darren Dein's propaganda on the matter

 

[scytheavatar]

Consider the brief: A defensive midfielder who can play at centre-back.

What are the options? Javi Martinez, Luiz Gustavo, William Carvalho or Song or alike

Song was one of our best players when we sold him, positional disciple being an era of weakness, but I'd be surprised if thats a area of his game which hasn't been improved at Barcelona. Considering that plus the slice of humble pie he'd get coming back. I think we could do worse.

Song is not a defensive midfielder who can play at centre-back, the fact that Barca though he is one is why he ended up being a laughing stock there. He's a box to box midfielder who can defend a bit but not extremely well. He's also one of our worst players when we sold him, was shockingly poor for much of 2011/2012.

 

[Anzac]

For mind Song and Denilson are representative of what was/went wrong with our CMs after 2009 when AW converted Fabregas to playing CAM.

Song was more a square peg looking for a round hole. IIRC AW said that he lacked the stamina to play in midfield. He was probably no more than a useful utility player like Flamini, and certainly had/has nothing on what we've seen from Chambers to date.

There is little reason not to do it (sign a CMD)/ get it right, as opposed to any 'need' to re-sign Song. I'd rather go without than re-sign Song, even on loan.

 

[Mudi]

There is a reason why Barcelona tries to loan him for FREE. And there is a reason why no Italian team came after him even though Italian teams are cheap as fùck. If they can get someone for free, they will do it even if they don't need him.

So no hell! Don't want him here!

 

[trunks206]

There is a reason why Barcelona tries to loan him for FREE. And there is a reason why no Italian team came after him even though Italian teams are cheap as fùck. If they can get someone for free, they will do it even if they don't need him.

So no hell! Don't want him here!

Our current best DM option is someone we signed for free because none of those cheap ass italian teams wanted him.

 

[DanAust]

He's a box to box midfielder who can defend a bit but not extremely well. He's also one of our worst players when we sold him, was shockingly poor for much of 2011/2012.

The revisionism of Song on here is crazy. Sh*t attitude? Definitely...Poor concentration? At times... Drifted forward too much? Sure, but one of our worst? Not by a long shot...

Removing outliers (one offs), and Whoscored have him as our 3rd best over the course of the season behind Van Persie and Arteta. I remember when he left people were worried that he'd be as hard to replace as RVP. He had the most assists. and he made more tackles then any of our regular 11 and only vermaelen and Koscielny were ahead of him in interceptions.

Im not saying we should snap him up, just that we could do much worse.

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.whoscored.com/Teams/13/Archive?stageId=5476" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.whoscored.com/Teams/13/Archive?stageId=5476</a>

 

[blaze_of_glory]

There's no way I want him back if we got rid of him specifically due to bad attitude, which seems to have been the case. I don't trust him not to do the same again. We have a good attitude in the squad at least now, no reason to bring in guys who don't unless they are outstanding.

 

[dbig]

Hated his play while he was here. Too slow, ponderous, and think he used to give away fouls in dangerous areas.


Glad we got rid. Wouldn't want him back.

 

[Sannei]

Sign Song on loan and work on getting a CF and CB. Then next summer get a top DM or promote Chambers to it.

Isn't this what happened with Flamini? We signed him last summer so that we could concentrate on other positions until this summer then buy a top DM. So now you want us to repeat that error and get yet another stop gap that isn't good enough to wait till next summer to get a top DM. We will then have average players like Song, Flamini littering our squad and on contracts. This is how we ended up with deadwood that took up squad space, salary etc that we had to shift.

We really need to be signing only two types of players, the experienced/estabilished good to great players or the young top prospects with the capacity to be great. Anything else and it's just a futile exercise for everyone, a repeat of all our past mistakes and clogs up the squad with average. I would rather give Chambers a chance to see if he can be better or even get Rabiot and play him there. At least these are players whom with what we have seen so far have a higher capability, maturity and talent.

 

[Proof]

I would happily take Alex Song back. He can cover two positions, he would settle right away, he is good with the ball at his feet and has a physical presence.

 

[ferrarif50hunt]

Consider the brief: A defensive midfielder who can play at centre-back.

What are the options? Javi Martinez, Luiz Gustavo, William Carvalho or Song or alike

Song was one of our best players when we sold him, positional disciple being an era of weakness, but I'd be surprised if thats a area of his game which hasn't been improved at Barcelona. Considering that plus the slice of humble pie he'd get coming back. I think we could do worse.

Song is not a defensive midfielder who can play at centre-back, the fact that Barca though he is one is why he ended up being a laughing stock there. He's a box to box midfielder who can defend a bit but not extremely well. He's also one of our worst players when we sold him, was shockingly poor for much of 2011/2012.

You having a laugh?

 

[arsmile]

no he is not a better option to this squad than flamini

Okay.

no I stand by this. We appear to have a squad which is mentally in the right place and this is the most important thing.

Flamini contributes to the correct mentality on the pitch...song is an unprofessional doofus who undermined the good of the team for his ego.

 

[SiMamu]

He's a homegrown player, too.

 

[redanddread]

Whatever we all think about Song, I'm sure he's a better player for his time in Spain. Importantly, his passing and ball retention should have improved whilst with Barcelona. Whomever takes over from Arteta will have to be very adept with the ball at his feet, aside from the obvious DM robustness.

If it's Song or no one then I'd say Song.

TBF to the lad, although he didn't play much at Barca, whenever he did, he looked decent enough in the midfield.

 

[Vinci]

He isn't disciplined enough to play the way Arteta does, so it won't work when he plays next to Ramsey.

 

[thedon5]

This can't be true because of the AFCON. What use is a season-long loan if they're gone for a large part of the season?

I'm sure we can do better regardless.

 

[CurryFlavoured]

The way we play, I wouldn't like to see him covering the role Arteta/Flamini do. He's indisciplined in the tackle and has never been great positionally, with Ramsey bombing forward it would leave us in trouble.

As cover for Ramsey he could be useful, but then you'd wonder what we have Wilshere for. He'd be seriously underwhelming after the Khedira/Carvalho rumours.

 

[redanddread]

He isn't disciplined enough to play the way Arteta does, so it won't work when he plays next to Ramsey.

Valid point but I'm sure he has also learned positional discipline at Barca.

 

[Mastadon]

When he did play as DM for a couple of seasons he was hailed as world class and one of the best in the world by many on here what happened to that? He's a good player and gets into our first 11 ahead of Arteta and Flamini. I want better but I'm not going to pretend he doesn't improve our first 11.