It’s never easy to fill the shoes of great players. The same applies to Patrick Vieira at Arsenal. He will go down as one of the greatest players and captains to ever have played for the red half of North London. After he left in the summer of 200, he left a void in the midfield and the team missed his physicality and steel.
In the years after his departure, Arsene Wenger never successfully replaced him in the Arsenal midfield as something always remained missing. Several players came and went but no one left a lasting impact on the team and Arsenal’s midfield always seemed incomplete.
Then up stepped, Alex Song which was indeed a surprise as his indifferent form prior to the 2009-10 season had seen call for his sale. In the summer of 2009 there was widespread calls for Wenger to sign a defensive midfielder and there were several names linked with the club and yet much to the disappointment of the Arsenal faithful Wenger persisted with Song and that choice has now proved to be a masterstroke as Song has stepped up with some masterful displays to cement his place in this Arsenal side.
At one point it looked like Song would have no place in the Arsenal team has he struggled and failed to impress. But all that changed in 2009 and now he is an integral part of the Arsenal team that is pushing for silverware.
Song occupies one of the most important positions for the Gunners and his importance to the Arsenal is mammoth. His importance to the team only increases due to the absence of a good enough replacement. While Denilson and Abou Diaby have shown that they are simply just not good enough for Arsenal’s game, youngsters like Craig Eastmond, Francis Coquelin and Emmanuel Frimpong have some work to do before they be good enough backups.
Song’s significance to Arsenal is mainly down to their style of play. Arsenal’s weak point over the last few years have stemmed from the counter attack. Arsenal tend to pile the players forward, sometimes when even in the lead and they are often ripped apart by teams on the counter. This is where Song comes in. He can be seen making crucial blocks, interceptions and breaking up the flow of game disrupting the momentum of their opponents.
Song has proved himself to be a fantastic shield for Arsenal’s defense and has protected the defense brilliantly over the past two years.
It is mainly due to Song’s presence that the likes of Cesc Fabregas and Jack Wilshere have been able to move into positions higher up the field and Song himself is no slouch going forward having contributed some important goals this season including the winner against West Ham and goals against Chelsea and Manchester City.
Song helps to ease pressure of the Arsenal back four and often provides cover for the full backs when they venture out forward. In Gael Clichy and Bacary Sagna, Arsenal have two attacking full backs who love to move further up the field and complement the wingers in attack.
But the problem is that Arsenal’s French full backs are ordinary crossers of the ball and often ending up giving up the ball cheaply which leads to quick breaks from the opposition. But the presence of Alex Song covering these positions gives them the impetus to bombard forward and attack.
Song provides a bit of steel and bit in Arsenal’s midfield that is often accused of being too lightweight. He doesn’t mind going into challenges and while he does tend to pick up his fair share of bookings, he often provides the defense time to reorganize and lets the team regain its shape.
Arsenal’s recent match against Manchester United, which Arsenal went onto win 1-0 was once again a perfect indicator of Song’s value and importance to Arsenal. Faced with an in form Javier Hernandez and Wayne Rooney, many expected Manchester United to continue their new found domination over Arsenal with another win over Wenger’s struggling Arsenal.
But Arsenal stunned United with a smooth 1-0 win and Arsenal’s defenders and Song were at the heart of things as they kept a clean sheet against the league leaders.
With the rise of Hernandez, Wayne Rooney has revelled in a slightly deeper role from where he can unleash his creative skills. With Rooney dropping deep, it was Song who ended up marking the Englishman and as a result he successfully marked him out of the game. Rooney failed to assert his influence on the team and Song’s cover meant that Rooney was unsuccessful in unleashing any of his devastating cross field balls to the wingers restricting the influence of Nani and Antonio Valencia. Song constantly hounded the English striker and hardly gave him any time on the ball.
Song’s influence as a cover for Clichy was demonstrated once again as he made four crucial tackles and interceptions in Clichy’s area when the Frenchman had moved forward to attack.
His control over Rooney was similar to the 2-2 draw Arsenal had against Barcelona back in 2010 as he was successful in keeping a tight check on Lionel Messi and restricted the influence of the Argentinean winger to a large extent.
Song’s importance to the team is evident during his absence or on the days he has a poor game. During his absence, Arsenal’s defense is often left exposed and there is no player who can provide adequate cover for the players when they venture out forward. Very often when Song is having an off day there is a noticeable mediocrity in Arsenal’s play especially in the midfield as they struggle to keep the ball well enough and lack the physicality to deal with their opponents.
Song’s rise has been a blessing albeit a surprising one for Arsenal. He has shown remarkable spirit to bounce back from his poor performances and has already repaid Wenger’s faith in him with a string of important performances that has left him indispensable to this Arsenal side.
This summer Arsene Wenger has promised to make some signings to bolster the squad and although players like Scott Parker have been linked with a move to the North London it is hard to see the move coming into fruition. All this will mean that Wenger will once again depend on Song as his main defensive midfielder with youngsters like Frimpong being his understudy.
Frimpong’s injury earlier in the season saw him miss close to nine months of action but he is back now. But question marks still remain on how well he can bounce back next season and so Song’s fitness will be key to Arsenal’s fortunes.
Song occupies the defensive midfielder role which while it may remain underrated, is often the most key role in a football field. Every great team often has a good midfield enforcer, a player who can exert his domination over the midfield and helps to boss the midfield while giving some fluidity between defense and attack. Song plays that role for the Gunners and it is vital that he continues to perform at a top level.
While it is still early to call Song the perfect replacement for the legendary Patrick Vieira there is no doubt that if he can keep up his performances then one day he will surely be as good as Vieira..
This is really true and i am glad it has come to the fore. Alex well done and keep it up.
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