Do you prefer the current Alex Song ?

[Curt.B]

Last season it was only him, Vermaelen and Clichy that drove forward. I think we need it in the team. Essien does it. In the first few games he didn't seem to have it right, but now he is doing the blend of defensive/offensive.

Saying that though, we don't mind him surging forward when it's Denilson next to him, but when it's Wilshire having to wait on the half way line because Song wants to go on a run it seems a bit of a waste.

He's not a bad player, he'll get the hang of where to be soon enough. He's still far superior to Denilson.

Forgotten we used to have Gallas? He loved a run forward. What about Sagna, forget him too? lol.

[Craigie]

Actually, yes I did forget about Gallas lol.

Sagna runs forward, but there's something a little more, powerful and "surging" about the Song/Vermaelen charge. It's more of a "I'm not leaving here without a fight" run, and they're the players that will get stuck in and are there for the fight. Wilshire is similar in that sense too, and you can't help but love that sort of mentality.

[Curt.B]

I know what you mean. Every time Vermaelen goes forward, you know something is going to happen.

[Sinbad]

Wenger - Why Song has a licence to roam

By Richard Clarke

Alex Song has been given license to roam further forward by Arsène Wenger.

The midfielder has broken free of his defensive shackles on many occasions this season. A move that has drawn criticism from some quarters given Arsenal’s defensive issues.

Wenger knows the policy could possibly leave his side understaffed in midfield at times, but he feels it is a risk worth taking.

“The teams close us down so much high up because they know we play through the middle,” said the manager. “I push my midfielders a bit up at the start to give us more room to build up the game.

“When you come to the ball we are always under pressure, so Song is a bit naturally high up because I want him high up.

“I am comfortable with that sometimes it leaves us open in the middle of the park. We want to play in the other half of the pitch and, therefore, we have to push our opponents back.

“But my philosophy is not to be in trouble, but to fool the opponent into trouble.”

http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archiv ... ws+Feed%29

[stevedon]

Sometimes it works. sometimes not. I think it depends on how good the opposition defence is and how prepared they are to attack us. Most things Wenger say nowadays point to the fact that he is prepared to be exposed defensively in order to play more attacking football. Great when it works. Doesn't seem to work often enough to win trophies though. None of our midfielders or CBs have the pace to get back in time if we lose possession when far up the field - but I guess we have Clichy & Sagna for that.

[Craigie]

All the players pushing higher up doesn't necessarily mean that Song should be in the hole though. There's nothing to stop him being the furthest back in their half. We looked better against Fulham when he spent a little while sitting just in front of the half way line ( he looked knackered actually like he was having a little rest ).

It's not like Song is a revelation, he's just a decent player going forward. There's nothing above average about his attacking play apart from he hits a decent long ball but then you can do that from the holding position. I could understand someone like Diaby not wanting to be a DM and straying forward because we signed him pretty much as a hole player but we signed Song as a centre half he should be happy he's even allowed to play as a DM.

[Curt.B]

Arsene comments on Song -

"Song is high up the pitch because we want him there. I am comfortable with that, even though it sometimes leaves us open in the middle of the park. If we lose the ball in the build-up, we are in trouble. But we want to play in the other half of the pitch and, therefore, we have to push our opponents back. My philosophy is not to be in trouble, but to fool the opponent into trouble."

All I can say is....wtf does all this wank actually mean.

http://www.dailyexpress.co.uk/posts/vie ... ene-Wenger

[Craigie]

It means we have a DM on the pitch when we may aswell have another striker.

If he's playing DM he's my first name on the teamsheet, but if he's just going to roam and attack then I'd rather have Diaby, Rosicky, Arshavin, Ramsey, Fabregas, Nasri, Gibbs, Lansbury, Wilshire, van Persie, Vela, Bendtner, Walcott, Emmanuel-Thomas or Chamakh on the pitch.