4. He's Versatile
John Cross used his
column in the Mirror earlier this week to suggest that Song's tendency to attack without the discipline to stick to his position, or get back quick enough makes him a liability, and that Wenger should sell for that very reason, but versatility is a valuable commodity in all players these days, and what some might call a lack of positional discipline, others might see as depth of talent. Alex Song has drawn a lot of criticism in the past, and this is not the first time his defensive abilities have come under close scrutiny, but there are a lot of Arsenal fans who see him as a huge talent, and admire his eye for an attacking pass and forward vision. It is those commodities chiefly that have attracted the interest of Barcelona, but they are equally looking to bring in a player to offer competition to Sergio Busquets, a defensive midfielder very much of the Barcelona model who would not sit back and absorb pressure, instead attacking along with the rest of the team in that familiar manner. That Song is attracting that sort of attention says something about the criticism the player still attracts, and I am firmly of the opinion that his defensive abilities are over-looked rather cruelly. Arsenal's midfield now looks a lot healthier than it did for large parts of last season, with new signing Santi Cazorla complimenting some very good existing talents (provided they can all stay fit), and if Song can continue to grow as he has in the past few seasons, then he will continue to be one of the first names on the selection sheet. And that has a lot to do with his fluid style of play - something seen in other more modern defensive midfielders like Busquets and like Cheick Tiote at Newcastle, whose defensive steel is occasionally supplemented by forward ventures to help usual partner Yohan Cabaye change the shape of the team in an attack. The position is actually open to much more fluid definition than some might suggest, and Song's versatility should be considered a positive rather than a limitation.