Alex Song sets his sights on more goals for Arsenal: Is this a problem?
With his Arsenal goalscoring record improving year upon year, Alex Song has aimed for continuing this trend, setting himself targets in his increasingly attacking play.
Speaking to Arsenal.com, he said, “I’m very happy, although you always want to do more. Last season I scored five goals and this time I’d like to score eight or ten – it would show that I’m improving a lot in that area… If you want to be a top player you need to keep pushing on, to keep improving every time.”
Since the 2006/07 season, the Cameroon international has been making more and more appearances whilst adding goals to all but one of them. The gradual and fluctuating increase of strikes has completed his transition from a purely defensive player at the time of his arrival at the club to one that is capable of providing another weapon to Arsenal’s attack.
However, some Gooners are concerned with his occasional drifting out of position and are attracted to the thought of a player like Yann M’Vila, whose style doesn’t consist of many goals and so would be more likely to solely focus on defensive work.
Having showed his capabilities at both ends of the field to some extent, Alex Song’s widening eye for goal surely cannot be ignored. The fact that his goals – though not in abundance – often come at crucial times, such as his last minute winner against West Ham and his strike in the 3-1 win over Chelsea last season.
Despite this, some fans would prefer him to concentrate on his defensive duties, but is it such a bad thing for him to become more and more attacking whilst also providing protection to the backline?
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Ive always wanted to see him play in the Makelele role. He isnt the best going forward but his determination does get him the occasional goal. Never the less, i would prefer seeing him play in a more defensive position than he is playing now.
Opinions divided. What do you think?
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Not a problem. As long as he performs his sole duties, we would most certainly welcome a couple more goals from Song!
Up the Gunners!
Top Gooner!. Agree or not?:
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Surely he is a player that has shown his capability on both ends of the pitch.i think it’s a plus for arsenal.if a team has midfilders that can score goals and at the same time support the defence, what more could it ask for except for inform strikers. RVP is exceptional and if the midfield can help carry some pressure off him.it would definitely be a plus for wenger and his team.
Top Gooner!. Agree or not?:
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Song was hopeless second half of last year and beginning of the season. Now it’s better because of Arteta’s discipline in protecting the defense. I would however prefer to give the freedom to Arteta to add more creativity to the attack, he’s way better than Song. Song should concentrate on balance in the team and not his goalscoring. Bring in Coq already, much smarter and more complete footballer. Every match he doesn’t play is a match wasted for gunners
Opinions divided. What do you think?
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Song is an excellent defensive midfielder and arsenal those not need a new player at that position and song is rated one of the top 10 defensive midfielders in world futbol
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Yes he is doing his work right u can see it dat since he as come frm suspection our defence as been workin fine dat is result of avin him at d team n he is not jt defenceive midfielder but combertive midfielder dat is type of player modern football needs d best is for d team 2 attack together n defend 2gether song should carry on n d whole team should work 2gether 2 achive one goal
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That’s well said by Song if he actually said that. I think the only reason we have not concede as many goals this season apart from the 1 time 8-2 defeat to Man U is Alex Song. He is human so he makes mistakes, but when he makes it Vermalen has always sorted it out. And mertasacker has helped us gain the control over long balls by dominating int he air. Which has given us a stable effective deffence this year. 1 of them out we concede. So song is needed at his rightfull place.
His duty is to give back up and to collect the ball. A ball winner I should say. The only thing different about him and Essien is, he is another mekelele effected by his injury prone attribute. Basically he scores. So if Song can get in to that situation and yet not injure him self. We do not need M’villa. The back up for Song is more than enough from Frimpong and Francis.
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We need more goals scored in every game to show firepower and it will be a massage to all opponents.
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The verminator moves forward to score, so why not Song? All they need is understanding among themselves. We play free flowing attacking football which gives everyone the opportunity to score. All Song needs to do is ensuring that he is properly covered whenever he moves forward. I will even like the Barcelona type of play – attack together, defend together.
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I was watching the midfield really closely during a re-run of the west brom match. It appears that wenger has them rotating during the match, so that each of them is spending a similar amount of time in the DM role. I did not put a timer on it but i reckon they (song, arteta and ramsey) all spent as much as time as each other in each third of the field. when JW and Diaby returs i would say that will continue, just enabling more bench time for all of them. The difference comes when Coquelin and/or Frimpong are used, as that seems to be a more DM barrier. Then you have Arshavin, Rosicky and Benayoun, these 3 seem to be the rotaters for Walcott and Gervinho. I also noticed that injuries apart, we are hardly making substitutions at all in midfield or defence, with 68% of all substitutions involving the “front 3″
back to the topic, if song can become a similar player to arteta, ramsey, wilshire, diaby and lansbury(when he returns) you have to ask yourself will there be much need for more signings, remember we also have ozyakup, aneke and henderson who are players of a similar vein. whilst eastmond offers another option as a proper DM although i am unsure if he is up to the job and should consider reverting back to RB, likewise i think Henderson could become a very good left back
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doesnt mean hes going to be more and more attacking every season, it just means he will get into better attacking positions when he can and be better with his chances, doesnt mean hes going to start playing attacking midfield to get some goals
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RVP may be grabing the headlines but it is Song who is keeping our engine running. Alex Song has played an immense part in our revival. His absence was the reason why 8-2 hapnd(RVP incidentaly missed a penalty. Wonder what wud’ve hapnd if that had gone in!?)
He a complete player now. Just have a rewind and see how many assists and pre assists he had given. From what I can remember.. The goal against bolton. The defence spliting pass to setup Gervinho and the ball to release ramsey which led to Arteta’s goal against blackburn. Assist for Ramsey against Spurs. Loafted ball for RVP against West brom.
I hope he continues this form.
Top Gooner!. Agree or not?:
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If tink song is balancing his play lets nt depend on one player to score 4 us let it b a team dat anybody in d pitch is a goal score.
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would like him to do so. It could help us when the opponent tries to pack the box. But against better teams i think defense is a higher priority for him. Of course if the oppurtunity is right just take it. It would help increase attacking options
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This is not even worth debating. Song has been the most consistent performer. He covers our backline and he can be a CB and plays all those roles with positional decipline. If he can score goals then why not. Goals are not meant to be scored only by strikers. In fact, the issue is the reverse – we are not getting enough goals from mid field. That will come as the team gets more confidence. The midfield needs to start pumping those goals in. That includes Song, Arteta, Ramsey, Rosicky etc. Nothing to debate I am afraid.
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Song should get a chance to do this when Arteta’s not playing and Frimpong/Coquelin should accompany him in the midfield and Wilshere too!
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100% agree with you Matt.
Song in my opinion is the most underated player in the Premier League, im actually suprised none of the top 4 have come in for him, I cant think of 1 middfilder in Songs role I would have over him in the Premier League.
He does give the ball away at times but hes first touch and the way he gets away from hes man at times is very impressive, deffensivly he is sound..
2nd name on the team sheet for me….
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With Wenger’s tactics this year, Song should have a couple more goals. When we play teams on the bottom half of the table, Wenger has Arteta, Ram, and Song rotate to give Song game experience with his attacking to make him a more complete mid. When we play the top teams, Song’s focus is much more defensive and he’s been world class this year.
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Trying to change song way of playing will ruin his game,a good example is mikel obi of chesea an attacking minded player that was force into defensive role,if song is force to concentrate more defensively ,it will kill his attacking instinct.lets AW bring N villa ,their selection will be base on the opponent way of play or the coach (AW) approach to a game.
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People forget quickly, we have been defensively shit for at least 4 years and Song was for a big part responsible for that. He doesn’t understand when to go forward and when not, Vermaelen does and makes sure the cover is there. The reason no top clubs have been coming for Alex is very clear for me, he’s not a top player. He’s good yes but in terms of football intellect not the smartest in the class to say the least. He is very lucky now that Arteta is in the team as he takes a lot of the responsibility for covering up and playing conservative. But that reduces his contribution for the attack for which he is far better than Alex. M’Vila and Coq seem to me more complete footballers.
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with or without goals for me song is the most improved and underrated player in the premier league over the last few years, his passing, interceptions and breaking up play is second to none in the league maybe even europe, for me he is a must in the team! along with van persie and vermaelen.
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@ alexs agreed song was horrible but dat was before……tell me a more consistent performer in defence dis season and dnt say arteta cz he helps but isnt d main defensive wall…….even when song was played out of his natural position(cb) he was still a rock in defence if u remove song, arteta n ramsey wudnt be that impressive……y?? Because no 1 wud win d balll back
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Hi Boss,
You’re right if he is put clearly in a defensive position and doesn’t try anything else he’s great, he’s imposing and he can play the ball and pass.He did a fantastic move to set up RVP for the 5th against Chelsea, beautiful. He is a Wenger type player and I like him for it. The problem is his discipline and raedinh of the game, that is not up to the level of many. Coq, after just watching him 2 or 3 times seem to be not only a very strong defender but has positional awareness which is unique at his age. Anyway, of course I’m not saying Alex is a bad player but believe me not the best in Europe as some claim, in fact not even in the first tear.
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@alexs
i think u have got it all mixed up reread yo last post about position. can i ask you 1 thing when the oppostion is trying to shoot for goal, who usually blocks the ball, thnk chelsea wen mata scored who slid in to try stop the shot, its always Song. and for him to be out of position wen attacking i think its how he is instructed, jus to give the opposition team somethng to think about and rotate the attacking options n wen he does dat one of the midfielders has to cover for him, if song is not there yu can feel the difference wo we definitely dont need M’villa we need Gotze type of player instead
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we need Gotze type of player instead
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There I agree, creative attacking midfielkder is a higher need I also wouldn’t spend money on a DM with Song, Coq and Frimpong in the team. But that’s not what we were discussing is it?
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Song has been one off our best players the last couple of years
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@ alexs n same opinion holders. The boy song has done notin wrong wif his plays. Absolutely notin wrong. U’ll honestly b d 1st gunner dat whirls up some dust bout dis wonder kid n i really tink u’ll b d last. Rembr d 8-2 defeat @ d hands of our fiercest rivals? It only reminds us of wot even Jesus himself said, n i quote, ‘A prophet is witout honour even in his home’. Remembr dis sayin 2, ‘U’l nevr value wot u have until u lose it’.
I sincerely hope dat’s nt d case wif Asenal n d Double Exhaust. Tis very ok though 2 air ur views still. Ur a gooner n i love u. Keep keepin it real! Gunners till we die!
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And oh! Lest i 4get @alexs. About Song nt being world class n nt even in d 1st tier of futball? Man! Really get a hold on urself. Haba! U culd’nt av bn more wrong. Wat? In fact if u wrote dis in an exam 4 me i just might score u an F. Lol! Just kiddin bt guy, wot else wuld u want dis lad 2 do 2 impress u? Wot? Ask me 2pick u an 1senal startin 11 – give me Szczesny, give me Song n i’ll b honoured 2 allow u pick d rest 9. Trust me wen I say he’s ‘ABSOLUTELY WORLD CLASS’. THERE REALLY CAN B NO CONTROVERSY ‘BOUT DIS FACT. Gunners 4Eva!8-)
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