Barcelona have a strange way of tapping up players. They seem to pump stories into the media and then get their players to comment on them. Eventually the whole process snowballs together and starts to draw real attention. It’s little wonder then that the players head usually ends up getting turned and that if Barcelona want a player, they end up getting them (nine times out of ten).
Arsenal in particular have been burned by their approach. It happened with Theirry Henry. It happened with Cesc Fabregas (yes, I know that he hardly needed his head turned) and it’s currently happening with Alex Song.
I’d say that Alex Hleb was Arsene Wenger’s Trojan horse. He was Wenger’s way of getting his own back. He sold them a faulty product and it’s fair to say that he never managed to fit in at the Nou Camp.
Back to Song. Reports from Spain earlier this week claim that Barca are looking to make amends for the departure of Seydou Keita, by bringing in the Arsenal defensive midfielder. Naturally some reporter somewhere (ESPN specifically) managed to get a mic in front of a Barca player to get a soundbite. The player is Sergio Busquets and here’s what he had to say:
“Song is a very good player – young, a hard worker, with lots of physical power. Barca lose a lot without Keita, both on and off the pitch. He was a much-loved player who gave us a lot of physical power… Another player in my position would be welcome, but ether way I will keep working hard to win a place in the starting team.”
So it begins. This could run and run. Alex Song has become an important part of this Arsenal team. He’s a defensive midfielder with attacking flair. His maurading attitude often sees him fail to provide adequate protection in front of Arsenal’s back-four. Do his fantastic assists last season get him off the hook for his lack of defensive nous? I’m not so sure.
All of which is to say: Arsenal could survive without Alex Song. Song’s a ‘nice-to-have’ not a must have. If he goes, there’s a Yann M’Vila type out there fit and ready to replace him. Somebody who could potentially provide Arsenal with a little more solidarity at the back. If Arsenal get a decent fee for Song, wouldn’t that leave them the victors? Let’s not get too worried just yet!
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barcelona are scum
“He’s a defensive midfielder with attacking flair. His maurading attitude often sees him fail to provide adequate protection in front of Arsenal’s back-four. Do his fantastic assists last season get him off the hook for his lack of defensive nous? I’m not so sure.”
Blah blah blah. How many more of these articles? Song has been our most consistent performer for the past 3+ years, but he is NOT our main defensive midfielder, and never has been. Arteta held behind him in a central position last season, allowing Song to move further forward. When Mikel was injured, we didn’t have the cover, and the team lost it’s balance. Get off Song’s back – we’d have dropped from the top 4 at least once in the last few years were it not for him.
Rubbish….of course we need him!!
Bacer or Barca i dont’t know what you call your self, stop poaching our players,if you dont,i will place a cause on you and you will never i mean be able to win any trophy,i mean never ever.
You mean like your club? Just wondering
Song has been mustard so we sell him who do we get I see him at alot more money than barca won’t to give us also all this his not defensive enough any one that plays football nos if song bursts forward it’s for the other midfielders to notice and fill in get off the fellas back I do agree something has to be done with barca and there tapping up bunch of c£&@s
Barca are such motherfuckers. They want to sign ALL of ARSENALS players. Then they either succeed and rob Arsenal of their players at less than half their real price and come back next year or end up unsettling the player and make him want to leave (Van fucking asshole Persie). And also the fact that Arsenal tolerate this shit every single year and end up bending over and letting teams like Manchester Shitty and Manchester United In Being Wankers fuck them up the ass pisses me off to high hell. This needs to stop.
(P.S: Van Persie, if you want to leave, fuck off quickly, money grabbing cunts like you make me sick. And in the unlikely event of you staying because you overpriced yourself out of a deal to anywhere, better lay low and apologise for being a Nasribayor to the fans. Some captain huh? Play for the name on the front and they will remember the name on the back. By the way, I’m only gonna feel bad about your departure when I’m playing FIFA 13 and Arsenal have been deprived of a 90 rated striker).
Well said, you a truly an intelligent gunner who understands what is going on at the club, I wish Arsene Wenger would read these sort of comments.God bless, Silus from Kenya.
And what about Arsenal with Barca youth players? They keep enticing them and turn their heads around before getting them to move for free, leaving Barca having to resort to the courts to seek payments.
And to the moderators, I know you will not publish this for you never want any balanced discussion…. so what do I care, you’ll still have to read it, and you know they are true.
Vilanova and management should look critically at players like Yann M’villa and some defenders on their transfer target list and make the right choice without regret. Not always in some way chasing Arsenal players. The defence is still critical and not a joke because as a barcelona team and fan, you wanna play beautifully, score much goals and defend solidly and not be found wanting during an offensive attack on you. Time is running Out.
H8 Rvp even if he stays