Alex Song to Barcelona: How will it affect both clubs?

So this week has seen the departure of Alex Song to Barcelona. In some corners this has come as a surprise, and to others, it was the inevitable waiting to happen. I recently met Alex on holiday in Vegas. Like a kid in a candy store, I was excited to see one of our players who gets my support week in, week out. So we spoke for a few minutes, discussing how our holidays were going and moments from last season. As I walked away, I foolishly said “I’ll see you back at the Emirates, good luck in pre-season”. Boy, how wrong was my choice of words !

With Song no longer a Gooner, how will he be remembered? The creative defensive midfielder? The ill-disciplined defensive midfielder? I think Song can be perfectly defined as the oxymoron of a defensive midfielder, and it is for this reason, he will not be missed at the heart of Arsenal‘s midfield. For years, the heart of the Arsenal midfield has thrived on having a bullish, industrious, working midfield that was the engine room for the fluidity in our style of play.

From the days of Petit and Vieira through to Gilberto and Vieira, it is no coincidence that the recent trophy drought has come due to the lack of inadequate defensive qualities we have possessed in central midfield. The number of times our midfield has been penetrated on the counter attack has finally got the alarm bells ringing in Arsene’s ears. For all of Song’s offensive qualities, his lack of defensive responsibility and leadership to show some grit are far too compromising for a team with such a susceptible defence.

Make no mistake about it, credit where it’s due, Song has already surpassed his own expectations. For a player starting at Bastia, to a loan spell at Charlton, to that shambolic performance against Fulham where he was substituted at half time, to the defensive midfielder with a double tally of assists, and now finding himself at Barcelona; I truly believe Song, at such a young age, has placed his career at an unnecessary crossroad.

Will he displace Busquets in the defensive midfield position? No. Does he offer more defensive cover then Mascherano? No. Are Song’s offensive qualities really needed at a club averaging around 3 goals a game? No. So it begs the question, what awaits Mr. Song at Barcelona? A squad player, a versatile player is what Song will offer Barcelona, but like many before him, he will find this status will always make him a player that Barcelona can afford to not have in a couple of seasons time.

Will constant late appearances in training, as reported, be taken more leniently at Barcelona then it was at Arsenal? Will positional lapses cost him his place in the team, something which was well over looked at Arsenal? Will he suffer the same fate as Hleb? Will he become another journeyman through Europe? So many questions will need to be answered to justify Song being a Barcelona player, and shifting his game to the next level will have to be a do or die.

One thing is for sure, Song will win titles at Barcelona, and regardless of whether he starts games or is benched, it may just overshadow whether Alex was able to make the grade at the world’s greatest ever team.

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