Arsenal v Chelsea - Nov. 29 Sun - 16:00 GMT

[alboots101]

something has really bugged me since sunday....

why did he take Alex Song off and leave Denny on?

 

[Rahul]

^^ maybe cos Arsène knows.

 

[alboots101]

oh ha bloody ha ha.

 

[Captain]

In my opinion, Song was struggling.

 

[Anzac]

In my opinion, Song was struggling.

So does that mean he's not good enough as yet to play the role against top class opposition?

 

[patrick42uk]

Mod Edit: No Arsenal clips - come on Pat, you know better.

 

[Accomplished]

Wenger will have his reasons.

We can speculate all we like but if that question was ever put to him he'd have an excellent reason for taking Song off.

 

[Anzac]

Wenger will have his reasons.

We can speculate all we like but if that question was ever put to him he'd have an excellent reason for taking Song off.

He wanted to see how the midfield would perform without Song during the ACN.

 

[Jkreffer]

I think he was clearly taking him off as a precaution with todays game in mind...

 

[fabo]

Wenger will have his reasons.

We can speculate all we like but if that question was ever put to him he'd have an excellent reason for taking Song off.

He wanted to see how the midfield would perform without Song during the ACN.

Song was struggling, seen him get by-passed at ease a few times at least. But at half time either him or Denilson had to go - no matter who he chose it wouldn't have affected the result. We were toothless up front.

 

[General]

It was a typical Song performance - Passed well and physically competent but caught on the wrong side of play several times, positionally atrocious, not mobile enough and inevitably allowed the game to pass him by. I am a big fan and he has made significant improvements in his game but it is clear he is quite some way from being the answer to our problems. The point was made by a few on this board that the lack of credible alternatives meant perspective too often went out of the window, prompting too many people to overrate him.

 

[Mbaki Mutahaba]

It was a typical Song performance - Passed well and physically competent but caught on the wrong side of play several times, positionally atrocious, not mobile enough and inevitably allowed the game to pass him by. I am a big fan and he has made significant improvements in his game but it is clear he is quite some way from being the answer to our problems. The point was made by a few on this board that the lack of credible alternatives meant perspective too often went out of the window, prompting too many people to overrate him.

I remember Song from the early days..if there is one player who has earned his spot its him. There was just way too much going against him. I really doubt he is overrated. He is good at what he does for that age and there is more to come from him. He is the type(rightly or wrongly) that gives Wenger the confidence to stick it out with youth cos boy did he get stick when he started... We dont have an "answer" to our problem. I doubt there is one player who can really make us the champion. It will be a collective effort or a collective failure.

 

[progman07]

It was a typical Song performance - Passed well and physically competent but caught on the wrong side of play several times, positionally atrocious, not mobile enough and inevitably allowed the game to pass him by. I am a big fan and he has made significant improvements in his game but it is clear he is quite some way from being the answer to our problems. The point was made by a few on this board that the lack of credible alternatives meant perspective too often went out of the window, prompting too many people to overrate him.

I remember Song from the early days..if there is one player who has earned his spot its him. There was just way too much going against him. I really doubt he is overrated. He is good at what he does for that age and there is more to come from him. He is the type(rightly or wrongly) that gives Wenger the confidence to stick it out with youth cause boy did he get stick when he started... We dont have an "answer" to our problem. I doubt there is one player who can really make us the champion. It will be a collective effort or a collective failure.

True.

Also, players like Gilberto and Flamini also had faults and made mistakes. If you want Song to be the perfect player at the age of 21, you will be disappointed. But what he does is more than good for us, and he has been certainly one of our best performers this season.

 

[General]

But what he does is more than good for us, and he has been certainly one of our best performers this season.

That is just the problem because Song is not upper echelon material yet. The tendency to equate significant improvement to 'good enough' is far too rife on this board.

Mbaki - You can't earn your spot in the team when competition is next to non-existent. The midfield selection in 07/08 is what you would call real competition and it was clear who won the battle then (for the first half at least). Song is improving by the game and he's the best we have at the moment but as the old fable goes - in the land of the blind the man with one eye is ....

 

[progman07]

But what he does is more than good for us, and he has been certainly one of our best performers this season.

That is just the problem because Song is not upper echelon material yet. The tendency to equate significant improvement to 'good enough' is far too rife on this board.

Well, I have my own opinion about Song's performances (and it's not related to his improvements, and not to the lack of backups for Song either). Maybe I'm wrong, who knows.