Robin van Persie has hailed the way his Arsenal colleagues are taking on more responsibility in the wake of this summer’s departures.
The Dutch international has obviously been pinpointed as a focal point for much praise this term having scored a bazillion goals, but it is the influence of the likes of Alex Song, Mikel Arteta and Thomas Vermaelen which comforts the striker.
Speaking to the official matchday programme ahead of Saturday’s draw with Fulham, the club captain paid particular homage to Cameroon enforcer Song after his dribble-tastic assist against Borussia Dortmund.
“What I like at the moment is that you can see people stepping up a level, and growing in confidence,” he said. “I can really notice that around the team. Alex Song for example. He has been a great player for a few years now, but I do feel that when you see a defensive midfielder make an action like that against Dortmund, to break a game like that, then he is something special.”
“We also have Thomas Vermaelen back, and Mikel Arteta is playing really well too. He’s so intelligent. He knows when to go forward, he knows when to sit back. Sometimes Alex makes a run forward but because of his experience Mikel can read the game perfectly, knows when to go forward, when to help his team out, or when to play for others.”
Van Persie isn’t the only one, who has had his head turned by Alex Song’s marked improvement. The boss has also been impressed by the manner in which the 24-year-old has taken games by the scruff of the neck.
“A great assist from Alex Song set us on our way against Dortmund. He is a defensive midfielder who can also be very creative offensively, and showed that again on Wednesday.
“You want your players to show that kind of quality at a moment where it is needed, and we required something like that on the night. What I like is that he took the risk, took the gamble, and the quality of his final ball was exceptional. He did something that is not only tricky and fantastic to watch, but also efficient.
“You might need a magnet to keep him back sometimes, but overall in the second half he was tremendous defensively too – in the challenges he was absolutely fantastic. I believe that an intelligent player is one who uses his assets in an intelligent way. His asset is in the duels, but he can add to his game from time to time as well. We know that he is a fantastic player.”
song is a hero
If we can keep this current front 6 healthy and add Wilshere to the mix our 125 year will be very exciting!
Wenger gives so much time and motivation to players, they r bound to improve.
I remember Song 4-5 yrs back, he has changed so much. he will only improve. Great to see that.
i fail to understand why players such as Nasri dont realise that Arsenal is the best institution for players who want to improve.
Sitting on the bench isnt the right option.
I agree totally. I cannot understand why (stupid money asside) players would want to leave Arsenal with Hleb and Flamini and countless others as examples of how it goes wrong when you think the grass is greener. The number of successful leavers compared to on the bench/never heard of again leavers should tell them that guaranteed first team football at Arsenal is their best bet.
Flamini is a bad example I think. He has done very well for AC Milan.
Adebayor-Hleb-Nasri- even Henry to an extent.
The grass is never greener than at The Arsenal!
How can anyone not like a Special Song ?
Most underrated player on the team. Class defence as well as a top notch pass. Give him another season and best in the PL. Only one!
Which DM would you say is better than Song right now?
its where you are wrong song is not a DM as such more like aa box to box …..the real new Vieira has arrive ,rise sir alexander song billong
@lordgunner: but me thinks his main objective is to shield the back 4. At least we can say his defensive skill is far more better then the other midfielders.
‘You might need a magnet to keep him back…’. Something that’ll be a lot easier to do if he takes to the field in his special hat.
He still gives silly foul away round edge of box, other than that progressing well.
I can’t imagine Song without the silly fouls. lol Everything else about his game is so amazing right now so I’m not too bothered.
Reminds me of Essien in his prime. Not a sloppy comparison, but he is slowly turning into a complete midfielder
Song is a brilliant player, a little bit maverick for his disciplined position but the difference this year is Arteta – he covers for him seamlessly and we didn’t have that last term. The way the 3 midfielders work is brilliant and I can only imagine how it will work when Wilshire is back to his best. Plus Diaby looked pretty good on Saturday when he came on and that gives us another option. Granted Cesc is a better player than them all but the 5 of them this year is a much better midfield select than last year!
Did RVP just say Mikel is ‘so intelligent’? *swoon*
Funny how when you have players leave (Fabregas, Eboe, Denilson and Nasri) that other players realise they need to step up to the plate. I know everyone has been going on about RVP this season but equally he has been getting some superb service like the cross that Song put in last Wednesday. Walcott has been ripping some serious holes in various defences this season too, not to mention Gervinio’s form as well. I like the look of this new team, not quite the fancy football when Fabregas and Nasri were playing but they seem more of a team right… Read more »
Having a captain that is not a wantaway has got to help too. RVP is red army all day long!
We shall see.
Who is Denilson?
Song has taken advantage of the situation in front of him. Continueing on Mathieu Flamini’s one shining year… But better and more sustained.
can we keep him?
contract expires when rvp’s does and i read (on arseblog or le-grove) that the author said he heard that song had no interest in renewing
Actually he’s got a contract until 2015, but the club want to offer him an extension on renewed and better terms.
That’s the thing I like, Song took the risk instead of passing it around more. You could really catch opposition players off guard like that. More of that please!!!
And still the tosspot media witter on about how we should have bought Little Scotty Parker.
Oh, Scotty’s the best … What a genius ‘Arry is … Just as good as Charlie Adam(?) at a fraction of the price …
We’ve Song, Frimpong, Coquelin, and … Diaby. More than enough to play alongside Arteta, Ramsey, Wilshere, Rosicky, Benayoun, and any new boys yet to be picked up.
Song is even better than he was last season. And he’s ours. And he’s not even going to the ACN.
Would you swap him for anyone else in world football? Because I wouldn’t.
“Would you swap him for anyone else in world football? Because I wouldn’t”
Really??? Not even Messi.. lol I get your point though, no one is doing his job better than Song at the moment
Messi couldn’t do Song’s job like Song does 🙂
nope, not even messi, because messi doesn’t do what Song does. There’s only one Alex Song-Bilong
In his position, numpty.
If only we were sure that all our young players will grow like Song, then we would have been hundred percent sure the future is ours. I love to compare his career with Mikel Obi, who was far better few years back but has retrogressed henceforth and cannot, and probably will never, be mentioned in the same breath as our only Song. Amazing how he fits seamlessly into other roles when needed. And what he did on Wedsday is what Thiery, Vieira, Fabregas, et al did that makes us class them as legends: it is called ‘taking the m atch… Read more »
Thorough, Mikel Obi had the singular misfortune of being coached by that so-called special one who turned such a beautiful passer of the ball and offensive midfielder into a trashy DM.
Song got better and better because he’s got Wenger. Period.
For me it’s great that RVP can see the differences in the team, and to hear him pick out the likes of song & arteta means that he knows the team is maturing, & with any luck this will help him to sign a new contract along with Walcott, if we can get them & song to sign the extension and possibly offload/recruit some players in the January window then things look promising indeed. I just have a slight concern that how we finish this season, along with what type of ambition our board shows regarding future wages and transfer… Read more »
I don’t think project youth has failed. You have to look at it’s uses from more than one angle. It’s not just about providing first team players. If you calculate how much profit is gained from project youth it is quite successful.
I watch many matches this weekend as well as Match of the Day and was naming so many ex-Arsenal players it was quite impressive.
I remember when Song was classed as the worst signing Wenger ever made. See how this young man has repaid the faith le prof had in him. I wish he had signed our own John Obi Mikel. Its so sad to see the way his career is going down. Im sure we would be ripping teams apart when Wilshere joins this team. Good headache of choice for Wenger
I agree with Myarse. Wenger has been a success. He does has something to answer for over the transfer saga last summer but equally I think he feels very let down by Fabregas and Nasri whose careers he developed considerably but also by the lack of mental strength shown by those he had to let go.
Yay! I’ve been waiting for someone to agree with MyArse!
Your arse said that?
I take your point about the ex arsenal players, but what I meant is that Wenger was so desperate for the team of youngsters he had compiled to succeed, and when he lost cesc & nasri & clichy it was like the heart of them team was gone, but where one door closes another opens, take song, Ramsey Walcott they were also in the team last yr, but they’re like different players now, and at least we now know that the players we have in the squad want to play for us, that they’re not motivated by money. So things… Read more »
I get it mate. Losing them was a bit harsh, especially all at once. Add to that the fact that their performances substantially decreased before their departures and the dressing room atmosphere must have been pants. It must have been an awful time for him. There were times last season when Wenger trully appeared haggered.
Aye, I remember seeing him during the worst of it and the mans face was just etched with stress, I know he’s not the happiest looking at the best of times but my god he had appeared to had aged 20 yrs around then, thankfully he seems more relaxed now, the teams doing well and there’s alot of positivity around. long may it continue.
I agree again Myarse!
I say keep all magnets away from the emirate as I want to see more and more of those glorious match-changing assists.
Unleash the Song.
Im nt thaat surprise at Alex current form, only the smarts will see how he started last season, when we all can question his position aas a DM. With his !ody structure, his got some amasing moves, can hardly forget that assist he did for Santos on John Terry’s day off. Right now, Alex Song is of no comparism!
Yeaah baby it’s all cooking right for we gunners and may it continue to be so for a looooonnnnng time to come, can an AMEN to tha? AMEN!!!
All I know is one Song
Tune of “Don’t cha” by the Pussycat Dolls
Don’t cha wish your striker was RVP
Don’t cha wish your striker was Van Persie
Don’t cha, Don’t cha..
Wouldn’t be a bad chant…