Arsene Wenger talking to Alex Song before match 

 

Tom Oldfield

 

As the supporters filtered out of the Emirates Stadium following Manchester United demolition job against Arsenal in the Champions League semi-final second leg – and again after Sunday’s heavy loss to Chelsea – Arsene Wenger had to accept that the Gunners would again finish the season empty-handed and had plenty of work to do over the summer.

It is becoming an all too familiar occurrence. Pretty football, beautiful passing and movement but no end product and no trophies. It should not be forgotten that this formula has worked for Arsenal in the past, notably with a Double in 1998 and 2002 and a Champions League final appearance in 2006, but times have changed and Wenger and the Gunners are refusing to adapt. Those Double-winning sides would bristle at being compared with the current crop.

The likes of Patrick Vieira and Emmanuel Petit were outstanding talents who blossomed into wily winners. But Wenger’s attempts to build a team in the mould of the Invincibles has met with failure year after year. Their last trophy was the FA Cup in 2005 and this statistic is unlikely to change unless Wenger shifts his approach. His current squad is simply not ready yet. While no one could question the outstanding talent of Cesc Fabregas or Robin van Persie, there are too many players who are either too raw or too far out of their depth.

Alex Song is one player who falls into this latter category. A powerful, athletic midfield runner, it is easy to see why Wenger saw Song as a youngster capable of emulating Vieira at the heart of the midfield. The Gunners are certainly crying out for some muscle in that position. But, time and again, the Cameroonian has fallen short, particularly in the big games, and although he signed a new contract at the club in 2008, there may soon be question marks over his future.

Charged with competing against Manchester United’s midfield trio of Michael Carrick, Anderson and Darren Fletcher, Song was anonymous. Anderson consistently shrugged him aside while Carrick and Fletcher left him chasing shadows. Against Chelsea, Michael Essien and Jon Obi Mikel overshadowed Song, prompting Wenger to pull the Cameroonian off late-on.

It would be wrong to suggest that Song was alone in under-performing against Man Utd – after all, Arsenal were woeful in both legs – but it was just another reminder that the Cameroonian will never compare to a Vieira or a Petit in midfield, nor for that matter to a Gilberto Silva or a Mathieu Flamini who both left North London last summer. Man Utd and Chelsea came to the Emirates last week and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. It never used to be like that for visiting teams at Highbury in the glory years.

Wenger has tried the youngster in central defence too and, though he has endured some torrid afternoons there, this may turn out to be his strongest position. Song filled a midfield role on loan at Charlton and made a real impact at The Valley – but playing in the middle of the park for Arsenal and chasing the big prizes is a totally different ball game. Fighting for the title means winning week in, week out and much of the drive behind successful teams comes from midfield. Along with the obvious example of Vieira, look at Roy Keane, Paul Scholes, Claude Makelele and Frank Lampard over the past decade.

The Arsenal boss has frequently fought his youngsters’ corner, suggesting it is too early to draw conclusions on their potential. Speaking to the media about Song, Wenger said: “I read articles that stated Song was the worst signing I ever made since I am at Arsenal. I was one of the few people who kept faith in him. But we just needed to be patient. He helps the team to be well balanced because he is more defensive than the other midfielders.”

Even after their disastrous week, Wenger is adamant that a major trophy is not far away. “Things are not as doom and gloom as everybody wants to make it after a defeat,” he told reporters. “Certainly we will try to strengthen the squad in the summer. We’ll look to sign one or two players. We are prepared to spend the necessary money to get the players we want. I remain confident that we can win silverware next season and that’s why we will continue to work hard.” But, depending on those re-enforcements, such confidence appears misplaced because the last seven days have proved that the gap between Arsenal and the top three is ever-widening at present.

While Wenger is unlikely to abandon his policy of sensible spending, he will be having a long, hard look at his squad this summer and Song must be running out of time to convince the Frenchman that he has what it takes to feature in a title-winning side. The Arsenal fans are losing patience with the continual building for the future and, if the Frenchman is seeking to raise additional funds to revamp a team crying out for a few experienced heads, he may just decide that the time is right to offload Song.

 

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