Song must be more disciplined

Last night Arsenal celebrated a famous victory in the Stade Velodrome over Marseille but both sides will go away feeling there is considerable room for improvement. The game was lethargic to say the least and it took the introduction of Aaron Ramsay to change it.

The one glaring improvement that must be made on Arsenal’s behalf is the performance of Alex Song. The Cameroonian international is a good player but lacks the discipline to play as a defensive midfielder against the very best sides. In the second half I lost count of the times he was out of position which resulted in Arteta covering as defensive midfielder too many times.

It is a position that has now become an integral part of modern day football. The finest exponent of it in recent times was Claude Makelele and it is now often referred to as the Makelele role. The idea is to be the last line of midfield before you get to the centre backs; they are there as a screen/shield to bolster the defence. It is a role that requires very good positional discipline and concentration as one error can result in serious ramifications. This is the problem with Alex Song.

He is a very good player and I do not want to be over critical but as someone who admires the position and the attributes required it is frustrating so watch. On numerous occasions when Arsenal went forward Song was the furthest player forward besides Van Persie. Whilst the energy and commitment shown is admirable he is forgetting his sole purpose; to protect his defence. The game was very scrappy and attacks were broken up frequently with Marseille counter attacking almost at will. If the French side had more about them this space could have been exploited more efficiently but Arsenal escaped.

It also resulted in Arteta (Arsenal’s most creative player on display last night) having to fill in for his team-mate. This in turn then meant that Arsenal lacked the penetration in the final third to really hurt their opponents. I have continually stated to Arsenal fans for a long time that Song is not good enough to play that role at the highest level and it appears they are finally beginning to take note.

The best example in world football at the moment is Sergio Busquets of Barcelona who is an incredible defensive midfielder. In my opinion the DM should never stray too far from the centre backs and at all times the three of them should form a neat triangle. When Song plays there are triangles but some of them stretch 50 yards which is simply not good enough.

At a time when Arsenal are not at their fluid best they need to ensure they are disciplined and hard to beat. The result last night should increase their confidence but they will not face many easier games this season. If they are too improve Arsene Wenger must ensure Song remains disciplined, he is a good player but must focus on his own job rather than getting involved all over the pitch.

Vidic proves to be irreplaceable

There are very few players who have proved to be irreplaceable at Manchester United over the years but Nemanja Vidic is certainly one. Since getting injured in his club’s opening Premier League game of the season his presence has been sorely missed and it was again highlighted at Anfield this weekend.

The colossal Serbian defender has established himself as the best defender in the country and has been instrumental in United’s recent success. His no nonsense style of defending has earned plaudits from every corner of the football world over the last few years. Although United certainly have strength in depth at centre back it is their captain who gives them the assuredness at the back that is required of a side competing for major honours.

With the increasingly unreliable Rio Ferdinand seemingly destined for a premature retirement due to continual injury the manager Sir Alex Ferguson has added Phil Jones and Chris Smalling to bolster his options. With these two England internationals learning from Ferdinand and Vidic the belief is that they will develop into top class centre backs. However, both are still someway short of being able to look after United’s defensive duties against some of the best sides in Europe. The return to form of Jonny Evans has certainly helped but the absence of Vidic is very noticeable.

Although we are still at an early stage in the season it has been alarming to see the amount of pressure United have had to endure against inferior opposition. The doubts surrounding their new goalkeeper David de Gea have certainly added to the surprising stat that they have conceded the most shots in the entire league thus far this season. However, it is the lack of pressure being applied by the centre backs that have contributed hugely to this. Rio Ferdinand is no longer able to move effectively round the pitch on a consistent basis. Jonny Evans, the mainstay so far, needs continuity in a partner to help him develop into a commanding presence. Jones and Smalling have both impressed in some games but need more time to hone their defensive qualities.

During the Champions League final last May Barcelona exposed the fact that United desperately need a solid defensive midfielder to shield their back four and this has still not been properly addressed. It is an essential position in the modern game and when playing against sides who can retain possession in the final third it is essential. On Saturday Liverpool were able to keep the ball in dangerous places far too easily and it should have cost them the game. A run from Charlie Adam took him straight through the middle of the United midfield and then straight at Ferdinand. The England defender brought him down for the free kick which lead to the goal; the reigning champions had not learnt from the first half when Adam had done exactly the same before Suarez was denied by De Gea.

Most centre backs are not fantastically quick and rely on good positioning rather than speed. Vidic is a prime example of this; it is his blocking and physical attributes that make him such a good defender. Similar to many of the top defenders over the last few decades, Cannavaro, Nesta, Puyol, Thuram etc he does live on the edge of the law. Most top defenders always skirt on the line of foul play; tugging shirts, holding shirts and sometimes even out right fouling to stop their opponent; the black arts of defending basically.

There have been rumblings for a couple of years now that Mrs Vidic is not happy in Manchester and would like to relocate. Whilst Ferguson has strengthened his defensive options it is something he can ill afford to do on current evidence. The Serb was integral in United’s success last season and has been sorely missed already this season. It seems foolhardy to use the term irreplaceable for a side as successful as United but Vidic is as close as they come.