Alex Song left Arsenal for Barcelona after the transfer
was orchestrated by the Catalan media. Both Sport and Mundo Deportivo had
several front pages dedicated to the deal and it was claimed Song had agreed
personal terms with Barcelona long before the two clubs had settled on a fee.
It added to the annoyance many Arsenal fans felt toward Song, he was the latest
big name player to leave the club and it hadn't been handled in the best way.
Whilst Cesc Fabregas got an easy ride, Song got the brunt of much of the
frustration.
He's considered a failure at Barcelona by many in
England, but he'd certainly think differently. Song won La Liga during his
first season and made a total of 25 starts for Barcelona plus a good number of
substitute appearances. He was never likely to be an automatic first choice but
he's not doing so badly and is a useful member of the Barcelona squad.
Song still looks back on Arsenal fondly and when speaking
to Barca TV, picked up by Le10, he pointed out similarities between the two
clubs.
"Arsenal
have the same style of play as Barça. There are not many differences. The main
difference is the quality of players... Barça have the world's best players,
Arsenal have great players. The philosophy is the same, the style is the same.
This is why it was easy for me. I had nothing to learn in particular, it is the
same style of play."
It's not clear whether Song fits himself into the 'great'
or 'world's best' category but his comments are probably fair, but also
something which will be tested by time over the next couple of years. Arsenal
have had a good start to the season and are considered to be on the up, whereas
Barcelona aren't quite the all dominant superpower they once were.
Culled from Sport Witness
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