Martin Ødegaard: El Capitanø Incognito

[Yousif Arsenal]

it's also very noticable he just got used to play with Saka both link up very well Ødegaard game affected without Saka. can't blame Ødegaard i got affected watching us without Saka.

 

[Rasmi]

People constantly sh1tting on him. But everyone knows we not buying an attacking midfielder. Hilarious

 

[bastun]

People constantly sh1tting on him. But everyone knows we not buying an attacking midfielder. Hilarious

What does one have to do with the other. Lets not **** on players because we won't replace them?? What kind of logic is this. Have you considered people want the best from our captain and supposed leader and biggest chance creator ? All things which he fails game after game all season.

 

[El Realista]

Off the ball he's still doing a lot of good work, but on the ball he has just been poor pretty much the whole season.

Very worrying.

A player can't be excellent in defensive work and and great with creativity. If we want to see more of hi with the ball he needs to stop draining all his energy when off the ball. Same with Saka.

 

[Dennis_Bergkamp_10]

Can Nwaneri play his position too? Some competition for Ode wouldn't be a bad thing.

 

[bergholt]

Off the ball he's still doing a lot of good work, but on the ball he has just been poor pretty much the whole season.

Very worrying.

Agree, but statistically his season hasn't been terrible, just not up to his high standards.

G+A per 90

20-21: 0.28
21-22: 0.35
22-23: 0.59
23-24: 0.49
24-25: 0.40

Of course, what that doesn't show is that it feels like he's scored a disproportionate percentage in games we already had won.

The guy's only 25, should be entering his prime. Hopefully he can find form again with a clean injury run next year (and maybe a proper striker playing in front of him).

 

[Red London]

it's also very noticable he just got used to play with Saka both link up very well Ødegaard game affected without Saka. can't blame Ødegaard i got affected watching us without Saka.

Yes but if it’s the case it means he is not one of the leading lights in the squad. You can’t be if you require a particular person to play for you to play well. This poses questions about his eligibility for captaincy as well, if there have been no underlying injuries or issues this season.

 

[db10_therza]

A player can't be excellent in defensive work and and great with creativity. If we want to see more of hi with the ball he needs to stop draining all his energy when off the ball. Same with Saka.

This is rubbish. Name one of the PSG midfielders that slacks off the ball. Now tell me if they’re creative or not. It’s not just them either - look at Barella: covers every blade of grass and everything goes through him but he doesn’t skip a beat. But no my man can’t make a 5 yard pass coz he’s doing too much defending lmao.

I’m tired of the excuses. He’s just been **** man. You guys need to wake up. And so does Ødegaard.

 

[Thrice]

Big chance for redemption against PSG. If he disappears again in the two biggest games of the season and Rice and Saka have to do all the creative work again, then I'm pretty much done with him as a key player for the club going forward.

 

[MikelHadADream]

A player can't be excellent in defensive work and and great with creativity. If we want to see more of hi with the ball he needs to stop draining all his energy when off the ball. Same with Saka.

Yeah, it’s actually a bad thing our attacking players work hard and defend under Arteta, it would be much better if they strolled around the pitch.

I don’t get this AM take that our best players defend too much. We saw against Madrid what happens when you have super talents who stroll around the pitch.

In this day and age, the only players you can carry defensively are Messi and Ronaldo types. Everyone else has to put a shift in.

 

[HattoriHanzo]

Yeah, it’s actually a bad thing our attacking players work hard and defend under Arteta, it would be much better if they strolled around the pitch.

I don’t get this AM take that our best players defend too much. We saw against Madrid what happens when you have super talents who stroll around the pitch.

In this day and age, the only players you can carry defensively are Messi and Ronaldo types. Everyone else has to put a shift in.

In current Arsenal team only Saka could have some leeway, because he has earned that.

 

[MikelHadADream]

In current Arsenal team only Saka could have some leeway, because he has earned that.

Nah, he’s doesn’t produce the attacking numbers for that.

I get it for a guy like Salah to a certain degree, a guaranteed 40 g/a player, but we’ve even Liverpool this season struggle when they came up against a proper side (PSG).

 

[bastun]

Nah, he’s doesn’t produce the attacking numbers for that.

Saka was on par with Salah before his big injury in December. He lead the stats for big chances created 3 months after his injury. He was on a mission for breaking the assist record. And not only he did produce the attacking numbers , but also he was super helpful in defense all season.

 

[jaystewart]

Of course, what that doesn't show is that it feels like he's scored a disproportionate percentage in games we already had won.

This is the most important fact about Ødegaard for me.

The sooner I actually digest that Ødegaard isn't gonna solve our creation/scoring problems against tougher competition, the sooner I can get off his back. We should be throwing our hat in the ring for a player like Wirtz.

 

[MikelHadADream]

Saka was on par with Salah before his big injury in December. He lead the stats for big chances created 3 months after his injury. He was on a mission for breaking the assist record. And not only he did produce the attacking numbers , but also he was super helpful in defense all season.

I love Saka as much if not more than anyone on here, but he wouldn’t have kept up with the numbers Salah was putting up.

Saka is an elite winger, but he’s not someone you let walk around the pitch.

I also dont think his numbers would go up significantly if you let him goal hang essentially, that’s not his game.

 

[bastun]

I love Saka as much if not more than anyone on here, but he wouldn’t have kept up with the numbers Salah was putting up.

Saka is an elite winger, but he’s not someone you let walk around the pitch.

I also dont think his numbers would go up significantly if you let him goal hang essentially, that’s not his game.

There is no way for us to know. Imo this season he was something else. Unfortunately he got injured.
About the rest, no one will allow him to not work defensively. Arteta's whole concept is built around that. There is no passengers. Everyone helps their teammates. That's how we beat the supposedly better Real side with so much individual quality.

 

[DJ_Markstar]

Agree, but statistically his season hasn't been terrible, just not up to his high standards.

G+A per 90

20-21: 0.28
21-22: 0.35
22-23: 0.59
23-24: 0.49
24-25: 0.40

Of course, what that doesn't show is that it feels like he's scored a disproportionate percentage in games we already had won.

The guy's only 25, should be entering his prime. Hopefully he can find form again with a clean injury run next year (and maybe a proper striker playing in front of him).

people moaning about his last performance but he got a 9.4 Sofascore, I think there's a disconnect here between what we think he should be doing, what he is capable of doing and what he actually is doing.

As a controlling midfielder he hasn't changed much, he's still decent as a secondary creator and gets a reasonable amount of G/A. I think the frustration is that he's poor in transition and in my opinion when he's in the side it impacts Martinelli and Saka's ability to hit lightning counters against certain opponents. For me this is a training issue, think he can release the ball much quicker in certain situations.

 

[db10_therza]

people moaning about his last performance but he got a 9.4 Sofascore, I think there's a disconnect here between what we think he should be doing, what he is capable of doing and what he actually is doing.

As a controlling midfielder he hasn't changed much, he's still decent as a secondary creator and gets a reasonable amount of G/A. I think the frustration is that he's poor in transition and in my opinion when he's in the side it impacts Martinelli and Saka's ability to hit lightning counters against certain opponents. For me this is a training issue, think he can release the ball much quicker in certain situations.

This is the thing, he is a secondary creator who we need to be our primary creator.

Thats where the actual disconnect is. And it will be more prominent next season if as predicted we get Zubimendi who can control tempo from deep and then Ødegaard really will just have one role on the ball - to manifest end product.

I’m really hoping once the season is over we get news that he’s been carrying something over from his ankle injury and needs surgery because otherwise… idk man I don’t know how you can rationalise this season.

Don’t get it twisted I like him, I like that he’s more measured than someone like Bruno Fernandes because it means we can assert dominance in a way a Bruno team couldn’t dream of doing. But sometimes just pass the ****ing ball first time man. And the basics, please deliver the basics again you got this my captain

 

[db10_therza]

I love Saka as much if not more than anyone on here, but he wouldn’t have kept up with the numbers Salah was putting up.

Saka is an elite winger, but he’s not someone you let walk around the pitch.

I also dont think his numbers would go up significantly if you let him goal hang essentially, that’s not his game.

There’s like a cultural, societal reluctance to give Salah his flowers man I swear.

The guy is a generational freak. Anyone, even Saka, being put on his level in terms of output will actually have to match his output for at least one season before I’m hearing that comparison I’m sorry. That’s obviously ignoring the fact that Salah has been doing it for however long now, I’m just talking about a season comparison.

It’s on Saka to show us that he can do it.

 

[Rasmi]

He’s the biggest victim of this managers set up. Creative players need to play with other creative players. We were trash when he was out. People forgot that already