Martin Ødegaard: El Capitanø Incognito

[Oxeki]

Haters just hating. Ya’ll simply don’t want him to be that guy to lift the champions league.

I see you've found your new Xhaka.

 

[Penn_]

If we’re chalking up this season to a lingering injury why has he played so many unnecessary full games? Why would he continue to cover so much ground?

 

[Trilly]

We shouldn’t be letting United sign Cunha unless we’re doing a madn*ss and are going to sign Wirtz/Cherki or someone in that mould.

Still think Eze would be a great signing as someone who can compete with Ødegaard or play with him.

 

[db10_therza]

We shouldn’t be letting United sign Cunha unless we’re doing a madn*ss and are going to sign Wirtz/Cherki or someone in that mould.

Still think Eze would be a great signing as someone who can compete with Ødegaard or play with him.

Id much prefer Eze to Cunha for that role. He can pass and set up attacks as well as carry the ball. A lot of people want Cunha but honestly I think he’s too limited to do it. You need to be able to pass and probe. Eze has a high football IQ.

He’s right footed though and this club has some weird fetish for left footers I have no idea why. Even the academy is infected with it.

 

[Makingtrax]

Top, top player. Looks tired at the mo. Arteta's got him being first to press and then mopping up in our box. The lad can't take that all season. Looks to be losing weight too. Our forwards should be first in the press not a midfielder. Madness.

 

[db10_therza]

Top, top player. Looks tired at the mo. Arteta's got him being first to press and then mopping up in our box. The lad can't take that all season. Looks to be losing weight too. Our forwards should be first in the press not a midfielder. Madness.

Leading the press is the one thing he always does well, and arguably why he is captain. He’s one of the best in the world at marshalling the press, I have no idea why you’d want to strip that of him and I certainly hope Arteta doesn’t.

And he doesn’t mop up in our box - he’s hardly ever defending there. Does like it once or twice a game. When he went there yesterday to contribute to our **** up he wasn’t defending, he just went walkabout for no reason.

This wasn’t one of your best takes…

 

[Oxeki]

Arteta's got him being first to press and then mopping up in our box.

That's probably the only use he has currently and arguably why he hasn't been dropped. If stops being useful in our press then he becomes entirely useless to our system especially now that he's basically Holding-level on the ball.

 

[Trilly]

Id much prefer Eze to Cunha for that role. He can pass and set up attacks as well as carry the ball. A lot of people want Cunha but honestly I think he’s too limited to do it. You need to be able to pass and probe. Eze has a high football IQ.

He’s right footed though and this club has some weird fetish for left footers I have no idea why. Even the academy is infected with it.

Advantage of Cunha is the elite ball striking and decent finishing ability. He’s capable of pulling off a worldie pass/shot from almost anywhere.

As much as I like Eze’s game his finishing is probably his biggest weakness.

 

[db10_therza]

Advantage of Cunha is the elite ball striking and decent finishing ability. He’s capable of pulling off a worldie pass/shot from almost anywhere.

As much as I like Eze’s game his finishing is probably his biggest weakness.

I think Cunha is a great player but as a false 9 or something, not as a 8/10.

You know how crap we looked when Ødegaard was out because there was no one capable of orchestrating attacks - it will be like that every game if you swap him out with a Cunha. You can’t try dribble through a low block continuously, we’d lose the ball and get countered on A LOT.

 

[Makingtrax]

Leading the press is the one thing he always does well, and arguably why he is captain. He’s one of the best in the world at marshalling the press, I have no idea why you’d want to strip that of him and I certainly hope Arteta doesn’t.

And he doesn’t mop up in our box - he’s hardly ever defending there. Does like it once or twice a game. When he went there yesterday to contribute to our **** up he wasn’t defending, he just went walkabout for no reason.

This wasn’t one of your best takes…

Yeah, lets have our talented midfield general using up his energy regularly running 20 yards past our forwards to be first to put pressure on the keeper. That's a good use of his skill set.

 

[Makingtrax]

That's probably the only use he has currently and arguably why he hasn't been dropped. If stops being useful in our press then he becomes entirely useless to our system especially now that he's basically Holding-level on the ball.

His levels have dropped off a cliff recently, granted. But he wasn't like that early in the season when people were saying he's the next Fabregas. Put a bloke on a hamster wheel day in day out and eventually he'll fall off. He needs a rest. He looks like a prisoner of war.

 

[db10_therza]

Yeah, lets have our talented midfield general using up his energy regularly running 20 yards past our forwards to be first to put pressure on the keeper. That's a good use of his skill set.

Yes. Thats how pressing works. Guys need to run. We have a 442 pressing structure, Ødegaard as one of the highest central players is one of the 2, Havertz being the other. Merino doesn’t have the engine so now Ødegaard probably needs to do a bit more.

You know what makes me laugh, back when we used to have Özil vs Ødegaard daily debates on here all I used to hear was “Ødegaard >>>>> because he can run and press and do all that ****” and now you want him to not press.

I dare someone to bring up that comparison again btw.

 

[Makingtrax]

Yes. Thats how pressing works. Guys need to run. We have a 442 pressing structure, Ødegaard as one of the highest central players is one of the 2, Havertz being the other. Merino doesn’t have the engine so now Ødegaard probably needs to do a bit more.

You know what makes me laugh, back when we used to have Özil vs Ødegaard daily debates on here all I used to hear was “Ødegaard >>>>> because he can run and press and do all that ****” and now you want him to not press.

I dare someone to bring up that comparison again btw.

Was Ødegaard v Özil even a thing? Özil was another level to . . . well . . just about every other footballer.

Running at a defence to put pressure on them ranks as a 1 on a scale of 1 to 10 of professional football skills. You've just got to have a turn of speed and be coached when to do it. It's like defenders knowing when to move up for off side. Even Mustafi was good at that. Well . . maybe.

 

[db10_therza]

Was Ødegaard v Özil even a thing? Özil was another level to . . . well . . just about every other footballer.

Running at a defence to put pressure on them ranks as a 1 on a scale of 1 to 10 of professional football skills. You've just got to have a turn of speed and be coached when to do it. It's like defenders knowing when to move up for off side. Even Mustafi was good at that. Well . . maybe.

Nah man pressing has come a long way. You need to scan, angle your run to block passing lanes, shadow press etc etc

We are one of the best teams in the world at it. It’s the reason we just slapped up a team full of superstars and made them cry for mummy.

We absolutely should not stop doing it. Ødegaard’s work rate is not the issue here. He’s not picking up muscular problems (his injury was a contact one). I don’t know why he’s fallen off but if the solution is to stop pressing then the medicine is more damaging than the disease.

 

[Makingtrax]

Nah man pressing has come a long way. You need to scan, angle your run to block passing lanes, shadow press etc etc

We are one of the best teams in the world at it. It’s the reason we just slapped up a team full of superstars and made them cry for mummy.

We absolutely should not stop doing it. Ødegaard’s work rate is not the issue here. He’s not picking up muscular problems (his injury was a contact one). I don’t know why he’s fallen off but if the solution is to stop pressing then the medicine is more damaging than the disease.

I'm not saying we should stop the press bro, it's very effective. But Ødegaard has to run a long way to be first to arrive, which he frequently does. Jesus/Trossard/Merino or whoever is CF should be closer to the action. No idea why Arteta does it this way, but you can't tell me Ødegaard doesn't look gaunt and his decision making has all the hallmarks of burnout. He was a different player 6 months ago. Anyway, just have to disagree on this.

 

[Trilly]

Nah man pressing has come a long way. You need to scan, angle your run to block passing lanes, shadow press etc etc

Surely this is still fairly easy to coach as long as you have a decent amount of brain cells?

 

[db10_therza]

Surely this is still fairly easy to coach as long as you have a decent amount of brain cells?

I’ve seen enough guys in other teams press like muppets to suggest that it’s not thaaaat easy. United still can’t press for example. I dunno how much is coaching and how much is playerIQ admittedly.

My broader point anyway was that pressing is supposed to be a huge part of Ødegaard’s value proposition, he just isn’t outstanding enough as an out and out CAM to get away with a diminished pressing role.

I do hear an argument that he’s tired but that has more to do with us not having a rotation option for him, not that he should be doing less when he’s actually playing. And he hasn’t played that much this year anyway because he was injured for so long, he definitely shouldn’t be burnt out.

 

[Riou]

Ødegaard v Mateta, a short but beautiful story...

...fin

 

[bastun]

I’ve seen enough guys in other teams press like muppets to suggest that it’s not thaaaat easy. United still can’t press for example. I dunno how much is coaching and how much is playerIQ admittedly.

My broader point anyway was that pressing is supposed to be a huge part of Ødegaard’s value proposition, he just isn’t outstanding enough as an out and out CAM to get away with a diminished pressing role.

I do hear an argument that he’s tired but that has more to do with us not having a rotation option for him, not that he should be doing less when he’s actually playing. And he hasn’t played that much this year anyway because he was injured for so long, he definitely shouldn’t be burnt out.

Tired of constantly losing the ball in dangerous areas ?

 

[bastun]

Ødegaard v Mateta, a short but beautiful story...

...fin

His defending for their second goal was embarrassing. First he gave the idiotic pass to Saliba, then Mateta moved him like an annoying fly. In comparison MLS bodied Mateta couple of minutes earlier.